Cyril M. Kornbluth

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Cyril M. Kornbluth (born July 23, 1923 in New York , † March 21, 1958 in Chicago ) was an American science fiction writer and member of the Futurians .

Life

Kornbluth was the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants and grew up in New York. At a young age he became a member of the Futurians , an influential group of SF writers, where he made friends with important authors and editors such as Isaac Asimov , Frederik Pohl and Donald A. Wollheim , and met his future wife. He served in the American Army during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star for his service with the heavy machine guns during the Battle of the Bulge . After the war, he finished his drafted-interrupted studies at the University of Chicago .

He died of a heart attack on a train station platform at the age of 34 after running to get his train.

plant

Well-known short stories by him are The Little Black Bag (for which he received the "Retro" Hugo Award posthumously in 2001 ), The Marching Morons , The Altar at Midnight , Ms. Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie , Gomez and The Advent of Channel 12 . Probably the best known, The Marching Morons , satirically describes an overpopulated world consisting of a few geniuses and many stupid people, with the geniuses working desperately in the background to keep the world going. The interesting thing is that the reader begins to identify with the oppressed geniuses.

Kornbluth wrote in the 1950s together with Frederik Pohl 's novel The Space Merchants (on German A handful of Venus and honest merchants ), a dark future vision of an overpopulated Earth , on the mass of the people by the leaders less rival corporations is suppressed.

He used a number of pseudonyms such as Cecil Corwin, SD Gottesman, Edward J. Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, Walter C. Davies, Simon Eisner, and Jordan Park (the latter two for his non-science fiction work) . The novels, written together with Judith Merril , appeared under the common name of Cyril Judd .

His collected short stories were published in 1997 under His Share of Glory: The Complete Short Fiction of CM Kornbluth .

Awards

bibliography

Novels
  • Mars Child (1951, also as Outpost Mars , 1952, with Judith Merril , as Cyril Judd, also as Sin in Space , 1952, as Cyril Judd)
    • German: Children of Mars. In: Galaxis Science Fiction , # 3- # 6, Moewig, 1958. Also as: Children of Mars. Moewig (Terra Extra # 152), 1967. Also as: Mars outstation. Ullstein Science Fiction & Fantasy # 31087, 1984, ISBN 3-548-31087-7 .
  • The Space Merchants (1953, originally as Gravy Planet , 1952, with Frederik Pohl)
    • English: A handful of Venus and honorable merchants. Translated by Helga Wingert-Uhde. Marion von Schröder (Science Fiction & Fantastica), 1971, ISBN 3-547-77546-9 . Also: Heyne (Library of Science Fiction Literature # 4), 1982, ISBN 3-453-30794-1 . Also as: A handful of Venus. Translated by Helga Wingert-Uhde, revised by Werner Bauer. Heyne (Science Fiction Masterpieces), 2008, ISBN 978-3-453-52394-4 .
  • Gunner Cade (1952, with Judith Merril, also as Cyril Judd)
    • German: The traitor. Pabel (Utopia Grossband # 72), 1958. Also called: The Rebellion of the Sagittarius Cade. Ullstein 2000 # 10 (2839), 1971, ISBN 3-548-12839-4 .
  • Takeoff (1952)
    • German: Start to the moon. Pabel (Utopia Grossband # 76), 1958.
  • The Naked Storm (1952, as Simon Eisner)
  • The Syndic (1953)
    • German: Black Dynasty. Translated by F. Klaus. Pabel (Utopia Kriminal # 24), 1957. Also: Translated by Leni Sobez. Pabel (Terra Taschenbuch # 245), 1974. Also: Black Dynasty. Translated by Peter Robert. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Bestseller # 22087, 1986, ISBN 3-404-22087-0 .
  • Half (1953, as Jordan Park)
  • Valerie (1953, as Jordan Park)
  • Search the Sky (1954, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: The final answer. Balowa bestseller des Kosmos # 222, 1960. Also: Moewig (Terra # 178), 1961. Also: The last answer. Translated by Fritz Steinberg. Heyne SF&F # 3321, 1972. Also: The last answer. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Bestseller # 22086, 1986, ISBN 3-404-22086-2 .
  • Gladiator at Law (1954, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: Gladiator of the Right. Balowa bestseller des Kosmos # 312, 1962. Also: Moewig (Terra # 402), 1962. Also as: The glass monkeys. Goldmann Science Fiction # 0224, 1976, ISBN 3-442-23224-4 .
  • Not This August (1955, also as: Christmas Eve , 1956)
    • German: Not this August. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Bestseller # 22078, 1985, 3-404-22078.
  • A Town Is Drowning (1955, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Presidential Year (1956, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Sorority House (1956, with Frederik Pohl, as Jordan Park)
  • Wolfbane (1957, 1959, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: world on new paths. Translated by Tony Westermayr. Goldmann's Space Pocket Books # 0136, 1972, ISBN 3-442-23136-1 .
  • The Man of Cold Rages (1958, with Frederik Pohl, as Jordan Park)
Collections
  • The Explorers (1954)
  • The Mindworm and Other Stories (1955)
  • A Mile Beyond the Moon (1958)
    • German: The words of the Guru. Goldmann Science Fiction # 0194, 1974, ISBN 3-442-23194-9 .
  • The Marching Morons (1959)
  • The Wonder Effect (1962, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Best SF Stories of CM Kornbluth (1968)
    • German: Herald im All. Goldmann's Space Paperback # 0108, 1969.
  • Thirteen O'Clock and Other Zero Hours (1970)
  • The Best of CM Kornbluth (1976)
  • Critical Mass (1977, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Before the Universe (1980, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Our Best: The Best of Frederik Pohl and CM Kornbluth (1987, with Frederik Pohl)
  • His Share of Glory: The Complete Short Science Fiction of CM Kornbluth (1997)
  • Eight Worlds of CM Kornbluth (2010)
  • The 34th Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapack (2016)

