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The Day of the Boomer Dukes
Just as medicine is not a science, but rather an art--a device, practised in a scientific manner, in its best manifestations--time-travel stories are not science fiction. Time-travel, however, has become acceptable to science fiction readers as a traditional device in stories than are otherwise admissible in the genre. Here, Frederik Pohl employs it to portray the amusingly catastrophic meeting of three societies.
42 pages, Kindle Edition
About the author
Frederik Pohl
1,135 books1,086 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 21, 2023
Playful time-travel romp, fun dialect!
September 19, 2016
Another short by Pohl. It follows the typical sci-fi of the day with minimal character development. What is immensely impressive is the use of language he uses with his shifting narrators.
September 24, 2018
In Librivox ShortSF coll. vol 011. Excellent. Very funny , alien visitor causes chaos in new York by attempting to relieve it's sense of boredom by contacting the Mafia.
November 23, 2010
Fun time travel tale. The genius is not in what is written, but what is hinted at without being fully explained.
March 28, 2011
Downloaded from Librivox.org
February 12, 2019
This was a fun time travel romp with tons of potential for a great story, but it was sadly cut off before it could really roll on into a fully fleshed-out tale.
A young (human? alien? it wasn't totally clear) seeks to escape the boredom of his home time by traveling backwards and allying himself with the mysterious and heroic organization known as the Mafia. Instead, he gets caught up in a minor gang war involving the Leopards, the Boomer Dukes, a rookie police officer, and a disillusioned newspaper reporter.
Again! Such an awesome premise! sadly, though, it remains just that--a premise. characters are introduced without being fleshed out, and the story reads a little like a rotating-pov incident report culminating with an unsatisfying ending. I think it's worth reading for the fun ideas alone, but it would have been cool to see it brought to a solid conclusion.
A young (human? alien? it wasn't totally clear) seeks to escape the boredom of his home time by traveling backwards and allying himself with the mysterious and heroic organization known as the Mafia. Instead, he gets caught up in a minor gang war involving the Leopards, the Boomer Dukes, a rookie police officer, and a disillusioned newspaper reporter.
Again! Such an awesome premise! sadly, though, it remains just that--a premise. characters are introduced without being fleshed out, and the story reads a little like a rotating-pov incident report culminating with an unsatisfying ending. I think it's worth reading for the fun ideas alone, but it would have been cool to see it brought to a solid conclusion.
May 14, 2023
A Fred Pohl classic, from Future Science Fiction 1956. Copyright was not renewed.
Free copy online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22559...
This one would be hard to describe. Time-travel romp: a bored uptime denizen, one Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey's Beam, seeks diversion in Old New York. Hijinks ensue. Just read it and have fun. An easy 4 stars. No idea when I first read it, but it's been decades ago. Pohl is in top form here:
"We do not wish a repetition of the California incident, after all."
Not to be missed!
Free copy online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22559...
This one would be hard to describe. Time-travel romp: a bored uptime denizen, one Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey's Beam, seeks diversion in Old New York. Hijinks ensue. Just read it and have fun. An easy 4 stars. No idea when I first read it, but it's been decades ago. Pohl is in top form here:
"We do not wish a repetition of the California incident, after all."
Not to be missed!
December 5, 2024
Not as good as I expected it to be, after a good start this story just seems a bit slow and long and at least 50% crime and 25% time travel! This story has some but not enough humor in it that seems kinda wasted? Don't get me wrong this is still above average and I've read worse as its got a handful of really good bits. But if it just had a more creative storyline, this could've been great. As for what it reminds me of, well the advertising and promotions made me think it was one of those time travel stories like All You Zombies, but it isn't really. Half crime.
May 21, 2022
OK listening 🎶🔰
Another interesting will written adventure thriller short story by Frederick Poul about a news reporter driving 🚗 around chasing stories and then a along comes the Boomer Dukes gang. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 😮🗽
Another interesting will written adventure thriller short story by Frederick Poul about a news reporter driving 🚗 around chasing stories and then a along comes the Boomer Dukes gang. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of health issues. 2022 😮🗽
September 6, 2025
A bored time traveller from the far future travels back to 1960s Harlem to find action and adventure by joining the Mafia. He brings with him a cache of small weapons from his time, which causes havoc when he encounters rival street gangs.
October 12, 2019
The switching of perspectives was good but as someone from the 21st century it was difficult to separate the 1950's jargon from the 'future' jargon since they both sound equally alien to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2020
A cute story about atomic weapons fall into the hands of teenagers.
November 9, 2025
Weird,scifi, short story, by a master with great narraration.
June 12, 2026
This is a Weird but Fun and Entertaining story and also a recommended read. It has a touch of PKD's "Adjustment Bureau" and a little bit of MIB in it.
