Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories

by Frederik Pohl

Platinum Pohl is the first collection to collect all of the essential works of Frederik Pohl. First and foremost, Pohl is a master of the science fiction short story. For more than fifty years he has been writing incisive, entertaining SF stories, several hundred in all. Even while writing his bestselling triple-crown (Hugo, Nebula, Campbell Award) novel Gateway and the other Heechee Saga novels, he has always written short fiction.

Now, for the first time, he has gathered together the best of his many stories. Spanning the decades, these tales are in their way a living history of science fiction. Because Frederik Pohl has been on the frontlines of the field since the halcyon days of the late 1930s, and has written short stories in every decade since. And because he has always been a keen observer of the human condition and the world that is shaped by it, his stories reflect the currents of political movements, social trends, major events that have shaken the world . . .

Yet at their core, all his stories are most acutely concerned with people. All sorts of people. Some are people you'll love, some you'll hate. But you will need to find out what happens to the people who inhabit these stories. Because Frederik Pohl imbues his characters with a depth and individuality that makes them as real as people you see every day. Of course, he also employs a mind-boggling variety of scientific ideas and science fictional tropes with which his characters must interact. And he does it all with seemingly no effort at all. That's some trick. Not everyone can do that . . . but that's why he was named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by his peers in the Science Fiction Writers of America.

Here are his two Hugo Award winning stories, "Fermi and Frost" and "The Meeting" (with C. M. Kornbluth), along with such classic novellas as the powerful "The Gold at the Starbow's End" and "The Greening of Bed-Stuy," and stories such as "Servant of the People," "Shaffery Among the Immortals," and "Growing Up in Edge City," all finalists for major awards. And dozens of other tales, like the wonderful "The Mayor of Mare Tranq" and the provocative "The Day the Martians Landed" and many others.

Altogether, a grand collection of thought-provoking, entertaining science fiction by one of the all-time greats!

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

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

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederik Pohl turned ninety a couple of months ago, he's one of the last golden age writers still with us. I discovered his blog last year and it is a treasure among author blogs, I've been following it religiously ever since. Until I read The Last Theorem , his collaboration with another of the science fiction greats, Arhtur C. Clarke, I had never actually read anything by him and that of course had to change. Pohl does not appear to have a great many books in print at the moment but among the more recent publications is the collection Platinum Pohl, A career spanning collection of his best short fiction. Almost every collection of short fiction contains weak stories but I was absolutely blown away by editor James Frenkel's selection of Pohl's work. It is one of the best collections of short fiction I have ever read.

Full Random Comments review

[useFOSS · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Merchants of Venus (1972) novella
The Things That Happen (1985)
The High Test (1983)
My Lady Green Sleeves (1957) 3/5
The Kindly Isle (1984)
The Middle of Nowhere (1955) 5/5
I Remember a Winter (1972)
The Greening of Bed-Stuy (1984) novella
To See Another Mountain (1959) 3/5
The Mapmakers (1955) 4/5
Spending a Day at the Lottery Fair (1983)
The Celebrated No-Hit Inning (1956) 3/5
Some Joys Under the Star (1973)
Servant of the People (1983)
Waiting for the Olympians (1988)
Criticality (1984)
Shaffery Among the Immortals (1972)
The Day the Icicle Works Closed (1960) 3/5
Saucery (1986)
The Gold at the Starbow's End (1972) novella
Growing Up in Edge City (1975)
The Knights of Arthur (1958) 3/5
Creation Myths of the Recently Extinct (1994)
The Meeting (1972) with C. M. Kornbluth
Let the Ants Try (1949) 3/5
Speed Trap (1967) 3/5
The Day the Martians Came (1967) 3/5
Day Million (1966) 3/5
The Mayor of Mare Tranq (1996)
Fermi and Frost (1985)

[Scott Holstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short science fiction stories. I'd read some of Pohl's work and knew he was prolific, but I don't think I had the appreciation for him that I now have. This is some kick ass work, encompassing decades of writing. Philip K. Dick is probably my favorite sci fi writer because he can do some truly amazing things, but I'd have to say Pohl is probably now my second favorite. Some of the stories which stood out for me were "The Day the Icicle Works Closed," "The Gold at the Starbow's End," "The Day the Martians Came," "Day Million," and "Fermi and Frost," which won a Hugo when it was published. I was worried that such a large collection of short stories might ultimately bore me and become redundant, but that never happened. The material stayed fresh and the editor did a fantastic job at picking out the stories to include in this book. As I've learned, Pohl is truly a giant in sci fi circles, and now I know why. Read this book!

