A Voyage to ArcturusA Voyage to Arcturus
Score Classic
What it's about
After a strange interstellar journey, Maskull wakes alone in a desert on the planet Tormance, under the twin suns of Arcturus, and journeys north across one of the most unusual alien worlds ever imagined.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's an epic quest and a journey into the metaphysical heart of the universe.
You'll love it if you liked
Star Maker
The Dispossessed
HyperionGood to know
It's more philosophical than plot-driven.
By the numbers
- Readers6 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller8 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #487 of the 504 fantasy books we rank
- #913 of the 924 classics we rank
- #3009 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Foundation
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Ficciones
Flowers for Algernon
Rendezvous with RamaExplore the best-of lists
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Fantasy booksTop 25 · 504 ranked

Classic booksTop 25 · 924 ranked

Books of the 1920sTop 25 · 46 ranked

Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 623 ranked

Literary novelsTop 25 · 325 ranked

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelsTop 25 · 63 ranked

Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked

Science fiction booksTop 25 · 333 rankedQuick answers
Is A Voyage to Arcturus worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #3,009 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 52.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Voyage to Arcturus about?
After a strange interstellar journey, Maskull wakes alone in a desert on the planet Tormance, under the twin suns of Arcturus, and journeys north across one of the most unusual alien worlds ever imagined.
How long does it take to read A Voyage to Arcturus?
About 8 hours (300 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Voyage to Arcturus?
If you liked it, try Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin or Hyperion by Dan Simmons.