Anathem

About “Anathem”

Anathem is a 2008 novel by Neal Stephenson. It follows Fraa Erasmas, a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for scholars protected from the outside "saecular" world. The avout have endured past invasions and have become more austere over time. During the week-long rite of Apert, Erasmas and others leave the concent to reconnect with the outside world. However, powerful forces threaten the stability of both the mathic community and the saecular world. Erasmas and his colleagues are called upon to help prevent global disaster. Burdened with responsibility, Erasmas embarks on an odyssey that takes him to dangerous places, shaping the future of his world.