Elm Haven

The setting of Summer of Night is a rural Illinois town called Elm Haven. A town of little more than one thousand people in 1960, Elm Haven serves as a commercial touchstone for the farmers in the surrounding area. The nearest town of any size is Peoria, Illinois.

Peoria

The closest city to Elm Haven, Peoria is the birthplace of the author, Dan Simmons. Several of Elm Haven's citizens commute to Peoria to work, including Mike's father, and Jim's mother.

The Bell of Borgia

A bell cast from by Pope Calixtus III from metal taken from the Stele of Revealing, an Egyptian artifact consecrated to Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead. Upon the death of Calixtus III, the bell was passed on to his nephew, who became Pope Alexander VI. Evil events followed the bell throughout history. In the late 19th century, the bell was discovered...