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The Best of Frederik Pohl
Introduction by Lester del Rey, this anthology contains the following stories by Frederik Pohl: The Tunnel Under the World; Punch; Three Portraits and a Prayer; Day Million; Happy Birthday Dear Jesus; We Never Mention Aunt Nora; Father of the Stars; The Day the Martians Came; The Midas Plague; The Snowmen; How To Count on Your Fingers; Grandy Devil; Speed Trap; The Richest Man in Levittown; The Day the Icicle Works Closed; The Hated; The Martian in the Attic; The Census Takers; and The Children of Night.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 1975
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About the author
Frederik Pohl
1,150 books1,060 followersFrederik 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 15, 2021
This is a collection of very good stories by Frederik Pohl, selected and introduced by Lester del Rey. Pohl contributes an interesting (if too brief) afterword. It's definitely not the best of Pohl, because the selections are limited to the stories published in the bakers' dozen years of 1954-1967, and because it doesn't include any of the stories he wrote in collaboration with Jack Williamson or Cyril Kornbluth, but it is a good collection. Del Rey, it seems to me, selected only stories with interesting ideas and concepts and ignored ones that were stronger in social satire or good characterization. My favorites are The Tunnel Under the World, Grandy Devil, The Midas Plague, and The Day the Martians Came, but there's not really a poor one in the book.
July 17, 2025
Check out a discussion on this collection of short stories with Matt and Richard HERE.
This is a great collection of 19 short stories from the Grand Master of SF, Frederik Pohl. There is a range of stories from short to longer, almost novella length. A lot of the stories would be considered science fiction, but there are also ‘twilight zone’ type stories and even some horror stories. Pohl goes over theme and ideas not commonly used in the 50’s and 60’s. Stories about the human condition, advertising, posthumanism, psychology, over consumption, capitalism, religion and politics. A lot of the stories have a satirical edge but, in my opinion, he never goes full absurdism satire, except for maybe The Midas Plague.
My favorites were:
• Three Portraits and a Prayer
• The Tunnel Under the World
• Father of the Stars
• Day Million
• The Hated
• The Midas Plague
• The Day the Icicle Works Closed
• The Richest Man in Levittown
This is a great collection of 19 short stories from the Grand Master of SF, Frederik Pohl. There is a range of stories from short to longer, almost novella length. A lot of the stories would be considered science fiction, but there are also ‘twilight zone’ type stories and even some horror stories. Pohl goes over theme and ideas not commonly used in the 50’s and 60’s. Stories about the human condition, advertising, posthumanism, psychology, over consumption, capitalism, religion and politics. A lot of the stories have a satirical edge but, in my opinion, he never goes full absurdism satire, except for maybe The Midas Plague.
My favorites were:
• Three Portraits and a Prayer
• The Tunnel Under the World
• Father of the Stars
• Day Million
• The Hated
• The Midas Plague
• The Day the Icicle Works Closed
• The Richest Man in Levittown
June 26, 2011
Frederik Pohl is prolific. He handles so many diverse ideas with great skill. I was completely intrigued by nearly every one of the tales contained in this collection. Here, then, is an accounting.
"The Tunnel Under the World" - A man wakes up to find everything very different from the way he remembered it the day before. The next day he finds the date the same as the one before. What is going on? -- This one is a little bit like the Truman Show, except with a very different and startling twist at the end.
"Three Portraits and a Prayer" - About a dying scientist, his doctor, and an evil millionaire. -- This wasn't my favorite. I didn't really see the point.
"Day Million" - How much will human beings differ from us in the far, far future? Here is one imagining. -- This was very short and quite poetic.
"Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus" - A department store head falls in love with an employee against a backdrop of rampant consumerism. -- I have read this one before, I know. It wasn't a trial to read again.
"We Never Mention Aunt Nora" - Something happened to Aunt Nora that was unspeakable. It may be poised to happen again. -- This one was a little maddening.
"Father of the Stars" - Elderly, nearly-dead Marchand spent his entire fortune on colony ships, and sent them to the stars. He is disheartened when someone invents a much faster ship. -- This was so poignant. I loved it.
