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    What science fiction story was about people living in a city that was on tracks? They were constantly building new tracks in the front and removing tracks from the rear as it moved.

    Question #70157. Asked by denmarks. (Aug 28 06 11:13 AM)


    Gnomon

    Inverted World by Christopher Priest

    Aug 28 06, 11:46 AM
    denmarks

    It seems to be out of print but it might be what I read over 20 year ago.

    Aug 28 06, 11:56 AM
    zbeckabee

    Helwood Mann, the protagonist, lives in the City, a giant structure built of wood and concrete that is slowly winched along on a set of tracks toward an unknown destination. In the hands of another writer, this premise would easily be absurdist: because the City only has a fixed line of track, they have to keep pulling their old track out and laying the new track in front of them in order to progress, day after day, month after month. The pulling of the City has been going on long before Helwood was born--and although he is puzzled by the need to keep the City moving (it's to reach "the optimum," he is told, whatever that means) he nevertheless joins more or less enthusiastically in the effort.

    http://www.scwu.com/bookreviews/h/PriestChristopherInvertedWorldThe.shtml

    Aug 28 06, 12:18 PM
    zbeckabee

    Amazon had 23 copies for sale.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060134216/sr=1-1/qid=1156789963/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7634781-8740019?ie=UTF8&s=books

    Aug 28 06, 12:20 PM


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