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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.
wincher2031's review against another edition
4.0
A partially prophetic corporate conspiracy thriller with enough surprising twists and romantic melodrama to engage spy-fi and sci-fi readers alike. I found advertising exec Mitch Courtenay's odyssey to be both a satire of McCarthyist paranoia in the 1950s and a cautionary tale of commercialism gone too far. The morally grey characters are also a plus: often times there seem to be no clear cut heroes or villains, letting the reader interpret rather than derailing the story in favour of one-sided lectures. Overall, it deserves its label as a classic and it's a great starting point for any who are new to SF.
morninglightmountain's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
An odd one. I'm not sure how I think of this. It definitely has many elements that are quite modern. And it is a view of capitalism that could easily have been source material for Rollerball. A short book, and definitely with rough patches. The sequel apparently was written much later, it'll be curious to compare.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
3.0
I will never forget Chicken Little. That is certainly an image stuck in my mind from now until the day I die.
xeyra's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't much know what to expect from this book. I sure expected more hardcore science-fiction than what I got, but it's actually a good thing I got something else, to feed my fascination with dystopian societies. The story is a very interesting look at a future where the great god of Sales rules over the life of all individuals, to the point the world is divided between the executives... and the consumers, second-class citizens whose only purpose, according to those higher up in the social hierarchy, is to buy and keep on feeding commerce.
Moreover, it seems commercial assassinations are game in this world, as long as you warn beforehand... a vision of the future that can be quite frighteningly convincing. As a reviewer of this book said, this is a terribly timely dystopian satire, dealing with capitalism and consumist culture taken into extremes. An incredible book that will make you think, long after you've read it. A complete page-turner. I recommend it.
Moreover, it seems commercial assassinations are game in this world, as long as you warn beforehand... a vision of the future that can be quite frighteningly convincing. As a reviewer of this book said, this is a terribly timely dystopian satire, dealing with capitalism and consumist culture taken into extremes. An incredible book that will make you think, long after you've read it. A complete page-turner. I recommend it.
heathengray's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Mitch Courtney is 'copysmith' for a prestigious advertising company in the near future where corporation rule, and people serve - even the ones who think they're in charge. Soon after being put in charge of the advertising (and therefore, in this future, the actual science) of getting people to Venus, he's press-ganged against his will and shunted to the lower castes of society. Then he gets to see how the other 90% live.
It's an old trope the plot of this novel(Successful person gets fouled up, ends up on the other side working for the resistance) , but since it came out in 1952, it may have been one of the first. I was dazzled by this. A dystopia novel that should be mentioned along with 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451, this is as prescient as any of them, but whereas Huxley wrote of people being entertained until death, Pohl and Kornbluth write of people spending to death. When you see how many corporations dictate law and policy, how many push the boundary of human decency and safety for a sale, the comic undertone of Space Merchants is welcome relief.
I kept thinking of the movie Total Recall when reading this. Which is no bad thing. And honestly this would make a neat 80s action movie. But if you can think Mad Men in Space, then you're half way there.
It's an old trope the plot of this novel
I kept thinking of the movie Total Recall when reading this. Which is no bad thing. And honestly this would make a neat 80s action movie. But if you can think Mad Men in Space, then you're half way there.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism and Homophobia
There's a fair bit of sexism, but also a swing in the other directions where women go from fainting dames to sadistic torturers or resistance heroes. Also, there's some minor asides about pretty guys sharing a dorm and what they get up to, but nothing explicit. Homosexuality is definitely frowned upon in this future. But then so too is saying no to advertisements.jeremyjfloyd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
Cynicism at its thought provoking best!
Brilliantly written in the 1950s, The Space Merchants is a deeply cynical and darkly prescient dystopian novel in which advertising, conspicuous consumption and capitalism have run rampant in a world beset with overpopulation and environmental degradation.
Mitch Courtenay is an executive copywriter with Fowler Schocken, an advertising agency that has been given the task of selling the notion of colonizing Venus, an environmental hell-hole, to an over-populated and environmentally stressed earth. Courtenay, born with a proverbial silver spoon in his mouth and unaccustomed to anything but a pampered lifestyle is attacked by a deadly corporate conspiracy, robbed of his identity and imprisoned in an impoverished third world environment, the very existence of which came as a complete shock to him.
At the end of the day, whether you believe Courtenay to be an incorrigible villain or a reformed conservationist, The Space Merchants is a soft sci-fi classic well ahead of its time that explores thought-provoking themes and disturbing political issues that will be with us for many years to come. A gripping novel that well deserves it place in classic sci-fi libraries.
Paul Weiss
Brilliantly written in the 1950s, The Space Merchants is a deeply cynical and darkly prescient dystopian novel in which advertising, conspicuous consumption and capitalism have run rampant in a world beset with overpopulation and environmental degradation.
Mitch Courtenay is an executive copywriter with Fowler Schocken, an advertising agency that has been given the task of selling the notion of colonizing Venus, an environmental hell-hole, to an over-populated and environmentally stressed earth. Courtenay, born with a proverbial silver spoon in his mouth and unaccustomed to anything but a pampered lifestyle is attacked by a deadly corporate conspiracy, robbed of his identity and imprisoned in an impoverished third world environment, the very existence of which came as a complete shock to him.
At the end of the day, whether you believe Courtenay to be an incorrigible villain or a reformed conservationist, The Space Merchants is a soft sci-fi classic well ahead of its time that explores thought-provoking themes and disturbing political issues that will be with us for many years to come. A gripping novel that well deserves it place in classic sci-fi libraries.
Paul Weiss
joelevard's review
3.0
Great fun if "Mad Men in space" sounds like money to you. In the future, all women will revert to 1950s stereotypes, and all men will be Don Draper.