High-Rise

High-Rise is a chilling modern fable about civilization’s thin veneer and the primal chaos lurking beneath. Set in a luxurious 40-story tower block designed as a self-contained world of privilege—complete with shops, swimming pools, and schools—the novel charts the rapid social and moral breakdown of its residents. As petty grievances escalate into tribal warfare, floors divide into hostile factions, and the once-gleaming high-rise becomes a battleground of decadence, violence, and survival. With icy precision and dark wit, Ballard turns the tower into a microcosm of modern society, exposing how quickly order unravels when comfort and isolation replace community. Brutal, satirical, and eerily prophetic, High-Rise remains one of Ballard’s most disturbing and unforgettable visions.