Anathem
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4.5 • 608 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Anathem, a stunning work of philosophical science fiction, is perhaps the most brilliant literary invention to date from the incomparable Neal Stephenson, who rocked the world with Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Baroque Cycle. Now he imagines an alternate universe where scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians live in seclusion behind ancient monastery walls until they are called back into the world to deal with a crisis of astronomical proportions in an unforgettable epic science fiction saga.
Anathem won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the reviews for Anathem have been dazzling: "Brilliant" (South Florida Sun-Sentinel), "Daring" (Boston Globe), "Immensely entertaining" (New York Times Book Review), "A tour de force" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), while Time magazine proclaims, "The great novel of ideas…has morphed into science fiction, and Neal Stephenson is its foremost practitioner."
Customer Reviews
Excellent book but way too long.
At times, it moves very very slowly. Too much detail on World building. Reminds me of the old series space 1999 year one. Where every single move and thought is shown. It’s a very interesting novel and worth reading, but be prepared for a long slog.
Deep and satisfying
Thoroughly and inventively built up out of innumerable interlocking details, a convincing world that, once you are immersed in the book, becomes as real as waking life. This book was kind of a Magister Ludi for the 21st century, and dealt with concepts that tickled the most modern scientific sensibility and informed my world view. Reading it was an immersive experience that has stayed with me for months afterward. Highest possible recommendation.
Stephenson delivers brilliance yet again
Few writers today can simultaneously entertain, educate, and expand a reader's view of the world quite so well as Neal Stephenson.
This work is best suited for those readers seeking a bit more than a pleasant diversion. While fun and engaging, this book also draws the reader's mind to consider metaphysics, causality, and the relationship between human institutions of popular culture, academia, and religion. This comes about incidentally to an delightfully unpredictable adventure -- in much the same way Mr. Stephenson's earlier works carry readers into explorations of economics, cryptography, and nanotechnology. Reading his books is to engage in an epic battle between the instincts to savor and to devour. His stories leave the reader changed for the better, and I have seldom finished one without being immediately tempted to reread it from the beginning.