Anthem" a dystopian novella by Ayn Rand-Fiction Ebook

"Anthem" is a dystopian novella written by Russian-American author Ayn Rand. She wrote it in 1937, and it was first published in the United Kingdom in 1938. The story is set in an unspecified future where humanity has regressed into a new Dark Age. In this world, technological progress is strictly controlled, and the concept of individuality has been completely erased.

The protagonist, a young man named Equality 7-2521, secretly conducts scientific research in defiance of societal rules. When his actions are discovered, he escapes into the wilderness. He is later joined by Liberty 5-3000, a woman he loves. Together, they dream of building a new society founded on the rediscovery of individualism.

Originally, Rand intended the story to be a play but later rewrote it for magazine publication. Upon her agent’s advice, she submitted it to publishers, and it was eventually released by Cassell in the UK. In the United States, Anthem was not published until after the success of Rand’s next novel, The Fountainhead. For the 1946 American edition, Rand revised and updated the text.