The Space Merchants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Cover of first edition (hardcover) |
|
| Author | Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction/Satire |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Released | 1953 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 179 pp |
| ISBN | NA |
| Followed by | The Merchant's War |
The Space Merchants is a science fiction novel by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth that was first published in book form in 1953 (having been published in Galaxy Science Fiction, a magazine, in 1952).
The book is widely regarded as an SF classic. It is also ahead of its time in stressing the importance of limiting population growth and conserving natural resources.
[edit] Plot introduction
In a vastly overpopulated world, the economy has replaced all political systems, and states exist merely to ensure the survival of huge trans-national corporations, which in fact hold all political power. Advertising has become hugely aggressive and by far the most well paid profession. Through advertising, the public is constantly deluded into thinking that the quality of life is improved by all the products placed on the market. However, the most basic elements are incredibly scarce, including water and fuel. The planet Venus has just been visited and judged fit for human settlement, despite the fact that it wouldn't be the most hospitable environment, and the colonists would have to endure a harsh climate for many generations until it's terraformed.
Mitch Courtenay is a star-class copywriter in the Fowler Schocken advertising agency who has been tasked with turning Venus into an attractive proposition for potential colonists. But a lot more is happening than he knows about. It soon becomes a tale of mystery and intrigue, in which quite a lot of the characters are not what they seem, and Mitch Courtenay changes drastically from the person we first see.
