Thea von Harbou – författare

This city of the future encompasses two worlds: that of the hedonistic ruling class and that of a segregated subculture, toilers in a mechanized underworld who labor to provide the rich with their pleasures. When a charismatic leader arises, she seeks a savior to unite the disparate social orders. ""Between the brain that plans and the hands that build,"" she declares, ""there must be a mediator?the heart."" Thea von Harbou, creator of the screenplay for Fritz Lang's iconic 1927 film, wrote this novel to expand upon the movie's ideas and concepts. Vivid in description, rich in characterization and symbolism, the story draws upon ancient myths to form a compelling vision of the future. Noted science-fiction authority Forrest J. Ackerman hailed the book as ""a work of genius,"" and a century after its initial publication Metropolis continues to captivate readers.

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

Metropolis is set in 2026 in a technologically advanced city, which is sustained by the existence of an exploited class of laborers who live underground, far away from the gleaming surface world. Freder, the son of one of the city’s founders, falls in love with Maria, a girl from the underground. The two worlds are destined to clash and upheaval is inevitable. Can the two lovers survive the coming turmoil.Metropolis the novel was written along side the script for the movie. The two works intertwine to give a complete experience, much like the film and book versions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one supports the other by bringing clarity and understanding to what the visual virtuosity of the other was meant to convey.This book is not of today or of the future.It tells of no place.It serves no cause, party or class.It has a moral which grows on the pillar of understanding:“The mediator between brain and muscle must be the Heart. —Thea Von Harbou

This is Metropolis, the novel that the film''s screenwriter -- Thea von Harbou, who was director Fritz Lang''s wife, and a collaborator in the creation of the film -- this is the novel that Harbou wrote from her own notes. It contains bits of the story that got lost on the cutting-room floor; in a very real way it is the only way to understand the film.

Metropolis is set in 2026 in a technologically advanced city, which is sustained by the existence of an exploited class of laborers who live underground, far away from the gleaming surface world. Freder, the son of one of the city’s founders, falls in love with Maria, a girl from the underground. The two worlds are destined to clash and upheaval is inevitable. Can the two lovers survive the coming turmoil. Metropolis the novel was written along side the script for the movie. The two works intertwine to give a complete experience, much like the film and book versions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, one supports the other by bringing clarity and understanding to what the visual virtuosity of the other was meant to convey. This book is not of today or of the future. It tells of no place. It serves no cause, party or class. It has a moral which grows on the pillar of understanding: “The mediator between brain and muscle must be the Heart. —Thea Von Harbou

In the future, wealthy industrialists and their top employees reign over the city of Metropolis from colossal skyscrapers, while underground-dwelling workers toil to operate the great machines that power it. Joh Fredersen is the city's master. His son, Freder, idles away his time at sports and in a pleasure garden, but is interrupted by the arrival of a young woman named Maria, who has brought a group of workers' children to witness the lifestyle of their rich "brothers".