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Jem
The discovery of another habitable world might spell salvation to the three bitterly competing power blocs of the resource-starved 21st century; but when their representatives arrive on Jem, with its multiple intelligent species, they discover instead the perfect situation into which to export their rivalries. Subtitled, with savage irony, 'The Making of a Utopia', Jem is one of Frederik Pohl's most powerful novels.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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2265 people want to read
About the author
Frederik Pohl
1,150 books1,059 followersFrederik George Pohl, Jr. was an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited Galaxy magazine and its sister magazine IF winning the Hugo for IF three years in a row. His writing also won him three Hugos and multiple Nebula Awards. He became a Nebula Grand Master in 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
January 9, 2021
SF Masterworks #41 - Pohl was one of the key Science Fiction magazine editors of the 20th century and was known for spotting a good story, which indeed this is one. It's a future reality where the Earth is divided into 3 blocs, when a habitable planet, Jem is discovered and provides another area where these blocs can compete.
Pohl takes this space race and competitive planet colonisation unusually from the viewpoint of 2 couples who paths cross in Sofia, Bulgaria when they were young adults and uses them and some of their contacts as viewpoints to tell the ensuing tale. It's a smart book, pretty much showing how damaging and tunnel visioned mankind is as we export are behaviour, wants and views to the sentient races on Jem. As things escalate on Earth, we're asked how that will impact on Jem's attempted colonisers? Some of the personal viewpoints feel very dated, but overall this an interesting and thought provoking book that allows us to bring a mirror up to how we the human race behave. 7 out of 12
Frederik Phol (centre) in 1938
Pohl takes this space race and competitive planet colonisation unusually from the viewpoint of 2 couples who paths cross in Sofia, Bulgaria when they were young adults and uses them and some of their contacts as viewpoints to tell the ensuing tale. It's a smart book, pretty much showing how damaging and tunnel visioned mankind is as we export are behaviour, wants and views to the sentient races on Jem. As things escalate on Earth, we're asked how that will impact on Jem's attempted colonisers? Some of the personal viewpoints feel very dated, but overall this an interesting and thought provoking book that allows us to bring a mirror up to how we the human race behave. 7 out of 12
Frederik Phol (centre) in 1938
February 22, 2021
Jem, like Starburst, is a very good novel from a remarkably prolific period in Pohl's career that I believe has been overlooked or lost in the shuffle due to the attention Gateway and a couple of other books from around the same time attracted. It was recognized as a good book, was nominated for both the Nebula and the Hugo awards, but it's a very bleak, dark, and depressing Dystopian view of the future that makes it hard to categorize as "escapist." Nationalist prejudices tear apart the Earth, and the colonists to the stars take their problems with them. There's a hint of hop and redemption at the end, but it can't compete with the stark depictions of the earlier sections. Good stuff, but not a hopeful read.
August 24, 2014
Although ostensibly a story about first contact and colonising another planet its real focus is on how the politically rival forces on earth rip each other apart and, exporting such tensions to the new colonisation expedition, how the colonisers nearly do the same to each other there as well.
Initially I found it quite hard to get into and I wasn't particularly enjoying it for a long part of the story. It failed to convey the wonder of space travel and exploration of an alien planet. Things picked up later on and I began to enjoy it when I discovered where the real focus lay.
This book, written in the cold war era and firmly embedded in a cold war mentality, predicts a not too distant future in which a kind of cold war persists but the balance of power has evolved into a precarious tripartite set up; those countries with a surplus of food, a surplus of oil and a surplus of labour. When a remote earth like planet is discovered, the three powers all send colonising parties that are supposed to cooperate but inevitably end up taking the political divisions and mistrust with them. The cost of supporting such expensive expeditions causes much strife at home which escalates tensions between the three powers and consequently between the colonising expeditions too.
This story contains quite a bleak and cynical view of humanity that must have seemed quite a plausible future for humanity at the time although with end of the cold war it does seem now a little less so. There is a bit of a 'phoenix rising from the ashes' up-tick at the end as the author (briefly) describes a new utopian society that might emerge but I found that far less plausible.
All in all it does have its merits but I'm not quite convinced it deserved its place in the SF Masterworks series.
Initially I found it quite hard to get into and I wasn't particularly enjoying it for a long part of the story. It failed to convey the wonder of space travel and exploration of an alien planet. Things picked up later on and I began to enjoy it when I discovered where the real focus lay.
This book, written in the cold war era and firmly embedded in a cold war mentality, predicts a not too distant future in which a kind of cold war persists but the balance of power has evolved into a precarious tripartite set up; those countries with a surplus of food, a surplus of oil and a surplus of labour. When a remote earth like planet is discovered, the three powers all send colonising parties that are supposed to cooperate but inevitably end up taking the political divisions and mistrust with them. The cost of supporting such expensive expeditions causes much strife at home which escalates tensions between the three powers and consequently between the colonising expeditions too.
This story contains quite a bleak and cynical view of humanity that must have seemed quite a plausible future for humanity at the time although with end of the cold war it does seem now a little less so. There is a bit of a 'phoenix rising from the ashes' up-tick at the end as the author (briefly) describes a new utopian society that might emerge but I found that far less plausible.
All in all it does have its merits but I'm not quite convinced it deserved its place in the SF Masterworks series.
January 29, 2010
4.5 stars. Another classic science fiction story by Pohl. Great world-building of a future Earth split into three factions and all vying for control of a new planet (aka JEM).
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
Nominee: Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
Nominee: Hugo Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
Nominee: Nebula Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (1980)
August 13, 2016
Pohl is considered one of the big hitters of 20th Century science fiction. He was tireless and prolific, writing and editing great droves of stories and books and founding important SF publications, sometimes cranking out a couple of novels and then creating a new venue for the genre before breakfast. So I certainly respect him and his contributions to SF, even if I didn't enjoy my first foray into his work, which I did not.
I'm pretty sure I "got it." I don't think the deep and important themes discussed went sailing over my head like so many wind-borne balloonists. Yes, people sure do suck. Colonialism sucks. Greedy acquisitiveness sucks. The human potential for both narrow-minded self-destruction and rationalization of its own short-sighted self-interest sucks. We can't stop fighting amongst ourselves even if our very survival as a species depends upon it, and thinking we can leave behind these negative attributes and start over with a fresh clean slate is a delusional pipe-dream. No argument from me, Mr. Pohl, and I appreciate the effort to dramatize it. I just found it very difficult to care.