But it's also an interesting one from a
Narrative point of view. It makes me wonder if this was some sort of Literary Experiment on Fredrick Pohl's part.
The overall Plot is Consistently Pushed Forward, much in the manner of the Digital Time, by a succession of Narrator's who tell their part of the story in First Person.
Foraminifera 9 -> Shield 8805 -> Cow -> Sandy Van Pelt -> Priam's Maw
And, unlike Time Travel when One can Loop Back into the Past, or typical Literary Conventions when Characters can Revisit the Past through Flashbacks, Past Events and Characters fall to the wayside as the Narrative moves on and the Flow of Time moves constantly Forward and Beyond them.
This probably explains why FP didn't expand this story further and make it into a Novel. It could have been a tough novel to write.
Anyways, that's just my Opinion, and I could be as wrong as the next guy. Oh well.
I just want to say.......
1. The idea of Characters being "collapsed" and stored in a Carry-All sounds kind of.......unsettling.
2. And then making Simulacrum of "Contaminated Aboriginals", even Dead Ones, sounds kind of......Creepy.
3. In my humble opinion, Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey's Beam is a complete Idiot. Neutralize him. Completely!!!
Also: check out the Frederik Pohl story "Survival Kit". Many of the same elements from this story show up in that one. Almost like they share the Same Universe!
But it's also an interesting one from a
Narrative point of view. It makes me wonder if this was some sort of Literary Experiment on Fredrick Pohl's part.
The overall Plot is Consistently Pushed Forward, much in the manner of the Digital Time, by a succession of Narrator's who tell their part of the story in First Person.
Foraminifera 9 -> Shield 8805 -> Cow -> Sandy Van Pelt -> Priam's Maw
And, unlike Time Travel when One can Loop Back into the Past, or typical Literary Conventions when Characters can Revisit the Past through Flashbacks, Past Events and Characters fall to the wayside as the Narrative moves on and the Flow of Time moves constantly Forward and Beyond them.
This probably explains why FP didn't expand this story further and make it into a Novel. It could have been a tough novel to write.
Anyways, that's just my Opinion, and I could be as wrong as the next guy. Oh well.
I just want to say.......
1. The idea of Characters being "collapsed" and stored in a Carry-All sounds kind of.......unsettling.
2. And then making Simulacrum of "Contaminated Aboriginals", even Dead Ones, sounds kind of......Creepy.
3. In my humble opinion, Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey's Beam is a complete Idiot. Neutralize him. Completely!!!
Also: check out the Frederik Pohl story "Survival Kit". Many of the same elements from this story show up in that one. Almost like they share the Same Universe!
December 31, 2015
Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey’s Beam is bored. He relieves that boredom by traveling back in time to sometime before the high radiation levels and after the invention of anesthesia—you know, in case of accidents.
He's read of the Mafia in New York City of the 1950s. He think that might be a place to start. He finds five you men, all dressed in same color jacket, and asks directions to the recruiting office of the "dread Camorra." He assures them he has plenty of money in his carry-all.
Please read the full review here.
He's read of the Mafia in New York City of the 1950s. He think that might be a place to start. He finds five you men, all dressed in same color jacket, and asks directions to the recruiting office of the "dread Camorra." He assures them he has plenty of money in his carry-all.
Please read the full review here.
September 30, 2016
Witty little sci-fi yarn from one of the best from the era.
A bored youngster from the future beams into 1950s New York in search of the Mafia and a bit of excitement, finding instead a couple of juvenile gangs and causing all sorts of chaos with his advanced weaponry.
Pohl makes use of a number of narrators, idioms and slang for such a short story. It's also the first time I've come across a time-traveler receiving a shot of smack before.
And how about a Men in Black style intervention and a mischievous final sentence to tie things up?
A bored youngster from the future beams into 1950s New York in search of the Mafia and a bit of excitement, finding instead a couple of juvenile gangs and causing all sorts of chaos with his advanced weaponry.
Pohl makes use of a number of narrators, idioms and slang for such a short story. It's also the first time I've come across a time-traveler receiving a shot of smack before.
And how about a Men in Black style intervention and a mischievous final sentence to tie things up?
January 28, 2013
Cute. A short story that spans more than its word count would suggest. Left me wishing for a novel-length version.
March 4, 2014
You'd figure that folks from the future would prohibit tourist time travel in order to avoid a repetition of the California incident after all.
January 2, 2016
Entertaining short story about time travel.
August 4, 2017
Amusing, not really deep.
February 3, 2018
Lightweight sci-fi
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October 25, 2021I don't get this story! Teen gangs with nukes and time travel?
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews