C. M. Kornbluth

Pen-names: Ivar Towers; S. D. Gottesman; Arthur Cooke; Cecil Corwin; Simon Eisner Walter C. Davies; Kenneth Falconer; Paul Dennis Lavond; Scott Mariner; ----------------------- "The Advent On Channel Twelve" © Star Science Fiction # 4, 1958 The Best Of C. Kornbluth, 1976 "The Altar at Midnight" © Galaxy, Nov 1952 The Explorers, 1954 The Mindworm and Other Stories, 1955 --/ cool sf story --/ style award "Before the Universe" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) (Clair & Gaynor Series) © Super Science Stories, Jul 1940 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award --/ humour award "Best Friend" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) © Super Science Stories, May 1941 The Wonder Effect, 1962 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "Dominoes" © New Worlds, Oct 1954 Marching Morons and Others, 1959 --/ cool sf story "The Education of Tigress Macardle" © Venture, Jul 1957 "Everybody Knows Joe" © Fantastic Universe, Oct 1953 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 --/ cool sf story "The Extrapolated Dimwit" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) (Clair & Gaynor Series) © Future, Oct 1942 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award --/ humour award ---------------------------------------------- "Gravy Planet" (with Frederick Pohl) (exp. into "The Space Merchants") © Galaxy, Jun 1952 1956, Ballantine Books --book : 1956 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll /22 (tie) --book : 1966 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll /22 --all time novel : 1975 Locus All-Time Poll /24 (tie) --/ cool sf novel Some say that this is also a "classic science fiction novel". It definitely has been influential, but as for the joy of reading... I have to make a point here. Not all classics (critically approved) are easily digestable. Some are boring. Some are beyond boring. Some are beyond the beyond (when you get angry at the critics to the point of manslaughter). Most "classics" will leave you cold (for the simple reason of being out-dated, out-of-style... like a dry stolid trunk of a tree vs. lively off-shoot branches and flowers. It gave life to a variety of styles and then got slowly cooked in the gooey amber of ceaseless critical praise) That might be an exageration, but I have a certain distrust (and lower expectations) when I approach something labeled as "classic". Unless that classic really entered my life, shaped it and earned the title (and that might be entirely subjective experience, having nothing to do with literary values). Back to this novel - it's boring. Not beyond boring (a category reserved for the curious oddities of schlock), but simply an uninvolving "social commentary" on the perils of greed in a capitalist society... as though we haven't heard about that stuff already. Revolutionary for its time, this condemning tract lacks color and vision. Go soak in a jacuzzi, drink Irish Cream and forget about this novel. To provide a counterpoint to my opinion, here is a link to a positive review. review: 11-Sep-06 (read in 1988) ---------------------------------------------- "Gomez" © 1954, The Explorers New Worlds, Feb 1955 The Mindworm, 1955 --/ cool sf story "Hollow of the Moon" (as Gabriel Barklay) © 1940, Super Science Stories --/ cool sf story --/ rare find "Kazam Collects" (as by S. D. Gottesman) © Stirring Science Stories, Jun 1941 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 --/ cool sf story "King Cole of Pluto" (as by S. D. Gottesman) © 1940, Super Science Stories "The Last Man Left in the Bar" © Infinity Science Fiction, Oct 1957 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 --/ cool sf story --/ style award "The Little Black Bag" © Astounding, Jul 1950 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 --short fiction : 1971 Astounding/Analog --novelette : 1999 Locus All-Time Poll/20 (tie) --novelette : 2001 Retro Hugo W --/ cool sf story "The Luckiest Man in Denver" (as by Simon Eisner) © Galaxy, Jun 1952 The Mindworm and Other Stories, 1955 Marching Morons and Others, 1959 --/ cool sf story "Make Mine Mars" © Science Fiction Adventures, Nov 1952 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 --/ cool sf story "The Marching Morons" © Galaxy, Apr 1951 The Mindworm and Other Stories, 1955 Marching Morons and Others, 1959 --/ cool sf story --/ idea award --/ style award "Mars Child" (with Judith Merril) (as Cyril Judd) (also as "Sin in Space" and "Outpost Mars") © Galaxy, May 1951 Dell Books, 1953 --/ cool sf novella "Mars-Tube" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) © Astonishing Stories, Sep 1941 The Wonder Effect, 1962 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "The Meeting" (with Frederik Pohl) © F&SF, Nov 1972 Critical Mass, 1977 --short story : 1973 Hugo W (tie) --short fiction : 1973 Locus /9 --/ cool sf story "The Mindworm" © Worlds Beyond, Dec 1950 The Explorers, 1954 The Mindworm and Other Stories, 1955 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "Mute Inglorious Tam" (with Frederik Pohl) © F&SF, Oct 1974 Critical Mass, 1977 --short story : 1975 Locus /19 --/ cool sf story "Nova Midplane" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) (Clair & Gaynor Series) © Super Science Stories, Nov 1940 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "The Only Thing We Learn" © Startling Stories, Jul 1949 The Marching Morons, 1959 --/ cool sf story "Outpost Mars" (nv) (with Judith Merril) (as Cyril Judd) (also as "Mars Child" and "Sin in Space") © 1951, Galaxy, May-July Dell Books, 1953 --/ cool sf novel "The Quaker Cannon" (with Frederik Pohl) © Analog, Aug 1961 The Wonder Effect, 1962 "The Rocket of 1955" (as by Cecil Corwin) © Escape, 1939 1941, Stirring Science Stories 1951, Worlds Beyond The Explorers, 1954 The Mindworm and Othes, 1955 --/ cool sf story "Search the Sky" (nv) (with Frederik Pohl) © 1955, Ballantine Books --/ cool sf novel "Sin in Space" (with Judith Merril) (as Cyril Judd) (also as "Mars Child" and "Outpost Mars") © 1951, Galaxy, May-July Dell Books, 1953 --/ cool sf story ---------------------------------------------- "The Space Merchants" (nv) (with Frederick Pohl) (also as "Gravy Planet") © Galaxy, Jun 1952 1956, Ballantine Books --book : 1956 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll /22 (tie) --book : 1966 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll /22 --all time novel : 1975 Locus All-Time Poll /24 (tie) --/ cool sf novel Some say that this is also a "classic science fiction novel". It definitely has been influential, but as for the joy of reading... I have to make a point here. Not all classics (critically approved) are easily digestable. Some are boring. Some are beyond boring. Some are beyond the beyond (when you get angry at the critics to the point of manslaughter). Most "classics" will leave you cold (for the simple reason of being out-dated, out-of-style... like a dry stolid trunk of a tree vs. lively off-shoot branches and flowers. It gave life to a variety of styles and then got slowly cooked in the gooey amber of ceaseless critical praise) That might be an exageration, but I have a certain distrust (and lower expectations) when I approach something labeled as "classic". Unless that classic really entered my life, shaped it and earned the title (and that might be entirely subjective experience, having nothing to do with literary values). Back to this novel - it's boring. Not beyond boring (a category reserved for the curious oddities of schlock), but simply an uninvolving "social commentary" on the perils of greed in a capitalist society... as though we haven't heard about that stuff already. Revolutionary for its time, this condemning tract lacks color and vision. Go soak in a jacuzzi, drink Irish Cream and forget about this novel. To provide a counterpoint to my opinion, here is a link to a positive review. review: 11-Sep-06 (read in 1988) ---------------------------------------------- "That Share of Glory" © Astounding, Jan 1952 The Explorers, 1954 --/ cool sf story "Trouble in Time" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by S. D. Gottesman) © Astonishing Stories, Dec 1940 The Wonder Effect, 1962 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "Two Dooms" © Venture Science Fiction, Jul 1958 A Mile Beyond The Moon, 1958 hc --/ cool sf novella --/ wonder award "Vacant World" (with Frederik Pohl) (as by Dirk Wylie) © Super Science Stories, Jan 1941 Before the Universe, 1980 --/ fourth place sf story --/ wonder award --/ adventure award "Virginia" © Venture, Mar 1958 A Mile Beyond the Moon, 1958 "The World of Myrion Flowers" (with Frederik Pohl) © F&SF, Oct 1961 The Wonder Effect, 1962 ----------------------------

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