Frederik Pohl's Blog, page 31

For the science-minded among us, there's a home scientific experiment that you might like to try. For it, you will need the following research materials:
4–6 little opaque cups with lids
1 piece of tasty dog food
1 baby about 1 year old
1 pet dog
1 domesticated wolf
[...]

How I Came to Edit Frederik Pohl
Guest post by James Frenkel
For years I wanted to edit the works of Frederik Pohl. I loved his fiction, and not just the novels, but a lot of his stories as well. I also thought he was a terrific editor, because I read Galaxy and Worlds of If magazines [...]

 

"And though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple, who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter."
—John Milton

The conclusion of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 
Audience: What's it like to start writing the next book after you have written, say, The Demolished Man?
Bester: I've just finished a book about a month ago and I'm absolutely pooped — [...]

Part 7 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 
Pohl: I want to tell you something about this arrogance that you were talking about. It is not just editors, although the best in science fiction have been pretty insufferable in one way [...]

Part 6 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 
Pohl: I've just realized something very significant. Of all the science fiction writers in the English-speaking world who began in the late '30s and '40s who have survived since and done reasonably well, [...]

Part 5 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 

Audience: Could you elaborate on how you co-write with someone?
Pohl: With Cyril Kornbluth? Well, it's different with different people. It's like being married! Incidentally, Alfie, have you ever collaborated on fiction?
Bester: [...]

Part 4 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 

Bester: I'm curious, Fred. Where did you get the idea for The Space Merchants?
Pohl: The Space Merchants has a long history. During World War II, I was with the American Air Force [...]

Part 3 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
 
Pohl: Now, getting back to where ideas come from, I'd like to hear from you, Alfie. I want to know where you get your ideas from. Specifically I want to know where you [...]

Part 2 of "Alfred Bester and Frederik Pohl — The Conversation," recorded 26 June 1978 at The Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.


Bester: It's kind of peculiar, we are finally accepted — the Johnny-come-latelys are now talking about "sci-fi," which is an abbreviation which I loathe. But what makes me very curious is what [...]