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The Sensitive Man
This Halcyon Classics ebook is sci-fi novella THE SENSITIVE MAN by 20th Century Science Fiction/Fantasy writer Poul William Anderson. Anderson (1926-2001) was one of the authors associated with the Golden Age of Science Fiction, with many of his novellas and short stories appearing in mass market pulps of the era.
Anderson received many awards during his long career, including seven Hugo Awards, a Gandalf Grand Master, and three Nebula Awards, among others. He was named Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master in 1997.
One man stood between a power-hungry cabal and world mastery—but a man of unusual talents.
Anderson received many awards during his long career, including seven Hugo Awards, a Gandalf Grand Master, and three Nebula Awards, among others. He was named Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master in 1997.
One man stood between a power-hungry cabal and world mastery—but a man of unusual talents.
45 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Poul Anderson
1,672 books1,151 followersPseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 9, 2017
This was one of Anderson's forays into human plus, training people to better use what they were born with along with a kidnapping to solve. It was interesting, but not one of his best by any means. Well narrated.
From the Wikipedia entry:
...first published in the January 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe and reprinted in the 1981 collection The Psychotechnic League. The story is a component of the Psychotechnic League future history, and takes place in the year 2009, between "Un-Man" and "The Big Rain".
This is yet another public domain book that has been republished on Amazon. Don't buy it! Get it for free from Gutenberg.org in both .epub & .mobi (Kindle) formats here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31501
or from Librivox.org here:
https://librivox.org/the-sensitive-ma...
From the Wikipedia entry:
...first published in the January 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe and reprinted in the 1981 collection The Psychotechnic League. The story is a component of the Psychotechnic League future history, and takes place in the year 2009, between "Un-Man" and "The Big Rain".
This is yet another public domain book that has been republished on Amazon. Don't buy it! Get it for free from Gutenberg.org in both .epub & .mobi (Kindle) formats here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31501
or from Librivox.org here:
https://librivox.org/the-sensitive-ma...
October 13, 2025
The Sensitive Man
This novella takes place in a post World War III America; Poul Anderson does an excellent job of portraying a conflict that he described as a “secret war” between two rival factions that are vying for influence and ultimately complete control of the American government, in the aftermath of a devastating global conflict. The Sensitive Man is a science fiction story because of its futuristic technology that is sprinkled throughout the story however, the “nuts and bolts” of that technology are secondary to the story’s theme. It is also a story containing political overtones. Ironically, some of those political overtones in this timeless story are part of our daily news cycle in America, in 2025.
The story opens in Southern California, about fifty years after a devastating global conflict “nearly destroys civilization and ravaged the globe.” Because the war “toppled once great nations and brought them to their knees,” the stage was set for the rise of a new social and scientific order. Since the post-war world had to be rebuilt, a new institution called the Psychotechnic Institute rises to power by applying a new science, which is a form of social engineering known as “psychodynamics.” Its purpose is to guide humanity away from the violence and extremism that caused the war. The world is at peace, but the old ways of thinking die hard as the political factions continue to struggle for control. The author, of course, was aware of the founding of the United Nations in October of 1945 as an effort to maintain world peace, but he was also aware of a misguided political doctrine known as the “Domino Theory,” which was responsible for American involvement on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean Conflict ended with a cease fire in July of 1953, but ironically, after 72 years it continues to be a threat to the peace and tranquility of East Asia. Today the North Korean leader is a reincarnation of the dictator who was in power when that country invaded its southern neighbor in June of 1950. So, we can say that in a country with an authoritarian type of government such as North Korea, one dictator is usually replaced by another … until that vicious cycle of authoritarian leadership is broken. I didn’t read anything in my abbreviated research as to the reason why Mr. Anderson would author a story about a third world war, but I would venture to guess it was connected to the creation of the United Nations and the dawn of the nuclear arms race. Since World War I began with a pistol shot, World War III could have easily begun with one country crossing the 38th parallel into South Korea. The nuclear monopoly of the United States ended on August 29, 1949 when the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb. It marked a critical turning point in what was known as the Cold War … the world has lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation ever since.
