Vault of the Ages

This contains very succinct writing that conveys a very imaginative glimpse of a fictional post-apocalyptic future where civilization is about to be re-kindled. Very well written. The author doesn't get extravagant or excessive. This book is much more enjoyable when you maintain the perspective of what our culture was like when this book was written. It's also helpful to keep in mind that science fiction was comparatively rare when this book was written.

When I first read "Vault of the Ages" it was an exciting book; in reviewing it as an adult close to 40 years later as an adult I find it still an enjoyable read. Looking back on the stories I read in my youth this had to be the first in the series of this genre of post doomsday chronicles that I continued to enjoy... This book emphasizes messages about human responsibility and the importance of using science only for good almost as though accentuated with a bright yellow Hi-Lighter Pen. The story is set in the Alleghenies roughly 500 years after a nuclear holocaust, Vault of the Ages tells the story peaceful farming tribes vs. fierce warriors. Carl, our lead hero and son of the village Chief is responsible for trading with the people from the ruined city to obtain metal and other needed materials form the remains of skyscrapers etc... Carl and his companions discover a "time vault," basically a large time capsule remaining from the pre-holocaust civilization, containing numerous tools, books, models of apparatus and more depicting the sciences that have since been lost. With the aid of the newly discovered sciences and much common sense he is able to help his people. In rereading the description of the 'VAULT' it brings a smile to my face when I look around our office, library and museum facilities here at the Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation here in Glendale Arizona.... I can imagine a facility such as this being the 'VAULT' spoken of in this story. I wonder what the world will be like in 500 years and what part the material preserved by the museum here will play in it.... Ed Sharpe, Archivist for SMECC [...]