Frederik Pohl is reported to have died earlier today. An extremely important figure in SF history, as a writer and as an editor. He and I would never see eye to eye on any number of things (mostly politics), but his work had a hand in shaping my world view and my writing...
Posted by MattLeo (Member # 9331) on :
I just got the news myself. He posted on his blog up to the yesterday, the day he died. I recently critiqued his novel GATEWAY here.
As for his politics, he knew how to incorporate it in a story without preaching or or being ham-handed. The problem with most political viewpoints in writing is they come across as the authorial thumb not-so-subtly pressed down on the worldbuilding scales; Pohl had the gift of writing credibly, of leaving things on the page that reward careful reading.
Posted by History (Member # 9213) on :
Sadly, yet another loss of one of the golden age masters. Many thanks and G-d bless.