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Title	:	The Book of Atrus (Myst #1)
Author	:	Rand Miller
Book Format	:	Mass Market Paperback
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 422 pages
Published	:	November 1st 1996 by Hyperion (first published January 1st 1995)
Categories	:	Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction

The Book of Atrus (Myst #1)

Rand Miller

Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 422 pages

Rating: 4.02 | 5204 Users | 283 Reviews

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3.5 stars, but I'm happy to round up for this obscure little book that's been mostly forgotten.



Readers and writers of sci-fi and fantasy will often mention "worldbuilding": the process of developing a world that is different from the one we live in. It's less common to see fictional characters grappling with those issues themselves, but that's exactly what this novel is about.

Atrus was raised by his grandmother, in an isolated dwelling in the desert. He spends his time studying the environment, growing food, and generally being content with life until the day his father, Gehn, arrives to claim him as an apprentice. Gehn is obsessed with reviving a practice known simply as the Art: the writing of magical books that form portals to other worlds. Atrus, however, has more questions than Gehn is willing to answer. Is the writer creating worlds, or simply creating bridges to worlds that already exist? And what responsibility does the writer owe to those who inhabit these worlds? Gehn uses his powers to play god, while Atrus uses his powers to try to repair the damage, causing the relationship between father and son to fray. In some ways it's the usual bildungsroman, but unique in the way that entire parallel worlds mature alongside our main character.

The reason I picked up this book is that it's based on the Myst videogame, which was one of my best-loved games as a kid. Part of what made the game so addictive was the worldbuilding: by solving puzzles, you discover portal books that transport you to worlds that are eerie, enchanting, and mostly empty of other humans. In that atmosphere of isolation, the slightest trace of any other character would make my heart pound. So, it was hard to resist a book about what those characters had been up to, but I was still skeptical about whether a book based on a videogame could possibly be any good.

I was pleasantly surprised. The writing, at first, seems a little too detailed in its descriptiveness, but it was easy enough to get used to and I think it's somewhat meta: when Atrus starts writing his own books, there are many discussions about how much detail a writer needs to use when crafting a stable, functioning world. I also think it's a trait inherited from the book's videogame predecessor; when playing a game, one is acutely aware of what's visible from each vantage point of an island, and how many steps it takes to get from point A to point B. And even though the book deals with the art of worldbuilding, there's science involved too - gravity, soil composition, and temperature all influence whether a world is habitable, and the story doesn't shy away from taking these technicalities into consideration.

Character-wise, the contrast between Atrus and Gehn highlights different modes of learning and creativity. Gehn is all about rote learning and collecting pieces from pre-existing works, whereas Atrus is more concerned with uncovering underlying principles and looking at a system as a whole. Finally, I really enjoyed the little twist on gender roles. Much of the book is about men engaged in manly activities of pioneering, engineering, and wrangling for power, while women play the role of caretakers, and are kept on the sidelines lest they get hurt. When we discover that these women are actually pioneers and engineers to at least the same extent as the men are, I pretty much clapped with glee. This is one of the few cases where I wouldn't mind reading a companion novel that covers the same timeframe but from a different point of view, because there's a lot going on that I would have liked to learn more about.

Mention Books To The Book of Atrus (Myst #1)

Original Title:	The Book of Atrus
ISBN:	0786881887 (ISBN13: 9780786881888)
Edition Language:	English
Series:	Myst #1
Literary Awards:	Audie Award for Multi-Voiced Performance (1996)

Rating Epithetical Books The Book of Atrus (Myst #1)

Ratings: 4.02 From 5204 Users | 283 Reviews

Weigh Up Epithetical Books The Book of Atrus (Myst #1)

3.5 stars, but I'm happy to round up for this obscure little book that's been mostly forgotten. Readers and writers of sci-fi and fantasy will often mention "worldbuilding": the process of developing a world that is different from the one we live in. It's less common to see fictional characters grappling with those issues themselves, but that's exactly what this novel is about. Atrus was raised by his grandmother, in an isolated dwelling in the desert. He spends his time studying the

I jumped on the Myst bandwagon a bit late. I played Myst, Riven, & Exile in 2012. I really enjoyed the style of the games and the characters, so I decided recently to give this book a read. First off, before even getting into my thoughts on the book, the hardcover version of this book is beautiful! The cover looks like an old tome, the pages have a weathered look, and every so many pages we're shown a drawing Atrus made of his surroundings and inventions. It makes the plot so much more

Myst is a series of PC games that I played as a teenager, and completely lost myself in- I only wish I had known these books were around back then. I still find myself drawn to the world of Myst, as there is something very magical and immersive about the world. The world-building is just spectacular, with deep characters, gorgeous magical landscapes and fascinating lore. This is a world where you can LITERALLY escape into books. The story was a little slow to start, and I have to say Rand and

my dad & I read this together and still quote it to each other. I suspect it's really as good as I remember.

1 book in myst series. awsome, awsome, awsome. i just checked it out from the onterio library because the cover looked good but wow did it ever turn out to be good. the imagination that went into this is simply amazing i recomend it to anybody!

A bit slow, but picked up pace towards the end. I haven't actually played the game, and I'm sure I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had. Wasn't sure I would persist with the other two in the series, but I think I'll give them a go.

Love love love this story!