Rand's 1,100-page magnum opus was published by Random House, presenting her fullest fictional expression of Objectivism.
On October 10, 1957, Random House published Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand's monumental final novel and the fullest expression of her philosophy of Objectivism. The manuscript, completed in March of that year after more than a decade of writing, spans over a thousand pages and weaves together mystery, romance, and philosophical treatise in depicting a near-future America collapsing under the weight of stifling government regulation and the disappearance of its most productive citizens.
The novel's hero, the enigmatic inventor John Galt, leads a strike of the world's most talented industrialists, scientists, and artists, withdrawing their minds and labor from a society that punishes ability and rewards need. Galt's radio address near the novel's end — one of the longest speeches in American literature — lays out Rand's full philosophical system, encompassing metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics.
Initial critical reception was famously harsh, with many reviewers, including prominent conservative and liberal critics alike, condemning its length and uncompromising ideology. Despite this, the novel became an enormous commercial success and has sold well over seven million copies, continuing to sell hundreds of thousands of copies annually decades later. It has profoundly influenced American libertarian and conservative political thought, and figures ranging from business executives to U.S. politicians have cited it as formative.
The publication of Atlas Shrugged marked the end of Rand's career as a novelist; she devoted the remainder of her life primarily to nonfiction writing and public philosophy, founding The Objectivist Newsletter and lecturing widely.