Reviews

I think I like the ideas of this book, more than the actual book itself. Great world building, entertaining story, although the blight of a narrator "too stupid to live" was annoying. Like so much sci-fi the main theme of this book was thought provoking, but I in the end I had little sympathy for the "good guys". Maybe it's because we live a in world where ridiculous companies like PETA exist and where twitter armies will descend on randoms they disagree with, but I have little sympathy for a group of people who will happily ruining a man's life because he had the "wrong" sort of politics.

annniina98's review against another edition

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3.0

I don't know how I feel about this book. I like the writing style, it was so vivid and fast to read. But I didn't really enjoy the story that much. I didn't not like it, I just don't have any strong feelings 😅 Sometimes it was interesting, sometimes really boring. I'd say that if the book sounds interesting to you, go ahead and read it. It isn't bad in any way.

The main character Mitch Courtenay works in advertising. His company is in charge of getting people interested in moving to Venus. But not everyone is happy with him working with the project and he finds himself in the middle of multiple competing plans, some of which want to get rid of him.

yvarg's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

beansprout562's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

outcolder's review against another edition

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3.0

After all the hype from Kingsley Amis and others I guess my expectations were too high. It has some pretty cool moments though, the "chicken little" scene for example. The whole premise -- the ad man/ mad men utopia is a workers' dystopia -- is wonderful and makes a good setting for some rich, cynical humor, and yet this book is still very 1950s in a lot of ways. I also felt like it was a bit rushed. The plot especially had a Perils of Pauline feel. But maybe I just wasn't in the right mood.

empress_alygator's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.75

badseedgirl's review against another edition

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3.0

When I first started reading Space Merchants by Frederick Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, I just assumed it was their attempt to cash in on the “Mad Men craze”. I mean what was I to think a story about a futuristic society where advertisers rule the world, literally. The little voice in my head, which has helped me write other reviews said, “Well this is a good Mad Men rip off, but I mean I would expect more from a supposed ‘Grand Master’ of Science fiction.” (What can I say that little voice can be pretty bitchy at times.) It was only when I was 90% through with the novel that I realized that although the edition of the novel I was reading was published in 2011, the original novel was actually published in 1952! This took what my inner voice assumed was a novel about the natural extension of today’s “Native Ads” ,where a paid advertisement is written up as a legitimate news article, to its dark and sinister conclusion, and turns it into a prophetic vision of the future.

Hello, this is Badseedgirl’s little voice in her head. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize sincerely to Mr. Pohl (yes I know he is dead, but still), and Mr. Kornbluth (Yes I know he is also dead). I should have known better than to doubt you skills and consider you just one more in a series of hack writers jumping on the band wagon of a famous TV series just to make some quick scratch (I’m talking to you Walking Dead clones on paper.)

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