In this story by Dino Buzzati, a scientist builds a luxurious walled city in which a machine slows down time. Animals and plants grow and age half as quickly as those outside, allowing occupants to live for two centuries. Residency is expensive and, once inside, it is impossible to leave as the effects of normal time will be fatal. Life in the city proves not to be the utopia residents expected, and ends in disaster when something happens to the machine. Themes include self-preservation, alienation, monotony, the dangers of relying on technology and toying with the basic laws of nature.
It is interesting to note that the scientist chose not to live in his city. This raises the question of whether he either foresaw what life would be like inside, or the whole thing was a massive scientific and social experiment, which could be terminated with no questions from residents if things went off the rails.
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