I simply did not give a rat's ass, or even a Krinpit's carapace, about any of the characters, with the possible exception of Charlie, who was a large bag of gas. When a sentient balloon is more interesting and evokes more sympathy than any of the people in the story, I think that's a problem.
And my nit-picking inner scientist--a real asshole who's ruined many otherwise perfectly enjoyable Star Trek episodes--could not help but view with great incredulity the prospect of three very different sentient life forms all evolving on the same planet, and all arriving simultaneously at approximately the same level of societal sophistication, by some miraculous coincidence. They could even communicate with one another using language, whereas the vast majority of human beings on our own planet could not communicate with the vast majority of other people, let alone, say, an orangutan. Or, for that matter, say, a cockroach.
Still, I could have suspended my disbelief in standard notions of ecology and evolution if only I cared more. But I didn't, except for Charlie. I still hold out some tiny shreds of hope that someday, we might prove Pohl wrong and successfully leave behind some of the worst aspects of our human nature, either here at home or, in the far future, somewhere else in the universe, and create some sort of utopian society. I don't think it's at all likely, but I can hope. And I hope there will be balloons.
I'm pretty sure I "got it." I don't think the deep and important themes discussed went sailing over my head like so many wind-borne balloonists. Yes, people sure do suck. Colonialism sucks. Greedy acquisitiveness sucks. The human potential for both narrow-minded self-destruction and rationalization of its own short-sighted self-interest sucks. We can't stop fighting amongst ourselves even if our very survival as a species depends upon it, and thinking we can leave behind these negative attributes and start over with a fresh clean slate is a delusional pipe-dream. No argument from me, Mr. Pohl, and I appreciate the effort to dramatize it. I just found it very difficult to care.
I simply did not give a rat's ass, or even a Krinpit's carapace, about any of the characters, with the possible exception of Charlie, who was a large bag of gas. When a sentient balloon is more interesting and evokes more sympathy than any of the people in the story, I think that's a problem.
And my nit-picking inner scientist--a real asshole who's ruined many otherwise perfectly enjoyable Star Trek episodes--could not help but view with great incredulity the prospect of three very different sentient life forms all evolving on the same planet, and all arriving simultaneously at approximately the same level of societal sophistication, by some miraculous coincidence. They could even communicate with one another using language, whereas the vast majority of human beings on our own planet could not communicate with the vast majority of other people, let alone, say, an orangutan. Or, for that matter, say, a cockroach.
Still, I could have suspended my disbelief in standard notions of ecology and evolution if only I cared more. But I didn't, except for Charlie. I still hold out some tiny shreds of hope that someday, we might prove Pohl wrong and successfully leave behind some of the worst aspects of our human nature, either here at home or, in the far future, somewhere else in the universe, and create some sort of utopian society. I don't think it's at all likely, but I can hope. And I hope there will be balloons.
May 30, 2020
Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
This does not read like a work from one of the most awarded and recognized science fiction authors of the 20th century, not like a story from a Grandmaster and Hall of Fame Inductee. It does not read like a book that was recognized by the Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, and Locus. There is no effort at beautiful prose; Pohl’s writing is purely functional. There is no new, striking idea; this setup had been done before. The book does not even offer a thoughtfully or carefully constructed plot; it gets where it is going with little foreshadowing, intersections, or buildup. It does, however, read like a provocative piece of science fiction that would have captured a wide array of interests at the time of its writing.
This was a much better as a book of high political intrigue than it was a work of science fiction. Not that the science fiction is merely embellishment. Pohl uses the science fiction possibilities to accentuate the political trends in which he is interested. There is a question at the heart of the book: will politics as normal continue as humanity extends itself to space? And the “politics as normal” is the best part of the book, Pohl writing in the Cold War but offering intriguing speculation on where it would go. Pohl’s vision of the future was where the bipolar ideological cold war gave way to a multipolar cartel stalemate. This was an especially interesting idea and future, following from the implications of mutually assured destruction. Alliance members were very different from they looked like in the Cold War or today, once enemies now thrown together and longtime allies split. It is a future, while very different from what actually happened, which seems like it could have happened or could still happen. And that question of what politics we will take with us to the stars is one very much worth asking and exploring.
One of the more unsettling characteristics of the book is that for most of the telling one is not sure when Pohl is describing and when he is embracing. It is a very politically incorrect book. The slurs have changed, the specific minorities or nations who are discriminated against are different, and women seem to have more standing and options. Still, Pohl has his characters speak denigratingly of one another, disparage each other’s origins, and “playfully” sexually harass women, simply within the context of his future culture. Ultimately, I could not tell when Pohl was lamenting these as failings of civilization and meriting condemnation or defending them as essential parts of human nature undeserving of censure. For most of the book, the science fiction and political messages also had this ambiguity. Some truly terrible decisions are made and tragic events occur. There is a lot of ambiguity about what should be done and who is responsible. Moral ambiguity can be a particularly interesting technique in a story, but only when there are real dilemmas. Too often, Pohl’s characters behave unjustifiably and without showing awareness of what seem like obvious dilemmas. Either Pohl was ignorant and oblivious with his science fiction speculation, or he chose a bizarre way to introduce uncertainty into the story. As a consequence, it becomes easy to both dislike and distrust Pohl.
