 Cover art from first edition | |
| Author | John Brunner |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Robert Foster |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
Publication date | 1965 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 319 pp |
The Squares of the City is a science fiction novel by British writer John Brunner, first published in 1965 (ISBN 0-345-27739-2). It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1966.
It is a sociological story of urban class warfare and political intrigue, taking place in the fictional South American capital city of Vados. It explores the idea of subliminal messages as political tools, and it is notable for having the structure of a famous 1892 chess game between Wilhelm Steinitz and Mikhail Chigorin. The structure is not coincidental, and plays an important part in the story.