num_pages: 593
description: Cities in Flight is an omnibus volume of four novels, originally published 1955-62. Two are fix-ups of pieces that 1st appeared in magazines in the early '50s. Despite having been conceived decades ago &amp; produced in episodically, they stand head &amp; shoulders above most SF available today. In They Shall Have Stars, humankind's will to explore space is renewed with two discoveries: anti-gravity spindizzy machines &amp; anti-agathic drugs, keys to almost eternal life. By A Life for the Stars, centuries have passed. Most major cities have built spindizzies into bedrock &amp; left earth, cruising the galaxy looking for work, much like Depression Era hobos. Earthman, Come Home, told from NY Mayor John Amalfi's perspective, was the 1st-written novels. Tho not as tightly woven as other segments it's a masterly work. Blish gives the same weight &amp; authority both to the sweeping cultural change suffered by the cities &amp; to the emotional growth of a man several centuries old. We stay with Amalfi for the final episode, The Triumph of Time. NY is now planet-bound in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. When Amalfi learns of the impending destruction of time itself, he's forced into space again to take a last, desperate chance. The novel ends with a literal bang. Despite the occasional anachronism, such as vacuum tubes, Cities in Flight stands up well to modern reading. The novel's political &amp; literary sophistication was unmatched in its time. For readers of a certain age, this was probably the 1st SF they encountered written from a mature standpoint &amp; adult sensibility. The fact that Blish also manages to tell a fabulous, galaxy-spanning adventure tale makes this essential reading.--Luc Duplessis (edited)
language: English
title: Cities in Flight
titlecomplete: Cities in Flight (Cities in Flight, #1-4)
characters: John Amalfi
genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Classics, Novels, Fiction, Collections, Adventure, Science Fiction, Space Opera
ratings_count: 6347
series: Cities in Flight
publisher: The Overlook Press