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Looking for a big fantasy novel about scholarly monks that sort of worship math?

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6

Earlier this year, I read a huge (1000+ pg) novel about a cloistered group of monks that sort of worshiped math. The story involved alternate dimensions or time travel or something. A big thing in the book was coordinates, containing data like for speed or something as an alternate axis. There were several rings of the monastery.

At some point the main character was called out of his monastery to never return.
I'm hoping to figure out the name so I can discuss it with my book club.

story-identification novel

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Never read it, but my first thought is Anathem, by Neal Stephenson.
  
  – chepner
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

6

Earlier this year, I read a huge (1000+ pg) novel about a cloistered group of monks that sort of worshiped math. The story involved alternate dimensions or time travel or something. A big thing in the book was coordinates, containing data like for speed or something as an alternate axis. There were several rings of the monastery.

At some point the main character was called out of his monastery to never return.
I'm hoping to figure out the name so I can discuss it with my book club.

story-identification novel

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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asked 8 hours ago

NeutralVaxNeutralVax

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New contributor

NeutralVax is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Never read it, but my first thought is Anathem, by Neal Stephenson.
  
  – chepner
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Earlier this year, I read a huge (1000+ pg) novel about a cloistered group of monks that sort of worshiped math. The story involved alternate dimensions or time travel or something. A big thing in the book was coordinates, containing data like for speed or something as an alternate axis. There were several rings of the monastery.

At some point the main character was called out of his monastery to never return.
I'm hoping to figure out the name so I can discuss it with my book club.

story-identification novel

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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asked 8 hours ago

NeutralVaxNeutralVax

13333 bronze badges

New contributor

NeutralVax is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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asked 8 hours ago

NeutralVaxNeutralVax

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share|improve this question

edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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asked 8 hours ago

NeutralVaxNeutralVax

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edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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edited 7 hours ago

DavidW

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NeutralVaxNeutralVax

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7

It's SF, not fantasy, but monks that do math, alternate "dimensions" (inter-universal travel) and multiple zones sounds a lot like Anathem (2008) by Neal Stephenson. It's definitely a tome: 937 pages.

The story is set on Arbre where monastery-like places called "concents" are where the thinkers are cloistered.

Quoting the plot summary from Wikipedia:

The narrator and protagonist, Fraa Erasmas, is an avout at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. His primary teacher, Fraa Orolo, discovers that an alien spacecraft is orbiting Arbre – a fact that the Sæcular Power attempts to cover up. Orolo secretly observes the alien ship with a video camera, technology that is prohibited for the avout. Erasmas becomes aware of the content of Orolo's research after Orolo is banished (in a rite called Anathem) from the Mathic World for his possession and use of proscribed technology within the concent.

The alien ship actually has 4 populations of almost biologically compatible people from 4 separate universes with slightly different laws:

...the aliens are found to come from planets in four parallel and distinct cosmos: Urnud, Tro, Laterre and Fthos. The multiple-worlds interpretation of the cosmos is discussed in great detail by the high-level avout at successive evening meals to which Erasmas performs the duties of a servant. In this section of the novel, it slowly becomes plain that Laterre is our own Earth, which serves as a 'higher plane of existence' for Urnud and Tro, and Arbre is itself a 'higher plane' for Laterre.

Fraa Erasmas does indeed end up leaving his concent forever, and the end of the book is quite complex and worthy of rereading.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks this is it. Only mildly disappointed that google didn't turn up any meaningful results when I googled "Math Monk book"
  
  – NeutralVax
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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7

It's SF, not fantasy, but monks that do math, alternate "dimensions" (inter-universal travel) and multiple zones sounds a lot like Anathem (2008) by Neal Stephenson. It's definitely a tome: 937 pages.

The story is set on Arbre where monastery-like places called "concents" are where the thinkers are cloistered.

Quoting the plot summary from Wikipedia:

The narrator and protagonist, Fraa Erasmas, is an avout at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. His primary teacher, Fraa Orolo, discovers that an alien spacecraft is orbiting Arbre – a fact that the Sæcular Power attempts to cover up. Orolo secretly observes the alien ship with a video camera, technology that is prohibited for the avout. Erasmas becomes aware of the content of Orolo's research after Orolo is banished (in a rite called Anathem) from the Mathic World for his possession and use of proscribed technology within the concent.