German compilations:

  • The altar at midnight. Science fiction stories. Suhrkamp (Fantastic Library Volume 189), 1987.
  • The thought worm. Fantastic stories. Suhrkamp (Fantastic Library Volume 195), 1987.
Short stories
  • The Purchase of the Crame (1939)
  • The Rocket of 1955 (1939, also as Cecil Corwin)
  • Before the Universe (1940, with Frederik Pohl, as SD Gottesman)
  • King Cole of Pluto (1940, as SD Gottesman)
  • Nova Midplane (1940, with Frederik Pohl, as SD Gottesman)
  • Trouble in Time (1940, with Frederik Pohl, as SD Gottesman)
    • German: The flaw in the premise. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • Vacant World (1940, with Frederik Pohl and Dirk Wylie, as Dirk Wylie)
  • Stepsons of Mars (1940, with Dirk Wylie and Richard Wilson , as Ivar Towers)
  • Best Friend (1941, with Frederik Pohl, also as SD Gottesman)
    • German: The voice of his master. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • Callistan Tomb (1941, with Frederik Pohl, as Paul Dennis Lavond)
  • Sir Mallory's Magnitude (1941, as SD Gottesman)
  • Thirteen O'Clock (combined version) (1941)
  • Dead Center (1941, as SD Gottesman)
  • Thirteen O'Clock (1941, also as Cecil Corwin)
  • Return from M-15 (1941, as SD Gottesman)
  • The Martians Are Coming (1941, with Donald A. Wollheim , as Robert AW Lowndes )
  • The Psychological Regulator (1941, as Arthur Cooke)
  • The Reversible Revolutions (1941, as Cecil Corwin)
  • A Prince of Pluto (1941, with Frederik Pohl, as Paul Dennis Lavond)
  • Exiles of New Planet (1941, with Frederik Pohl and Robert AW Lowndes, as Paul Dennis Lavond)
  • The Castle on Outerplanet (1941, with Frederik Pohl and Robert AW Lowndes, also as SD Gottesman)
  • Dimension of Darkness (1941, as SD Gottesman)
  • No Place to Go (1941, as Edward J. Bellin)
  • What Sorghum Says (1941, as Cecil Corwin)
  • Forgotten Tongue (1941, as Walter C. Davies)
  • Kazam Collects (1941, also as SD Gottesman)
    • German: Kazam or Paradise. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Mr. Packer Goes to Hell (1941, as Cecil Corwin)
  • The Words of Guru (1941, also as Kenneth Falconer)
    • German: The words of the Guru. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974. Also in: Isaac Asimov (ed.): The best stories from 1941. Moewig (Playboy Science Fiction # 6713), 1981, ISBN 3-8118-6713-X .
  • Fire-Power (1941, as SD Gottesman)
  • Interference (1941, as Walter C. Davies)
  • The City in the Sofa (1941, as Cecil Corwin)
  • Mars-Tube (1941, with Frederik Pohl, also as SD Gottesman)
    • German: Mars tunnel. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • Crisis! (1942, as Cecil Corwin)
  • Einstein's Planetoid (1942, with Frederik Pohl and Robert AW Lowndes, as Paul Dennis Lavond)
  • Masquerade (1942, as Kenneth Falconer)
  • The Golden Road (1942, as Cecil Corwin)
  • The Perfect Invasion (1942, as SD Gottesman)
  • The Core (1942, as SD Gottesman)
  • The Objective Approach (1942)
  • An Old Neptunian Custom (1942, with Frederik Pohl, as Scott Mariner)
  • The Extrapolated Dimwit (1942, with Robert AW Lowndes and Frederik Pohl)
  • Beer-Bottle Polka (1946)
  • The Only Thing We Learn (1949)
    • German: What we learn. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • The Little Black Bag (1950)
    • English: The little black bag. In: Herald in Space. 1969. Also in: Arthur C. Clarke (Ed.): Comet of Blindness. Heyne SF&F # 3239/3240, 1971.
  • Iteration (1950)
  • The Silly Season (1950)
    • German: Sauregurkenzeit. In: Donald A. Wollheim (ed.): The earth in danger. Moewig (Terra # 356), 1964. Also called: The Sauregurkenzeit. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • The Mindworm (1950)
    • German: The Mind Eater. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • Friend to Man (1951)
    • German: Philanthropist. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • The Marching Morons (1951)
  • With These Hands (1951)
    • German: With these hands. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • That Share of Glory (1952)
    • German: Herald im All. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • The Luckiest Man in Denv (1952, as Simon Eisner)
    • German: The happiest person in Denv. In: HJ Alpers (Ed.): Metropolis is burning! Moewig Science Fiction # 3591, 1982, ISBN 3-8118-3591-2 .
  • Make Mine Mars (1952)
    • English: The corrupt planet. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • The Altar at Midnight (1952)
    • English: The altar at midnight. In: Galaxy Science Fiction, # 10. Moewig, 1958. Also as: Sacrifice for humanity. In: Herald in Space. 1969. Also called: The altar at midnight. In: HJ Alpers, Werner Fuchs (ed.): The Fifties I. Edition SF in Hohenheim Verlag, 1981, ISBN 3-8147-0010-4 .
