Synopses & Reviews
A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Anathem 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.
Anathem won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the reviews for 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.”
Review
“Anyone who has read Stephensons Baroque Cycle will be familiar with his ingenuity when it comes to mixing science, sociology and satire with swashbuckling adventure, and ANATHEM duly marries extensive dialogues on quantum mechanics and the nature of consciousness to literal cliffhangers, high-tech warfare and general derring-do.” The Examiner (Ireland) on ANATHEM
Review
“Blending quantum physics, phenomenological philosophy and various other fun hobbies...Stephensons enthusiasm to share his theories and explanations is infectious...think “The Name of the Rose” crossed with “Dune”...genuinely fascinating brain food.” The Oregonian (Portland) on ANATHEM
Review
“A masterpiece...mind-bogglingly ambitious...readers will delight in puzzling out the historical antecedents in philosophy, science, mathematics, and art that Stephenson riffs on with his customary quicklsilver genius...its one of the most thought-provoking novels Ive ever read, and also one of the most engaging.” Locus, Paul Witcover, on ANATHEM
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“Reading Anathem is a humbling experience.” Washington Post on ANATHEM
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“Anathem duly marries extensive dialogues on quantum mechanics and the nature of consciousness to literal cliffhangers, hi-tech warfare and derring-do.” Leicester Mercury on ANATHEM
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“Anathem is a brilliant, playful tour of the terrain where logic, mathematics, philosophy and quantum physics intersect, a novel of ideas par excellence, melding wordplay and mathematical theory with a gripping, human adventure.” London Times on ANATHEM
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“[O]ne of Stephensons best novels…a captivating blend of culture clash, deductive reasoning and pure action.” Columbus Dispatch on ANATHEM
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“[R]iveting idea porn.” Details on ANATHEM
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“This is a book about science and philosophy which demands the full concentration of the reader -a worthwhile, smart, exciting read.” Time Out London
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“What ever happened to the great novel of ideas? It has morphed into science fiction, and Stephenson is its foremost practitioner. A-” Time magazine on ANATHEM
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“The Seattle writer is kind of a cross between William Gibson and Richard Powers, hard-wired to tell stories, explore technology and riff on anything that catches his fancy.” The Oregonian (Portland) on ANATHEM
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“A magnificent achievement. ” Booklist (starred review) on ANATHEM
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“Clever and intricate...truly ingenious...its brilliance is undeniable.” Locus, Gary K. Wolfe on ANATHEM
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“The cult legends newest book, Anathem, [is] destined to be an instant sci-fi classic.” Popular Mechanics on ANATHEM
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“As with Stephensons previous work, plot and character are wrought to the highest standards of literary fiction but theyre scarcely as fascinating as the worlds he conjures up. If theres anything more readable than ANATHEM it should probably be banned.” Word (UK) on ANATHEM
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“Stephensons expansive storytelling echoes Walter Millers classic A Canticle for Leibowitz, the space operas of Larry Niven and the cultural meditations of Douglas Hofstadter a heady mix of antecedents that makes for long stretches of dazzling entertainment.” Publishers Weekly on ANATHEM
Review
“Stephenson displays his ingenuity when it comes to mixing science, sociology and satire with swashbuckling adventure. Anathem marries extensive scientific and philosophical dialogues to cliffhangers, hi-tech warfare and derring-do.” Sunday Sun (UK) on ANATHEM
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“[R]avishingly brilliant, outrageously ambitious…ANATHEM is thought-provoking fun, at turns a post-graduate seminar of philosophy and physics, and a rousing yarn with characters you care about.” Orlando Sentinel on ANATHEM
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“Suddenly, novels of ideas are cool again.” io9 on ANATHEM
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“He mashes up genres with the flair of Thomas Pynchon and the intellect of William Gibson.” Winnipeg Free Press on ANATHEM
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“Learned, witty, weirdly torqued, emotionally complex, politically astute, and often darkly comic…ANATHEM is an audacious work by a highly intelligent imagination, a delightfully learned text.” Edmonton Journal (Alberta) on ANATHEM
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“Stephenson writes in twists and turns, double-backs and cul-de-sacs, winding tunnels and fast-moving tracks. Its a Rube Goldberg sort of book: intricate, sometimes difficult to follow but always fascinating to read.” Grand Rapids Press on ANATHEM
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“In Anathem, Stephenson creates a religion for skeptics and nerds.” Austin American-Statesman on ANATHEM
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“A daring feat of speculative fiction…ANATHEM offers the reader a luscious arrangement of words, jokes, and speculations.” Boston Globe
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“Its almost impossible to not be impressed by Anathem; theres simply too much erudition, wit, craft and risk-taking.” San Francisco Chronicle on ANATHEM
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“The world Stephenson builds is richly visual, its complicated social politics are convincingly detailed, and its cool and conflicted heroes struggle with thrilling intellectual puzzles while they are tested in epic physical adventures.” Slate, Best of 2008 List, on ANATHEM
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“A sprawling disquisition…[a] logophilic treat for those who like their alternate worlds big, parodic and ironic.” Kirkus Reviews on ANATHEM
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“A tour-de-force of world building and high-concept speculation, wrapped around a page-turning plot.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch on ANATHEM
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“Anathem is a challenge: Make yourself one of the avout. Make yourself a scholar, and try to understand the world a little differently.” Eugene Weekly on ANATHEM
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[R]avishingly brilliant, outrageously ambitious…Stephenson embarks on a mission of world-building, and he is thoroughly successful at it.” South Florida Sun Sentinel on ANATHEM
Synopsis
A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Anathem 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. Anathem won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the reviews for 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. "
Synopsis
A #1
New York Times Bestseller,
Anathem 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.
Anathem won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel and the reviews for 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."
Synopsis
For ten years Fraa Erasmas, a young avout, has lived in a cloistered sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside world. But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change—and Erasmas will become a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world, as he follows his destiny to the most inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.
Synopsis
For ten years Fraa Erasmas,a young avout, has lived ina cloistered sanctuary formathematicians, scientists,and philosophers, protected from thecorrupting influences of the outsideworld. But before the week is out,both the existence he abandonedand the one he embraced will standpoised on the brink of cataclysmicchange—and Erasmas will becomea major player in a drama that willdetermine the future of his world,as he follows his destiny to the mostinhospitable corners of the planet . . .and beyond.
About the Author
Neal Stephenson is the author of Reamde, Anathem, and the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World), as well as Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Snow Crash, and Zodiac. He lives in Seattle, Washington.