Anyway, the protagonist of The Sensitive Man, Simon Delgatty, is on a mission to find his adopted father, Dr. Michael Tighe, who was kidnapped by members of a political entity known as the “Actionists,” which is led by an influential politician named Thomas Bancroft. He is held on an island off the Mexican coast for interrogation to learn how the organization, the non-violent scientific group, the Psychotechnic Institute, functions. Tighe and “the sensitive man” Delgatty, are key members of this organization. The first two chapters of The Sensitive Man read like a Raymond Chandler detective mystery, but all that changes in Chapter III.
The story “shifts gears” so to speak and we learn the true theme of The Sensitive Man. As mentioned in the initial paragraph, the story is based on a conflict Anderson refers to as a “secret war” between the Psychotechnic Institute, a powerful and influential entity deeply integrated into the current state of affairs of the American government, and the Actionists, the group that is attempting to subvert and take control of the United States by controlling every facet of its government. The novel is about the struggle to prevent the Actionists from achieving that goal. Anderson uses a spy/adventure plot to explore the ideal future of humanity; since the human race came close to annihilating itself, would mankind’s future be one of scientifically guided freedom, as desired by the “good guys,” and represented by Delgatty, or one crushed under the iron fist of world totalitarianism, as desired by Bancroft and the Actionists? This ideological conflict, explained to the reader in the subversive “interview” between Delgatty and Bancroft in Chapter IV is the backdrop for the action and adventure of Simon Delgatty, the “sensitive man.” The age-old concept of “good versus evil” is quite apparent in Anderson’s story as personified by Delgatty as the thoughtful “sensitive man,” versus Bancroft as the smooth, authoritarian politician.
I must admit I was not familiar with Poul Anderson’s writing; I read this particular version of The Sensitive Man in a downloaded copy of the January, 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe, courtesy of Internet Archive. I found this story quite interesting. I’ll also admit to “consulting” with Google’s Chatbot, Gemini for some necessary guidance in writing this review. So, in keeping with the final sentence of my first paragraph, and Gemini's excellent insight, I will award Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man a well-deserved five-star rating. I most certainly will read some of his other stories, as my research pointed out Anderson authored an entire series of the type of sci-fi stories that I enjoy reading. I was pleasantly surprised with the content of The Sensitive Man; it is an excellent story.
Science fiction is more than just rocket ships, ray guns, and exotic alien locations with their “out of this world” life forms; the technology of such stories is, of course, alien to us. But, technology is not the only entity of a sci-fi story … the people in the stories are part of the story as well; they can change just as their technology changes. And their governmental institutions can change. And that is the true meaning of Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man; societies over time transform just as the technology the individual members of that society use, changes.
What was science fiction yesterday can become part of our daily lives today. Who among us would have ever dreamed we would one day be using something like Gemini, a form of artificial intelligence to assist us in such mundane endeavors as writing a book review. Along with laptops, smartphones, tablets (not the iconic Big Chief version I used in elementary school) and now AI, the “stuff” of science fiction from a few years ago has become “old hat” today … how did we ever get by without it! And finally, with the references to interplanetary travel and the other “stuff” of science fiction aside, Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man tells us that although a society’s technology has changed, for the most part, human nature hasn’t changed one iota since the dawn of time.
As Jimmy Carter wrote just before the presidential election of 2024 … “I fear for my country.” *****
This novella takes place in a post World War III America; Poul Anderson does an excellent job of portraying a conflict that he described as a “secret war” between two rival factions that are vying for influence and ultimately complete control of the American government, in the aftermath of a devastating global conflict. The Sensitive Man is a science fiction story because of its futuristic technology that is sprinkled throughout the story however, the “nuts and bolts” of that technology are secondary to the story’s theme. It is also a story containing political overtones. Ironically, some of those political overtones in this timeless story are part of our daily news cycle in America, in 2025.
