Frederik Pohl (1919–2013)

Latham, Rob

doi:10.5621/sciefictstud.41.1.0233

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“…As Michael R. Page suggests, all this and more 'helped shaped the field of science fiction in significant ways', such that 'One can hardly claim to know science fiction without in some way having to encounter Frederik Pohl' (2015). Indeed, following his death in 2013, Science Fiction Studies published an obituary for Pohl, claiming that: 'He was the closest thing to a "Renaissance man" the genre has ever produced' (Latham, 2014). Not only that, but just like the greatest artists of the Renaissance period, so Pohl's influence can still be felt to this day, with many writers owing some debt to his work, and his lasting legacy as an agent, editor and author, laying the groundwork for the genre as it stands today.…”

Section: The Human Robotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from science fiction: Frederik Pohl and the robot prosumer

Ryder

2020

Journal of Consumer Culture

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The diverse fields of business, management and marketing have long explored the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – the producer-consumer who not only consumes those products produced by industry, but also has some hand in their creation. But while the term itself is often credited to futurist Alvin Toffler , the concept he describes (and that which Ritzer et al. adapt) is a central concern of science fiction, which has much to offer our understanding of modern-day prosumption and is not limited by the language and limitations of purely scientific academic discourse. Indeed, one of the most important voices in this area is author and editor Frederik Pohl, with his co-authored novel The Space Merchants and short stories including ‘The Midas Plague’ and ‘The Man Who Ate the World’. In each of these works, Pohl seeks to satirise the mindless robot-like behaviour of human beings, while also posing a word of warning for the social, economic and ecological impact mass-prosumption. This is a particularly relevant message given the rise of ‘surveillance capitalism’ – the real world manifestation of the dystopias that Pohl and his contemporaries describe. In this paper, I argue that science fiction isn’t just a useful tool for social theorists, but rather, a vital resource, as it provides a speculative framework through which to interrogate the potential impacts and implications of new technology, and the links between production and consumption, technology and work. Furthermore, it provides the means through which to imagine possible futures and the lasting impacts of consumption that go beyond describing the world as it is, and move into the realms of what the world may become.

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Section: The Human Robotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lessons from science fiction: Frederik Pohl and the robot prosumer

Ryder

2020

Journal of Consumer Culture

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Frederik Pohl (1919–2013)

Cited by 1 publication

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Lessons from science fiction: Frederik Pohl and the robot prosumer

Lessons from science fiction: Frederik Pohl and the robot prosumer

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