Eli walks alone in post-apocalyptic America. He heads west along the Highway of Death on a mission he doesn't fully understand but knows he must complete. In his backpack is the last copy of a book that could become the wellspring of a revived society. Or in the wrong hands, the hammer of a despot. Eli keeps his blade sharp and his survival instincts sharper as his quest thrusts him into a savage wasteland.

Explorers discover a clue that may point to the origins of mankind on Earth and leads them to a distant planet.