Ishmael (Quinn novel)

Ishmael
First edition
AuthorDaniel Quinn
LanguageEnglish
GenrePhilosophical novel, secret history, magic realism
PublisherBantam/Turner Books
Publication date
1992
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages266 p.
ISBN0-553-07875-5
OCLC24068428
Followed byThe Story of B 

Ishmael is a 1992 philosophical novel by Daniel Quinn. The novel examines the hidden cultural biases driving modern civilization and explores themes of ethics, sustainability, and global catastrophe. Largely framed as a Socratic conversation between two characters,[1] Ishmael aims to expose that several widely accepted assumptions of modern society, such as human supremacy, are actually cultural myths that produce catastrophic consequences for humankind and the environment. The novel was awarded the $500,000 Turner Tomorrow Fellowship Award in 1991, a year before its formal publication.[2]

Ishmael is part of a loose trilogy that includes a 1996 spiritual sequel, The Story of B, and a 1997 "sidequel," My Ishmael. Quinn also details how he arrived at the ideas behind Ishmael in his 1994 autobiography, Providence: The Story of a Fifty-Year Vision Quest. Yet another related book is Quinn's 1999 short treatise, Beyond Civilization.

  1. ^ Reinwald, Pete (2013). "'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn and the movement it inspired". Chicago Tribune. Tronc, Inc.
  2. ^ Mcdowell, Edwin (1991-06-04). "Texas Writer Wins $500,000 in Ted Turner Competition". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-05-01.