Frederik Pohl Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories

Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories

Frederik Pohl

Tor, Nov 2005, $27.95

ISBN: 0312875274

Selecting only thirty tales from the fifty year career of Grand Master Frederik Pohl had to seem impossible, as you want representation from the five different decades to show trends as well as quality. Obviously with a science fiction hall of famer like Mr. Pohl, several editions of his best stories could easily be produced. No one will have any negative comments on the chosen thirty, though some might feel a personal favorite was left out. As he has done throughout his career, most of the selections warn humanity about excesses that lead to a dark catastrophic future, using hyperbole to make the case that there is no inclusive in extremism only a deadly future. Personal favorites include the "The Greening of Bed-Stuy" and "The Merchants of Venus". All the contributions are terrific, but stories like "Let the Ants Try" written in 1949 but set in 1960, has an eerie nuclear war time twist that makes the audience think what if? A superb collection (based on last week in Montreal - probably banned in the White House as anti-patriotic), science fiction fans will appreciate that the greatness mantle fits Mr. Pohl; as demonstrated by these entertaining thought provoking cautionary tales.