What if our legends are older than we think?  All the Stone Age has left behind are rocks and bones; all other materials have rotted away, leaving no trace.  But what if “cave men” never existed, and the Stone Age was a time of great sophistication still preserved in our oldest stories?In a brilliant and dangerous brain hacking experiment, Harv Leonel and Tara Mukherjee are about to discover entire lifetimes of human memory coded in our genes, and reveal ancient legends – from knights and trolls, to flood myths, to the birth of humanity itself – that are as real as they are deadly. Before disaster erased the coastlines and river valleys of the Antediluvian age—before the Flood—men and women struggled and yearned and innovated in a world of savage contrasts into which Harv and Tara are thrust, unprepared.  Will their science be enough to save them?About Wil McCarthy:"McCarthy is an entertaining, intelligent, amusing writer, with Heinlein's knack for breakneck plotting and, at the same time, Clarke's thoughtfulness."—Booklist“‘Imagination really is the only limit.’”—The New York Times“The future as McCarthy sees it is a wondrous place.”—Publishers Weekly"A bright light on the SF horizon.”—David Brin “Wil McCarthy demonstrates that he has a sharp intelligence, a galaxy-spanning imagination, and the solid scientific background to make it all work.”—Connie Willis “In nearly every passage, we get another slice of the science of McCarthy’s construction, and a deeper sense of danger and foreboding... McCarthy develops considerable tension.”—San Diego Union-Tribune“An ingenious yarn with challenging ideas, well-handled technical details, and plenty of twists and turns.”—Kirkus