hˈæməltənz nˈɑːvəl bɪɡˈɪnz wɛn ɐ dɪstˈɔːɹʃən ʌvðə spˈeɪstˈaɪm kəntˈɪnjuːəm, kˈɔːzd baɪ ɐ sˈuːpɚɹɐtˈɑːmɪk bˈɑːm ɛksplˈoʊʒən, kˈæɾɐpˌʌlts ɐ jˈuː.ˈɛs. mɪdwˈɛstɚn kəmjˈuːnᵻɾi ʌv fˈɪfti,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊ ɹˈɛzᵻdənts, kˈɔːld mˈɪdəltˌaʊn, ˌɪntʊ ðə ɹᵻmˈoʊt fjˈuːtʃɚ.
Hamilton's novel begins when a distortion of the space-time continuum, caused by a super-atomic bomb explosion, catapults a U.S. midwestern community of 50,000 residents, called Middletown, into the remote future.