The inverted world

About “The inverted world”

The city moves along tracks through a ruined land filled with hostile tribes. Rails are constantly laid ahead and removed behind it. Rivers and mountains challenge the city's engineers. If the city stops, it will fall behind the "optimum" and be crushed by gravity. The secret rulers keep the people unaware of the danger. They are raised in creches, fed synthetic food, and kept from leaving the city. Despite this, the city is in crisis. The population is shrinking, and the rulers know the city is falling behind. Helward Mann, part of the city's elite, understands how fragile the city's survival is. He is about to discover that the world is far stranger than he believes. This is a 1974 novel by Christopher Priest.