The City & the CityThe City & the City
Score Modern
What it's about
Inspector Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad investigates the murder of a young woman in Besźel, a decaying city somewhere in Eastern Europe. The case leads him to Ul Qoma, a rival city that occupies the same physical space; citizens of each are trained from birth to 'unsee' the other city and its people, and crossing is the worst crime of all.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Hugo Award and was a Nebula finalist. It's a hard-boiled detective story built around one of the most brilliant ideas in modern fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
The Trial
Neuromancer
The Big SleepGood to know
The concept takes some chapters to understand; the book explains it gradually. It became a BBC series.
By the numbers
- Readers24 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller33 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #156 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #240 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #870 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1613 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Gripping
More by China Miéville
The Scar
Perdido Street Station
Embassytown
Iron CouncilIf you like this, read next
Gideon the Ninth
All Systems Red
Promises in Death
Innocent in Death
The Blind Assassin
Jade CityExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The City & the City worth reading?
Yes. It won the Hugo Award and was a Nebula finalist. It ranks #1,613 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The City & the City about?
Inspector Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad investigates the murder of a young woman in Besźel, a decaying city somewhere in Eastern Europe. The case leads him to Ul Qoma, a rival city that occupies the same physical space; citizens of each are trained from birth to 'unsee' the other city and its people, and crossing is the worst crime of all.
How long does it take to read The City & the City?
About 9 hours (372 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The City & the City won?
Hugo Award winner (2010).
What should I read after The City & the City?
If you liked it, try The Trial by Franz Kafka, Neuromancer by William Gibson or The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.