The Space Merchants

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.)