Cover of Anthem

Anthem

by Ayn Rand

First published
1938
Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"Anthem" by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novella written in 1937 and first published in 1938. Set in a future Dark Age where individuality has been erased and technological progress is controlled, the story follows Equality 7-2521, a young man who commits the ultimate transgression: independent thought. Through secret scientific research, he rediscovers electricity and falls in love with Liberty 5-3000. When his forbidden activities are exposed, they flee into the wilderness to forge a new world built on the revolutionary concept of "I."

  • Science fiction
  • Psychological fiction
  • Love stories
  • Time travel
  • Men
  • Individuality

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1250. Anthem on Wikipedia.