Gleanings

A collection of stories Shusterman wrote on his own and with six collaborators, spread across the series timeline. Formidable shows young Susan becoming Scythe Curie, guided by Faraday. A Martian Minute, set away from Earth, tells Goddard's origin. A Death of Many Colors is narrated by the Thunderhead. Other stories introduce new scythes, like Dalí, Gaudí and Boudica, and return to places and characters from the trilogy, even past the end of The Toll. There's no single plot: each story wraps up on its own. The book closes with A Dark Curtain Rises, which brings Curie together with one of the Thunderhead's creations.

1. Behind the scenesMany hands

   Shusterman wrote the collection with six collaborators: David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden and Joelle Shusterman. Joelle wrote the poem that opens the book.

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2. ReferenceHow Susan became Curie

   The story Formidable shows young Susan becoming Scythe Marie Curie, guided by Faraday. It's the origin of one of the trilogy's central characters.

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3. ReferenceGoddard's origin

   A Martian Minute takes place away from Earth and tells where Scythe Robert Goddard came from. Another story, A Death of Many Colors, is narrated by the Thunderhead itself.

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4. Behind the scenesThere's more coming

   The next book in this world is Rising Thunder, a prequel about the first scythes and the rise of the Thunderhead. Simon & Schuster set it to go on sale December 1, 2026.

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