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Contains the stories:

Merchants of Venus
Things That Happen
High Test
My Lady Green Sleeves
Kindly Isle
Middle of Nowhere
I Remember a Winter
Greening of Bed-Stuy
To See Another Mountain
Mapmakers
Spending a Day at the Lottery Fair
Celebrated No-hit Inning
Some Joys Under the Star
Servant of the People
Waiting for the Olympians
Criticality
Shaffery Among the Immortals
Day the Icicle Works Closed
Saucery
Gold at the Starbow's End
Growing Up in Edge City
Knights of Arthur
Creation Myths of the Recently Extinct
Meeting / With C.M. Kornbluth
Let the Ants Try
Speed Trap
Day the Martians Came
Day Million
Mayor of Mare Tranq
Fermi and Frost

[Edward B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff - classic early science-fiction.
It's funny how what really dates the material is more the background-noise of cigarette-smoking and casual sexism, rather than the ideas that Pohl was actually writing about.

[Monical · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of short stories, and this volume was pretty good-- some dated, mix of space cowboy with "Twilight Zone," and a mix of quality-- some really good, some pretty enigmatic, and a few dogs. Pohl was both prolific and a solid writer, so for fans of science fiction short stories, put this one on your list. Sad note: lots of the sci fi mags that supported Pohl (and Stephen King and lots of others) are long gone, and I don't see replacements.... a loss of all of us! PS also had lots of good suggestions for other books that I will take under advisement!

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was and is a fun romp through yesterday's tomorrow. I picked this up because of the first story in the collection and I kept reading until the end. While there are a few stories that seem a bit flat, there are several that are good and a few that are really good. If you are feeling the itch to read some short stories and you like Pohl's style, chances are you will like this collection. My advice is to take your time in reading this rather than trying to pound your way through it.

[Micah Horton hallett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was reading and enjoying this collection of of old-school single or double twist sci-fi stories, then I got to Day Million and fist pumped with the out-of-nowhere brilliance of it. Then I read Fermi and Frost, got my soul ravaged and sobbed quietly into my pillow for a bit. Read this whole collection just to get to these jems. Go on, just do it.

[Don Bernal · Rating 5 out of 5]

good short stories - the science is a vehicle for more interesting conflicts and ideas; good variety of mysteries and humor, all full of interesting science; "the gold at starbow's end" is magical; "The Mayor of Mare Tranq" uplifting;

[Paul Hancock · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good and some not so good. The good news is that the good stories are really good. I'm sure each will find their own set of gems in this collection, and they will differ from those that I enjoy. grab a copy of this book and pick out some winners for yourself.

[Kathy Sebesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though the technology is definitely dated, there's nothing dated about Pohl's way of looking at and tweaking his universes. Altho I like most of the stories, my favorites are all at the end of the book. Look past the technology and you'll have a wonderful time.

[Elar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories were exceptional, others just very good.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong collection. A few misfires, usually when Pohl is trying to be funny (and failing, as in "The High Test") or writing a story that's proven to be too much of its time. There are a few of the latter here, but at least with these stories, he's aged better than many of his contemporaries.

When he's on, he's very good, and the highlights here are solid contributions to classic SF in the style of the 1950s-1960s. Standouts for me were "The Merchants of Venus," "The Things That Happen," "The Kindly Isle," "Shaffery Among the Immortals," "Servant of the People,"and "The Day the Icicle Works Closed." Pohl doesn't always stick the landing in these stories, but each one draws you in and develops its premise with confidence. Other notables: "The Mapmakers," "The Middle of Nowhere," and "Some Joys Under the Star."

Easily the book to have if you have any one thing by Pohl, and a must-have for any committed SF collections.

[John D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

hey, i know i hand out 5 star ratings like candy, but when it's good, it's good! This was a nice palate cleansing (if you call reading yet another scifi book just by a different author 'cleansing') in the middle of reading all of the Fleet of Worlds books. Winner of many awards, i was surprised i had never heard of F. Pohl- just escaped my radar completely. This collection of short stories is great-- reminded me of the days when my brother and i used to read scifi short stories that were mailed to Tim because he was a subscriber...was it called Asimov Book Club?... i can't remember...oh well. You know stories are told well if they stand up well even though written as much as 4 or 5 decades ago. I like scifi that does not read like a tech paper submitted by someone going for their doctorate. Just good stuff. Hopefully i will remember this author for future reads and try one or two of his best novels.

