The Anubis Gates
by Tim Powers · first published 1983
63% recommend38% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Fast, inventive time-travel adventure mixing in magic rather than hard science; praised for its richly rendered world and throwaway ideas that stick with readers. Suits fans of fantasy-tinged time travel.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
An ancient Egyptian sorcerer, a modern millionaire, a body-switching werewolf, a hideously deformed clown, a young woman disguised as a boy, a brainwashed Lord Byron, and finally, the protagonist Professor Brendan Doyle, who wanted none of this nonsense.
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I just finished the very nice Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, that mixes time travel with magic.
on “Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy and Physics: A Topical Index” ↗The Anubis Gates, extremely entertaining time travel story by Tim Powers. It's not very "sci" sci-fi, actually there's magic in the mix, but totally recommended anyway.
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗…Eschbach Nine Hundred Grandmothers - R.A. Lafferty Weaveworld - Clive Barker A Small Death in Lisbon - Robert Wilson Bones of the Earth - Michael Swanwick Enough Rope - Lawrence Block The Anubis Gates - Tim Powers Her Smoke Rose Up Forever - James Tiptree Jr. Planetfall - Emma Newman Biography/Memoirs: Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Richard Feynman What Do You Care What Other People…
on “Ask HN: What books should I read this summer?” ↗The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
on “Ask HN: Great nontech book that you read recently?” ↗…wonder. There were ideas in that book which were just bits of throwaway color, which I still think about years after having read the book. That being said, his other books were a slight let down after Anubis Gates.
on “Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy and Physics: A Topical Index” ↗Major agreement with you there, and glad i'm not the only one. After reading the incredibly rich, beautifully rendered world of The Anubis Gates, I expected more of the same from his other books, but no, not quite as good, oddly. That book however remains the single best time travel fantasy novel I've ever read to this day. The blend of nearly…
on “Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy and Physics: A Topical Index” ↗…- Karina and Robert Fabian editors (story quality varies; I enjoyed some of them) The Sign of Four - Arthur Conan Doyle (recommended) On Stranger Tides - Tim Powers (recommended; I love Powers, but Anubis Gates and Last Call are better. Still, if you like pirates you should like this) The Art of Worldly Wisdom - Baltasar Gracian (interesting) Aquinas at Prayer: the Bible, Mysticism, and Poetry - Paul Murray…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗Byron aside, I recommend Tim Powers' novel "Declare" -- enjoyed that one more than "The Anubis Gates". Keywords: fiction, espionage, thriller, 40s-60s ww2 / cold war, occult horror, historical fiction. For anyone who enjoys the mix of espionage & occult horror themes in "Declare", there's a couple of…
on “'Byron: A Life in Ten Letters': The Regency's rakish rock star” ↗In terms of Tim Powers, Byron shows up in his "The Anubis Gates" as well.
on “'Byron: A Life in Ten Letters': The Regency's rakish rock star” ↗