The story opens in Southern California, about fifty years after a devastating global conflict “nearly destroys civilization and ravaged the globe.” Because the war “toppled once great nations and brought them to their knees,” the stage was set for the rise of a new social and scientific order. Since the post-war world had to be rebuilt, a new institution called the Psychotechnic Institute rises to power by applying a new science, which is a form of social engineering known as “psychodynamics.” Its purpose is to guide humanity away from the violence and extremism that caused the war. The world is at peace, but the old ways of thinking die hard as the political factions continue to struggle for control. The author, of course, was aware of the founding of the United Nations in October of 1945 as an effort to maintain world peace, but he was also aware of a misguided political doctrine known as the “Domino Theory,” which was responsible for American involvement on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean Conflict ended with a cease fire in July of 1953, but ironically, after 72 years it continues to be a threat to the peace and tranquility of East Asia. Today the North Korean leader is a reincarnation of the dictator who was in power when that country invaded its southern neighbor in June of 1950. So, we can say that in a country with an authoritarian type of government such as North Korea, one dictator is usually replaced by another … until that vicious cycle of authoritarian leadership is broken. I didn’t read anything in my abbreviated research as to the reason why Mr. Anderson would author a story about a third world war, but I would venture to guess it was connected to the creation of the United Nations and the dawn of the nuclear arms race. Since World War I began with a pistol shot, World War III could have easily begun with one country crossing the 38th parallel into South Korea. The nuclear monopoly of the United States ended on August 29, 1949 when the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb. It marked a critical turning point in what was known as the Cold War … the world has lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation ever since.
Anyway, the protagonist of The Sensitive Man, Simon Delgatty, is on a mission to find his adopted father, Dr. Michael Tighe, who was kidnapped by members of a political entity known as the “Actionists,” which is led by an influential politician named Thomas Bancroft. He is held on an island off the Mexican coast for interrogation to learn how the organization, the non-violent scientific group, the Psychotechnic Institute, functions. Tighe and “the sensitive man” Delgatty, are key members of this organization. The first two chapters of The Sensitive Man read like a Raymond Chandler detective mystery, but all that changes in Chapter III.
The story “shifts gears” so to speak and we learn the true theme of The Sensitive Man. As mentioned in the initial paragraph, the story is based on a conflict Anderson refers to as a “secret war” between the Psychotechnic Institute, a powerful and influential entity deeply integrated into the current state of affairs of the American government, and the Actionists, the group that is attempting to subvert and take control of the United States by controlling every facet of its government. The novel is about the struggle to prevent the Actionists from achieving that goal. Anderson uses a spy/adventure plot to explore the ideal future of humanity; since the human race came close to annihilating itself, would mankind’s future be one of scientifically guided freedom, as desired by the “good guys,” and represented by Delgatty, or one crushed under the iron fist of world totalitarianism, as desired by Bancroft and the Actionists? This ideological conflict, explained to the reader in the subversive “interview” between Delgatty and Bancroft in Chapter IV is the backdrop for the action and adventure of Simon Delgatty, the “sensitive man.” The age-old concept of “good versus evil” is quite apparent in Anderson’s story as personified by Delgatty as the thoughtful “sensitive man,” versus Bancroft as the smooth, authoritarian politician.
I must admit I was not familiar with Poul Anderson’s writing; I read this particular version of The Sensitive Man in a downloaded copy of the January, 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe, courtesy of Internet Archive. I found this story quite interesting. I’ll also admit to “consulting” with Google’s Chatbot, Gemini for some necessary guidance in writing this review. So, in keeping with the final sentence of my first paragraph, and Gemini's excellent insight, I will award Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man a well-deserved five-star rating. I most certainly will read some of his other stories, as my research pointed out Anderson authored an entire series of the type of sci-fi stories that I enjoy reading. I was pleasantly surprised with the content of The Sensitive Man; it is an excellent story.
Science fiction is more than just rocket ships, ray guns, and exotic alien locations with their “out of this world” life forms; the technology of such stories is, of course, alien to us. But, technology is not the only entity of a sci-fi story … the people in the stories are part of the story as well; they can change just as their technology changes. And their governmental institutions can change. And that is the true meaning of Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man; societies over time transform just as the technology the individual members of that society use, changes.
