The legendary author, whose career started with a published poem in 1937, and continued through to this very year, has died, his granddaughter reports. http://io9.com/rip-frederik-pohl-the-man-who-transformed-science-fict-1241405614 I particularly enjoyed his "Heechee" series. Sir Rhosis
Dammit... Loved the Heechee books, and just read The Coming of the Quantum Cats last yer and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with him at a convention in Calgary some years back. He was a perfect gentleman.
I had the privilege of chauffeuring Mr. Pohl during one of the BYU science fiction symposiums in the mid-80's (probably 1984 or '85, judging from the publication dates in the autographed copies of his books I have.) I drove him to the airport in Salt Lake City (a 40-ish mile drive from Provo) to pick up his wife, Elizabeth Ann Hull, who came in on a later flight. We chatted about lots of stuff -- I remember discussing the New Wave band Icicle Works, which appropriated its name from one of his classic stories ("The Day the Icicle Works Closed"). But what I mostly remember is how excited he was to see Betty, as they were fairly recent newlyweds at the time. He was like a teenager, even though I thought he was impossibly old -- He was probably only 65 or 66! From my lofty vantage point of 24 or 25, that was ANCIENT! Nowadays, not so much... Anyway, I will always treasure that memory. Rest in peace, and thanks for all the great stories.
Well, he had a good run. But he'll be missed. Thought Gateway was pretty damn good. And the stuff he wrote with Kornbluth.