  • The Goodly Creatures (1952)
  • The Mask of Demeter (1953, with Donald A. Wollheim)
  • The Remorseful (1953)
    • German: The repentant. In: Frederik Pohl, Wolfgang Jeschke (eds.): Titan 1. Heyne SF&F # 3487, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30357-1 .
  • Time Bum (1953)
    • German: The Zeitgericht. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Dominoes (1953)
    • German: Domino. In: Frederik Pohl, Wolfgang Jeschke (eds.): Titan 1. Heyne SF&F # 3487, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30357-1 .
  • Sea-Change (1953, with Judith Merril, as Cyril Judd)
  • The Adventurer (1953)
    • German: The adventurer. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • The Meddlers (1953)
  • Everybody Knows Joe (1953)
    • German: This is Joe !. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Gomez (1954)
    • German: Gomez. In: Herald in Space. 1969.
  • I Never Ast No Favors (1954)
    • English: I never ask for favors. In: Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, Joseph Olander (eds.): Star mail: 1st delivery. Moewig (Playboy Science Fiction # 6733), 1983, ISBN 3-8118-6733-4 .
  • The Adventurers (1955)
  • The Cosmic Charge Account (1956, also as: The Cosmic Expense Account )
    • German: Bestseller. In: Anthony Boucher (Ed.): 20 Science Fiction Stories. Heyne Anthologies # 2, 1963.
  • The Engineer (1956, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: First of all - don't panic. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • MS. Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie (1957)
    • English: The tragic record of a missing person. In: Anthony Boucher (Ed.): 16 Science Fiction Stories. Heyne Anthologies # 5, 1964.
  • The Education of Tigress Macardle (1957, also as: The Education of Tigress McCardle )
  • The Slave (1957)
  • The Last Man Left in the Bar (1957)
    • German: The last man at the bar. In: The words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Passion Pills (1958)
  • The Events Leading Down to the Tragedy (1958)
    • German: What brought about the tragedy. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Virginia (1958)
    • German: Virginia. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974.
  • Reap the Dark Tide (1958, also as: Shark Ship )
    • German: Ship of Evil. In: The Words of the Guru. 1974. Also called: Life from the Sea. In: Martin Harry Greenberg, Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh (eds.): Fascination of Science Fiction. Bastei Lübbe Science Fiction Special # 24068, 1985, ISBN 3-404-24068-5 .
  • Theory of Rocketry (1958)
  • Two Dooms (1958)
  • The Advent on Channel Twelve (1958)
    • English: Advent on Channel Twelve. In: Frederik Pohl, Wolfgang Jeschke (eds.): Titan 2. Heyne SF&F # 3507, 1976, ISBN 3-453-30397-0 .
  • Nightmare with Zeppelins (1958, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: Nobody would dare. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • A Gentle Dying (1961, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: gentle dying. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • The Quaker Cannon (1961, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: Company notch saw. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • The World of Myrion Flowers (1961, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: Die Welt des Myrion Flowers. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • A Hint of Henbane (1961, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Critical Mass (1962, with Frederik Pohl)
    • German: chain reaction. In: catalysts. 1977.
  • The Meeting (1972, with Frederik Pohl)
  • The Gift of Garigolli (1974, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Mute Inglorious Tam (1974, with Frederik Pohl)
  • Interplane Express (1988, with Donald A. Wollheim)
Non-fiction
  • The Science Fiction Novel (1959, with Basil Davenport, Robert A. Heinlein, Alfred Bester, and Robert Bloch)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kornbluth, Cyril M.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Barclay, Gabriel (pseudonym); Bellin, Edward J. (pen name); Cooke, Arthur (pen name); Corwin, Cecil (pseudonym); Davies, Walter C. (pseudonym); Eisner, Simon (pseudonym); Falconer, Kenneth (pseudonym); Gottesman, SD (pseudonym); Judd, Cyril (pseudonym); Kornblut, Sesil M. (pseudonym); Kornbluth, MC (pseudonym); Lavond, Paul Dennis (pseudonym); Mariner, Scott (pen name); Park, Jordan (pseudonym); Towers, Ivar (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American science fiction writer and member of the Futurians
DATE OF BIRTH July 23, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH March 21, 1958
Place of death Chicago