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Frederik Pohl

フレデリック・ポール

Furederikku Po-ru

Aliases: Frederik George Pohl Jr.
Pen Names: Edson McCann（One of the pseudonyms used in collaborations and early works）, James MacCreigh（Pseudonym used for solo short fiction）, S. D. Gottesman（Used in collaborations with Cyril M. Kornbluth）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1919-11-26 （New York City, U.S.）
Died
2013-09-02 （Palatine, Illinois, U.S.） age 93
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Brooklyn (childhood–) → Middletown, New Jersey (long-term residence) → Palatine, Illinois (from 1984)

Career

Occupations
novelist, short story writer, essayist, editor, literary agent, publisher, fan
Active Years
1937-2011
Influenced By
Donald A. Wollheim, Isaac Asimov, Damon Knight, Cyril M. Kornbluth
Influenced
David Brin, Cory Doctorow, Robert J. Sawyer

Education

Brooklyn Technical High School
Period: 在学中に中退（17歳で中退）
Country: United States
Dropped out at 17; awarded an honorary diploma in 2009.

Awards

John W. Campbell Memorial Award (Best Science Fiction Novel)
1978
Work: Gateway
Category: 長編
Organization: John W. Campbell Memorial Award committee
Result: 受賞
John W. Campbell Memorial Award (juried)
1985
Work: The Years of the City
Category: 短篇集/ノヴェラ集
Organization: John W. Campbell Memorial Award committee
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award for Best Novel
1978
Work: Gateway
Category: 長編
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (Worldcon)
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award for Best Novel
1976
Work: Man Plus
Category: 長編
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award for Best Novel
1977
Work: Gateway
Category: 長編
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
National Book Award
1980
Work: Jem
Category: Science Fiction（1980年の一時的カテゴリ）
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: 受賞
Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award (SFWA)
1993
Category: 功労賞
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer
2010
Work: The Way the Future Blogs (blog)
Category: ファンライター
Organization: World Science Fiction Society (Worldcon)
Result: 受賞
Locus Award for Best Non-Fiction
1979
Work: The Way the Future Was
Category: ノンフィクション
Organization: Locus
Result: 受賞
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (inductee)
1998
Category: 殿堂入り
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame / Museum of Pop Culture
Result: 殿堂入り

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Gateway

1977 Science fiction (space opera / SF)

A story centered on prospectors using remnants of alien Heechee ships to explore space from a mining station called Gateway; it focuses on the protagonist's psychology and the risks and rewards of encountering alien technology.

alien technologyeconomic exploitationpsychology and trauma
Translations
  • Gateway (translated into multiple languages)

Man Plus

1976 Science fiction (hard SF / cybernetics)

Follows a human modified to survive on Mars (the 'Man Plus'), exploring bodily augmentation and the transformation of humanity.

body modificationtechnology vs. humanityCold War politics
Translations
  • Man Plus (translated editions exist)

Jem

1979 Science fiction

A novel addressing political and social themes, including elements tied to South Africa and race, exploring technology and societal change.

politics and societyraceimpact of technology
Translations
  • Jem (translated editions exist)

The Years of the City

1984 Science fiction (linked novellas)

A collection of linked novellas about a city and its transformations, offering portrayals and critiques of future urban life.

citiessocial change

All the Lives He Led

2011 Autobiographical novel / SF

Pohl's late novel with autobiographical elements; his final long novel published in 2011.

recollectionlife and career

Bibliography

  • Gateway (1977)
  • Man Plus (1976)
  • Jem (1979)
  • The Years of the City (1984)
  • The Way the Future Was (autobiography, 1978)
  • All the Lives He Led (2011)

Adaptations

  • Gateways: Original New Stories Inspired by Frederik Pohl

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear, pragmatic prosesatirical and socially critical elementshard-SF emphasis on scientific background
Recurring Motifs
consumerism and advertisinghuman transformation by technologypower of institutions and corporations

Legacy

Frederik Pohl was a leading figure in late-20th-century English-language science fiction as both writer and editor; he revitalized magazines, won major awards for works like Gateway, and influenced later writers with his blend of social satire and scientific imagination.

Museums

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (Museum of Pop Culture) Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Academic Societies

  • SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America)

In Popular Culture

  • Influenced contemporary authors; inspired the Gateways anthology

Quotes

  • Pohl's Law: "Nothing is so good that somebody, somewhere will not hate it."
    Source: Attributed to Pohl in interviews and writings

Trivia

  • Co-founder of the Futurians fan group.
  • Used many pen names for collaborations and early works.
  • Served in the U.S. Army as an Air Corps weatherman during World War II.