Gone But Not Forgotten:
Science Fiction Genius C. M. Kornbluth
Compiled and edited by Heribert E. Severing, M.D.
Even though having died age 35, Cyril M. Kornbluth wrote a lot of good
science fiction, on his own or teaming up with Frederik Pohl. But he
never did get the fame he
deserved.
The
Biography and Works...
Cyril M. Kornbluth was born in New York City in 1923. Being an active part
of the science-fiction fandom in the 30's he started professional writing
age 15, a member of the Futurians. By the early 40's quite a number
of his stories had been publicised in several magazines under several
aliases of whom S.D. Gottesman and Cecil Corman were the
most frequent.
After spending some time for university studies in Chicago, he served
with the Army in Europe during WW II.
In the post-war years, he went for university studies on the G.I. Bill to
Chicago again, he worked with Trans Radio Press there up to the year of 1951,
when he took to professional writing for a living.
His best known novels
resulted from the fruitful cooperation with Frederik Pohl. The most important
were The Space Merchants (1953), Search the Sky (1954, and
Wolfbane (1959, shortly after his untimely death). It was Space
Merchants that took its place in SF's hall of fame as being one of the
most biting satirical novels ever written in the genre. Important parts of
the novel were written by Kornbluth and showed his ability of society-critical
and satirical writing.
Besides of Frederik Pohl, C.M. Kornbluth teamed up with
Judith
Merril. The novels Outpost Mars and Gunner Cade (1952)
were released, the author being named as Cyril Judd.
But also the novels he did on his own, like Takeoff (1952), The
Syndic (1953), and Not This August are highly remarkable.
Even more important were his short stories. Some of his best are The Marching
Morons (Galaxy 4/'51), The Little Black Bag (Astounding Science
Fiction 7/'50), The Altar at Midnight (Galaxy 11/'52) and Ms.
Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science
Fiction 7/'57).
Kornbluth's novels and stories showed a turn to the soft sciences (social
and psychological) for the first time.
Even though he was suffering from 'malign hypertension' and died from a heart
attack at age 35 in 1958, he led SF into the next decade and to new horizons.
CYRIL M.
KORNBLUTH
 |
His Share of Glory
The Complete Short Science Fiction of C.M. Kornbluth
A release by
The NESFA Press
Post Office Box 809
Framingham, MA 01701-0203
ISBN 0-915368-60-9
Price $27.00
You may
order
the book via Amazon.com right here.
|
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This page was launched in November 1996.
Revised on February 8, 2004.
© 1996-2002 Cyberherb/Luna-City.com Heribert E.
Severing
C. M. Kornbluth's
Short Fiction