Background and Setting
In the year 2042, effective immortality is discovered; advanced medical technology allows most injuries and illnesses, even fatal ones, to be quickly repaired. This allows humanity to triumph over death and ends what is posthumously referred to as the Mortal Age. Earth becomes united under a nigh-omnipotent sentient artificial intelligence called the Thunderhead, carefully designed with perfect motives. Utilizing all of humanity's knowledge and power, the Thunderhead solves climate change, mental illness, and discrimination. It decides that death is still required in order to give life meaning and to prevent the human population from becoming unsustainable. However, the Thunderhead is unable and unwilling to be the means of death, because it does not want to be viewed as a killer. Instead, a group of humans creates the Scythedom, an order of individuals called Scythes who are responsible for "gleaning"--permanently killing with no revival. Scythes are entirely separate from the Thunderhead's laws and oversight, as it set a rule that it will not interfere on Scythe actions. Scythes choose to work under the assumed name of a "Patron Historic," a notable person from the Mortal Age. Scythes are required to keep a journal, and a journal entry from a Scythe precedes each chapter.
Neal Shusterman has stated that the idea came from a deconstruction of the dystopian novel genre. He wanted to write a story of a perfect world and the consequences of humans having all the things they could want. The Scythes were inspired by the Jedi, honorable and enlightened. The author researched artificial intelligence, medical technology, and even death and dying as part of his writing. [1]
Plot
270 years after the Mortal Age, teenagers Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch each meet Scythe Michael Faraday, both of whom he chooses to become his apprentices. They then live with Faraday and learn Scythe laws and customs, ways of gleaning, and how to determine who to glean.
A few months later, Faraday takes his apprentices to the Triennial Regional Conclave of Scythes, where Scythedom policies are discussed and various ceremonies are performed. At each Conclave, apprentices are tested; the first test is on knowledge. When Citra is asked what her greatest wrongdoing was, Scythe Marie Curie deems her to be lying. Rowan intentionally fails his question so that he remains on the same level as Citra. Scythe Ayn Rand objects to Scythe Faraday training two apprentices simultaneously, and High Blade Xenocrates decides that only one can become a Scythe, and whomever is chosen will glean the other.
Soon after the conclave, Citra and Rowan are informed that Faraday self-gleaned (died by suicide). The Scythedom believes that Faraday chose to end his life to free them from their apprenticeships, but Citra believes he was murdered. Citra and Rowan are separated and taken on by other Scythes: Citra by Scythe Curie, and Rowan by Scythe Goddard. They do not meet again until the next Conclave, where they are tested by fighting each other. Both apprentices attempt to throw the match, but then Rowan is disqualified for rendering Citra "dead-ish" (fatally injured but able to be revived.)
While Citra works to solve the mystery of what really happened to Scythe Faraday, Rowan's morals are put to the test as he experiences Scythe Goddard's extravagant lifestyle and harsh training. Goddard enjoys killing and stages mass gleanings with his junior Scythes, especially targeting "Tonists," an anti-Scythe religious group.
At the next conclave, the apprentices are given a final test. Although both Citra and Rowan pass, Citra becomes the newest Scythe and chooses Anastasia Romanov as her Patron Historic. Her first assignment is to glean Rowan. However, she "accidentally" grants him immunity for a year, and he escapes the conclave. In the epilogue, Scythe Anastasia remarks on the recent stories of Scythe Lucifer, a rogue Scythe who hunts down corrupt and unworthy Scythes.
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