Gabrielle Becker's family carried baggage on a normal day. Then the world burned. Now they have to save it. And to make matters worse, one of them may have been responsible.


David Boevers

David Boevers

David Boevers is a speculative fiction author and middle school social studies teacher whose work explores the intersections of family, trauma, and the fragile line between destiny and choice. He is the author of Where the Morning Star Fell, the first installment in the Eleuthera Rising Saga, a near-future dystopian series that blends apocalyptic survival with deeply human questions about fate, resilience, and legacy.

Raised in Oklahoma, Boevers’ formative years in the firebrand crucible of the Bible Belt left a lasting imprint on his worldview and storytelling. Many of the struggles faced by his characters—family fractures, difficult step-relationships, and questions of belief—mirror elements of his own life, grounding his speculative narratives in emotional realism. His daughter inspired the protagonist Gabrielle, while his neurodiverse son shaped elements of David Becker, bringing authenticity to the family dynamics that drive the series.

Before teaching, Boevers served as a State Park Ranger, experiences that deepened his appreciation for history, community, and the natural world—perspectives that frequently inform his writing. As a teacher, he brings both empathy and clarity to the challenges of young people, qualities that carry into his fiction. He holds degrees in history and education and has spent seven years in the classroom, teaching the very histories of collapse, resilience, and civic responsibility that echo through his novels.

Boevers began writing during a panic attack on a cruise to Eleuthera—an origin story that mirrors the raw urgency of his fiction. What began as a coping mechanism soon evolved into a passion for accessible, grounded science fiction that imagines how ordinary people might respond when the world ends.

He currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and children.

Praise

Where the Morning Star Fell is an electrifying and unique entry into the post-apocalyptic sci-fi genre. It ingeniously sets the end of the world not in a burned-out city or the desertified ruins of Earth, but aboard a luxury cruise ship. It follows the Becker family, an ordinary group thrust into extraordinary circumstances. They must navigate the immediate and chaotic aftermath of a nuclear war, turning their vacation liner, the Horizon Dawn, into a survival ark. Author David Boevers blends this high-stakes survivalism with a deeply unsettling sci-fi thriller mystery.

The book first covers the raw, frantic scramble for order among thousands of strangers which includes the introduction of some really compelling characters! This dramatic setup explores the emotional reality of mass tragedy, covering realistic and poignant details like the need for burials at sea and the moral struggle of creating a new society from the ashes of the old.

The second half of the book transitions beautifully as the survivors attempt to build a new, idealized nation on a remote island. Boevers boosts the story with fresh, optimistic concepts for a sustainable future, creating a compelling contrast between the chaos they left behind and the utopian vision they strive for.

The thing that gives this book punch is the sophisticated layer of science fiction that hints at a grander design. The entire journey of the Becker family is seemingly being guided by a mysterious hand, which is only revealed as you progress further into the book.

Where the Morning Star Fell is an excellent read for fans of character-driven survival books like The Road, movies like The Book of Eli, or games like The Last of Us. It asks what we will truly fight to protect when the world comes to an end.

– Dan Thorton, author of The Forgotten Fleet

My favorite part of this book was the incorporation of resetting the world without a total destruction of all resources. The author did a great job of then allowing the characters to consider better ways to run a community with better ideas towards useful education, participation of all according to abilities, and long-term sustainability. His ideas are novel, optimistic, and refreshing.

– NK

This first novel by David Boevers grabbed my attention with his realistic characters and unique twist on creating a new world. Where good triumphs over evil, and perseverance and ingenuity are everything, this book pulls you in. Warning.. it may make you rethink that family cruise!!

– A. Mannon