What was science fiction yesterday can become part of our daily lives today. Who among us would have ever dreamed we would one day be using something like Gemini, a form of artificial intelligence to assist us in such mundane endeavors as writing a book review. Along with laptops, smartphones, tablets (not the iconic Big Chief version I used in elementary school) and now AI, the “stuff” of science fiction from a few years ago has become “old hat” today … how did we ever get by without it! And finally, with the references to interplanetary travel and the other “stuff” of science fiction aside, Poul Anderson’s The Sensitive Man tells us that although a society’s technology has changed, for the most part, human nature hasn’t changed one iota since the dawn of time.
As Jimmy Carter wrote just before the presidential election of 2024 … “I fear for my country.” *****
February 18, 2017
Its interesting when reading scifi to compare the technology that the author predicts in the future to what actually exists. Many scifi authors miss badly. Andeson doesn't commit too many blunders (as ususal for Anderson) but he did think that slide rules would still be in use. I guess, a little box that performs calculations seemed too far fetched in the 50s. This is a pretty good read nonetheless.
July 24, 2024
Not actually quite the book I read, but Goodreads couldn't find the collection I was reading : "Beyond the beyond" by this author, which contains "The Sensitive Man" and four other short tales.
A little disappointed - hence just two stars. A few of the tales are incredibly dated now - written in the 1950s - for instance "Brake" (1957), which has one female character, who is referred to by the male characters tiresomely in the following way : "...the presence of a beautiful girl is not a bother. By definition"... and ... "Keep the meals coming and youre plenty of use...".
So I really began to think that she was going to be revealed as the prime protagonist , brains behind the baddies, planted in their midst ...etc. But no... her role is merely to hold the heroes hand at the end, breathily. "Stand by your man" indeed.
Some good ideas..... some slightly dull ones.... and some dated concepts, such as crash landing on the surface of Jupiter (!) .
All in all, I was rather underwhelmed.
A little disappointed - hence just two stars. A few of the tales are incredibly dated now - written in the 1950s - for instance "Brake" (1957), which has one female character, who is referred to by the male characters tiresomely in the following way : "...the presence of a beautiful girl is not a bother. By definition"... and ... "Keep the meals coming and youre plenty of use...".
So I really began to think that she was going to be revealed as the prime protagonist , brains behind the baddies, planted in their midst ...etc. But no... her role is merely to hold the heroes hand at the end, breathily. "Stand by your man" indeed.
Some good ideas..... some slightly dull ones.... and some dated concepts, such as crash landing on the surface of Jupiter (!) .
All in all, I was rather underwhelmed.
June 30, 2022
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy futuristic world 🌎 adventure thriller short story by Poul William Anderson about political power that leads too kidnapping and the adventure that takes leading to conclusion. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick fun read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye damage and health issues. 2022 👒😤⌚
Another will written fantasy futuristic world 🌎 adventure thriller short story by Poul William Anderson about political power that leads too kidnapping and the adventure that takes leading to conclusion. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick fun read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye damage and health issues. 2022 👒😤⌚
September 27, 2019
forerunner to urban fantasy. Hero is taught how to use all of senses, mind and body. His teacher is kidnaped by people that don't want this ability to get into the general public. Now if they can learn it and rule the world that would be OK. So hero frees teacher/father and life goes on. It is a good story on many levels.
October 3, 2020
A solidly written adventure SF story.
December 23, 2021
4 out of 5
April 28, 2024
Short story, keep in mind it was written in the 40s.
October 22, 2026
A little too heavy on political theory; this could have been better.
December 25, 2012
A little hard to get into. I felt like the book was 3 or 4 times as long as it actually was because I kept having to stop reading cause it wasn't that interesting. I don't feel like I really understood the whole changing the philosophy of the world parts, but I liked the action sequences and the superpowers-type stuff.
October 7, 2013
This was a bit slower than some of his other stories but given the subject matter is surprisingly not as outdated as much of the SciFi written in the 1930s. It is available for free at Project Guttenberg.
January 29, 2016
Why does Isaac Asimov speak so highly of Poul Anderson? Why all the hullaballoo? Is this a case of quantity against quality? Or have I judged unfairly, this being his first story I've not had the pleasure of reading? It reads too much like a movie that fails to deliver an anticipated climax.
October 14, 2015
OK story about the son in the house trying to save the family.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews