Wednesday, September 04, 2013

The last of his kind

One of the original science fiction writers, editors and fans has passed.

Frederik Pohl was a founding member of the Futurians, along with Isaac Asimov, Donald Wollheim, Damon Knight, Cyril Kornbluth and others of blessed memory. He edited Galaxy and If magazines, in whose pages I had my first introduction to the joys of sci-fi pulpdom. His 1978 memoir The Way the Future Was is a fascinating insight into the history of my favorite writers and literature.

Even at the age of 93, the man simply could not stop writing. His blog covered on sci-fi, politics (from a very left-wing perspective) and other topics, often several times a day. He blogged Monday morning, and died Monday afternoon, a departure befitting his life.

Travel in elephants, sir.