The Years of Rice and SaltThe Years of Rice and Salt
Score Modern
What it's about
What if the Black Death had killed almost everyone in Europe? Kim Stanley Robinson imagines seven hundred years of alternative history, shaped by Islamic and Chinese civilizations rather than Christian Europe. Through it, a small group of souls are reborn again and again, meeting in each life, and between lives in the afterlife, as history unfolds.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Hugo finalist. It's an ambitious, thoughtful alternate history.
You'll love it if you liked
Red Mars
Cloud Atlas
Life After LifeGood to know
It's long and made of separate episodes in different eras, some slower than others.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller21 out of 100 · counts 14%
- 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
- #302 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #1531 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2758 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
More by Kim Stanley Robinson
Red Mars
New York 2140
The Wild ShoreIf you like this, read next
Outlander
When We Cease to Understand the World
Doomsday Book
Cryptonomicon
The Calculating Stars
AtmosphereExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Years of Rice and Salt worth reading?
Yes. It was a Hugo finalist. It ranks #2,758 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 53.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Years of Rice and Salt about?
What if the Black Death had killed almost everyone in Europe? Kim Stanley Robinson imagines seven hundred years of alternative history, shaped by Islamic and Chinese civilizations rather than Christian Europe. Through it, a small group of souls are reborn again and again, meeting in each life, and between lives in the afterlife, as history unfolds.
How long does it take to read The Years of Rice and Salt?
About 17 hours (672 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Years of Rice and Salt?
If you liked it, try Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell or Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.