Frederik Pohl (middle) in 1938
Frederik Pohl in 1968
To remain culturally relevant for seventy-six years is a rare accomplishment for any writer. Frederik Pohl’s career as a professional writer began in 1937, and ended this last Monday with his death. His last published novel was in 2011, and he was working on a second volume of autobiography when he died. His blog, The Way the Future Blogs, was one of my favourites on the web in recent years — and his stories and novels were among my favourites when I was growing up. He found new readers with each decade of his long career. His influence as an editor was equally significant. The field of Science Fiction owes much to him, though he was never a flashy attention-getter, never the subject of a personality cult. At SF conventions, he remained just a fan, someone to chat with amiably at a party, who did not care whether you were a big shot or a pimply teenager. I can vouch for that from personal experience. Ascerbic wit co-existed with gentleness and humanity in his demeanor. He was, as they used to say on the stage, “a class act.”
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