Before Metropolis....

In 1927, German filmmaker Fritz Lang brought to the screen one of the most ground-breaking sci-fi melodramas of all time, based on the screenplay he co-wrote with his wife, novelist Thea von Harbou. Set in a futuristic urban dystopia, the story follows the attempts of Freder, the son of the city’s ruler, and Maria, a citizen of the lower levels, to bridge the gulf separating the economic classes of the city. It is regarded as a classic and one of the first full-length movies in the genre.

Five visionary new pulp writers have envisioned four dramatic tales which unfold in this amazing world prior to the events of that film. William Patrick Maynard and Michael Richard Maynard join forces with Michael Panush, Kevin Noel Olson, and Erik Franklin to guide readers back to those vaulted, shining towers of Metropolis in this new collection inspired by Lang’s masterpiece.