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The Cool War

Frederik Pohl

3.26 · Rating details · 289 ratings · 23 reviews

Fred Pohl, multiple winner of science-fiction's top awards, presents a breathtaking romp through the energy-poor world of the 2020s - a gripping chase-intrigue novel with a highly unlikely stand-in for James Bond.
One day, the Reverend Hornswell Hake had nothing worse to contend with than the customary power shortages and his routine pastoral chores, such as counseling the ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages

Published March 1982 by Random House Inc. (first published 1981)

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· 289 ratings · 23 reviews

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May 23, 2012 Will Dean rated it it was ok

Continuing my lifelong interest in pulp sci fi, I found this beat-up paperback at a place where I volunteer and knew by it's garish 70s cover and not-so-clever title that I was in luck (I found another that I will review later).

I've read a few of Pohl's books, he was a very prolific writer and my hometown's library had many of them, and most of them are better quality than a lot of pulp sci fi and a few are quite good, even great. This one, though, has an almost incoherent plot, unbelievable cha Continuing my lifelong interest in pulp sci fi, I found this beat-up paperback at a place where I volunteer and knew by it's garish 70s cover and not-so-clever title that I was in luck (I found another that I will review later).

I've read a few of Pohl's books, he was a very prolific writer and my hometown's library had many of them, and most of them are better quality than a lot of pulp sci fi and a few are quite good, even great. This one, though, has an almost incoherent plot, unbelievable characters, and a breakneck pace that combine for a thoroughly disorienting read. It's not totally unenjoyable, especially if you have a soft spot for "bad" bits of media, and I derived some pleasure from shouting out "What?" to myself in an incredulous voice at numerous points in the short novel.

Loosely following the adventures of a Unitarian preacher Hornswell Hake, who is refered to as "Horny" throughout the book, as he is drafted into a series of secret governmental agencies that are fighting a 'cool war' in a somewhat dystopian future. In the book's cleverest touch the 'cool war' is basically a war of annoyance fought by the Eastern and Western blocs in an attempt to make life less pleasent for the other side. This involves spreading virulent lily pads that clog up water treatment systems and other ridiculous plans that nudge the book towards a satire of cold war politics. (As it is the future there are also group marriages, wacky technologies, and resource rationing.) Horny bumbles about, not really understanding why he's doing anything or whom he's working for, and his perpetual state of confusion matches the readers' as the characters join into a jumble of changing names, allegiances, and random sexual encounters. (I did really enjoy the constant callbacks to his small new jersey congregation where he plans singles mixers, though.) Part spy thriller, part farcical comedy, and part sci fi satire, it's a weird book and I am somewhat happy to have read it, although I'll probably never get a chance to discuss it with anyone else.

Note: It's such a strange book that I would like to know the background of it's publication. Was he contracted to write a spy book? Or had to finish something to fulfill a publishing deal? Maybe I'll look into it. ...more

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Mar 07, 2008 Morgan McGuire rated it it was ok

It was well written and an interesting setup, but I kept waiting for something neat to happen...and then the book ended.

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Sep 30, 2020 Chris Peters rated it it was ok

I am really not sure why I didn’t enjoy this more than I did....

The premise is great: instead of open armed conflict between countries, everyone is doing everything they can to ruin things for the other guy.

And this is brilliant—and remarkably current. I mean, look at the mess that the US is in right now. Now imagine that the CA wildfires were started by German operatives in order to tax our resources and strain our economy. Or what if the Astros’ cheating scandal was arranged by Japan to make ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Peter Dunn rated it it was ok

I love Pohl’s more hard science fiction Heechee stories and I loved the cover of this edition of this book, so I was reasonably confident that I would enjoy this. However, I on turning the last page I feel that this work is not exactly the literary summit of Pohl’s career.

