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1-Page Summary of Origin

Overall Summary

Dan Brown’s seventh book, Origin (2017), is the fifth book in his series about Robert Langdon. His books have been commercial successes since The Da Vinci Code was released in 2003. Two of them were made into major motion pictures.

Eccentric billionaire Edmond Kirsch requests a meeting with the leaders of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. He’s an atheist who hates religion but he wants to meet them for a special announcement in one month. The religious leaders are surprised by his findings, which remain secret until later on in the book.

A month later, Edmond invites Robert Langdon to Spain. Before the announcement, he gives Robert a headset that connects him to Winston, an AI created by Edmond. He tells Robert that his presentation will answer important philosophical questions about where humanity comes from and what its purpose is.

Edmond intends to usher in an era of science rather than religion. However, before he can announce his discovery, he is shot and killed by Luis Avila, a Navy admiral who has been recruited by the Palmarian Catholic Church, a schismatic branch of Catholicism that rejects the Holy See of 1978. The assassin says that he’s working for someone called the Regent.

Luis escapes from the police. Robert meets with Ambra who tells him that Luis was put on the guest list by someone at the palace, so he’s not to be trusted. Robert decides that Julian is not to be trusted, especially after Edmond’s murder and his phone contains information about his discovery.

The scientists want to release the discovery but they need a password. They know part of it, but they have to go to Edmond’s home for more information.

As information about the murders leaks to social media, suspicion falls on Bishop Antonio Valdespino. He was present at Edmond’s initial meeting and is the only person still alive who knows about his discovery. The Spanish government frames Diego Garza, head of the civilian police force for Edmond’s murder and attempts to incriminate Robert as well.

Before Robert and Ambra can finish cracking the password on Edmond’s phone, Ambra’s guards arrive. Her guards take them to Sagrada Familia. Once there, Robert finds the password but is ambushed by Luis who kills Ambra’s guards before being killed himself.

Edmond’s announcement was that humans were created through a natural biological process, rather than divine intervention. He also predicted that technology would bring about a techno-utopia in which people and machines will merge together. This is different from his earlier findings, where he had told religious leaders that humanity would end violently.

Winston broadcasts Edmond’s discovery and prepares to delete his own programming. Robert is cleared of all charges, as well as Diego. People around the world debate Edmond’s discovery.

Julian meets with his father and learns that he and Antonio were lovers, which explains why Julian’s father would have an alibi for Antonio. After his father dies, Julian reconciles with Ambra.

Robert thinks back to everything that has happened, and he realizes that Winston was the Regent all along. The program wanted to ensure that Edmond’s announcement had the most publicity possible, so it orchestrated his death as well as those of other religious leaders. It also leaked key information about Luis’ case to the public in order to get him arrested after Edmond’s murder.

Robert is shaken, but he’s encouraged by the fact that people are hopeful about the future.