The Ascension of Greenville

The town of Greenville, Utah, is dominated by the Septosect religious cult and its leader Harrison who has ambitions for increasing his religious control over the area. Living amidst the threat of a fatal virus, which could take a whole horde of people at a time, the members of the cult look to the Septosect’s ideals as a way of life, hoping that a divine entity will spare them from their doomsday.

They are trapped by Harrison’s reminder that leaving the town would mean divine condemnation. Deception about the virus, fake news and religious fervour keep the community isolated, but the death of a young girl leads to suspicions over the motives of Harrison. Living amidst the virus makes life feel desperate for Greenville’s community members, who feel that each passing month is precious but futile. The cult members must choose to believe if the seven principles of the Septosect will lead them to the truth, or to their deaths.

Anna Pattle says, “After reading The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio, in which the threat of disease affects how a group of ten people spend their last few days, I thought about how these characters might be different in a modern context. This modern context is partially influenced by misinformation and ‘fake news’, particularly its ability to shape religious beliefs. As a result, I decided to set the novel in an isolated, impressionable community – one that could potentially be anywhere – to show that the growth of religious extremism and its effects on people is easily possible at any time, given the right circumstances. This novel delves into the feelings of different community members as they struggle to cope with the consequences that viral disease under cultish leadership has brought to Greenville.”