explorer / books · 2003
The Years of Rice and Salt
Published 2002 by Bantam Books · 658 pages
Hugo · 2003
FinalistOn the ballot with
This book is recorded on the Hugo ballot only. Each row shows the full Best Novel ballot for that award and ceremony year. Winners appear first.
Kim Stanley Robinson on these ballots
10 award entries · 7 books · 4 wins · 1985–2018
WinHugo finalistNebula finalistThis book
Synopsis
In an alternate history where the Black Death killed 99% of Europe’s population, world history is shaped by Chinese, Islamic, and Indian civilizations. Through reincarnating characters who meet between lives in the bardo, the novel spans seven centuries of wars, discoveries, and revolutions in a world without Western dominance.
Experimental tags
AI-assisted labels that have not been validated consistently across the catalogue. Read the dataset methods →