Metropolis
Jan 2021 · Open Road Media
eBook
283
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this eBook
The classic twentieth-century science fiction novel by the screenwriter of the Fritz Lang film, the famed director’s wife and collaborator.
A divided twenty-first-century city sets the stage for this novel of a future dystopia. While the wealthy live in a decadent playground of sex and drugs, workers toil underground operating the machines that keep the city running.
When Freder, the son of the leader of Metropolis, sees the horrific conditions the workers are exposed to, he becomes disillusioned with his father’s vision and captivated by a woman named Maria who is fighting for unity among the classes. Desperate to maintain the status quo, Freder’s father unleashes a robot that looks like Maria to wreak suspicion and doubt and crush the rebellion, a move that puts Freder and the real Maria’s love—and lives—at risk.
“The language of the novel is sometimes as thesauric as Shiel, as kaleidoscopic as Merritt, as bone-spare as Ray Bradbury, as poetic as Poe, as macabre as Machen. . . . You will have an experience in reading that will last you all the rest of your life.” —Forrest J. Ackerman, editor of Spacemen magazine
“The movie’s status as one of the great dystopian science fiction tales is secure. Thea von Harbou’s novel deserves to be recognized as an important work of science fiction in its own right. It’s also a relatively rare and therefore interesting example of German science fiction.” —Vintage Pop Fictions
“The latent power of the story seems clearer in prose. You can see more clearly the contrast of past and present, of magic and technology, of gods and gadgetry.” —Black Gate
A divided twenty-first-century city sets the stage for this novel of a future dystopia. While the wealthy live in a decadent playground of sex and drugs, workers toil underground operating the machines that keep the city running.
When Freder, the son of the leader of Metropolis, sees the horrific conditions the workers are exposed to, he becomes disillusioned with his father’s vision and captivated by a woman named Maria who is fighting for unity among the classes. Desperate to maintain the status quo, Freder’s father unleashes a robot that looks like Maria to wreak suspicion and doubt and crush the rebellion, a move that puts Freder and the real Maria’s love—and lives—at risk.
“The language of the novel is sometimes as thesauric as Shiel, as kaleidoscopic as Merritt, as bone-spare as Ray Bradbury, as poetic as Poe, as macabre as Machen. . . . You will have an experience in reading that will last you all the rest of your life.” —Forrest J. Ackerman, editor of Spacemen magazine
“The movie’s status as one of the great dystopian science fiction tales is secure. Thea von Harbou’s novel deserves to be recognized as an important work of science fiction in its own right. It’s also a relatively rare and therefore interesting example of German science fiction.” —Vintage Pop Fictions
“The latent power of the story seems clearer in prose. You can see more clearly the contrast of past and present, of magic and technology, of gods and gadgetry.” —Black Gate
About the author
Thea von Harbou (1888–1954) was a German screenwriter, novelist, film director, and actress. She is best known as the screenwriter of the science fiction film classic Metropolis and the author of the story on which it was based. Harbou collaborated as a screenwriter with film director Fritz Lang, her husband, during the period of transition from silent to sound films.
Rate this eBook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Centre instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
