Author Description

The BookAnthem is a dystopian fiction novel by Ayn Rand, written in 1937 and first published in 1938 in England. The Libertarian Futurist Society awarded Anthem its Hall of Fame Award in 1987. In 2014, Anthem was nominated for a Retrospective Hugo Award for "Best Novella".The story takes place at some unspecified time in future after another dark age. Technological advancement is now carefully planned and rarely allowed. The concept of individuality has been eliminated and the numbers have replaced the names. Equality 7-2521, writing by candlelight in a tunnel under the earth, exclusively uses plural pronouns such as "we", "our", "they" etc. to refer to himself and others. He was raised away from his parents in collective homes and a Council of Vocations assigns him to be a Street Sweeper. Equality works with Union 5-3992 and International 4-8818 and, later, meets Liberty 5-3000, a 17-year-old dark eyed and golden haired Peasant girl. Instead of waiting for allotment at the time of annual mating, Equality falls in love with her and names her ''Golden One''.One day he finds a glass box with wires and re-discovers electricity. Equality presents it at World Council which rebukes and punishes him besides order to destroy that glass box. Equality escapes and flees into Uncharted Forest that lies outside the City where ''Golden One'' joins him on the next day when they express their love to each other. They find a library in that forest and discover their individuality. Equality names himself ''Prometheus'' and ''Golden One'' names herself ''Gaea''.In 1950, a radio adaptation was done for The Freedom Story, a weekly radio program produced by Spiritual Mobilization, a Christian libertarian group. In 2011, Anthem was adapted into a graphic novel by Charles Santino, with artwork by Joe Staton. The book was adapted into a stage play in 2013 by Jeff Britting, which opened Off-Broadway in September 2013. Robert Silverberg''s 1971 novel A Time of Changes and Ursula K. Le Guin''s