"The Day the Martians Came" - Regarding a hotelier near Cape Canaveral on said day. -- Such an interesting twist. What societal caste would Martians inhabit?
"The Midas Plague" - In a world where notions of prosperity are turned upside-down, how does one "poor" man cope with marriage to a "wealthy" woman? -- This is the most memorable story in the collection. At first, I couldn't figure out what was going on, but once I caught on, I was completely enthralled.
"The Snowmen" - I'm still not sure what this was about.
"How to Count on Your Fingers" - A non-fiction essay on binary mathematics. -- I still can't count in binary, but I understand it a little better.
"Grandy Devil" - I'm not going to tell you anything about this one because everything I can think of to say is a complete spoiler.
"Speed Trap" - A man is beleaguered by meetings and conferences, never really getting anything done. He develops a way to revolutionize modern communication and free up time for brilliant people to spend more time inventing important things. - Another story with a very interesting twist toward the end. Even though you kind of see it coming, it's still pretty rewarding.
"The Richest Man in Levittown" - A guy who's inherited big is drowning in request for a piece of his windfall. An old friend shows up with a proposition that will let them rule the world. His visit ends in very unexpected consequences. - The twist on this one is a little far-fetched, but it's well-written and entertaining.
"The Day the Icicle Works Closed" - A planet whose sole industry has gone defunct leaves a very depressed population. The only remaining profitable business, or way for anyone to make any money, is outrageously intrusive and ethically bankrupt. A lawyer sets out to expose the directors. -- This was depressing as well as scary. The ending is a catharsis.
"The Hated" - A former astronaut is consumed with murderous thoughts towards his fellow ship-mates. -- Darkly disturbing.
"The Martian in the Attic" - Our narrator is a grubby slime trying to blackmail a rich slime with a big secret as to how he came to invent so many wonderful things. - The title is kind of a spoiler, but the characterization was superb.
"The Census Takers" - Showcases one way a bureaucracy might deal with overpopulation. - Also disturbing, but also funny. Quite a feat.
"The Children of Night" - A PR troubleshooter takes on the cause of a group of aliens from Arcturus who'd like to build a compound in a town where the people are very much "not in my backyard!" - Extremely compelling. Pohl has a lot to say on the subjects of PR and advertising and he has such a fascinating perspective.
At the end Pohl reflects upon the selections Del Rey has made for the collection and has some engaging tidbits to divulge.
"The Tunnel Under the World" - A man wakes up to find everything very different from the way he remembered it the day before. The next day he finds the date the same as the one before. What is going on? -- This one is a little bit like the Truman Show, except with a very different and startling twist at the end.
"Three Portraits and a Prayer" - About a dying scientist, his doctor, and an evil millionaire. -- This wasn't my favorite. I didn't really see the point.
"Day Million" - How much will human beings differ from us in the far, far future? Here is one imagining. -- This was very short and quite poetic.
"Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus" - A department store head falls in love with an employee against a backdrop of rampant consumerism. -- I have read this one before, I know. It wasn't a trial to read again.
"We Never Mention Aunt Nora" - Something happened to Aunt Nora that was unspeakable. It may be poised to happen again. -- This one was a little maddening.
"Father of the Stars" - Elderly, nearly-dead Marchand spent his entire fortune on colony ships, and sent them to the stars. He is disheartened when someone invents a much faster ship. -- This was so poignant. I loved it.
"The Day the Martians Came" - Regarding a hotelier near Cape Canaveral on said day. -- Such an interesting twist. What societal caste would Martians inhabit?
"The Midas Plague" - In a world where notions of prosperity are turned upside-down, how does one "poor" man cope with marriage to a "wealthy" woman? -- This is the most memorable story in the collection. At first, I couldn't figure out what was going on, but once I caught on, I was completely enthralled.
"The Snowmen" - I'm still not sure what this was about.
"How to Count on Your Fingers" - A non-fiction essay on binary mathematics. -- I still can't count in binary, but I understand it a little better.
"Grandy Devil" - I'm not going to tell you anything about this one because everything I can think of to say is a complete spoiler.
