Reviews

The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl

moorelaborate's review against another edition

3.0

It's fun to see what retro sci fi thought of consumerism, but as usual the other problems of the era shine brighter. I would have preferred a different ending although not enough to invest time into the next in the series.

mrising1's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

It's a kitchy Sci-fi from the 50's. Plot conveniences, and heavy-handed messages, but it's fun and makes some solid critiques on society both at the time and currently.

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 against another edition

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.

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. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia and Sexism

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