Asteroid City (adapted from a "hypothetical" play) takes place in a fictional desert town, circa 1955. Synopsis: the itinerary of the annual Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events. A theatrical ensemble character piece; a poetic meditation on the meaning of life.

In addition to the screenplay, this volume also contains a gallery of images and a conversation about the film with Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Jake Ryan.

One source of artistic inspiration describes the phenomena the movie attempts to illustrate:
"For me, the American West is the place where things fall apart. Civilization simply passed through: first a century ago by rail, then in our own century by car... Only a few people stayed, leaving the gas stations and the unneeded cars rusting away everywhere. The decay goes rapidly in the heat, sun, and rain. You have the feeling that in another hundred years there will be nothing of all this left at all." - Wim Wenders (1987)