The Tunnel Under the World [short fiction]
by Frederik Pohl
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Frederik Pohl had become a powerful presence in GALAXY immediately upon the appearance (beginning in the issue of June 1952) of the famous three part serial GRAVY PLANET in collaboration with C.M. Kornbluth and that presence was magnified with the publication of THE MIDAS PLAGUE in April 1954 and the second three part Kornbluth collaboration, GLADIATOR AT LAW, beginning two months later...but it was with this story that Pohl established himself as one of GALAXY's most powerful and perhaps show more exemplary contributor. Kornbluth had been regarded as the moving force and senior partner of the two collaborations and THE MIDAS PLAGUE was a story Pohl wrote unwillingly to editorial order...but THE TUNNEL UNDER THE WORLD in its striking and despairing audacity caught everyone's attention. One of the earliest stories set in a landscape of virtual reality, the story portrays the advertising industry and its ethic in a fashion which seems surrealistic but that surrealism (in a technique which anticipates Kurt Vonnegut's later novels) is only a cover for an absolute and grim reality. Pohl has two anecdotes about the aftermath of this story: in the first a stranger met at a party said learning that Pohl was a science fiction writer "I don't like science fiction at all but I read this story years ago which I cannot get out of my head" and then proceeded to unreel the plot of THE TUNNEL UNDER THE WORLD in ghastly detail. In his second anecdote, Pohl described receiving a fan letter praising the story and concluding "This is the way that the world would be run if the advertising agencies ran the world." Pohl responded, "Everyone who ever got into writing did so in the hope that at least once he or she would be completely understood. That letter showed me that at last, if only once, I had met that test.". show less
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On June 15th, Guy Burckhardt wakes up in a panic after dreaming of an explosion. Realizing that all is well, he proceeds with his day, yet many of the usual people he encounters in his daily routine are either replaced or nowhere to be found. Worse, he is confronted by a number of obnoxious and aggressive advertisements for unfamiliar products. Burckhardt is ready to dismiss it all until the same thing happens the next day, which also happens to be June 15th. Perhaps there was an explosion after all?
This little gem from 1955 reminded me of one high-concept SF plot after another as the rug kept getting pulled out from under me. I don't want to spoil anything, but several modern movies come to mind.
Thanks to subsequent works such as the movie "Dark City", Charles Beaumont's "In His Image", Philip K. Dick's "Ubik", and Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream", this 1954 story is not totally unpredictable, but still has a timely punch and its own personality. Could also be seen as "Groundhog Day" gone very bad.
I enjoyed reading the still-sharp nonagenarian author's blog until his death in 2013.
I enjoyed reading the still-sharp nonagenarian author's blog until his death in 2013.
This is a classic, impactful short story. Groundhog day premise, I think, but goes somewhere else.
In more penguin sf
Very clever short story, a mind-blowing must read.
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639+ Works 42,779 Members
Frederik Pohl was born in New York City on November 26, 1919. More interested in writing than in school, he dropped out of high school in his senior year and took a job with a publishing company. After serving as a public relations officer in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945, he returned to publishing as copywriter for Popular Science, a show more literary agent for several sci-fi writers, and the editor for the magazines Galaxy and If from 1959 until 1969, with If winning three successive Hugo awards. His first published work, a poem entitled Elegy to a Dead Satellite: Luna, was printed in Amazing Stories magazine in 1937 under the pen name Elton Andrews. His first science fiction novels were published in the mid 1960's, some written in collaboration with other writers, others created alone. During his lifetime, he won over 16 major awards for his writing (much of which was published pseudonymously) including six Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards. His works include Gateway, which won the Campbell Memorial, Hugo, Locus SF, and Nebula Awards, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon, and Jem, which won the National Book Award in 1979. He also embraced blogging in his later years, using his online journal as an ongoing sequel to his autobiography, The Way the Future Was. He died on September 2, 2013 at the age 93. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Tunnel Under the World [short fiction]
- Original title
- The Tunnel Under The World [novelette]
- Original publication date
- 1955
- People/Characters*
- Guy Burckhardt
- First words*
- Am Morgen des 15. Juni erwachte Guy Burckhardt schreiend aus einem Traum.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Manchmal schreit er, manchmal schmeichelt er, oder er droht, fleht, winselt - aber die Stimme dröhnt unablässig, Tag für Tag, jeden 15. Juni.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- 446,447
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.93)
- Languages
- English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 16
- ASINs
- 4
