Age of the Pussyfoot by Frederik Pohl

After dying in the twentieth century, Martin Forrester expects nothing more from life. Instead, he awakens hundreds of years later in a world transformed by astonishing advances in science and technology. Nearly everything is controlled through portable devices that provide information, communication, entertainment, and access to society itself.

As Forrester struggles to understand this new world, he discovers that humanity still faces familiar challenges despite its technological sophistication. What begins as a story of culture shock evolves into an exciting exploration of politics, technology, and the consequences of living in an interconnected future. Today, the novel is especially notable for predicting many technologies that would become commonplace decades after its publication.

Collector’s Notes

Originally published in 1969, The Age of the Pussyfoot has become one of Frederik Pohl’s most discussed standalone novels because of its remarkably prescient technological predictions. Many readers and scholars have pointed to the book’s “joymaker” device as an early fictional precursor to smartphones, personal digital assistants, and online social networks. Vintage Ballantine and Del Rey editions remain popular with collectors interested in classic science fiction forecasting and influential works that anticipated modern technology.