It has an interesting idea on how the nature of war might evolve but it is mixed with; some basic science fiction ideas on energy generation, and some of the genre’s most egregious examples of one dimensional characters. He th ...more

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Jun 15, 2020 Arttu rated it liked it

Alkoi hyvin ja huumori oli mahtavaa, mutta puolivälissä huumori tuntui katoavan ja kirja muuttui keskiverroksi agenttiromaaniksi. Plääh. Loppu myös vähän sellainen "no kaikki nyt selvisi jotenkin". Koko kirjan paras puoli oli se, miten "esitä että tiedät mitä olet tekemässä" asenne kirjan agenttijärjestölllä oli, mutta sekin loppua kohden häivytettiin pois. Alkoi nelosena, loppui kakkosena, puoliväli oli tasapaksua kolmosta. ...more

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Jul 04, 2020 Mima rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, dystopian, own-it, political-satire, sci-fi

Huvittava menneen ajan jakojäännös. Tässä ei oikeastaan tapahtunut mitään muuta kuin että hölmistynyt päähenkilö yritti pystellä kartalla mutta ei ihan onnistunut. Häntä vietiin puolelta toiselle eikä missään ollut mitään järkeä. Oliko tämä sitten pulp vai camp vai ihan muuta sitä en osaa sanoa. Kirja on oman aikansa lapsi joka ei ole kestänyt ajankulumista. No, nyt kirjan voi siirtää taas takaisin kirjaston löytöhyllyyn.

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Aug 06, 2020 Brown Robin rated it liked it

A forgotten gem of futurism, this thriller explores some pertinent themes such as energy, environment and economic coercion. It is dated, especially the computer technology, but world events have only confirmed Pohl's analysis of our collective malaise.

If you have any interest in realpolitik or global economic development, you should seek this one out. ...more

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Nov 30, 2018 Richard rated it liked it · review of another edition

I got a pristine hardback copy of this in the 1990s for 3 dollars because it was in some cut-out bin at a used book shop that I liked. I recall enjoying it a lot. It's an amusing take on cold war, with some fun ideas. But, alas, I read it so long ago that I can't vouch for it much in terms of style or what have you, except that I do remember the episodes made me chuckle.
...more

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Dec 15, 2020 M.A. Stern rated it it was ok

I wanted to like this book but unfortunately it felt as though it was a slog to read. The characters are flat, the dialogue is lackluster, the plot is choppy. Parts of it are fun enough to avoid the 1 star rating but I can’t recommend this book.

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May 12, 2018 jeffrey rated it it was ok

I haven't read any of the author's other works. But, this one was a muddled and meandering story-- sort of a mash-up, or a futuristic spy farce. I would say that as I read I had to check the copyright date a few times, because some of his material was as current as today's news. ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Mark Schomburg rated it really liked it

This novel inhabits that strange satirical world populated by other works such as perhaps On Her Majesty's Occult Service or Modesty Blaise serials and even The Loo Sanction or maybe even Catch-22. Pohl does not pull his punches, and so absurdity has a backbone to it. ...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Herman Gigglethorpe rated it liked it

This is good for a light read, though it is quite dated.

For a book written in the 1980s (set in the 2020s), it seems to mispredict a lot about communications and politics. One plot point depends on how the main character will reveal his findings to the world before the government silences him. In the age of Wikileaks and YouTube, it should be a trivial effort at best. Computers are rare and a library search engine is treated as a new technological marvel. Everyone still uses typewriters and tape This is good for a light read, though it is quite dated.

For a book written in the 1980s (set in the 2020s), it seems to mispredict a lot about communications and politics. One plot point depends on how the main character will reveal his findings to the world before the government silences him. In the age of Wikileaks and YouTube, it should be a trivial effort at best. Computers are rare and a library search engine is treated as a new technological marvel. Everyone still uses typewriters and tapes. The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia still exist. No one has cell phones.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't harp on these things so much, but near-future novels date badly, and the widespread use of computers should have been apparent. After all, early mass-market gaming systems (which are merely specialized computers) such as the Atari 2600 existed, and the Altair 8800 was around in the 1970s. When the plot involves secrecy and communications, it can fall flat when it does not match up with reality. I can forgive H Beam Piper and his slide rules in space because it was the 1950s and computers were primitive and unwieldy. To miss that concept in the 1980s is just shortsighted.

