explorer / books · 1966
The Squares of the City
Published 1965 by Ballantine Books · 319 pages
Hugo · 1966
FinalistOn the ballot with
This book is recorded on the Hugo ballot only. Each row shows the full Best Novel ballot for that award and ceremony year. Winners appear first.
John Brunner on these ballots
6 award entries · 5 books · 1 wins · 1965–1973
Synopsis
Traffic analyst Boyd Dodd is hired to solve congestion in Ciudad de Vados, a gleaming new capital city in a fictional South American nation, but discovers the city's political leaders are manipulating citizens through subliminal messaging. The novel's plot mirrors the moves of an 1892 chess game between Steinitz and Chigorin, with characters corresponding to chess pieces in a deadly political struggle.
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