Frederik Pohl is prolific. He handles so many diverse ideas with great skill. I was completely intrigued by nearly every one of the tales contained in this collection. Here, then, is an accounting."The Tunnel Under the World" - A man wakes up to find everything very different from the way he remembered it the day before. The next day he finds the date the same as the one before. What is going on? -- This one is a little bit like the Truman Show, except with a very different and startling twist at the end."Three Portraits and a Prayer" - About a dying scientist, his doctor, and an evil millionaire. -- This wasn't my favorite. I didn't really see the point."Day Million" - How much will human beings differ from us in the far, far future? Here is one imagining. -- This was very short and quite poetic. "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus" - A department store head falls in love with an employee against a backdrop of rampant consumerism. -- I have read this one before, I know. It wasn't a trial to read again. "We Never Mention Aunt Nora" - Something happened to Aunt Nora that was unspeakable. It may be poised to happen again. -- This one was a little maddening."Father of the Stars" - Elderly, nearly-dead Marchand spent his entire fortune on colony ships, and sent them to the stars. He is disheartened when someone invents a much faster ship. -- This was so poignant. I loved it."The Day the Martians Came" - Regarding a hotelier near Cape Canaveral on said day. -- Such an interesting twist. What societal caste would Martians inhabit?"The Midas Plague" - In a world where notions of prosperity are turned upside-down, how does one "poor" man cope with marriage to a "wealthy" woman? -- This is the most memorable story in the collection. At first, I couldn't figure out what was going on, but once I caught on, I was completely enthralled."The Snowmen" - I'm still not sure what this was about."How to Count on Your Fingers" - A non-fiction essay on binary mathematics. -- I still can't count in binary, but I understand it a little better."Grandy Devil" - I'm not going to tell you anything about this one because everything I can think of to say is a complete spoiler. "Speed Trap" - A man is beleaguered by meetings and conferences, never really getting anything done. He develops a way to revolutionize modern communication and free up time for brilliant people to spend more time inventing important things. - Another story with a very interesting twist toward the end. Even though you kind of see it coming, it's still pretty rewarding."The Richest Man in Levittown" - A guy who's inherited big is drowning in request for a piece of his windfall. An old friend shows up with a proposition that will let them rule the world. His visit ends in very unexpected consequences. - The twist on this one is a little far-fetched, but it's well-written and entertaining."The Day the Icicle Works Closed" - A planet whose sole industry has gone defunct leaves a very depressed population. The only remaining profitable business, or way for anyone to make any money, is outrageously intrusive and ethically bankrupt. A lawyer sets out to expose the directors. -- This was depressing as well as scary. The ending is a catharsis."The Hated" - A former astronaut is consumed with murderous thoughts towards his fellow ship-mates. -- Darkly disturbing."The Martian in the Attic" - Our narrator is a grubby slime trying to blackmail a rich slime with a big secret as to how he came to invent so many wonderful things. - The title is kind of a spoiler, but the characterization was superb."The Census Takers" - Showcases one way a bureaucracy might deal with overpopulation. - Also disturbing, but also funny. Quite a feat."The Children of Night" - A PR troubleshooter takes on the cause of a group of aliens from Arcturus who'd like to build a compound in a town where the people are very much "not in my backyard!" - Extremely compelling. Pohl has a lot to say on the subjects of PR and advertising and he has such a fascinating perspective.At the end Pohl reflects upon the selections Del Rey has made for the collection and has some engaging tidbits to divulge.
I really liked this collection. Yes some of them are a little dated, but I struggled to find more than the odd story that wasn't at least good. I have read more recently published short stories and few stand up to this from one of the masters. Fred Pohl is definely one of the greats.Tunnel Under The World: There is nothing like starting with a good stroy and this was one of those. It has a similar plot to the movie Groundhog Day, but was written well before it in 1954. However it has some interesting plot ideas and twists. Pohl probably was not the originator of the main plot line, but its one of the best uses of it I have read.Punch: Totally different story from the previous one. Short, pointed and a good use of short fiction.Three Portraits and A Prayer: A slightly longer piece. Nothing that makes to go wow, but just a good solid story. If it was in a magazine I would probably think was the best one in there.Day Million: A love story set in the future which brings up a couple of interesting points about how our views and ideas about society change over time.Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus: In August I saw my first Christmas decorations for sale, this story takes the Christmas buzz a little further.We Never Mention Aunt Nora: A story that suffers from bring 50 years old, but still was worth reading.Father of the Stars: One of the best stories I have read in the book so far. Not only does it address the advancement of technology with regard to interstellar space flight, but it works on an emotional level as well.The Day The Martians Came: An interesting look at the arrival of Martians on Earth as seen through the eyes of a man that runs the hotel where the press are staying. A good story from an angle not normally considered. Really liked it!!The Midas Plague: The ultimate consumer society with an interesting view on supply and demand. When I reached the climax I though that was obvious, but I guess soemtimes the simple ideas are and it didn't take away from the build up to get there.The Snowman: Sorry didn't get this. Not my favourite.How To Count On Your Fingers: A science fact piece, that in the year 2013 is of little interes to me.Grandy Devil: A fun little story that raises an issue that is normally not obvious. Very enjoyable.Speed Trap: There are times I feel I have lived a story and this is one. Constant meetings and never seeming to achieve anything and never quite knowing why. I have an idea now. I could relate to this story, love it!!The Richest Man in Levittown: A nice little story with a nice twist in the end. Remember don't take your eyes off the baby!!The Day The Icicle Works Closed: A story of what people will do for money. I didn't see the end of this one coming, if a little contrived.The Hated: An interesting twist on cabin feavour. One of those stories that is suited to the shorter form.The Martian in the Attic: This was okay, but I found ot weak when compared with the others in the book. The Census Takers: In an overpopulated world, where excess population are over'd you need to be careful someone else isn't also watching. A well constructed little story.The Children of Night: I wasn't sure I liked the main character. He seemed to be a win at all cost. In the end I don't know why but I like this.
Do You like book The Best Of Frederik Pohl (1975)?
I think of myself as really disliking short stories, but after reading this I've come to the conclusion that I just dislike certain kinds of short stories. These are idea stories, often with a twist, some of them funny and some of them horrifying, but all of them very, very interesting. If I'd read more old sf (these are all from the 50s and 60s, I believe) I might have been less surprised by the surprises, but I'm not very well read in pre-70s stuff, so I *was* surprised. And it was really cool to see ideas that are in themselves still interesting & relevant (tourists travelling by downloading themselves into local bodies on the planets they want to visit, corporatism run amuck), but with a treatment that's definitely out of the period Pohl was writing in. The stories being both futuristic and from the past is a reading experience that really works for me.
—Cera
