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jmandrake's review
3.0
The concept of this book was genius--the authors imagine a world in which advertisers control the world, and citizens are more loyal to their favorite brand names than their country. Mitch Courtenay works for one of the world's super advertising agencies, and he is put in charge of the newest ad campaign: selling the colonization of Venus. With Earth's current overcrowding problem, it shouldn't be too hard of a sell, but a million other factors seem to complicate Mitch's progress. There are the Conservationists to worry about, people opposed to blind consumerism and the common practice of wasting resources, but the Consies are considered nutjobs by most of the populace. There's also the fact that Mitch's life is continually threatened by a rival ad agency that wants to steal back the Venus project. The thing that makes this book really shine is all the SPOT-ON social commentary. Although this book was written 50 years ago, it still feels completely relevant to today. Even some of the throwaway lines are so scarily accurate that I couldn't stop laughing. But the whole thing hangs on a kind of one-dimensional plot, so I think the whole thing could have been better than it was. But it's definitely worth checking out for the concept alone, and there's plenty of biting satire to enjoy.
justgeekingby's review against another edition
4.0
Not my usual cup of tea, and read as part of my university course, but very engaging and entertaining nonetheless.
the_smoking_gnu's review
4.0
Mad Men, written in 1952 as dystopian science fiction.
Thanks to the "SIGMA 2 Foxtrot" for recommending it.
http://www.sigma2foxtrot.com/sigma-2-foxtrot-011-frederik-pohl-und-cyril-m-kornbluth-eine-handvoll-venus/
Thanks to the "SIGMA 2 Foxtrot" for recommending it.
http://www.sigma2foxtrot.com/sigma-2-foxtrot-011-frederik-pohl-und-cyril-m-kornbluth-eine-handvoll-venus/
thequinnn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ederwin's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a little sad that I didn't discover this gem earlier. But I'm happy I finally did discover it.
sueodd's review against another edition
3.0
It's an interesting concept: a society entirely based on consumer consumption. Advertising is king, with a huge divide between the "haves" and the "have nots". Our protagonist is a high level executive in one of the biggest advertising firms, and is completely indoctrinated in the cult of advertising. He scoffs at the "Consies" (we would call them Environmentalists today) for wanting to save the environment, because, after all, technology has always kept ahead of ecological collapse. Yet he has to use air filters to breath outside, and wash with salt water because fresh water has become too scarce. Automobiles have been replaced by pedal-powered vehicles, and most people can only afford to eat fake meat. (I particularly liked the description of Chicken Little)
This book has aged better than some other classic sci-fi I've read recently, probably because it wasn't tech-heavy. At least the main woman was a doctor, even though the rest were secretaries or knew to keep their mouths shut during board meetings. And, of course, everyone smokes.
The plot had some problems. Our protagonist finds himself the target of an unknown assassin (apparently murder of ad executives is legal as long as the rival firm has filed the necessary paperwork), his wife is leaving him, a coworker is sabotaging him.
I never fully followed his switch from advertising man to true Consie agent. It happened too quickly for me to believe it. There was no slow realization that the world really is messed up and advertising keeps so many people in a cycle of poverty and consumer dependence, despite his experience as one of those consumers. One minute, he's happy he's finally back to being a star class executive, and the next he's helping to plot with the Consies to take over the Venus colonization project. I didn't buy it. Was it the insanity of the other advertising firm's actions against him? Was it simply because he didn't want to lose his wife? Or did he finally realize that everything really is messed up by the consumer culture?
I'm an environmentalist, and very much against the consumer culture we find ourselves in today. But this particular dystopian society was a bit too absurd.
This book has aged better than some other classic sci-fi I've read recently, probably because it wasn't tech-heavy. At least the main woman was a doctor, even though the rest were secretaries or knew to keep their mouths shut during board meetings. And, of course, everyone smokes.
The plot had some problems. Our protagonist finds himself the target of an unknown assassin (apparently murder of ad executives is legal as long as the rival firm has filed the necessary paperwork), his wife is leaving him, a coworker is sabotaging him.
Spoiler
Things picked up when he got kidnapped and sold into indentured service as a laborer. He experiences life as a consumer, rather than one of the elites, and realized the bind he is in. He can't possibly make enough money to ever free himself of his "contract". He's smart, and gets drafted by the Consies. He fakes joining them in order to eventually free himself and reestablish his true identity. He's reassigned to New York and contacts his former secretary. He gets kidnapped by the rival ad firm and learns that they were behind his assassination attempt. He learns his wife is really a high-level Consie agent, and was behind his original kidnapping. His boss dies, he takes over the firm, and decides he's really with the Consies. He puts all of his efforts into tracking down his wife, who's gone into hiding, afraid that he will expose her. He finds her sleeping in the stairwell of the rival ad firm (because the poor can only afford to sleep in the stairs of skyscrapers). The rival ad firm tries to capture him again, his wife helps him escape and they all end up heading to colonize Venus, where they can treat the environment better.I never fully followed his switch from advertising man to true Consie agent. It happened too quickly for me to believe it. There was no slow realization that the world really is messed up and advertising keeps so many people in a cycle of poverty and consumer dependence, despite his experience as one of those consumers. One minute, he's happy he's finally back to being a star class executive, and the next he's helping to plot with the Consies to take over the Venus colonization project. I didn't buy it. Was it the insanity of the other advertising firm's actions against him? Was it simply because he didn't want to lose his wife? Or did he finally realize that everything really is messed up by the consumer culture?
I'm an environmentalist, and very much against the consumer culture we find ourselves in today. But this particular dystopian society was a bit too absurd.
dlbvenice's review against another edition
5.0
Amazingly relevant in today's world of propaganda and "fake news." This is a timeless SF classic that is less about the hard technology of rockets or computers and more about the technology of hacking human consciousness.
socprof's review against another edition
3.0
A bit dated (despite it being the "Revised 21st century edition, which basically means mentions of Enron and AIG). I would have loved more context and less individual adventure stuff. A good and fun read though, even with all the loose ends.
eigenvector's review against another edition
3.0
Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, authors of 'The Space Merchants', sure have a lot of foresight. This book, first published in its entirety in 1954, focuses on the journey of Mitchell Courtenay, who works in the upper echelons of Fowler Shocken Associates. Courtenay's world is overpopulated, and its resources have been stretched thin by the hedonism of capitalists. Fowler Shocken Associates have won the bid to mine Venus of its resources, and its Mitchell Courtenay's job to make you want to live there.
'The Space Merchants' is a fast-paced story with plot twists around each corner, but it's merits lie in the predictions its made. Corporations subduing governments and the poor? Check. McCarthyist attitudes towards conservationists? Check. Stem cell meat? You betcha. (However, the fact that everyone is hooked on cigarettes betrays its age.) If you like your science fiction dripping in sarcasm, then grab a cup of Coffiest to drown out the bitter aftertaste of consumerism.
'The Space Merchants' is a fast-paced story with plot twists around each corner, but it's merits lie in the predictions its made. Corporations subduing governments and the poor? Check. McCarthyist attitudes towards conservationists? Check. Stem cell meat? You betcha. (However, the fact that everyone is hooked on cigarettes betrays its age.) If you like your science fiction dripping in sarcasm, then grab a cup of Coffiest to drown out the bitter aftertaste of consumerism.