Station ElevenStation Eleven
Score Modern
What it's about
A famous actor dies of a heart attack onstage in Toronto during King Lear, on the same night a devastating flu arrives. Within weeks, civilization collapses. Twenty years later, Kirsten, a child actor from that night, travels the Great Lakes with a troupe of actors and musicians performing Shakespeare for scattered settlements, until they cross paths with a dangerous prophet. The story moves back and forth in time, tying together people linked to that one actor.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist and is on the New York Times list of the best books of the 21st century. It's a post-apocalyptic novel about what's worth saving, and it's more hopeful and beautiful than the premise suggests.
You'll love it if you liked
Sea of Tranquility
The Road
The Handmaid’s TaleGood to know
It's quiet and literary rather than action-packed. A pandemic is central, which some readers may find hard. The 2021 HBO Max series is excellent.
By the numbers
- Readers55 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics71 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller38 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz2 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
- #61 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #336 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #664 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Adventurous, Moving
More by Emily St. John Mandel
If you like this, read next
Anathem
Cloud Atlas
Exhalation
The Dispossessed
The Midnight Library
On the Calculation of VolumeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Station Eleven worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist and is on the New York Times list of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #664 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Station Eleven about?
A famous actor dies of a heart attack onstage in Toronto during King Lear, on the same night a devastating flu arrives. Within weeks, civilization collapses. Twenty years later, Kirsten, a child actor from that night, travels the Great Lakes with a troupe of actors and musicians performing Shakespeare for scattered settlements, until they cross paths with a dangerous prophet. The story moves back and forth in time, tying together people linked to that one actor.
How long does it take to read Station Eleven?
About 8 hours (333 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Station Eleven?
If you liked it, try Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, The Road by Cormac McCarthy or The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.