Eleven Percent A Novel
Eleven Percent by Maren Uthaug is a thought-provoking novel published by St. Martin’s Publishing Group on April 22, 2025. This edition, comprising 304 pages, presents a dystopian narrative set in a world where women have taken control, with only eleven percent of men remaining to prevent inbreeding. The story unfolds in a society where men are confined to “spa” centers, trained to fulfill women’s desires, while the remnants of patriarchal structures decay around them.
Readers will encounter four distinct characters—Medea, Wicca, Eva, and Silence—whose lives intersect in this new societal framework. As they navigate their realities, they confront the complexities and costs of this women-dominated world. The novel explores themes of power, gender dynamics, and social engineering, offering a unique perspective on contemporary issues through its speculative lens. Eleven Percent invites readers to reflect on the implications of such a societal shift while engaging with its rich narrative.
Official synopsis Publisher
An inverse The Handmaid’s Tale that asks: What if women took over the world?
“A pretty wild book!”—Margaret E. Atwood, tweet
“Emotionally enthralling and intellectually stimulating.” —Booklist
It is the New Time, a time not so different from our own except that the men are gone. All but eleven percent of them, that is, the minimum required to avoid inbreeding. But they are safely under lock and key in “spa” centers for women’s pleasure (trained by amazons to fulfill all desires) and procreation. A few women protest that the males should be treated better – more space, better food, but all agree that testosterone cannot be allowed to roam free. The old patriarchal cities are crumbling, becoming overgrown; people now live in “round communities.” But if you prefer the slum, that’s okay too. Religion has survived, sort of: women priestesses speak in tongues, inspired by snake venom, as apples are passed around to the congregation. But all social engineering has its costs…
Four different lives intersect: Medea, a tiny, long-haired witch and snake whisperer; Wicca, a young priestess who excelled at the “self-pleasuring” curriculum in school and has lost her pregnant lover; Eva, a doctor working in a spa center, and Silence, who lives in an almost abandoned convent. Each will discover the cracks in this women’s paradise.
Provocative, irreverent, and completely riveting, Eleven Percent—a #1 bestseller in Denmark—is the first novel to appear in English by celebrated Danish author Maren Uthaug.
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Eleven Percent A Novel” about?
Who is the author of “Eleven Percent A Novel”?
When was “Eleven Percent A Novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “Eleven Percent A Novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
