Tuesday, September 03, 2013

A way with the future

With Frederik Pohl, now I think the last of the true titans of the Golden Age Old Guard have gone past us.  It was a real pleasure to have discovered his blog a few years back (which noble endeavor having been, I've oft times lamented, pretty much given up by all but the professional linkbaiters).

Although he noted various bumps delivered by his imperfect health from time to time, he never dwelt on his mortality in the blog, though, clear-eyed old skeptic that he was, he certainly couldn't have been harboring any illusions about it.  It seemed he continued to get around and keep a hand in the fan game up to the last, and shared from his deep-as-it-gets reservoir of tales and character sketches from across seven-going-on-eight decades of science fiction history for as long a time as he had.

When I read the news I immediately thought of this little aside in the blog when he kindly explained to a friend that as much as he appreciated the motivations of the offer, he wasn't interested in receiving free cryogenic preservation after his death.  It is a special brand of pragmatic dedication to the here-and-now to accept the possibility of immortality - be it technological or spiritual - and dismiss its significance based on its basic irrelevance to this earthly existence.  Whatever comes next, or doesn't (as the case may be), you made it good while it lasted!  Farewell, Fred Pohl.

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