METROPOLIS

Almost a century ago this groundbreaking work of science fiction introduced the world to futuristic writing concepts still in use. Through narrator Rupert Degas we hear this seminal work about the subjugation of the laborer class in order to keep monstrous machines operating to serve the upper class. Degas has a plaintive tone that underscores the horrors of this dystopian world. But his voice becomes buoyed with hope as the son of the city's ruler rejects his father's ways and falls in love with a woman from the underclass. In 1927 the book was turned into a classic silent film by Fritz Lang, husband of the book's author. A bit verbose by contemporary standards, the novel remains a compelling warning against the dangers of wealth and class abuse. M.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]