The author’s most intentional and definite point is political, but there is also a lack of clarity around it. This time the lack of clarity is caused by poor writing. The last chapter is really an epilogue, and the place where Pohl gives his answers. There was still suspense at this late juncture because it had been so unclear throughout just what Pohl was endorsing or trying to say. Pohl is going to try to remedy that in the epilogue, but it is sloppily written, open to too many interpretations or simply confusing. This was not the deliberate ambiguity that one might have credited Pohl with on the earlier themes in the book; this was him trying to make is big, final point but bungling it. And in those places where it was clear what was going on and what he was saying, it was simply unbelievable. I could hardly believe that this was what the story came to, that this is the message that we were supposed to take from this. If this is what Pohl believed and the lesson that was supposed to be drawn, then readers had good reason to both dislike and distrust Pohl throughout the book. It was all the more unfortunate because the story had so much weighing on that final chapter. That epilogue could have taken all the doubts and shown the reader that our author really was aware. It could have taken all the remaining questions and given them interesting, consistent answers. It could have finally given us a message that pulled the various tidbits scattered across the novel together, showing that something thoughtful and impressive had truly been planned all along. So, there is suspense going into that last chapter. From there it could have turned into an amazing book or a mediocre one. I am unsure what the voters of the various awards for which this book was nominated were meriting when they voted for this one. I have difficulty imagining people cheering for it because of how it came together at the end. I can most charitably imagine people applauding the book for its cynicism, for its unwillingness to look at civilization approvingly, for its refusal to show us better than we truly are.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 4/5
This does not read like a work from one of the most awarded and recognized science fiction authors of the 20th century, not like a story from a Grandmaster and Hall of Fame Inductee. It does not read like a book that was recognized by the Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, and Locus. There is no effort at beautiful prose; Pohl’s writing is purely functional. There is no new, striking idea; this setup had been done before. The book does not even offer a thoughtfully or carefully constructed plot; it gets where it is going with little foreshadowing, intersections, or buildup. It does, however, read like a provocative piece of science fiction that would have captured a wide array of interests at the time of its writing.
This was a much better as a book of high political intrigue than it was a work of science fiction. Not that the science fiction is merely embellishment. Pohl uses the science fiction possibilities to accentuate the political trends in which he is interested. There is a question at the heart of the book: will politics as normal continue as humanity extends itself to space? And the “politics as normal” is the best part of the book, Pohl writing in the Cold War but offering intriguing speculation on where it would go. Pohl’s vision of the future was where the bipolar ideological cold war gave way to a multipolar cartel stalemate. This was an especially interesting idea and future, following from the implications of mutually assured destruction. Alliance members were very different from they looked like in the Cold War or today, once enemies now thrown together and longtime allies split. It is a future, while very different from what actually happened, which seems like it could have happened or could still happen. And that question of what politics we will take with us to the stars is one very much worth asking and exploring.
One of the more unsettling characteristics of the book is that for most of the telling one is not sure when Pohl is describing and when he is embracing. It is a very politically incorrect book. The slurs have changed, the specific minorities or nations who are discriminated against are different, and women seem to have more standing and options. Still, Pohl has his characters speak denigratingly of one another, disparage each other’s origins, and “playfully” sexually harass women, simply within the context of his future culture. Ultimately, I could not tell when Pohl was lamenting these as failings of civilization and meriting condemnation or defending them as essential parts of human nature undeserving of censure. For most of the book, the science fiction and political messages also had this ambiguity. Some truly terrible decisions are made and tragic events occur. There is a lot of ambiguity about what should be done and who is responsible. Moral ambiguity can be a particularly interesting technique in a story, but only when there are real dilemmas. Too often, Pohl’s characters behave unjustifiably and without showing awareness of what seem like obvious dilemmas. Either Pohl was ignorant and oblivious with his science fiction speculation, or he chose a bizarre way to introduce uncertainty into the story. As a consequence, it becomes easy to both dislike and distrust Pohl.
The author’s most intentional and definite point is political, but there is also a lack of clarity around it. This time the lack of clarity is caused by poor writing. The last chapter is really an epilogue, and the place where Pohl gives his answers. There was still suspense at this late juncture because it had been so unclear throughout just what Pohl was endorsing or trying to say. Pohl is going to try to remedy that in the epilogue, but it is sloppily written, open to too many interpretations or simply confusing. This was not the deliberate ambiguity that one might have credited Pohl with on the earlier themes in the book; this was him trying to make is big, final point but bungling it. And in those places where it was clear what was going on and what he was saying, it was simply unbelievable. I could hardly believe that this was what the story came to, that this is the message that we were supposed to take from this. If this is what Pohl believed and the lesson that was supposed to be drawn, then readers had good reason to both dislike and distrust Pohl throughout the book. It was all the more unfortunate because the story had so much weighing on that final chapter. That epilogue could have taken all the doubts and shown the reader that our author really was aware. It could have taken all the remaining questions and given them interesting, consistent answers. It could have finally given us a message that pulled the various tidbits scattered across the novel together, showing that something thoughtful and impressive had truly been planned all along. So, there is suspense going into that last chapter. From there it could have turned into an amazing book or a mediocre one. I am unsure what the voters of the various awards for which this book was nominated were meriting when they voted for this one. I have difficulty imagining people cheering for it because of how it came together at the end. I can most charitably imagine people applauding the book for its cynicism, for its unwillingness to look at civilization approvingly, for its refusal to show us better than we truly are.
April 5, 2011
So do I score it by my own feelings or by the fact that it is an excellently written and poignant story well worth reading if you can handle the truth.
After having a couple days to really think, well actually couldn't think of any other book than this.
So here goes my rewrite:
The book could be described as interesting.Yet, unfortunately it was depressing. Well written, yet heartbreaking.
What left me unsure throughout the last 3rd of the book and still does now is the probability of most of the evil or non-positive/non-sentimental motives. It was the worst of actions that were most likely to occur. And therefore the worst of outcomes.
Now, I appreciate country musics place in the world, but I don't enjoy it. I do have a high regard for those who sing or write it. The same goes for this book. I love Frederik Pohl. But this book is a exception for me.
the only really positive thing I can add about the book is that it ripe for a book group discussion.
June 7, 2015
I have probably read this three times now, first time was probably in 1979 or 1980.
The first time I read it, I was 19 or 20 and I was initially very taken by the newly discovered world and its alien species. I was looking for a complete exploration of the 3 species, their biology, culture and their world, but instead I was disappointed that the book focused so much on the humans, and political strife back on Earth.
Reading it again now, I realize that it was really an allegorical criticism of the cold war, the nuclear arms race, the militarization of everything and the MAD ("Mutual Assured Destruction") ideas of the 60's and 70's. The bigotry and racism of much of the dialogue is quite shocking to read nowadays. Other people's from Earth are describes as Paks, Spics, Limies, Greasies, Fats etc. and the aliens are referred to as creepies, cockroaches etc. Really quite appalling to the modern readers, but I guess it was all part of Pohl's critique of the times we lived in when the book was written.
