Legacy
A preserved, selectively edited body of world knowledge whose books Juliette has now seen and intends to investigate beyond.
Story so far
Bernard Holland introduced Lukas to the hidden material he called the Legacy. Access to their books was restricted to the two men, and Lukas came to name Life and Legacy as what he must protect above all. The books revealed substantial buildings elsewhere in the world; Bernard also drew on an account of rulers killing burial-chamber builders to preserve their secrets. Handwritten additions preserve instructions, manuals, mementos, and notes for future leaders. Bernard regarded the books as worthless unless someone survived to read them.
The Legacy is a carefully edited world history, presented to inductees during their confinement. Troy remembered rows of gilded, leather-bound volumes; the term also encompasses men and women from before who remain asleep in storage. Paul Thurman described its truth as something to distribute carefully or withhold, and later said it excludes knowledge that could let humanity destroy itself. Solo described the reference books as a further backup beyond the servers. Alphabetically labeled metal tins house illustrated volumes whose entries include butterflies, locomotives, locusts, cats, and snakes. His reading changed his understanding of familiar objects, taught him that cats live shorter lives than humans, and supplied practical lessons on fishing tackle and filleting fish.
Juliette now says she has seen the books in the room she describes as full of truth. Their existence is part of her confrontation with Donald, rather than knowledge still confined to Bernard and Lukas.
Appearance
Thick reference books, including leather-bound, gilded volumes and illustrated entries with explanatory text. Books are stored in alphabetically labeled metal tins on large shelves; some contain handwritten additions.
Role
The Legacy preserves selected history and practical knowledge for silo leaders and survivors. Its omissions and controlled distribution are explicitly part of Thurman’s account of its purpose.
Relationships
Earlier in this series
Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:
- WoolBook 1
Sources — 17 recorded facts, by chapter
- The Legacy is a collection of books containing a carefully edited history of the world.
- Troy remembers seeing rows of leather-bound, gilded books of the Legacy during orientation.
- Those being inducted are locked up and shown their Legacy as part of the process.
- The Legacy consists of men and women from before who remain asleep in storage.
- Inductees are given the Legacy.
- Thurman describes the Legacy as truth that must be distributed carefully or withheld.
- The volume Jimmy reads is labeled Legacy and contains vivid pictures with explanatory text.
- The books are stored in alphabetically labeled metal tins on large shelves.
- The volume includes an entry depicting a locomotive much larger than a man.
- The volume includes a picture labeled locust.
- The Legacy books change how Solo interprets familiar objects in his world.
- The Legacy books include entries on cats and illustrated material about snakes.
- Jimmy learns from his reading that cats have shorter lives than humans.
- The Legacy provides instructions for fishing knots, bobbers, sinkers and bait.
- The Legacy teaches Jimmy how to fillet a fish.
- Thurman says the Legacy excludes knowledge that could enable humanity to destroy itself.
- Juliette says she has seen the books in the room she describes as full of truth.