Outnumbering the Dead

"Outnumbering the Dead" by Pohl, Frederik, published by St Martins Pr. In a future where medical science has all but eliminated death, vid star Rafiel is faced with his own demise and learns many poignant lessons about life as he struggles with this reality. By the author of Our Angry Earth. From Publishers WeeklyThe question this novella poses seems like one Robert Silverberg, not Pohl, would come up with: What do you do when you're a mortal in a world of immortals? The genetic treatments that allow most everyone to live forever have failed on Rafiel, an actor, so he faces a maximum life span of only a century or so. Far from making him an outcast, Rafiel's freakish mortality has turned him into a superstar. The immortal legions are fascinated with death, and Rafiel's signs of encroaching age have only increased his entertainment appeal. For 90 years he has enjoyed fame, wealth and the pleasures of affluence--but after his latest rejuvenation treatment, he begins to feel tired. His acting suffers; his fatigue does not go unnoticed by dramaturge Mosay and fellow actor/dancer Docilia; and his long-lost immortal love, Alegrettalike allegretto? ck ,no, it's with one l. Better get used to the crazy spellings in SF reviews. They are a pain!/sss has sent him an unexpected gift. Rafiel comes to resent his immortal acquaintances as he realizes how short a time he has left to live, but with Alegretta's help he may find solace. Hugo and Nebula winner Pohl wrote such classics as Man Plus and Gateway , and the new book shows that he can still work at the top of his form. His writing is spare, the characters' emotions understated, which somehow makes Rafiel all the more sympathetic. This elegant novella stands among Pohl's best work and should not be missed. Illustrations, by Steve Crisp, not seen by PW. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus ReviewsIllustrated novella set in a medium-future world where immortality is the norm, and lukewarm-fusion technology yields virtually unlimited energy. Rafiel is a song-and-dance superstar with a unique problem: His prebirth immortality treatment failed, and he is doomed to die. Now a rejuvenated young/old man of 90, he begins to feel the first twinges of approaching death. Secretly he is a little angry at his plight, but his fellow performers, sympathetic but uncomprehending, regard death as quaint and rather amusing. His last role will be Oedipus in a modern, rhyming version of Oedipus Rex. As his body begins to fail him, Rafiel thinks more and more of his lost love, Alegretta, once his doctor, now chief fusion engineer aboard Hakluyt, a space habitat soon to head toward Tau Ceti. Unexpectedly, Alegretta visits Rafiel, admitting that previously she couldn't deal with the idea of Rafiel's death; but now she offers him the traditional form of immortality: a child. Rafiel, realizing that his last performance as doomed Oedipus was entirely apt, decides to join Alegretta aboard Hakluyt, where he discovers acceptance and true serenity. Constructed with the precision and perfect movement of a Swiss watch, but, curiously, emotionally flat and unaffecting. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Book details: published 1992. Order now on BookShops.in with fast, reliable delivery across India.