FORGOTTEN BOOKS #55: PREFERRED RISK By Edson McCann (Lester del Rey & Frederik Pohl)

In 1954, Galaxy and Simon & Schuster ran a contest inviting science fiction readers to write a novel. The winning novel would be serialized in Galaxy and then published in hardcover by Simon & Schuster. Well, a year went by and the editors at Galaxy and Simon & Schuster determined that none of submitted novels were worth publishing. They approached Lester del Rey and Frederik Pohl to write an acceptable “winning” entry. That’s how Preferred Risk by the pseudonymous “Edson McCann” came to be published. It’s the story of a future world run by The Company, an insurance agency. If you’ve read any of the C. M. Kornbluth and Frederik Pohl sociological SF novels like Gladiator-at-Law where the world is run by law firms, you’ll know what you’re in for. Preferred Risk doesn’t compare with classics like The Space Merchants, where advertising agencies run the world, but I found reading it great nostalgic fun. And, I love the wrap-around Richard Powers’ cover!

27 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #55: PREFERRED RISK By Edson McCann (Lester del Rey & Frederik Pohl)

    1. george Post author

      Ballantine Books reprinted PREFERRED RISK in 1980, Bill. That’s the most recent reprint that I’ve seen. The DELL paperback with the great Powers cover was published in 1962.

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    1. george Post author

      Richard Powers did a few more great wraparound covers, Patti. I wish someone would bring out an art book of his wonderful work. I’d be the first to buy it.

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  1. Randy Johnson

    I have one of the later editions with their real names on the cover and an introduction by Pohl on how two such different writers worked it out: Pohl had to plot before he could write and del Rey just wrote. del Rey would throw out the plot and write a chapter, then Pohl would have to replot before he could write the next chapter. They went back and forth like that until the book was finished.

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    1. george Post author

      Very interesting, Randy! I love to learn about the “behind-the-scenes” maneuvering writers go through to finish a project like PREFERRED RISK.

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    1. george Post author

      You’re right about PREFERRED RISK being a second-tier effort, Rick. But it’s in the same category as those later Kornbluth/Pohl classics.

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  2. Drongo

    George, in 2001 a book called THE ART OF RICHARD POWERS was released. Edited by Jane Frank, this has a nice overview of his professional life, and contains a lot of his brilliant art work.

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    1. george Post author

      Yes, I have THE ART OF RICHARD POWERS, Drongo. But Powers did hundreds of paperback covers that didn’t make it into that book. I’d like to see COMPLETE ARTWORK OF RICHARD POWERS published someday.

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    1. george Post author

      It became a pretty open secret, Evan. I vaguely recall that Fred Pohl talked about this contest in his memoir. And that 1980 reprint of PREFERRED RISK seems to have an introduction that explains what went on.

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  3. Drongo

    So would I George, but imagine how much it would cost. As you point out, Powers was quite prolific. If you and I each bought a copy, we’d have to move into Rick’s garage. And I bet he’s got spiders in there!

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    1. george Post author

      Maybe someone could put all those Richard Powers’ covers on a CD-ROM, Drongo. The price would be reasonable and we wouldn’t have to move into Rick’s garage!

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  4. Richard Robinson

    Say, there’s nothing wrong with my garage! Sure, it’s pretty full of two cars and lots of stuff. But it’s finished, has a work bench, good lighting, cabinets with doors. There MIGHT be a spider, but it would be a polite one.

    By the way, I guess my Friday Forgotten Book was a real dud. One visit!

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  5. Todd Mason

    I seem to recall there has been, but can’t find it in the time I’m allotting myself right now. Jane Frank’s 2001 book THE ART OF RICHARD POWERS might have one.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      I’ll have to try to unearth my copy of THE ART OF RICHARD POWERS, Todd. But I don’t seem to recall that it includes a complete listing of his work.

      Reply

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