"Speed Trap" - A man is beleaguered by meetings and conferences, never really getting anything done. He develops a way to revolutionize modern communication and free up time for brilliant people to spend more time inventing important things. - Another story with a very interesting twist toward the end. Even though you kind of see it coming, it's still pretty rewarding.
"The Richest Man in Levittown" - A guy who's inherited big is drowning in request for a piece of his windfall. An old friend shows up with a proposition that will let them rule the world. His visit ends in very unexpected consequences. - The twist on this one is a little far-fetched, but it's well-written and entertaining.
"The Day the Icicle Works Closed" - A planet whose sole industry has gone defunct leaves a very depressed population. The only remaining profitable business, or way for anyone to make any money, is outrageously intrusive and ethically bankrupt. A lawyer sets out to expose the directors. -- This was depressing as well as scary. The ending is a catharsis.
"The Hated" - A former astronaut is consumed with murderous thoughts towards his fellow ship-mates. -- Darkly disturbing.
"The Martian in the Attic" - Our narrator is a grubby slime trying to blackmail a rich slime with a big secret as to how he came to invent so many wonderful things. - The title is kind of a spoiler, but the characterization was superb.
"The Census Takers" - Showcases one way a bureaucracy might deal with overpopulation. - Also disturbing, but also funny. Quite a feat.
"The Children of Night" - A PR troubleshooter takes on the cause of a group of aliens from Arcturus who'd like to build a compound in a town where the people are very much "not in my backyard!" - Extremely compelling. Pohl has a lot to say on the subjects of PR and advertising and he has such a fascinating perspective.
At the end Pohl reflects upon the selections Del Rey has made for the collection and has some engaging tidbits to divulge.
December 17, 2024
Classic short stories from the silver age of sci fi. Pohl deserves his reputation as a giant among SF authors. These stories are at least as good as his longer works The Space Merchants or any of the Heechee books.
Even now, 50 years after these works were collected, they are both interesting and relevant to our lives. The thing about Pohl's work is that it makes you think. Many of these stories have a twist ending, and not a few turned out to hit me personally. The ones about the power of business in our lives and those about corruption of the wealthy elite seem especially relevant right now.
Even now, 50 years after these works were collected, they are both interesting and relevant to our lives. The thing about Pohl's work is that it makes you think. Many of these stories have a twist ending, and not a few turned out to hit me personally. The ones about the power of business in our lives and those about corruption of the wealthy elite seem especially relevant right now.
January 17, 2024
An interesting 1975 collection, picked by editor Lester del Rey from eight previous Pohl anthologies. He read all the stories pretty much at one go, and ended up with a list twice as long as the book could accommodate. His final picks (listed above) were all published between 1954 and 1967. Most of them hold up pretty well to reading/re-reading — but they are stories of their time. Pohl was a wonderful writer, but the tropes of the 1950s and 60s can be jarring. Constant smoking, heavy drinking, casual sexism . . . Well. The past was a different country!
In 2024, I read all the stories except for two that I just skimmed: “Tunnel Under the World” (1955, Feckle Freezers!) and “Day Million’ (1966), both read a number of times over the years. The latter was a men’s magazine vignette. Fond memories of it, but 60s sleaze is what I saw this time. Most of the rest were old friends. A couple seemed new to me. Overall, this was a 3.3 star read. Good stuff but past its prime now.
Pohl's biography makes interesting reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...
A 75-year career in SF! He did it all, and lived to age 93.
In 2024, I read all the stories except for two that I just skimmed: “Tunnel Under the World” (1955, Feckle Freezers!) and “Day Million’ (1966), both read a number of times over the years. The latter was a men’s magazine vignette. Fond memories of it, but 60s sleaze is what I saw this time. Most of the rest were old friends. A couple seemed new to me. Overall, this was a 3.3 star read. Good stuff but past its prime now.
Pohl's biography makes interesting reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...
A 75-year career in SF! He did it all, and lived to age 93.
June 17, 2014
I reread this over the last few weeks in anticipation of the Pohl discussions at the Campbell Conference. A lot of these stories hold up very well. The details are tied to the period they were written, but thematically they still hold. The consumerism addressed in The Midas Plague, the economics of the Icicle Works, the advertising in the Tunnel Under the World, the racism in The Day the Martians Came... all are astutely observed, and still relevant.