The book left me quite disgusted and despondent about the human race really, it made me think it would probably be best for the rest of the universe if we don't manage to develop interstellar space travel before we destroy ourselves.
The first time I read it, I was 19 or 20 and I was initially very taken by the newly discovered world and its alien species. I was looking for a complete exploration of the 3 species, their biology, culture and their world, but instead I was disappointed that the book focused so much on the humans, and political strife back on Earth.
Reading it again now, I realize that it was really an allegorical criticism of the cold war, the nuclear arms race, the militarization of everything and the MAD ("Mutual Assured Destruction") ideas of the 60's and 70's. The bigotry and racism of much of the dialogue is quite shocking to read nowadays. Other people's from Earth are describes as Paks, Spics, Limies, Greasies, Fats etc. and the aliens are referred to as creepies, cockroaches etc. Really quite appalling to the modern readers, but I guess it was all part of Pohl's critique of the times we lived in when the book was written.
The book left me quite disgusted and despondent about the human race really, it made me think it would probably be best for the rest of the universe if we don't manage to develop interstellar space travel before we destroy ourselves.
December 11, 2010
Rarely have I read such an apallingly negative view of humanity... that's not a bad thing, but nevertheless, I didn't love the book. It's probably the most interesting work by Pohl I've yet read, however.
July 21, 2022
Oh boy, par où je commence avec ce petit bijou ?
Jem se déroule dans un futur indistinct, où le monde est divisé en trois blocs interdépendants mais antagonistes : le Bloc Carburant (Greasies - l'OPEP et le Royaume Uni), qui exportent les énergies, le Bloc Alimentaire (Fats - Les Etats Unis entre autres), qui exporte les denrées, et le Bloc des Républiques Populaires (notamment la Chine), qui exporte la masse de travail. Un jour est découvert une exoplanète capable d'accueillir la vie, surnoéme Klong ou Jem, où chaque Bloc envoie une mission. La planète se trouve être habitée par 3 espèces intelligentes - qui vont subir l'export des inimitiés et problèmes politiques des hommes à leur arrivée …
Pfiou, ce livre ! Ce livre ! Quel petit bijoux, quelle petite gemme (lol je l'ai déjà faite sur Twitter mais elle me fait rire) de condensé d'idées intelligentes. En plus d'éviter pas mal des écueils des livres de cette époque (principalement d'être des petites bombes de racisme et de sexisme), il propose un questionnement politique, éthique et social vraiment brillant. Mis à part le fait que les avancées scientifiques semblent un peu aléatoires et yolo (genre les vaisseaux à vitesse lumière c'est good, mais la biologie c'est niveau années 40), j'ai juste trouvé ce livre fabuleux - au point où j'ai sincèrement eu les larmes aux yeux sur la fin. Une découverte magique, qui c'est propulsé dans mon top de l'année easy peasy.
Jem se déroule dans un futur indistinct, où le monde est divisé en trois blocs interdépendants mais antagonistes : le Bloc Carburant (Greasies - l'OPEP et le Royaume Uni), qui exportent les énergies, le Bloc Alimentaire (Fats - Les Etats Unis entre autres), qui exporte les denrées, et le Bloc des Républiques Populaires (notamment la Chine), qui exporte la masse de travail. Un jour est découvert une exoplanète capable d'accueillir la vie, surnoéme Klong ou Jem, où chaque Bloc envoie une mission. La planète se trouve être habitée par 3 espèces intelligentes - qui vont subir l'export des inimitiés et problèmes politiques des hommes à leur arrivée …
Pfiou, ce livre ! Ce livre ! Quel petit bijoux, quelle petite gemme (lol je l'ai déjà faite sur Twitter mais elle me fait rire) de condensé d'idées intelligentes. En plus d'éviter pas mal des écueils des livres de cette époque (principalement d'être des petites bombes de racisme et de sexisme), il propose un questionnement politique, éthique et social vraiment brillant. Mis à part le fait que les avancées scientifiques semblent un peu aléatoires et yolo (genre les vaisseaux à vitesse lumière c'est good, mais la biologie c'est niveau années 40), j'ai juste trouvé ce livre fabuleux - au point où j'ai sincèrement eu les larmes aux yeux sur la fin. Une découverte magique, qui c'est propulsé dans mon top de l'année easy peasy.
October 6, 2025
Check out my full, spoiler free, video review HERE.
In the future, earth society has formed into 3 distinct ‘blocs’; food, fuel and people. These are groups of countries that have banned together based on what they are good at producing. After a planet is discovered that can harbor life, a race ensues by these blocs to gain a foothold on the planet. There are 3 alien lifeforms on the planet and it’s unclear at first how intelligent they are and if they are conscience. The main plot revolves around this alien planet but there are also things happening on earth. The idea was good but there seemed to be too much going on, leaving me overall a bit underwhelmed. Probably not the best place to start with Pohl.
In the future, earth society has formed into 3 distinct ‘blocs’; food, fuel and people. These are groups of countries that have banned together based on what they are good at producing. After a planet is discovered that can harbor life, a race ensues by these blocs to gain a foothold on the planet. There are 3 alien lifeforms on the planet and it’s unclear at first how intelligent they are and if they are conscience. The main plot revolves around this alien planet but there are also things happening on earth. The idea was good but there seemed to be too much going on, leaving me overall a bit underwhelmed. Probably not the best place to start with Pohl.
June 3, 2013
It was such a mess. The political blocs on earth didn’t make any sense to me and I felt like Pohl didn’t take the time to explain them so that they would make sense. So they felt too contrived. The characters were shallow caricatures. Danny Dalehouse was the only likeable character and there was no real pushback to the aggressive winner-take-all mentality even though everyone supposedly wanted to create this utopia. Danny, as likeable as he was, was a weak voice of reason. The whole concept was poorly executed leaving the story with no depth or complexity.
