Elizabeth Rachel Cannon’s The Cities of the Sun, a collection of short stories “founded on historical incidents in the Book of Mormon,” has just been released on Project Gutenberg. It represents an early attempt at Book of Mormon fiction, along the lines of B. H. Roberts’ earlier Corianton. It’s of interest both as early Mormon fiction and as a time capsule of how the Book of Mormon was then understood–for example, odd references to Lamanite or Nephite “phalanxes” are common. A romantic element is added to most of the stories, which include those of Captain Moroni, Ammon, and Alma/Abinadi. The e-book is based on the 1911 enlarged second edition, and includes the original illustrations. Weighing in at 147 pages, it’s an easy read.

Thanks to Allie Bowen and Mariah Averett for their work on this book!