At the conference, we watched a video that fused Pohl reading Day Million with music and dance, and I was struck by the fact that the music and production of the video, produced decades later, seemed far more dated than the story itself.
At the conference, we watched a video that fused Pohl reading Day Million with music and dance, and I was struck by the fact that the music and production of the video, produced decades later, seemed far more dated than the story itself.
November 9, 2012
This is another book of short stories by Frederik Pohl that I've read and he really doesn't disappoint. I like his short stories much better than his novels, to be honest. "The Tunnel Under The World" was published in the mid-50s, but reads like The Truman Show. It's quite interesting. "The Children of Night" is disturbing and spooky. Actually, there are several disturbing pieces in this book. "The Midas Plague," however, is not one of them. In this story, there's rampant over-consumption throughout the world and the poorer you are, the more you have while the wealthier you are, the less you have. The goal is to get the least amount possible. You see, robots are out of control making things like crazy and society has to consume or be overwhelmed. It's an interesting concept. Pohl takes his usual skewering of advertising and PR to new heights in several of these stories, including the aforementioned "The Children of Night." What won't an advertising campaign buy, right? "The Census Takers" is ahead of its time in dealing with pollution and overpopulation. Really, there aren't many weak pieces in this book. It's a good collection, and it's all comprised of stuff written from his first 50 years. (I think he's close to 100 now.) So no newer stuff. That's OK though. These stories stand the test of time and don't feel dated. I strongly recommend this book if you like sci fi with some social commentary and humor, as well as some possibly disturbing ideas mixed in. It's a good read.
September 16, 2011
I think of myself as really disliking short stories, but after reading this I've come to the conclusion that I just dislike certain kinds of short stories. These are idea stories, often with a twist, some of them funny and some of them horrifying, but all of them very, very interesting. If I'd read more old sf (these are all from the 50s and 60s, I believe) I might have been less surprised by the surprises, but I'm not very well read in pre-70s stuff, so I *was* surprised. And it was really cool to see ideas that are in themselves still interesting & relevant (tourists travelling by downloading themselves into local bodies on the planets they want to visit, corporatism run amuck), but with a treatment that's definitely out of the period Pohl was writing in. The stories being both futuristic and from the past is a reading experience that really works for me.
May 6, 2012
What to say? An absolutely solid collection of some of Frederik Pohl's best stories (superseded somewhat by later collections that go beyond the self-imposed cut-off date of this book.)
March 14, 2019
Here's another writer from the old days they you kids should check out.
February 3, 2024
Going in, I was pretty sure that I liked Frederik Pohl. But do I? I liked Man Plus and Slave Ship. And Starburst and Gateway were pretty good. These stories seemed wildly inconsistent. Some like "The Day the Icicle Works Closed," "The Hated," and "We Never Mention Aunt Nora." Other stories were just plain bizarre ... crazy notions without cause or any real reason for being written about. Other stories (including "The Hated" which is liked) were weirdly dark and pessimistic. That just doesn't do it for me.
January 2, 2021
The Tunnel under the World (1955) - 'custom' ads on websites are blockable, but What If??
Punch (1961) - short sharp, what does man look like to an advance race?
Three Portraits and a Prayer (1962) - The Christy Girl, Artzybasheff, and Gilbert Stuart... all commercial artists, sold out(?).. but the main theme is one that is resonant whenever we face a megalomaniac like Trump.
Day Million (1966) - What If? humans evolve a certain way; can the oldest story still be told?
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus (1956) - Smart satire against the Christmas dreams of capitalist retailers, with a nice little romance thrown in.
We Never Mention Aunt Nora (1958) - um... something happened, but I can't quite figure it out
Father of the Stars (1964) - homage to those ambitiously working to expand the scope of humanity... I can't help wondering what Pohl would have thought of Elon Musk.
The Day the Martians Came (1967) - short sharp commentary on the 'isms.
The Midas Plague (1954) - no matter how one defines 'wealth' or even 'plenty' there will never be equity.
The Snowmen (1959) - no matter how close the end of the world, there are those who think the portents irrelevant.