And there are three intelligent species on Son of Klong, or Jem. The krinprits and balloonists live in these little social groups and basically never interact with social groups of their species. Really? Never? OK the balloonists sometimes communicate or maybe join a different group when young, but there are no territorial disputes, no exchange of ideas or DNA – soon they’ll be entirely separate species without enough genetic diversity to survive. Really, it’s just ludicrous that these two species live so independently of anyone else in their same species. The krinprits are even worse totally ignoring the existence of krinprits from other “cities.” The whole premise of these two species in particular is too preposterous for me to take seriously. The third species didn’t seem so far-fetched, but maybe that may have been more accidental that through any plan on Pohl’s part.
Don’t get me wrong, I could perfectly believe the dystopian ending, but that was the only part of the whole novel that really felt believable to me. The rest was too superficial.
I'm giving it 2 stars instead of just one because in spite of the superficiality of it all, the description of Jem and the species on Jem was really inventive and I did enjoy those short little bits.
And there are three intelligent species on Son of Klong, or Jem. The krinprits and balloonists live in these little social groups and basically never interact with social groups of their species. Really? Never? OK the balloonists sometimes communicate or maybe join a different group when young, but there are no territorial disputes, no exchange of ideas or DNA – soon they’ll be entirely separate species without enough genetic diversity to survive. Really, it’s just ludicrous that these two species live so independently of anyone else in their same species. The krinprits are even worse totally ignoring the existence of krinprits from other “cities.” The whole premise of these two species in particular is too preposterous for me to take seriously. The third species didn’t seem so far-fetched, but maybe that may have been more accidental that through any plan on Pohl’s part.
Don’t get me wrong, I could perfectly believe the dystopian ending, but that was the only part of the whole novel that really felt believable to me. The rest was too superficial.
I'm giving it 2 stars instead of just one because in spite of the superficiality of it all, the description of Jem and the species on Jem was really inventive and I did enjoy those short little bits.
May 9, 2012
This novel deserves 3.5. It was very slow to start and was packed full of racial stereotypes, but the last third was very good and there were some very strong women present throughout.
I didn't like how 90% of the men in the novel were sex-obsessed assholes who badgered women to have sex with them despite the women saying no. I mean, maybe it was a just a couple guys, or just Ana's perception of men, but it seemed like everyone but Dalehouse was a pig, which isn't very fair to men. The book was written in the 70s though, so maybe it was Pohl's opinion (+ exaggeration) of the treatment of women back then that caused this common characterization.
I did like a bunch of stuff - the alien races were neat and the not-so-ideal planet was a cool concept that added a lot to the plot. The splitting of Earth into three factions was an interesting idea as well, and the Cold War inspired apocalypse was a nice bonus. I also really liked Margie, as she was tough, intelligent, determined, and didn't take shit from anyone; she was awesome actually, and she made the story for me.
Overall, this book started out as a bathroom read*, but by about page 200 I took it out of the washroom and read it "for real". And if that happens, there is something great about it. The last third was that something great.
If you like serious (as in not-campy) 70s sci-fi with a touch of Cold War nuclear trepidation, you'll like this novel.
*Basically it's a novel to read 2-3 pages at a time while you attend to bodily functions
I didn't like how 90% of the men in the novel were sex-obsessed assholes who badgered women to have sex with them despite the women saying no. I mean, maybe it was a just a couple guys, or just Ana's perception of men, but it seemed like everyone but Dalehouse was a pig, which isn't very fair to men. The book was written in the 70s though, so maybe it was Pohl's opinion (+ exaggeration) of the treatment of women back then that caused this common characterization.
I did like a bunch of stuff - the alien races were neat and the not-so-ideal planet was a cool concept that added a lot to the plot. The splitting of Earth into three factions was an interesting idea as well, and the Cold War inspired apocalypse was a nice bonus. I also really liked Margie, as she was tough, intelligent, determined, and didn't take shit from anyone; she was awesome actually, and she made the story for me.
Overall, this book started out as a bathroom read*, but by about page 200 I took it out of the washroom and read it "for real". And if that happens, there is something great about it. The last third was that something great.
If you like serious (as in not-campy) 70s sci-fi with a touch of Cold War nuclear trepidation, you'll like this novel.
*Basically it's a novel to read 2-3 pages at a time while you attend to bodily functions
November 4, 2022
I've almost completely ignored Frederik Pohl in the years I've been compulsively reading science fiction and for one questionable reason only: his popularity. I fancy myself more complex and refined than the average person and view most popular things with suspicion and, often, disdain. Therefore I was understandly shocked to find this novel brilliant and I'm not too proud to admit I was WRONG. Pohl is a real pro, showing masterful ability in characterization and especially dialogue (at which many science fiction writers are dismal failures). I'd like to write more but I must now use my time to acquire everything else he's ever written.
June 23, 2025
Fred Pohl (1919-2013) would not be on my list of Top Ten SF writers, but he was a consistently good as well as prolific writer during his long career. I had read "Jem" before, back in the 80s ( it was published in 1979 ). But all I could remember about it was that it was a very grim story concerning colonization on another planet. I also remembered that Bulgaria played a role in the story! It is about colonization of another planet--sometime at the turn of the 21st Century, and a particularly gloomy planet at that. Pohl in this book sees Earth divided into three Power Blocs, each named for its main resource. There's the People Bloc ( the "Peeps") comprising the majority of the world's people, mainly African and Asian, under the leadership of China. Then there's the Food Bloc ( the "Fats") which is basically the US-USSR alliance--not too far-fetched at the time as Nixon and Brezhnev had been working on detente between the two superpowers and increasing cooperation in space. The third bloc is that of Fuel (the "Greasies") comprised of the Arab nations, Britain, and Venezuela, basically a more powerful OPEC. Bulgaria is featured in the story as they host a World Conference on Exobiology, the keynote speaker being an aged Carl Sagan (Bulgaria is one of the Fats). The world is at peace as there is a balance maintained between the three blocs. But the balance is failing as all 3 blocs send expeditions to the exo-planet Jem to colonize it. Without giving away too much of a spoiler, war does break out on the planet, despite the wishes of many colonists to work together on an alien planet in the interest of survival. As I stated before, a grim picture of the future, but upon my rereading of this book in the Year 2018, I can only think---it could have been grimmer!
