AnathemAnathem
Score Modern
What it's about
On the planet Arbre, scholars live apart from the rest of society in walled 'concents', a little like monasteries devoted to mathematics and philosophy. Some open their gates only once a year, some once a decade, some once in a thousand years. Erasmas, a young scholar, is inside when something appears in orbit that changes everything, and he and his friends are thrown out into the world to deal with it.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Hugo finalist. It's huge, brainy and unexpectedly thrilling, a novel about ideas, friendship and first contact.
You'll love it if you liked
A Fire Upon the Deep
The Name of the Rose
FoundationGood to know
It's nearly 900 pages, full of invented words (there's a glossary) and long philosophical dialogues. The first hundred pages are slow; most readers who push through love it.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller66 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #40 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #49 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #210 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #413 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous, Epic
More by Neal Stephenson
The Diamond Age
Cryptonomicon
Snow Crash
SevenevesIf you like this, read next
Cloud Atlas
Station Eleven
Exhalation
The Dispossessed
The Midnight Library
On the Calculation of VolumeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Anathem worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list and was a Hugo finalist. It ranks #413 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Anathem about?
On the planet Arbre, scholars live apart from the rest of society in walled 'concents', a little like monasteries devoted to mathematics and philosophy. Some open their gates only once a year, some once a decade, some once in a thousand years. Erasmas, a young scholar, is inside when something appears in orbit that changes everything, and he and his friends are thrown out into the world to deal with it.
How long does it take to read Anathem?
About 27 hours (1092 pages), or about 8 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Anathem?
If you liked it, try A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco or Foundation by Isaac Asimov.