#174 in Science fiction
Permutation City
- 260
- Pages
- about 5 h
- Reading time
- John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel
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About the book
Permutation City is a 1994 science-fiction novel by Greg Egan that explores many concepts, including quantum ontology, through various philosophical aspects of artificial life and simulated reality. Sections of the story were adapted from Egan's 1992 short story "Dust", which dealt with many of the same philosophical themes. Permutation City won the John W. Campbell Award for the best science-fiction novel of the year in 1995 and was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award the same year. The novel was also cited in a 2003 Scientific American article on multiverses by Max Tegmark.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.9 across 200 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 52% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.5 | 22 | 11% |
| Hardcover | 8.0 | 178 | 89% |
Frequently asked
What is Permutation City rated?
7.9 out of 10, from 200 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Permutation City worth reading?
Readers give it 7.9/10 from 200 ratings, which puts it ahead of 13 % of the Science fiction shelf.
How long does it take to read Permutation City?
About 5 hours at an average reading pace — 260 pages.
Where does Permutation City rank?
#174 in Science fiction on the current snapshot.
How long is Permutation City?
It has 260 pages — shorter than 72% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Science fiction — and a score of 7.9, the closest to this book.