June 28, 2019
Read for the Science Fiction Masterworks Book Club.
This book was absorbing, interesting, and kept me picking it up to see what would happen next. It was also joyless, cynical, and depressing in a way that makes A Song of Ice and Fire seem hopeful and cheery. The most sympathetic character is an alien with a natural hydrogen balloon making up most of his body. So don't read it if, for you, a story is something happening to someone you care about, because you will be deeply disappointed.
On the other hand, this book is a scathing criticism of the Cold War and Colonialism. It is sometimes said that science fiction allows us to take issues that are difficult or controversial in the real world, and examine them with some distance. The distance here, despite the weird alien species that feature as metaphors for Indigenous peoples under Colonialism, is as thin as rice paper.
Maybe that was intentional. In 1979, when the book was published, the United States was still blithely full of its own self-importance, believing itself the pinnacle of freedom and righteousness, while in the meantime, American Colonialism was well underway and the Cold War seemed to be eternal. Perhaps Pohl was delivering a solid bitch slap to American exceptionalism.
The plot: the world has divided itself up into three power blocs that are rich in one resource and poor in all others. There is the Food Bloc, the Fuel Bloc, and the People Bloc. I failed to understand the People Bloc or how its "resources" worked; Pohl made it sound like this was the bloc with the most non-white people in it, and that their main resource was contributing labour for the other blocs. I think it was intended as a foil to represent the Communist Bloc as it existed in the 70s, with all his American prejudices showing, even as he criticized America's attitude of "war for war's sake, because patriotism."
But anyway, the blocs all compete with each other for political supremacy, since they can't war with each other for risk of blowing up the world in a massive nuclear holocaust. Then they discover a distant world that might be colonizable, and it features three sentient species already on it.
A new Space Race begins to be the first to get to the planet, and exploit its resources, before the other blocs can do so. A rather amusing parallel to the effects of malaria on the Europeans is explored by severe allergic reactions to the native flora of the new planet, although of course the Commun- er, I mean, the People Bloc, is the first to encounter this issue and suffer the results of it, which sets back their population, and thus, available resources, for the entire length of the colonization process.
Each bloc either befriends, or enslaves, although all exploit, one of the sentient races already present on the planet eventually known as Jem. Eventually the competition degenerates into a proxy war. In the meantime, back on Earth, knowing that the human race now exists somewhere else as well as our little rock, the leaders of the blocs feel free to get more violent with one another, as they, too, compete for the resources of "pristine, untouched" Jem. It's England, France and Spain fighting each other for control of their colonies... or America, China and the Soviet Union competing for control of the other "Capitalist" or "Communist" countries... or America, China and the Middle East competing for control of Earth's dwindling resources...
The end result is just about as grim as you might expect. Although the humans left on Jem are quite happy in their "utopia" (the subtitle of the book is "The Making of a Utopia") though the much-reduced indigenous sentients of Jem are perhaps not as happy (please note: this is intended as ironic understatement). Which brings up another point: is "utopia" only possible through the subjugation and exploitation of other groups? I would personally like to believe that we can eventually grow beyond that.
I read this book in a fevered page-turning frenzy over a couple of days, but it was a bit like watching, horrified, as a ten-car pileup starts on the highway. You keep reading because you're unable to turn away.
A good book to make you think, but you don't know what to think afterwards, or feel. I imagine the aftermath of drunken one-night stand might feel like this, especially if the sex were amazing but you never would have had sex with that person sober. I felt like this the first (and last) time I got really, really drunk. I had an amazing time, and I remember singing and laughing and cheering, surrounded by friends... but I lost a good part of the night after a point, and I woke up feeling like someone had been beating my head with a brick, exhausted and sicker than a dog. I never drank like that again. And I'll approach Pohl with more caution in the future.
This book was absorbing, interesting, and kept me picking it up to see what would happen next. It was also joyless, cynical, and depressing in a way that makes A Song of Ice and Fire seem hopeful and cheery. The most sympathetic character is an alien with a natural hydrogen balloon making up most of his body. So don't read it if, for you, a story is something happening to someone you care about, because you will be deeply disappointed.
On the other hand, this book is a scathing criticism of the Cold War and Colonialism. It is sometimes said that science fiction allows us to take issues that are difficult or controversial in the real world, and examine them with some distance. The distance here, despite the weird alien species that feature as metaphors for Indigenous peoples under Colonialism, is as thin as rice paper.
Maybe that was intentional. In 1979, when the book was published, the United States was still blithely full of its own self-importance, believing itself the pinnacle of freedom and righteousness, while in the meantime, American Colonialism was well underway and the Cold War seemed to be eternal. Perhaps Pohl was delivering a solid bitch slap to American exceptionalism.
The plot: the world has divided itself up into three power blocs that are rich in one resource and poor in all others. There is the Food Bloc, the Fuel Bloc, and the People Bloc. I failed to understand the People Bloc or how its "resources" worked; Pohl made it sound like this was the bloc with the most non-white people in it, and that their main resource was contributing labour for the other blocs. I think it was intended as a foil to represent the Communist Bloc as it existed in the 70s, with all his American prejudices showing, even as he criticized America's attitude of "war for war's sake, because patriotism."
But anyway, the blocs all compete with each other for political supremacy, since they can't war with each other for risk of blowing up the world in a massive nuclear holocaust. Then they discover a distant world that might be colonizable, and it features three sentient species already on it.
A new Space Race begins to be the first to get to the planet, and exploit its resources, before the other blocs can do so. A rather amusing parallel to the effects of malaria on the Europeans is explored by severe allergic reactions to the native flora of the new planet, although of course the Commun- er, I mean, the People Bloc, is the first to encounter this issue and suffer the results of it, which sets back their population, and thus, available resources, for the entire length of the colonization process.
Each bloc either befriends, or enslaves, although all exploit, one of the sentient races already present on the planet eventually known as Jem. Eventually the competition degenerates into a proxy war. In the meantime, back on Earth, knowing that the human race now exists somewhere else as well as our little rock, the leaders of the blocs feel free to get more violent with one another, as they, too, compete for the resources of "pristine, untouched" Jem. It's England, France and Spain fighting each other for control of their colonies... or America, China and the Soviet Union competing for control of the other "Capitalist" or "Communist" countries... or America, China and the Middle East competing for control of Earth's dwindling resources...
