Von Harbou (Thea) Metropolis

London, Readers Library, September 1927.

First UK edition, fourth impression. Small 8vo. Original gilt tooled cloth. Dust-jacket, with the title mentioned on rear inside flap of the jacket.

The book of the famous silent film that is held by many to be one of the defining moments in cinematic history, not least as the first feature length science fiction feature. The film was directed by Fritz Lang, who developed the story with Thea von Harbou. Set in a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city’s mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a saviour to settle their differences. This fourth printing was issued within a few months of the first, indicating the demand.