The Anubis Gates
#4153.93 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1983 Reading commitment Low Tim Powers Last reviewed 2026-08-29
Overview
A time-travel historical fantasy novel by Tim Powers, published in 1983. A modern literary scholar travelling back to 1810s London through a rich patron's experimental time gate becomes stranded in the past, entangled with body-swapping sorcerers, London's organised beggar societies, and a plot to summon ancient Egyptian gods against the British Empire. The novel is an early and influential example of the “secret history” style Powers became known for, blending real 19th-century London with an invented magical underlayer.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Anubis Gates Tim Powers
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Anubis Gates | 1983 | 1 | core | 3.93 (14,631 ratings) |
Single stand-alone novel; treated as its own one-book series per this project's standard single-work convention.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Anubis Gates? The Anubis Gates's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Anubis Gates finished? Complete (1983).
- How much reading does The Anubis Gates take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~387 pages).
- How is The Anubis Gates ranked? #415 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 14,631 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #415?
Ranked #415 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.93 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (14,631 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #414, Thistlefoot (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 15k ratings · Ranks #415 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment historical fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Philip K. Dick Award (Best Novel), 1983: won: The Anubis Gates
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.93 across 14,631 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Anubis Gates (Tim Powers) accepted 2026-08-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Anubis Gates Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-29
Rule: A single stand-alone novel; admitted at this project's standard single-work scope. Tim Powers is already credited elsewhere in this database for the Fault Lines Trilogy; this is a separate, unrelated work by the same author.