Short Fiction

Written by Frederik Pohl (with C. M. Kornbluth), Short Fiction presents a science fiction, shorts first published in 1942-62. Frederik Pohl (with C. M. Kornbluth) uses the form to consider speculation, discovery, and the consequences of unfamiliar ideas, keeping the emphasis on how ideas become choices, conflicts, and consequences. Rather than depending on topical novelty, the book builds its interest through the interaction of character, situation, and idea. Form and tone matter throughout, with an imaginative style shaped by invention, tension, and intellectual curiosity. At roughly 141,243 words with a fairly easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. The work remains relevant through its place in the development of speculative literature and its continuing questions about progress and humanity. Readers drawn to science fiction, shorts and speculation will find a work that combines a distinct period voice with questions that remain recognizable today.