The end result is just about as grim as you might expect. Although the humans left on Jem are quite happy in their "utopia" (the subtitle of the book is "The Making of a Utopia") though the much-reduced indigenous sentients of Jem are perhaps not as happy (please note: this is intended as ironic understatement). Which brings up another point: is "utopia" only possible through the subjugation and exploitation of other groups? I would personally like to believe that we can eventually grow beyond that.
I read this book in a fevered page-turning frenzy over a couple of days, but it was a bit like watching, horrified, as a ten-car pileup starts on the highway. You keep reading because you're unable to turn away.
A good book to make you think, but you don't know what to think afterwards, or feel. I imagine the aftermath of drunken one-night stand might feel like this, especially if the sex were amazing but you never would have had sex with that person sober. I felt like this the first (and last) time I got really, really drunk. I had an amazing time, and I remember singing and laughing and cheering, surrounded by friends... but I lost a good part of the night after a point, and I woke up feeling like someone had been beating my head with a brick, exhausted and sicker than a dog. I never drank like that again. And I'll approach Pohl with more caution in the future.
March 15, 2013
What this book isn't: A novelization of the television show of the same name. Which I found outrageous. Truly, truly outrageous. However, I got over it pretty quickly as I kept reading.
What this book is: An indictment of industrialism, capitalism, nationalism, and colonialism. If you don't want to see the darker side of some or all of these -isms laid bare, this may not be the book for you. I have conflicted-at-best opinions of all four, so a book where all four are taken to task was a fascinating read.
It's odd to read a book where it's so clear from the beginning that everything is going to go poorly, can only go poorly, for the main characters without it branching into the horror genre. For some the downfall is by no fault of their own, for others their downfall is so spectacular as to bring down others, including entire countries, as they collapse. Due to this, I had a little trouble finding the time to sit down and actually finish the book to see what final horrible decisions everyone would make. Finally, I pushed through, and was glad for it.
What this book is: An indictment of industrialism, capitalism, nationalism, and colonialism. If you don't want to see the darker side of some or all of these -isms laid bare, this may not be the book for you. I have conflicted-at-best opinions of all four, so a book where all four are taken to task was a fascinating read.
It's odd to read a book where it's so clear from the beginning that everything is going to go poorly, can only go poorly, for the main characters without it branching into the horror genre. For some the downfall is by no fault of their own, for others their downfall is so spectacular as to bring down others, including entire countries, as they collapse. Due to this, I had a little trouble finding the time to sit down and actually finish the book to see what final horrible decisions everyone would make. Finally, I pushed through, and was glad for it.
June 3, 2012
Why do bad things happen? Are wars and genocide the product of the actions of a few hyper-evil people? Pohl's answer in this novel is that major historical events are not caused by single figures of great virtue or great evil, but rather by the small actions of everyday people due to impulse, greed, and misunderstanding, with a large dose of chance. Pohl heaps scorn on the "brinkmanship" philosophy which argued that one can rely on one's opponents to recognize that your actions take things too close to the brink of disaster, and thus that their only reasonable response to to acquiesce to your demands - in the world of Jem, this approach is tried by all sides, and rapidly leads to disaster. Pohl underscores this theme with persistent use of irony; characters misunderstand the actions of others, and their own motivations in ways that are clear to the reader but never become clear to the characters, with the final chapter giving a look at the kind of society the survivors have created - one that those at the top of the hierarchy can describe as being free of coercion and devoted to peace, but which the readers will recognize as practicing slavery and expansionistic policies (and yet, Pohl seems to be saying that the self-serving lies of this society are no worse than those of our society).
It's not a "feel-good" book - but it is a powerful one, with at least one moment when some of the characters attempt to break free of the path that they have been led down, to do something good instead; if more had done so, earlier, the world of "Jem" would have been a better one - and I think Pohl intends the same lesson to apply to our world.
It's not a "feel-good" book - but it is a powerful one, with at least one moment when some of the characters attempt to break free of the path that they have been led down, to do something good instead; if more had done so, earlier, the world of "Jem" would have been a better one - and I think Pohl intends the same lesson to apply to our world.
May 16, 2017
What an odd book.
This book was published in 1979, a time of oil shortages and famines, still very much at the height of the Cold War. So what feels pretty dated now was incredibly relevant then.
Three world factions, locked in a power struggle, representing those who own the oil, those who can grow all the food, and then a somewhat pathetically portrayed communist bloc. All of the factions are pretty terrible, but they're portrayed as especially incompetent.
Anyhow, they discover a new planet through some handwaving of science fiction principles, and the new factions high-tail it to Jem, to hold a proxy war on a new planet, ruining the native beings in the process.
It can definitely be seen as an allegory of colonialism, how the powers of old plundered the "New World" for their own gains, and with the exception of a few sympathetic characters, nobody looks good in this.
The reason I didn't rate this higher is despite the high concepts and warning for even modern day society, the book feels disjointed. There are random and sudden plot twists that give the reader whiplash, and there's one point where I thought I somehow went into a fugue state and missed a whole chapter, because of a plot development that came completely out of nowhere.
Still and all, this is worth reading if you can get a copy of it. It was nominated for all three big awards in 1980, the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Locus.
This book was published in 1979, a time of oil shortages and famines, still very much at the height of the Cold War. So what feels pretty dated now was incredibly relevant then.
Three world factions, locked in a power struggle, representing those who own the oil, those who can grow all the food, and then a somewhat pathetically portrayed communist bloc. All of the factions are pretty terrible, but they're portrayed as especially incompetent.
Anyhow, they discover a new planet through some handwaving of science fiction principles, and the new factions high-tail it to Jem, to hold a proxy war on a new planet, ruining the native beings in the process.
It can definitely be seen as an allegory of colonialism, how the powers of old plundered the "New World" for their own gains, and with the exception of a few sympathetic characters, nobody looks good in this.
