As I was running by my daughter’s house, I spotted some pieces of concrete jutting out of the grass. It’s funny how my mind works; that image immediately reminded me of the short story “By the Waters of Babylon.” I took a photo of the concrete and labeled it “Babylon,” adding it to my list of ideas to write about.

He also penned some unforgettable short stories, like “The Devil and Daniel Webster” in 1936, which sparked other versions, and “By the Waters of Babylon” in 1937. Benét had a knack for blending history with vivid storytelling, making his work feel as fresh today as it did back then. His words continue to resonate, reminding us of the magic and depth of American literature.

I had never read any of his works until a few years ago. In my 10th grade course, I assigned “By the Waters of Babylon,” and I wondered why I had not come across some of his stories earlier. “Babylon” is a post-apocalyptic short story. 

The protagonist, John, is the son of a priest among the Hill People. Priests are the only ones who can handle metals salvaged from the eerie homes of the long deceased, whom they see as gods. John embarks on a daring quest to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Place of the Gods (a burnt-down New York  City). 

The lack of detail in the first part of the story, an unstable physical and social environment, is not uncommon for this genre. Only gradually does the reader learn more details. Students enjoy putting the clues together to figure out what city he was visiting. John, who comes from a more primitive culture, realizes that many of the legends he has heard are not true. His experience of the city replaces myth. 

“It was half-a-day’s journey after I had left the god-road—we do not use the god-roads now for they are falling apart into great blocks of stone, and the forest is safer going.”

When he gets to the great river (The Hudson), he builds a raft and paddles to the other side, where he finds statues, grand buildings, and almost gets bitten by a pack of dogs. 

“It is not true what some of the tales say, that the ground there burns forever, for I have been there. Here and there were the marks and stains of the Great Burning, on the ruins, that is true…..

“It was very silent and sunny where I had landed—the wind and the rain and the birds that drop seeds had done their work—the grass grew in the cracks of the broken stone…..

“I found it at last in the ruins of a great temple in the mid-city. A mighty temple it must have been, for the roof was painted like the sky at night with its stars—that much I could see, though the colors were faint and dim.”

John had found Grand Central Station.

“It went down into great caves and tunnels—perhaps they kept their slaves there. But when I started to climb down, I heard the squeaking of rats, so I did not go—rats are unclean…

“Were they happy? What is happiness to the gods? They were great, they were mighty, they were wonderful and terrible.”

John realizes that the reason the civilization destroyed itself was that the gods were just men. Knowledge can be attained too fast. There is a dangerous potential of knowledge, and John realizes the importance of understanding the past to avoid repeating mistakes. 

“Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If you eat too much truth at once, you may die of the truth. It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places.” He was right—it is better the truth should come little by little. I have learned that, being a priest. Perhaps, in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast.

​Imagine today. What if we destroyed each other? What would the future people think when they see what’s left behind? It’s a question that is, unfortunately, still relevant.

We can learn so much from short stories, and they are relevant today. We have to have hope that we won’t destroy each other, but maybe the destroyer could be an alien, like AI. Let me explain. A few months ago, I listened to a podcast featuring Rich Roll and Yuval Noah Harari, a renowned historian, professor, philosopher, and bestselling author. His latest book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, takes a look at how information systems have shaped human societies and what AI means for our future.

I am paraphrasing, but he said something like: “We know it [AI] is dangerous and we’d like to slow it down, but how can we trust our adversaries to also slow it down? We have to keep going full speed, else they can overtake us”. And he also described how AI is actually an alien that we have on Earth. That seems odd to think about, but AI is an alien. He says that AI never sleeps, never takes a break, unlike us, and it is getting better and stronger every day. AI is making decisions about bank loans and car loans, and is also involved in health-related decisions. Politicians, philosophers, and the powers that be do not know how to keep up with AI, with this alien. There have been many breakthroughs with AI, but with all powerful knowledge, and knowledge that is attained too fast, we are definitely not prepared. As Benet wrote, “…they ate knowledge too fast.”

* I started writing this post yesterday, and I completed it today, on the afternoon I learned about the tragic events involving Charlie Kirk in our state of Utah, among other shootings in this country. On this sad day, we must hold on to hope for a brighter future and more love and mercy.

“In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice…the path of faith, the path of hope and the path of love toward our fellow man.” Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936