anthem illustrated  anthem is a dystopian fiction novella by russian-american writer ayn rand, written in 1937 and first published in 1938 in the united kingdom. the story takes place at an unspecified future date when mankind has entered another dark age. technological advancement is now carefully planned and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. a young man known as equality 7-2521 rebels by doing secret scientific research. when his activity is discovered, he flees into the wilderness with the girl he loves. together they plan to establish a new society based on rediscovered individualism.