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heathengray's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Mitch Courtney is 'copysmith' for a prestigious advertising company in the near future where corporation rule, and people serve - even the ones who think they're in charge. Soon after being put in charge of the advertising (and therefore, in this future, the actual science) of getting people to Venus, he's press-ganged against his will and shunted to the lower castes of society. Then he gets to see how the other 90% live.
It's an old trope the plot of this novel(Successful person gets fouled up, ends up on the other side working for the resistance) , but since it came out in 1952, it may have been one of the first. I was dazzled by this. A dystopia novel that should be mentioned along with 1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451, this is as prescient as any of them, but whereas Huxley wrote of people being entertained until death, Pohl and Kornbluth write of people spending to death. When you see how many corporations dictate law and policy, how many push the boundary of human decency and safety for a sale, the comic undertone of Space Merchants is welcome relief.
I kept thinking of the movie Total Recall when reading this. Which is no bad thing. And honestly this would make a neat 80s action movie. But if you can think Mad Men in Space, then you're half way there.
It's an old trope the plot of this novel
I kept thinking of the movie Total Recall when reading this. Which is no bad thing. And honestly this would make a neat 80s action movie. But if you can think Mad Men in Space, then you're half way there.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism and Homophobia
There's a fair bit of sexism, but also a swing in the other directions where women go from fainting dames to sadistic torturers or resistance heroes. Also, there's some minor asides about pretty guys sharing a dorm and what they get up to, but nothing explicit. Homosexuality is definitely frowned upon in this future. But then so too is saying no to advertisements.
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