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LibriVox recording of 4 SF stories by C. M. Kornbluth by C. M. Kornbluth. Read in English by Phil Chenevert Four nifty Science Fiction stories by the great C. M. Kornbluth - Summary by philc For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to the LibriVox catalog page for this recording. For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox.org . M4B Audiobook (83MB)

1Search the Sky

By C. M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl

Ross was a junior trader on Halsey's Planet, and had great prospects but was not happy at all. Everything smelled of decay. The whole planet seemed to be slowly disappearing, the population dwindling month by month and year by year and yet no one seemd to care or even notice. Something was very, very wrong. When the first interstellar transport in 30 years arrived on Halsey's Planet, it brought things to a head. The ship had touched on six other colony worlds - and all six had been devoid of human life. Where was everybody? It was almost as if humankind, when separated by cosmic distances from Mother Earth, could not survive. He didn't know the answer but he knew it all smelled highly of decay. Decay and Rot. This highly praised novel by C.M.Kornbluth and Frederick Pohl was first published in 1954 was seen as a wonderful satire on various trends in the society of the 1950's. - Summary by phil Chenevert

2Wolfbane

By C. M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl

This science fiction novel takes place in the year 2203, if we take literally the age of 250 years. A rogue planet, populated by strange machines known as Pyramids, has stolen the Earth from the Solar system, taking it off into interstellar space. The moon has been 'ignited' by alien technology to serve as a miniature sun around which both planets orbit. This new sun is rekindled every 5 years, though as the book opens, the rekindling is nearly overdue and there is fear among the populace that it may never happen again. - Summary by Wikipedia

34 SF stories by C. M. Kornbluth

By C. M. Kornbluth

Four nifty Science Fiction stories by the great C. M. Kornbluth. The Adventurer - The Altar at Midnight - With These Hands and The Marching Morons. All were first published in the 1950s - Summary by philc

4Town is Drowning

By C. M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl

<b>TORN FROM TODAY'S HEADLINES</b><br> This novel takes you right into the heart of the new flood country, the Northeast United States which had generally been free of hurricanes and attendant floods. Now disaster has struck, more than once--terrible and grim.<br><br> Although this novel will give you an accurate and brilliantly vivid picture of what it's like to live through a flood, even more importantly it will show you what the people are like who fought the catastrophe and how those who survived are still fighting. In the persons of Starkman the burgess, Groff the dynamic young executive, Sharon the shrewd opportunist, Mrs. Goudeket, the resort owner, and others, you will meet and understand the varying human elements that the flood unleashed and intensified. Through it all you will sense a growing feeling of pride--that despite the selfishness of some, the people of the town met the terrible onslaught with courage and a sense of mutual help.<br><br> Already well known for their superb science fiction, Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth demonstrate here their equal power in the realistic contemporary novel. - Summary by book jacket<br><br> <b>Notes from the narrator</b><br> To me, <i>A Town is Drowning</i> was an interesting reading and recording assignment as it provided a look back at the dialogue and narrative structure for the dramatic works of the 1950’s, my earliest memories.<br> Echoes of World War II, the Atomic Bomb, and the Cold War were ever present in this 1955 world; as was the idea of American Idealism and Opportunity. The story narrative tended to be strait-forward, black and white, with minimal cultural gray issues.<br><br> Yet I also observed aspects found in the 2022 world, the struggle for equality across ethinic backgrounds, stereotypes, and class divisions, the lure of money and power, and increasingly - the occurrence of natural disasters, today attributed to global climate change. Authors <i>Frederik Pohl</i> and <i>C. M. Kornbluth</i> created a realistic contemporary novel for 1955, but for me, much of their story resonates with the world of today.<br><br> I hope you enjoy listening to <i>A Town is Drowning</i>.<br><br> Maurice Donegan<br> Atlanta, Georgia<br> August 17, 2022 <br>

5Syndic

By C. M. Kornbluth

There have been a thousand tales of future Utopias and possible civilizations. They have been ruled by benevolent dictatorships and pure democracies, every form of government from extreme right to absolute left. Unique among these is the easy-going semi-anarchistic society ruled by THE SYNDIC. - Summary by Science Fiction Adventures Magazine, December 1953