The reason I didn't rate this higher is despite the high concepts and warning for even modern day society, the book feels disjointed. There are random and sudden plot twists that give the reader whiplash, and there's one point where I thought I somehow went into a fugue state and missed a whole chapter, because of a plot development that came completely out of nowhere.
Still and all, this is worth reading if you can get a copy of it. It was nominated for all three big awards in 1980, the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Locus.
August 2, 2010
...Jem is not a light story, at times Pohl's commentary on human behaviour is almost cynical. Although parts of the novel appear to be a bit over the top, the author gives the reader plenty to think about. Pohl certainly does not spare us the darker side of human nature. Some science fiction likes to portray exploration of the stars as a scientific and humanitarian effort, one that will lead the species to an utopian future. In Jem, base human emotions such as greed, aggression and mistrust are more important driving forces. The way it confronts the reader with these less favourable aspects of human nature make Jem a very interesting read. It is perhaps not quite as strong as Gateway but certainly more than worth reading.
Full Random Comments review
Full Random Comments review
June 9, 2012
Ugh, what thoroughly unpleasant people populated this book! The aliens were interesting, but they and I would have been much better off without the humans that invaded their world and immediately exploited it and them for their own shortsighted, selfish, immoral purposes. There was one moment of redemption near the end of the book, and a couple of good lines or memorable scenes, but overall, ugh!
Yes, Pohl is making a sharp and largely valid critique of humans and society here, but it was just so unpleasant to read. Ugh.
Yes, Pohl is making a sharp and largely valid critique of humans and society here, but it was just so unpleasant to read. Ugh.
February 29, 2020
My rating: ★★★★✫
December 1, 2022
As we've seen with the NATO push for continuous cold war politics this book is a great swipe at that mindset. It's also a messed up alien planet that celebrates xmas in it's own natural way.
August 7, 2018
My rating probably should be 3.5, but that’s not an option so three it is. This one is a slower starter than many of Pohl’s titles, in part because there’s a lot of info that is conveyed as background and contextual detail, particularly as regards the sociopolitical situation on Earth. Just as that is laid out for us, we are presented with several significant races on a new planet. The perspective changes from chapter to chapter, so it takes a fair chunk of the book up front before the key characters and elements are in place.
As others have mentioned, many of the male characters come off as shallow and unlikeable. However, since this is largely allegorical, I wasn’t bothered by this as much as I might otherwise be. The disparate threads do come together as the story progresses, making the story more interesting in the process.
The book was well regarded on release, and it’s easy to see why. While some of the political background now seems dated, too much of it is starting to seem relevant again. And while it may not have aged as well as some of his material, I have yet to find a Pohl title that isn’t worth reading.
As others have mentioned, many of the male characters come off as shallow and unlikeable. However, since this is largely allegorical, I wasn’t bothered by this as much as I might otherwise be. The disparate threads do come together as the story progresses, making the story more interesting in the process.
The book was well regarded on release, and it’s easy to see why. While some of the political background now seems dated, too much of it is starting to seem relevant again. And while it may not have aged as well as some of his material, I have yet to find a Pohl title that isn’t worth reading.
September 28, 2022
Yet another Gollancz SF Masterworks Series that is not actually a masterwork - is it really a four star book? Probably not. Why the four stars then? Do I feel guilty for giving multiple stories by beloved SF Grandmaster Pohl scornful one star reviews within some of my recent SF Anthology readings? Not at all, they were pretty bad. Does this novel seem better compared to some of the other 70s era SF novels I have read in the SF Masterwork series recently? I think so, but I just may have been in a random mood to enjoy it more. Does it share with a lot of 70s era SF fiction many of the usual problems, more obvious 50 years in retrospect: absurdly simplistic speculations about distant life-supporting planets and the aliens populating them; and absurd political extrapolations birthed in the Cold War, Nuclear War, Energy inflation, Overpopulation fears of the time? Yes. Are there the uncomfortable racist and sexist characters and dialogues? Sure (You can almost count on a sf book of this time being racially diverse and inclusive in a post Star Trek way while simultaneously adhering to many of the old stereotypes, and including a strong ambitious woman character wielding her near nymphomaniac sexuality as a political weapon to gain power over every overmatched male in her way). Is the book's view of humanity kinda dismal? Sure, but, ironic epilogue last chapter aside, it's basically a tragedy and tragedies by definition ... (but on the other hand the tone of the narrative is kind of cheerful in a way that makes the reader overlook horrible implications and I found it an easy quick-paced read). Conclusion: though I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who wasn't already something of a classic science fiction geek, I liked it enough to grade it on a curve.
October 12, 2017
Hard to get into but rewarding as the story evolved. I really struggled to get going with this book and was around 40% of the way in before I started to enjoy it.
The characterisation was over the top but I think that was to help enforce the morals of the story about the perils of rampant capitalism, colonialism and nationalism and the inability of humankind to just get along and share what's needed rather than trying to lord ownership over one another.
If read against when it was written during the height of the cold war it is an allegory but it does that by shouting instead of just telling its story and drawing you to your own conclusions.
The characterisation was over the top but I think that was to help enforce the morals of the story about the perils of rampant capitalism, colonialism and nationalism and the inability of humankind to just get along and share what's needed rather than trying to lord ownership over one another.
If read against when it was written during the height of the cold war it is an allegory but it does that by shouting instead of just telling its story and drawing you to your own conclusions.
October 20, 2019
6/10 en 2006. Media de los 13 libros leídos del autor: 7/10
Aunque tiene este y muchos otros libros muy legibles, me quedo con su Saga Heeche y, en menos medida, con la de "Mercaderes del espacio"
Aunque tiene este y muchos otros libros muy legibles, me quedo con su Saga Heeche y, en menos medida, con la de "Mercaderes del espacio"
October 21, 2022
Um livro puramente sci-fi, em que o autor constrói um planeta e seres, de uma forma incrível e é também isso que me apaixona no tema. Mas com muita política e sempre o quão maus os seres humanos são para toda a vida, com excepção de alguns e salva-me o final, mais leve e demasiado curto para mim.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2024
About as pessimistic a first contact story as you are likely to find.
January 11, 2026
Great concept but lacks the development of most ideas in it. And has a low effort ending to it
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