Cities of the Red Night

novel by Burroughs

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July 16, 2026

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Cities of the Red Night is a novel by William S. Burroughs, published in 1981. It is part of a trilogy that also includes The Place of Dead Roads and The Western Lands. Burroughs was an American writer known for his experimental novels that explored themes of addiction, sexuality, and societal control, often with a surreal and darkly humorous tone. His work, including Naked Lunch, was influential to the Beat movement. Cities of the Red Night continues Burroughs's exploration of these themes through a fragmented narrative structure, characteristic of his "cut-up technique".12

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William S. Burroughs
Wild Boys (1971), Exterminator! (1973), Cities of the Red Night (1981), Place of Dead Roads (1983), The Western Lands (1987), and My Education: A Book of Dreams (1995)—Burroughs further experimented with the structure of the novel. Burroughs (1983), by filmmaker Howard Brookner, is a documentary on the artist’s life.
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Wild Boys (1971), Exterminator! (1973), Cities of the Red Night (1981), Place of Dead Roads (1983), The Western Lands (1987), and My Education: A Book of Dreams (1995)—Burroughs further experimented with the structure of the novel. Burroughs (1983), by filmmaker Howard Brookner, is a documentary on the artist’s life.
Read More