Metacanon is an interactive canon generator that offers a more flexible and inclusive alternative to the various "greatest books" lists published by entities like Modern Library. Metacanon contains entries for thousands of written works and is continuously growing.
The main page displays works sorted by score. Use the sidebar to filter by genre, tags, publication date, and author. You can also adjust the scoring weights to emphasize different signals—for example, giving more weight to user ratings or Wikipedia backlinks. When you arrive at a setting that you like, you can save it as a preset.
Metacanon measures significance broadly defined. Since scores are determined in part from value-neutral statistics like wikipedia backlink counts and New York Times mentions, a high score is not necessarily an indication of aesthetic value. For example, works discussed unfavorably can still rank highly if they are discussed frequently.
Each work's score is a weighted combination of four signals:
Users can adjust the relative weights of these signals using the sidebar controls.
If you notice a missing author or work, you can suggest an author or suggest a work for inclusion. A moderator will review your suggestion.
Metacanon was created by Nathaniel Conroy. The source code is available on GitLab.
Questions, suggestions, or feedback? Reach out at contact@metacanon.org.