How to Count on Your Fingers (1956) essay - very cool introduction to binary math; I would have loved it when my brain was young and plastic.
Grandy Devil (1955) - short, odd twist on the immortality question
Speed Trap (1967) - are virtual meetings saving you time, now that you spend less time in the office or going to conventions? Can you actually get any work done?
The Richest Man in Levittown (1959) - was Pohl expecting a child when he wrote this?
The Day the Icicle Works Closed (1960) - good What If? and interesting mystery
The Hated (1958) - Thank goodness this prediction about astronauts hasn't come true.
The Martian in the Attic (1960) - lame, depends on genetic memory being a thing & has other problems.
The Census Takers (1956) - frenetic, bleak & funny both, as Pohl does.
The Children of Night (1964) - About PR men/ spin doctors: "No, we don't have to change any minds... because most people don't have enough mind to change!" ... but then there's the ending, and the reason this is the last story in the book.
The extra matter by del Rey and Pohl is skippable, imo.
Punch (1961) - short sharp, what does man look like to an advance race?
Three Portraits and a Prayer (1962) - The Christy Girl, Artzybasheff, and Gilbert Stuart... all commercial artists, sold out(?).. but the main theme is one that is resonant whenever we face a megalomaniac like Trump.
Day Million (1966) - What If? humans evolve a certain way; can the oldest story still be told?
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus (1956) - Smart satire against the Christmas dreams of capitalist retailers, with a nice little romance thrown in.
We Never Mention Aunt Nora (1958) - um... something happened, but I can't quite figure it out
Father of the Stars (1964) - homage to those ambitiously working to expand the scope of humanity... I can't help wondering what Pohl would have thought of Elon Musk.
The Day the Martians Came (1967) - short sharp commentary on the 'isms.
The Midas Plague (1954) - no matter how one defines 'wealth' or even 'plenty' there will never be equity.
The Snowmen (1959) - no matter how close the end of the world, there are those who think the portents irrelevant.
How to Count on Your Fingers (1956) essay - very cool introduction to binary math; I would have loved it when my brain was young and plastic.
Grandy Devil (1955) - short, odd twist on the immortality question
Speed Trap (1967) - are virtual meetings saving you time, now that you spend less time in the office or going to conventions? Can you actually get any work done?
The Richest Man in Levittown (1959) - was Pohl expecting a child when he wrote this?
The Day the Icicle Works Closed (1960) - good What If? and interesting mystery
The Hated (1958) - Thank goodness this prediction about astronauts hasn't come true.
The Martian in the Attic (1960) - lame, depends on genetic memory being a thing & has other problems.
The Census Takers (1956) - frenetic, bleak & funny both, as Pohl does.
The Children of Night (1964) - About PR men/ spin doctors: "No, we don't have to change any minds... because most people don't have enough mind to change!" ... but then there's the ending, and the reason this is the last story in the book.
The extra matter by del Rey and Pohl is skippable, imo.
December 30, 2014
Four stars all the way! With some of Frederik Pohl's tales hitting a firm five. Essential collection for the true sf short story connoisseur!
Personal favorites included: 'The Tunnel Under The World', 'The Day The Martians came', 'The Midas Plague', 'The Day the Icicle Works closed', 'The Census Takers'. I didn't really power through this like Bester's sublime collection, but it proved no less enjoyable.
Personal favorites included: 'The Tunnel Under The World', 'The Day The Martians came', 'The Midas Plague', 'The Day the Icicle Works closed', 'The Census Takers'. I didn't really power through this like Bester's sublime collection, but it proved no less enjoyable.
January 25, 2017
One of the most over-rated collections, according to me. Stories were notionally about science-fiction, but in reality were about tensions prevailing in the contemporary society. According to the editorial preface, the author was an authority in satire. Regrettably, none of these stories had any humour, and the wit seemed forced, making it extremely difficult for me to enjoy the stories. Give me Sheckley, Russell, Brown anytime, and I would enjoy the stories. But these?
Upto you now.
Upto you now.
April 21, 2013
A few of the stories don't age well, but most of them are about politics and advertising and topics that (perhaps sadly) haven't gone away.
