Pillar to the Sky

In One Second After, William R. Forstchen stunned readers with an all-too-plausible doomsday scenario. In Pillar to the Sky¸ he offers to answer another. Pandemic drought, skyrocketing oil prices, dwindling energy supplies, and wars of water scarcity threaten the planet.

Four people are key, but they are surrounded by enemies at every turn—oil-rich nations and the ruthless transnational petrol firms which feed off of them, corrupt but influential politicians and ideological fanatics who see the tower as an assault on God.

Eva Morgan—a brilliant and beautiful scientist of Ukrainian descent, she has had a lifelong obsession to build a pillar to the sky, a vertiginous tower which that would mine the power of the sun and supply humanity with cheap, limitless energy forever.

Gary Morgan—a man who has shared her quest from the beginning and struggled with her every step of the way.  He sees the pillar as nothing less than earths salvation and humanitys last chance.

Victoria—their fierce fiery daughter, she is as stunningly attractive and ferociously intelligent as her mother. To her, the project is life-or-death, and she will do anything to make it work.

Jason Fitzhugh—his passion for Victoria is as relentless as his dedication to her dream.  He will risk life and court death for the pillar—and for the woman he loves.

Franklin Smith—a powerful, aging billionaire, who has risen from the poverty-stricken world of the segregated south to wealthy beyond dreams, is imbued with an overpowering vision . . .  to save the human race from itself and to set the world on a course toward the stars.  Seeing the pillar as his own personal destiny, he will spend every cent, pressure every friend, and destroy every opponent to make it a success.

Smith and the Morgan family are on a mission to build a pillar to the sky and to the stars beyond. But their foes will stop at nothing to topple the tower and profit off its wreckage—even if it means global war.

“A riveting cautionary tale.”—Booklist

“An entertaining apocalyptic thriller.”—Publishers Weekly

“Good storytelling consists very simply of creating characters so believable that the reader forms a deep bond. Forstchen did such a damned fine job with One Second After that shortly after the first page, I had been reeled in hook, line, and sinker.”—David Hagberg, New York Times bestselling author of The Expediter

From William Forstchen, the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After, comes Pillar to the Sky, a towering epic to rank with Douglas Prestons Blasphemy and Michael Crichtons Prey...

Pandemic drought, skyrocketing oil prices, dwindling energy supplies and wars of water scarcity threaten the planet. Only four people can prevent global chaos.

Gary Morgan—a brilliant, renegade scientist is pilloried by the scientific community for his belief in a space elevator: a pillar to the sky, which he believes will make space flight fast, simple and affordable.

Eva Morgan—a brilliant and beautiful scientist of Ukranian  descent, she has had a lifelong obsession to build a pillar to the sky, a vertiginous tower which would mine the power of the sun and supply humanity with cheap, limitless energy forever.

Erich Rothenberg—the ancient but revered rocket-scientist who labored with von Braun to create the first rockets and continued on to build those of today.  A legend, he has mentored Gary and Eva for two decades, nurturing and encouraging their transcendent vision.

Franklin Smith—the eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire who will champion their cause, wage war with Congress and government bureaucracy and most important, finance their herculean undertaking.

The Goddard Space Flight Center—the novels pre-eminent hero, its enormous army of scientists, engineers and astronauts will design, machine, and build the space elevator. They will fight endless battles and overcome countless obstacles every step of the way.

This journey to the stars will not be easy—a tumultuous struggle filled with violence and heroism, love and death, spellbinding beauty and heartbreaking betrayal.  The stakes could not be higher.  Humanity's salvation will hang in the balance.