Angels & Demons
A 2000 thriller introducing Robert Langdon and ambigrams.
The novel "Angels & Demons" incorporates ambigrams designed by typographer John Langdon, including the title itself on the hardcover jacket.[1] The initial printing of the novel had many mistakes about Rome's geography and Italian words, with later printings fixing some of these errors.[2]
Quick Facts
- Author
- Dan Brown
- Country
- United States; United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- Robert Langdon #1
- Genre
- Mystery-thriller
- Format
- Print (hardback & paperback)
- Released
- 1 May 2000
- Pages
- 768
Facts from the source article.
Making and release
Critics have pointed out inaccuracies in the novel's depictions of science, technology, and history, beyond the explicit introduction.[3] The position of Devil's Advocate, portrayed as involved in papal selection, actually presents arguments against canonization of a person as a saint.[4] Through the widespread success of the novel, ambigram designs for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water became widely known, as they appear in the story.[5] A diamond-shaped ambigram called the "Illuminati Diamond" combines the four elements into a single design.[5]
One scientific inaccuracy in the book is the claim that antimatter could be generated in large amounts and serve as an unlimited energy supply.[3] A CERN representative stated that over two decades, only about 10 billionths of a gram of antimatter was made, with an explosive force similar to a firecracker—much smaller than the 0.25 grams in the novel.[6] Pope John Paul II eliminated that office in 1983, and also abolished election by acclamation in 1996, both events occurring before the novel came out.[4]
What the cited sources add
The same source classifies the book as a religious thriller genre.[7] The documentary "Angels & Demons Decoded" premiered on The History Channel on May 10, 2009, exploring the novel's story bases and inaccuracies.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Angels & Demons" . www.johnlangdon.net. Retrieved August 26, 2013. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Angeli e Demoni di Dan Brown", Il Piacere Della Lettura, 2006 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Can antimatter be used as an energy source?", CERN (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Martin, Rachel (March 3, 2013). "Who Is The 'Devil's Advocate'?" NPR.; "Acclamation (In papal elections)" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Ten Most Famous Ambigrams", Ambigram Magazine, April 20, 2009; "Angels & Demons" . www.johnlangdon.net. Retrieved August 26, 2013. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Angels & Demons" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Comtois, David; Hartford, Scott (Writers). Angels & Demons Decoded. May 10, 2009. The History Channel. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Angeli e Demoni di Dan Brown", Il Piacere Della Lettura, 2006. facts only, no text reused. leggiamo.altervista.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Angels & Demons (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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