Pohl's gift is not for characterization, but there are some well-plotted stories here, and some really brilliant ideas to explore and enjoy.
Pohl's gift is not for characterization, but there are some well-plotted stories here, and some really brilliant ideas to explore and enjoy.
March 14, 2017
As I have read some of the short stories before then I would say that this collection is not very best from my point of view. Only some of them are relevant today, but many are outdated and not too easy to understand as 50 years old stories background info and tone is lost t0day.
March 22, 2018
Good stuff!
I especially like his short stories about politics (The Children of Night) and advertising (Tunnel Under the World)
The only one I wound up skimming was "How to Count on Your Fingers" an essay on how to do math in a binary numeral system.
I especially like his short stories about politics (The Children of Night) and advertising (Tunnel Under the World)
The only one I wound up skimming was "How to Count on Your Fingers" an essay on how to do math in a binary numeral system.
July 6, 2015
So, yeah… some very dated stuff here, particularly the portrayal of women, but also some ideas that are still intriguing.
October 27, 2024
An essential read for classic SF and Pohl fans! He's like a speculative version of Asimov and a hard SF version of Bradbury. The 19 stories are about evenly divided between traditional classic SF and speculative fiction. If you're unused to reading mid-20th century scifi this may seem outdated, but to me it's worth experiencing his nuanced writing style, especially his non-cringey love stories -- am pleasantly surprised by this. He should've been named as one of the 'Great 3' SF writers instead. Some faves:
The Tunnel Under the World: a man in a small town wakes up on the same day but with slightly different details
Day Million: a romance between a cybernetic man and an alien (LGBTQIA+) female trans
The Day the Martians Came: an allegory to cultural friction towards immigrants, colonies (i.e. Native Americans), foreigners, tourists, etc
The Midas Plague: Orwellian take on overconsumption thanks to overproduction by robots, where poverty is wealth and wealth is poverty
How to Count on Your Fingers: I appreciate this nonfiction mini lecture on how to switch from decimal to binary arithmetic
Grandy Devil: reminds me a LOT of one of Bradbury's horror stories
Speed Trap: predicted virtual/video conferencing... in the same universe as the Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu it seems
The Richest Man in Levittown: having clear total recall can be detrimental
The Martian in the Attic: a highly successful inventor seems to have gotten his ideas from...
The Census Takers: every citizen, legal/illegal immigrant etc is accounted for in the books, except for this one guy who claims he's "from the middle earth"
The Tunnel Under the World: a man in a small town wakes up on the same day but with slightly different details
Day Million: a romance between a cybernetic man and an alien (LGBTQIA+) female trans
The Day the Martians Came: an allegory to cultural friction towards immigrants, colonies (i.e. Native Americans), foreigners, tourists, etc
The Midas Plague: Orwellian take on overconsumption thanks to overproduction by robots, where poverty is wealth and wealth is poverty
How to Count on Your Fingers: I appreciate this nonfiction mini lecture on how to switch from decimal to binary arithmetic
Grandy Devil: reminds me a LOT of one of Bradbury's horror stories
Speed Trap: predicted virtual/video conferencing... in the same universe as the Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu it seems
The Richest Man in Levittown: having clear total recall can be detrimental
The Martian in the Attic: a highly successful inventor seems to have gotten his ideas from...
The Census Takers: every citizen, legal/illegal immigrant etc is accounted for in the books, except for this one guy who claims he's "from the middle earth"
June 22, 2024
The back cover of this has a quote from Kingsley Amis: 'the most consistently able writer science fiction [..] has yet produced.'
Which feels like British damning with faint praise. Yes, he is consistent; nothing more? The walls surrounding me are consistent, too. Who chose this quote for print?!?
I might not remember many of these stories after tomorrow. The most interesting ones focus or satirize PR or consumerism: for example, The Midas Plague, a world where the poor have to constantly consume within their ratio or the all-producing robots will overproduce. Or The Tunnel Under The World, where simulations of people repeatedly wake up on the same day, only to be experimented on by advertising people trying out different campaigns. Or The Children Of Night, where a PR man has to try and make extraterrestrial war crimes palatable to the electorate.