[David Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

30 stories from a nearly 50-year span and not a miss in the bunch. Pohl is a keen observer of past and present and strong at sketching believable characters. I think even non-SF readers would be impressed by many of these, notably "The Day the Martians Came," "The Kindly Isle" and "The Meeting." This collection beats the more limited Ballantine "Best of" by a mile. I rarely give 5-star ratings but this gets one.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly very good stories. I should probably give this 5 stars. I can’t really think of any thing wrong with this book. Other then I just didn’t feel super WOW about it. And I kind of need that in order to give 5.

[Ken Rideout · Rating 2 out of 5]

i remember loving Pohl as a teenager in the 80s but i could not finish these short stories. interesting ideas but not really a great storyteller. also, these stories have not aged well and feel dated/stale.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great bunch of stories from one of the sci-fi masters.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Features some very odd stories.

If you are a baseball fan, I recommend "The Celebrated No-Hit Inning."

[Ellie Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read a few of the stories but wasn’t in the mood for either short stories or 1950’s sci-fi. Definitely an anthology I’ll return to.

[Baronne Samedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good collection demonstrating Pohl's humour and intelligence. Stories range from the 40s to the 80s and are still relevant because of his cleverness.

[Mark Catalfano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Likes for: The Greening of Bed-Stuy, The Mapmakers, and the Mayor of Mare Tranq

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of science fiction tales - many of them undisputed classics of the genre - from one of the great SF authors of the 20th Century. An absolute must-read for fans of the genre.

[Amanda Lanata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dazzling! I love Pohl’s novels but he really shines in his short stories.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Pohl has been writing and/or editing science fiction since 1939, and he’s still at it. That’s a career of 68 years -- so far. This collection shows why he was voted the title “Grand Master.” Most of these thirty stories, actually, were first published in the 1970s or later; the most recent in 1996. And among his later stories are some of his best. Keeping the best for last is the Hugo-winning “Fermi and Frost,” a somberly realistic and very engrossing nuclear war story. (Who else would have thought to point out that Iceland is the best equipped place in the world to survive a nuclear winter?) Also very, very good is “The Gold at the Starbow’s End,” about politics and the basic mechanism of intellectual creativity, and “The Greening of Bed-Stuy,” about a future New York City. Just below those, in my opinion, is “Saucery,” a rather gentle yarn about two con men dealing with an interplanetary threat to their livelihoods. On the other hand, “The Day the Icicle Works Closed” has always been popular but I don’t regard it as one of Pohl’s stronger efforts. “Some Joys Under the Star” is another swipe by the politically astute Pohl at American political realities -- very on-topic when it first appeared at the end of the Nixon Administration and getting that way again. Pohl does great adventures, too, and one of the best of those is “The Merchants of Venus,” an early Heechee story. Of course, some stories don’t age as well as others, and foremost among those -- in this collection, anyway -- are “The Celebrated No-Hit Inning,” “The Middle of Nowhere,” and “Servant of the People,” all of them affected badly by the ways in which the world actually has changed since they were published. By and large, though, this is a collection of very high quality, showing off the author’s stylistic elegance and ingenious plotting. Nor does he worry overmuch about whether something he wants to say is technically “science fiction” or not. Younger readers especially, those who didn’t grow up with Pohl’s stuff in the 1950s and ‘60s (I remember reading The Space Merchants a few years after it appeared in 1954), will profit from it.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of a few legitimately good stories along with a larger number of okay ones that often strayed dangerously towards relying on gimmicky plot devices. The collection as a whole unfortunately suffered notably from a distracting amount of outdated male chauvinist attitudes from many of the characters.

[Robert Walrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights - "The Merchant of Venus," "The High Test," "The Mapmakers," "Waiting for the Olympians," "The Day the Icicle Works Closed," "The Gold at the Starbow's End," "Servant of the People," "Growing Up in Edge City."

[Charles Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always great and entertaining. Pohl is the best.

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wealth of stories shows Pohl at his best: great imagination, great humor, great humanism. Only occasionally disappointing.

[Kevin Gallan]

13/463