Anthem by Ayn Rand

He lived in the dark ages of the future. In a loveless world he dared to love the woman of his choice. In an age that had lost all trace of science and civilization he had the courage to seek and find knowledge. But these were not the crimes for which he would be hunted. He was marked for death because he had committed the unpardonable sin: he had stood forth from the mindless human herd. He was a man alone. Ayn Rand's classic tale of a future dark age of the great "we"-- a world that deprives individualism of name, independence, and values--anticipates her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.

This centennial edition of Anthem, celebrating the controversial and enduring legacy of its author, features an introduction by Rayn's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which includes excerpts from documents by Ayn Rand--letters, interviews, and journal notes in which she discusses Anthem. This volume also includes a Reader's Guide to her writings and philosophy.

Born February 2, 1905, Ayn Rand published her first novel, We the Living, in 1936. Anthem followed in 1938. It was with the publication of The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957) that she achieved her spectacular success. Ms. Rand's unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. The fundamentals of her philosophy are put forth in three nonfiction books, Introduction to Objectivism Epistemology, The Virtue of Selfishness, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. They are all available in Signet editions, as is the magnificent statement if her artistic credo, The Romantic Manifesto.