The Music Master of Babylon

"The Music Master of Babylon" by Edgar Pangborn is a science fiction story that's like a window into a future world after terrible wars changed everything. It zooms in on Brian Van Anda, the lonely caretaker living in a sunken old Manhattan, now called the Museum of Human History. Brian's world turns upside down when he meets two young people from a small village, called Millstone. They teach him about Jonas and Abigail, their leaders who recently died. Brian and the Millstone children find that their different pasts shape the way they see the world, making them clash sometimes. While sharing his music, Brian wonders if these youths will truly understand what life once was, or if they will even care. The story explores important ideas, such as what we remember, what makes civilizations crumble, and how even after everything changes, art remains.