The Squares of the City

Name: The Squares of the City
Price: 7.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.2 (42 reviews)
Author: Brunner, John

by Brunner, John

Thriller Science Fiction

4.2 (42)

318 pages~5.3 hr readPublished by Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy

$7.99At peak price

Last checked: Apr 18, 2026

Hidden GemHighly rated but flying under the radar. Fewer readers have found this one yet.

Price history: $0.99 – $7.99

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Price range: $0.99 – $7.99

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Fans of these authors will like this...

Ursula K. Le Guin
Philip K. Dick
Graham Greene

Fans of these books will like this...

Neuromancer
The Handmaid's Tale

Perfect for you if...

You enjoy meticulously constructed plots where form and content interlock perfectly, like a puzzle that rewards close reading.
You're drawn to political thrillers with speculative settings that explore how power corrupts and individuals resist it.
You appreciate science fiction that treats its premise seriously rather than using the future as mere window dressing.

Maybe not for you if...

You need fast-paced, plot-driven narratives without authorial flourishes or structural complexity slowing the action down.
You're looking for character-driven emotional journeys rather than ideas-focused narratives.
You prefer contemporary settings or traditional fantasy worlds to less familiar science fiction scenarios.

About this book

The Squares of the City uses the moves from a classic championship chess game as the structural framework for a novel set in a South American country. The nation is obsessed with chess and ruled by a dictator who treats people as pawns in his struggle for power and survival. The story follows a revolution within this context. The novel was a Hugo Award finalist. According to Speculiction, the story plotting shares much in common with chess and functions as a political thriller in the vein of Graham Greene.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$0.99 – $7.99

Price has dropped 54 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 37 days. Typically stays discounted for 14 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #1,414K in the Kindle store — a niche title.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.2★ from 42 reviews

Review activity has been quiet recently. Rating has remained stable at 4.2 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

Based on past patterns, a price drop could happen soon. It typically goes on sale every 37 days and the last drop was 67 days ago. Typical discount: 88% off.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.