▁assumed ▁to ▁be ▁Sal is bury ▁C athedral ); ▁the ▁sp ire ▁symbol izing ▁both ▁spiritual ▁asp iration ▁and ▁world ly ▁van ity . ▁The ▁Sc orp ion ▁God ▁( 1 9 7 1 ) ▁consists ▁of ▁three ▁nov ell as , ▁the ▁first ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁pre histor ic ▁African ▁h unter - g ather er ▁band ▁(' Cl onk , ▁Cl onk '), ▁the ▁second ▁in ▁an ▁ancient ▁Egypt ian ▁court ▁(' The ▁Sc orp ion ▁God ') ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁a ▁Roman ▁em peror ▁(' En voy ▁Ext ra ordinary '). ▁ ▁The ▁tr il ogy ▁To ▁the ▁End s ▁of ▁the ▁Earth , ▁which ▁includes ▁the ▁R ites ▁of ▁Pass age ▁( 1 9 8 0 ), ▁Close ▁Qu arters ▁( 1 9 8 7 ), ▁and ▁Fire ▁Down ▁Below ▁( 1 9 8 9 ), ▁describes ▁sea ▁voy ages ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁United ▁States ▁American ▁Nobel ▁la ure ate ▁William ▁Fa ulk ner ' s ▁novel ▁Abs alom , ▁Abs alom ▁( 1 9 3 6 ) ▁is ▁set ▁before , ▁during , ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Kenneth ▁Roberts ▁wrote ▁several ▁books ▁set ▁around ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁of ▁which ▁North west ▁Pass age ▁( 1 9 3 7 ), ▁Oliver ▁Wis well ▁( 1 9 4 0 ), ▁and ▁L yd ia ▁Ba iley ▁( 1 9 4 7 ) ▁all ▁became ▁best - s ellers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1