El cero y el infinito

The narrative is a fictionalized account inspired by the Soviet show trials of the late 1930s, specifically modeling the protagonist's experience on the trial of Nikolai Bukharin. The author drew upon his own disillusionment with the Communist Party and his personal acquaintance with several victims of these political purges.

The original German manuscript was presumed lost for decades, meaning the book was known internationally only through translations of an English version for much of the 20th century. A copy of the original German text was discovered in 2015, leading to new editions that are considered more faithful to the author's intended style and content.