The actual plot is about a somewhat apathetic Unitarian minister (he says he has not considered the possibility of God existing despite his profession) named Hornswell "Horny" Hake being drafted into the "Team", which is the CIA's successor agency. Yes, women are attracted to him, and the obligatory jokes are here. Hake is unwittingly sent on missions to sabotage even nations that are friendly to America, since politics is about having a slight edge rather than a decisive military victory. No one wants to fight a war after Israel nuked Arabia's oil fields, so everyone just engages in petty vandalism missions. Hence the name "Cool War". Due to oil shortages, America has strictly rationed electricity, and the characters comment on "power piggery".

Hake spreads viruses through deliveries of marmosets to schools, and accidentally tracks the Team's enemies through a bracelet he thought indicated sexual availability. Hake finally tries to help the other side as much as possible after he finds out he has been lied to, and he tries to stop the Team from sabotaging solar power in a fictional Arab country. He then reveals the Team's secrets to the world, and hopefully ends the Cool War.

It's interesting that this book has a NON-Trinitarian Christian fundamentalist as a major character (Jasper). No, Jasper is not a Jehovah's Witness. In fact, he would take major issue with the Witnesses' position of staying out of politics! :) Jasper believes in God and country, and will argue with anyone who questions the Team's atrocities.

At least some concepts of the Cool War exist today in the form of hacking and other electronic sabotage, especially in regards to Chinese scandals in the news. Electricity usage meters and windmills are becoming more common as well. For all Pohl gets wrong, you can see parallels with the modern world. This book will also give you a few smiles. Not major laughs, just smiles.

As a final note, who would let a religious figure named HORNY around a bunch of children today? In How Not To Write A Novel, the authors note that a pastor should not drag a child character out of a burning building due to modern suspicions!

...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Scott Holstad rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

I like Frederik Pohl, but by his standards, this book was pretty lightweight. It's set in the not-too-distant future where there is a "cool war" between East and West. In it, the spies merely try to irritate each other in order to sow chaos. Amusing, but just barely.

Hornswell Hake, a Unitarian minister referred to as "Horny" throughout the book, is recruited by the Team, the post-CIA spy agency, to unwittingly create chaotic events throughout the world in travels they send him on. Sadly, he's a ...more

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Apr 08, 2015 John Loyd rated it really liked it

I got introduced to Pohl by reading Gateway (1977) (winner of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award). I went on to read Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (1980), Heechee Rendezvous (1984), and Annals of the Heechee (1987). It is a great series, right up there with Foundation, Dune, and Dickson's Childe Cycle.

The Cool War, is written as well as these other books, but the premise is a little shaky. The premise being that there are factions that are trying to advance their country not by making progress wit ...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Frank rated it really liked it

An interesting scifi spy novel that blends 2 very interesting themes...
the idea of a cool war as apposed to an active or hot war as well as a passive or cold war the cool war is one of harassment and annoyance of the citizenry of a rival nation making their lives uncomfortable and annoying them etc.. sound familiar?
hypnosis and cognitive state what is normal behavior?

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Jul 16, 2016 Rich Meyer rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2016

Not Pohl's best, but it was an interesting look at war without all the bloodshed; I wouldn't doubt many of the things happening today are the result of this sort of behind-the-scenes activity.

The book does place high on the deceptive cover list, though, as there's not a darn thing in this book that resembles what happening on the cover. ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Karen Gay Mallory rated it really liked it

Visit to a time where sabotage has replaced the old fashioned kind of war. Written in the 1970's, set in 2020, we are rapidly catching up. For better or worse, Pohl's vision of 2020 appears to me to be more on target than Orwell's 1984. ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Jonathan rated it it was ok

Among Pohl's worst. I did like the concept of a war in which nations try to irritate each other the most. ...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Mike rated it liked it

Not the best Pohl story: an interesting idea, but the story arc is a little rough and the ending was more abrupt and less conclusive than I preferred.

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Aug 15, 2010 Robert rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x2009-10-season

A sci-fi relic, dystopian and morally shocking in its day but overtaken by events and now merely curious.

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Sep 26, 2012 Howard added it

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Oct 04, 2015 Michael Pryor rated it liked it

Wry, entertaining, picaresque.

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About Frederik Pohl

Frederik Pohl

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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.