The alien ship actually has 4 populations of almost biologically compatible people from 4 separate universes with slightly different laws:

...the aliens are found to come from planets in four parallel and distinct cosmos: Urnud, Tro, Laterre and Fthos. The multiple-worlds interpretation of the cosmos is discussed in great detail by the high-level avout at successive evening meals to which Erasmas performs the duties of a servant. In this section of the novel, it slowly becomes plain that Laterre is our own Earth, which serves as a 'higher plane of existence' for Urnud and Tro, and Arbre is itself a 'higher plane' for Laterre.

Fraa Erasmas does indeed end up leaving his concent forever, and the end of the book is quite complex and worthy of rereading.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks this is it. Only mildly disappointed that google didn't turn up any meaningful results when I googled "Math Monk book"
  
  – NeutralVax
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

7

It's SF, not fantasy, but monks that do math, alternate "dimensions" (inter-universal travel) and multiple zones sounds a lot like Anathem (2008) by Neal Stephenson. It's definitely a tome: 937 pages.

The story is set on Arbre where monastery-like places called "concents" are where the thinkers are cloistered.

Quoting the plot summary from Wikipedia:

The narrator and protagonist, Fraa Erasmas, is an avout at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. His primary teacher, Fraa Orolo, discovers that an alien spacecraft is orbiting Arbre – a fact that the Sæcular Power attempts to cover up. Orolo secretly observes the alien ship with a video camera, technology that is prohibited for the avout. Erasmas becomes aware of the content of Orolo's research after Orolo is banished (in a rite called Anathem) from the Mathic World for his possession and use of proscribed technology within the concent.

The alien ship actually has 4 populations of almost biologically compatible people from 4 separate universes with slightly different laws:

...the aliens are found to come from planets in four parallel and distinct cosmos: Urnud, Tro, Laterre and Fthos. The multiple-worlds interpretation of the cosmos is discussed in great detail by the high-level avout at successive evening meals to which Erasmas performs the duties of a servant. In this section of the novel, it slowly becomes plain that Laterre is our own Earth, which serves as a 'higher plane of existence' for Urnud and Tro, and Arbre is itself a 'higher plane' for Laterre.

Fraa Erasmas does indeed end up leaving his concent forever, and the end of the book is quite complex and worthy of rereading.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thanks this is it. Only mildly disappointed that google didn't turn up any meaningful results when I googled "Math Monk book"
  
  – NeutralVax
  7 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

It's SF, not fantasy, but monks that do math, alternate "dimensions" (inter-universal travel) and multiple zones sounds a lot like Anathem (2008) by Neal Stephenson. It's definitely a tome: 937 pages.

The story is set on Arbre where monastery-like places called "concents" are where the thinkers are cloistered.

Quoting the plot summary from Wikipedia:

The narrator and protagonist, Fraa Erasmas, is an avout at the Concent of Saunt Edhar. His primary teacher, Fraa Orolo, discovers that an alien spacecraft is orbiting Arbre – a fact that the Sæcular Power attempts to cover up. Orolo secretly observes the alien ship with a video camera, technology that is prohibited for the avout. Erasmas becomes aware of the content of Orolo's research after Orolo is banished (in a rite called Anathem) from the Mathic World for his possession and use of proscribed technology within the concent.

The alien ship actually has 4 populations of almost biologically compatible people from 4 separate universes with slightly different laws:

...the aliens are found to come from planets in four parallel and distinct cosmos: Urnud, Tro, Laterre and Fthos. The multiple-worlds interpretation of the cosmos is discussed in great detail by the high-level avout at successive evening meals to which Erasmas performs the duties of a servant. In this section of the novel, it slowly becomes plain that Laterre is our own Earth, which serves as a 'higher plane of existence' for Urnud and Tro, and Arbre is itself a 'higher plane' for Laterre.

Fraa Erasmas does indeed end up leaving his concent forever, and the end of the book is quite complex and worthy of rereading.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges

answered 8 hours ago

DavidWDavidW

12.6k55 gold badges5858 silver badges100100 bronze badges