Cities in Flight

Cities in Flight is a science fiction series by American author James Blish, consisting of four volumes of novels and short stories published from 1950 to 1962. The series was originally known as the "Okie" novels. It follows entire cities that travel through space using an anti-gravity device called the spindizzy. The narrative spans about two thousand years, starting in the near future and continuing until the universe’s end. Since 1970, the main edition has been an omnibus volume first released in paperback by Avon Books. Blish made numerous revisions to the stories over time, responding to points raised in reader letters.

The first book, *They Shall Have Stars* (1956, also published as *Year 2018!*), incorporates the stories "Bridge" and "At Death's End." It is set in the near future, beginning in 2013, where the Soviet Union still exists and the Cold War continues. Western civil liberties have eroded, and society increasingly resembles the Soviet model. Senator Bliss Wagoner of Alaska, head of the Joint Congressional Committee on Space Flight, aims to change this. Scientific research has stalled due to restricted knowledge. Acting on advice from scientist Dr. Corsi, Wagoner funds fringe science projects. One builds a "bridge" of Ice IV on Jupiter’s surface, leading to the discovery of gravity manipulation (the spindizzy), enabling faster-than-light travel and shielding. Another project yields an anti-aging drug. Wagoner is convicted of treason by an oppressive regime, but not before launching expeditions that later succeed in establishing colonies. The book strongly opposes McCarthyism, which was at its height during writing. The main antagonist is Francis X. MacHinery, hereditary Director of the FBI, now a secret police force. In the final chapter, MacHinery says, "Bliss Wagoner is dead," but the narrative notes that "as usual, he was wrong," as Wagoner’s legacy endures. The *Hartford Courant* later described the novel as "a skillful mixture of human reality and technological fantasy."

Between the first and second books, the Cold War ends with the peaceful merger of Eastern and Western blocs into a single, planet-wide Soviet dictatorship, which changes little since the West’s system was already nearly identical.