Metropolis is a 1925 novel by the German writer Thea von Harbou. The story is set in 2026 in a technologically advanced city, which is sustained by the existence of an underground society of labourers. The son of one of the city's founders falls in love with a girl from the underground society, as the two societies begin to clash due to the lack of a unifying force. The novel was the basis for Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis.The novel was serialised in the magazine Illustriertes Blatt in 1925, accompanied by screenshots from the upcoming film adaptation.It was published in book form in 1926 by August Scherl. An English translation was published in 1927.