Neil Stephenson gave a presentation of the novel "Anathema"

Neil Stephenson conducted an online presentation of his new novel, Anathema, which went on sale yesterday.

The novel takes place on the fictional planet Arbre (in fact, this is the Earth in the distant future). The main character is a member of the monastic Order, existing for thousands of years and observing the current development of civilization. The order consists of the best representatives of the human race: the most eminent scientists, philosophers and mathematicians. They live isolated from civilization in order to observe it absolutely objectively from the outside, and they devote all the time to sharpen their intellect.

For thousands of years of its history, the civilization of consumers has existed normally, experiencing dozens of ups and downs, world wars and environmental disasters. However, the day comes when she faces the threat of total annihilation, and now the Order must prove itself without giving out its existence.

The novel "Anathema" was created in the framework of the project The Long Now Foundation . This is an organization established in America in the year 01196 (they are in the ten thousandth of the year to avoid the problem of 10,000 years). She sets the same goals as the Order in the Stevenson novel.
')