H.G.
Wells'
1933 science fiction novel The
Shape of Things to Come,
written in the form of a history
book published in the far future,
includes the following passage: "Up to quite recently Lower New
York has been the most old-fashioned city in the world, unique in
its gloomy antiquity. The last of the ancient skyscrapers, the
Empire State Building, is even now under demolition in C.E. 2106!".
David
Macaulay's
1980 illustrated book Unbuilding
depicts the Empire State Building being purchased by a Middle
Eastern billionaire and disassembled piece by piece, to be
transported to Saudi Arabia and rebuilt there. The mooring mast is
rebuilt in New York, while the remainder of the building is lost at
sea.
The
Empire State Building is featured prominently as both a setting and
integral plot device throughout much of Michael
Chabon's
2000 Pulitzer
Prize-winning
novel, The
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
In
his "biography", Doc
Savage: His Apocalyptic Life,
Philip
Jose Farmer
theorizes that the skyscraper in which Doc
Savage
lived and where he met with his comrades, had his laboratories,
etc.,
was the Empire State Building. Since the 86th Floor (mentioned in
the Savage stories as his floor) was the Observatory, one may
presume that Doc "actually" lived on another floor.
In
the series, "Percy
Jackson & the Olympians",
Rick
Riordan
shows the Empire State Building as the headquarters of the Olympian
Gods,
where the Greek Gods live and also hold their meetings.
In
the children's novel, James
and the Giant Peach,
at the end of the book the giant peach is dropped onto the lightning
rod of the Empire State Building.
In
the sci-fi/alternate history series of novels Wild
Cards,
the 86th floor is the location of New York's premier chic
restaurant, Aces High, a very popular hangout for the superpowered
aces.
