The Space Merchants, by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Cornbluth

Links to the book review pages
Post Reply
Omphalos
Alien Overlord
Posts: 5680
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:24 pm
Location: The Mighty Central Valley of California
Contact:

The Space Merchants, by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Cornbluth

Post by Omphalos »

Image


The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Cornbluth often is categorized as a masterpiece of the genre. It certainly is a very well written, well researched and interesting story, but I have always had a problem attaching that label to it because in the end it just fails to say anything big. Its the story of a sleaze-bag advertising executive in a world of even sleazier advertising executives who learns an important lesson about ecology. Four out of five stars.

Mitchell Courtney is a senior executive in a company called Starzelius Verily, a very important advertising company in New York City in the next millennium. The management at Starzeluis has what we would call serious morality issues, but they pale in comparison to the competition, Taunton, which is run by a ruthless murderer who will stop at nothing to get his way. Starzelius is not a captive company, but instead.....Please click here or on the cover above
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



The Omphalos Umbrella Page
User avatar
SandChigger
Archivist
Posts: 4577
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:11 pm
Location: Sietch Tigr, near Arrakeen
Contact:

Post by SandChigger »

So...ya think da cover artist has watched Blade Runner? :P
"Chancho...sometimes when you are a man...you wear stretchy pants...in your room...alone."

"Politics is never simple, like the sand chigger of Arrakis, one is rarely truly free of its bite."

Arrakeen is an unawakened ghola.
Omphalos
Alien Overlord
Posts: 5680
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:24 pm
Location: The Mighty Central Valley of California
Contact:

Post by Omphalos »

SandChigger wrote:So...ya think da cover artist has watched Blade Runner? :P
Actually, Ridley Scott read this book. :P
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



The Omphalos Umbrella Page
User avatar
SandChigger
Archivist
Posts: 4577
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:11 pm
Location: Sietch Tigr, near Arrakeen
Contact:

Post by SandChigger »

Ah...but with this cover? ;)
"Chancho...sometimes when you are a man...you wear stretchy pants...in your room...alone."

"Politics is never simple, like the sand chigger of Arrakis, one is rarely truly free of its bite."

Arrakeen is an unawakened ghola.
Omphalos
Alien Overlord
Posts: 5680
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:24 pm
Location: The Mighty Central Valley of California
Contact:

Post by Omphalos »

SandChigger wrote:Ah...but with this cover? ;)
That's the spirit. Never give up!

Actually, there is another comparison in the review of Blade Runner to the book.
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



The Omphalos Umbrella Page
Liege-Killer
Posts: 432
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:06 am

Post by Liege-Killer »

That cover's a hell of a lot better than the one I have:

Image

It's from the SFBC's 50th anniversary collection, which all seem to have shitty cover art.
"I'm being ironic. Don't interrupt a man in the midst of being ironic, it's not polite." -- Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
Omphalos
Alien Overlord
Posts: 5680
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:24 pm
Location: The Mighty Central Valley of California
Contact:

Post by Omphalos »

Liege-Killer wrote:That cover's a hell of a lot better than the one I have:

Image

It's from the SFBC's 50th anniversary collection, which all seem to have shitty cover art.
Ya gets what cha pays for!
Something is about to happen, Hal. Something wonderful!

-James C. Harwood, Science Fiction Writer, Straight (March 5, 1956 - May 25, 2010)



The Omphalos Umbrella Page
Post Reply

Return to “Book Reviews”