Fermi and Frost

by Frederik Pohl

Astronomer Harry Malibert is at an airport when nuclear war breaks out. Having been recognised by a fan, he is offered a seat on a plane to Iceland. Though most of Reykjavík has been destroyed by a thermonuclear weapon, the rest of the Iceland has been left untouched. Malibert and the remaining survivors must take advantage of Iceland's geology in preparing for the nuclear winter ahead of them, all the while calculating their chances of survival and contemplating the Fermi given the size and age of the universe, there ought to be many extraterrestrial civilisations, yet none has so far been found. Will Malibert and his group survive, and will they or their successors live to see proof of extraterrestrial civilisation?

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. was an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited Galaxy magazine and its sister magazine IF winning the Hugo for IF three years in a row. His writing also won him three Hugos and multiple Nebula Awards. He became a Nebula Grand Master in 1993.

Reviews

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some weird stylistic choices in this alternate history of the Cuban missile crisis wherein the missiles actually flew and delivered the human race too nuclear winter. The story, and the science, are quality, not that I would expect anything less from Pohl. But there are a couple of spots where Pohl the author intrudes into the story with a hypothetical question, and I’m just not sure it added to the whole. It felt like a throwback to the experimental fiction of the 60s/70s.

[Badseedgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner of the 1986 Hugo award for Short Story.

A hopeful look at the world after a nuclear war.

[Don Iskanderoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Отличный образец малой прозы в ПА сеттинге. Советую всем причащаться в срочном порядке!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bleak post nuclear story.

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

But what of the sea slugs? Lower lifeforms need not persist.

[Annabell Agate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 4.17/5.0

Unfortunately accurate in present times. Well written.

Plot ★★★★☆
Characters ★★★★☆
Pacing ★★★★☆
Tension / Suspense ★★★★★
Twists & Payoff ★★★★☆
Writing Style ★★★★☆

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fermi and Frost" is a nuclear war/winter story. It begins with floods of refugees, and how some find a place -- temporarily -- in the wilds of Iceland. But before too many years, radiation poisoning spells the end.

Pohl appends a couple of slingshot alternate endings, demonstrating what would have happened if the number of warheads launched and dust sent into the atmosphere had been slightly different.

"Fermi and Frost" is a warning/message story. Pohl's stylistic aplomb makes it a pleasure to read, but that only underscores the horror.

[Karen Chong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting this story to be longer. The version I read was only 22 pages.

[Noah Rozov · Rating 1 out of 5]

Frederik Pohl "Fermi and Frost ".