Of the rest, I mostly remember The Day The Icicle Works Closed, which would have worked far better with a hardboiled detective as the protagonist: still, a good idea.
But it's all so 'consistently able!' There are no big surprises, no variations in style here.
Which feels like British damning with faint praise. Yes, he is consistent; nothing more? The walls surrounding me are consistent, too. Who chose this quote for print?!?
I might not remember many of these stories after tomorrow. The most interesting ones focus or satirize PR or consumerism: for example, The Midas Plague, a world where the poor have to constantly consume within their ratio or the all-producing robots will overproduce. Or The Tunnel Under The World, where simulations of people repeatedly wake up on the same day, only to be experimented on by advertising people trying out different campaigns. Or The Children Of Night, where a PR man has to try and make extraterrestrial war crimes palatable to the electorate.
Of the rest, I mostly remember The Day The Icicle Works Closed, which would have worked far better with a hardboiled detective as the protagonist: still, a good idea.
But it's all so 'consistently able!' There are no big surprises, no variations in style here.
September 16, 2025
I read this collection of Pohl’s short stories back in the early 80s when I was an undergraduate. They were excellent. Every now and then I take the book out to read a story again and find they are just as good as the first time I read them. This collection contains my all time favourite short story, “The Tunnel Under The World.” What an interesting mystery and interesting resolution. That story alone is worth the entire book.
August 13, 2024
While not bad, a number of stories in this collection are old enough to show significant dating... In a couple of instances it's even severe enough to make it somewhat difficult for a modern reader to understand the story. These were humorous stories for the most part, and still quite enjoyable if you are pretty conversant with American culture between the depression and WW II.
November 24, 2025
3.5 - I love Pohl, but there were a few duds in here for me. Personal favorites:
"The Tunnel Under the World"
"The Midas Plague"
"The Day the Icicle Works Closed"
"The Census Takers"
"The Children of Night"
"The Tunnel Under the World"
"The Midas Plague"
"The Day the Icicle Works Closed"
"The Census Takers"
"The Children of Night"
September 9, 2018
Some stories are really great, others are just set ups for the twist. It's an enjoyable collection overall.
September 19, 2020
19 classic SF stories. A Science Fiction Book Club selection.
December 24, 2021
-Gregory Kerkman
June 3, 2023
As many of these involve satirical warnings about advertising, public relations, politics and consumerism, these stories from 1954-1967 can still seem refreshing, their skepticism of future trends warranted. And "Day Million," about sexual identity and practices of the distant future, is astonishingly prescient. These may not all be Pohl's best, but they're good to excellent. (However, the math essay "How to Count on Your Fingers" is baffling, as is its inclusion here.)
October 2, 2013
I really liked this collection. Yes some of them are a little dated, but I struggled to find more than the odd story that wasn't at least good. I have read more recently published short stories and few stand up to this from one of the masters. Fred Pohl is definely one of the greats.
Tunnel Under The World: There is nothing like starting with a good stroy and this was one of those. It has a similar plot to the movie Groundhog Day, but was written well before it in 1954. However it has some interesting plot ideas and twists. Pohl probably was not the originator of the main plot line, but its one of the best uses of it I have read.
Punch: Totally different story from the previous one. Short, pointed and a good use of short fiction.
Three Portraits and A Prayer: A slightly longer piece. Nothing that makes to go wow, but just a good solid story. If it was in a magazine I would probably think was the best one in there.
Day Million: A love story set in the future which brings up a couple of interesting points about how our views and ideas about society change over time.
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus: In August I saw my first Christmas decorations for sale, this story takes the Christmas buzz a little further.
We Never Mention Aunt Nora: A story that suffers from bring 50 years old, but still was worth reading.
Father of the Stars: One of the best stories I have read in the book so far. Not only does it address the advancement of technology with regard to interstellar space flight, but it works on an emotional level as well.
The Day The Martians Came: An interesting look at the arrival of Martians on Earth as seen through the eyes of a man that runs the hotel where the press are staying. A good story from an angle not normally considered. Really liked it!!
The Midas Plague: The ultimate consumer society with an interesting view on supply and demand. When I reached the climax I though that was obvious, but I guess soemtimes the simple ideas are and it didn't take away from the build up to get there.
