Origin is a 2017 mystery thriller novel by American author Dan Brown and the fifth installment in his Robert Langdon series,[1] following Inferno.

Edmond Kirsch, a billionaire philanthropist, computer scientist, futurist, and strident atheist, attends a meeting at the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia (Spain) with Roman Catholic Bishop Antonio Valdespino,[4] Jewish Rabbi Yehuda Köves, and Muslim Imam Syed al-Fadl, members of the Parliament of the World's Religions.

Among those in attendance are Kirsch's former teacher, Robert Langdon, and the Guggenheim's curator Ambra Vidal, the fiancée of the future King of Spain, Prince Julián.

The guests receive a headset through which they communicate with a voice named Winston, which reveals to Langdon that it is an artificial intelligence invented by Kirsch.

Winston leads Langdon to a private meeting with Kirsch, who claims that his presentation will reveal humanity's origins and future.

However, he is killed by Luis Ávila, a former naval admiral introduced to the controversial Palmarian Catholic Church following the deaths of his family in a bombing.

He warns her not to trust Julián (as Ávila was put on the guest list by request from the Royal palace) and they escape his guards and leave the museum, determined to release Kirsch's discovery.

To save face, the royal family's public relations manager claims that Langdon kidnapped Ambra.

Langdon finds that Kirsch owned a book of the complete works of William Blake, which he donated to Sagrada Família, leaving it open at a specific page.

Langdon assures Ambra that he can find Winston's physical location, so he can broadcast the discovery, and the helicopter takes them to Sagrada Família.

Kirsch explains that he simulated the Miller–Urey experiment, using E-Wave's ability to digitally speed forward time, to recreate what he believes is the moment of abiogenesis.

[7] The Guardian found the apocalyptic "witches brew" of themes to be relevant to modern times, but it also noted the characters' dialogue made them sound like "cybernauts".

"[10] USA Today gave it a score of 2.5/4 and said it was "only a fitfully entertaining religious rehash of his greatest hits," but said fans of Langdon would like it.