The Snowman: Sorry didn't get this. Not my favourite.
How To Count On Your Fingers: A science fact piece, that in the year 2013 is of little interes to me.
Grandy Devil: A fun little story that raises an issue that is normally not obvious. Very enjoyable.
Speed Trap: There are times I feel I have lived a story and this is one. Constant meetings and never seeming to achieve anything and never quite knowing why. I have an idea now. I could relate to this story, love it!!
The Richest Man in Levittown: A nice little story with a nice twist in the end. Remember don't take your eyes off the baby!!
The Day The Icicle Works Closed: A story of what people will do for money. I didn't see the end of this one coming, if a little contrived.
The Hated: An interesting twist on cabin feavour. One of those stories that is suited to the shorter form.
The Martian in the Attic: This was okay, but I found ot weak when compared with the others in the book.
The Census Takers: In an overpopulated world, where excess population are over'd you need to be careful someone else isn't also watching. A well constructed little story.
The Children of Night: I wasn't sure I liked the main character. He seemed to be a win at all cost. In the end I don't know why but I like this.
Tunnel Under The World: There is nothing like starting with a good stroy and this was one of those. It has a similar plot to the movie Groundhog Day, but was written well before it in 1954. However it has some interesting plot ideas and twists. Pohl probably was not the originator of the main plot line, but its one of the best uses of it I have read.
Punch: Totally different story from the previous one. Short, pointed and a good use of short fiction.
Three Portraits and A Prayer: A slightly longer piece. Nothing that makes to go wow, but just a good solid story. If it was in a magazine I would probably think was the best one in there.
Day Million: A love story set in the future which brings up a couple of interesting points about how our views and ideas about society change over time.
Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus: In August I saw my first Christmas decorations for sale, this story takes the Christmas buzz a little further.
We Never Mention Aunt Nora: A story that suffers from bring 50 years old, but still was worth reading.
Father of the Stars: One of the best stories I have read in the book so far. Not only does it address the advancement of technology with regard to interstellar space flight, but it works on an emotional level as well.
The Day The Martians Came: An interesting look at the arrival of Martians on Earth as seen through the eyes of a man that runs the hotel where the press are staying. A good story from an angle not normally considered. Really liked it!!
The Midas Plague: The ultimate consumer society with an interesting view on supply and demand. When I reached the climax I though that was obvious, but I guess soemtimes the simple ideas are and it didn't take away from the build up to get there.
The Snowman: Sorry didn't get this. Not my favourite.
How To Count On Your Fingers: A science fact piece, that in the year 2013 is of little interes to me.
Grandy Devil: A fun little story that raises an issue that is normally not obvious. Very enjoyable.
Speed Trap: There are times I feel I have lived a story and this is one. Constant meetings and never seeming to achieve anything and never quite knowing why. I have an idea now. I could relate to this story, love it!!
The Richest Man in Levittown: A nice little story with a nice twist in the end. Remember don't take your eyes off the baby!!
The Day The Icicle Works Closed: A story of what people will do for money. I didn't see the end of this one coming, if a little contrived.
The Hated: An interesting twist on cabin feavour. One of those stories that is suited to the shorter form.
The Martian in the Attic: This was okay, but I found ot weak when compared with the others in the book.
The Census Takers: In an overpopulated world, where excess population are over'd you need to be careful someone else isn't also watching. A well constructed little story.
The Children of Night: I wasn't sure I liked the main character. He seemed to be a win at all cost. In the end I don't know why but I like this.
June 22, 2012
Pohl tackles subjects like discrimination, politics, sexual identity and the will to survive in this very solid collection of short stories. There were a few duds, but the stories I didn't care for were all stories with shorter page counts. The 3 longest stories were all very good, as were many of the shorter ones.
December 20, 2012
An eclectic variety of some of the Best of Frederik Pohl's Short Stories.
Mostly science fiction, but with a couple of nice twists inserteds in there.
I think I first found out about Binary and began understanding it after having read this book.
Mostly science fiction, but with a couple of nice twists inserteds in there.
I think I first found out about Binary and began understanding it after having read this book.
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