WeBuzz
Reader discussion: The Tunnel Under the World
Public reader discussion about The Tunnel Under the World in the WeRead Catalog by Frederik Pohl.
Recommendations for Short Stories about Robots and/or AI for Literature Class
By Epilogue825
Can I get some recommendations for short stories about robots and AI? I’m teaching a basic lit class next year and I’m hoping to find some favorites that work well for freshmen/sophomores at a small Midwestern school.
Most of them don’t really read for fun, and a lot of them aren’t used to science fiction, so I’m trying to keep it pretty short. I can’t really assign a bunch of anything over like 30 pages, both because of time and because a lot of people struggle to get through longer stuff.
I already picked up/ordered a few bigger ones for the class: Capek’s R.U.R., Asimov’s I, Robot, Dick’s stuff, and Cargill’s Sea of Rust.
These are some robot/AI short stories I’m already looking at (not necessarily in any order): “Bicentennial Man,” “Helen O’Loy,” “Cat Pictures Please,” “Epicac,” “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,” “I Sing the Body Electric,” “Lulu,” “Mother of Invention,” “Moxon’s Master,” “Scanners Live in Vain,” “Skipping Stones in the Dark,” “The Beast Adjoins,” “The Machine Stops,” “The Sandman,” “Second Variety,” plus whatever’s in Asimov’s Wonderful Worlds of Science Fiction, Vol. 9: Robots.
Also, I’d love stories that come before the whole “robot”/“AI” terminology was a thing—so anything with automata and that vibe is totally welcome.
What are your go-to robot/AI short stories for a class like this? And if possible, where can I actually find them (collection, magazine, website)? Thanks a lot!
Virtual Nightmare (2000) [1:24:39] Based on the Frederik Pohl short story The Tunnel under the World
By CafeSleepy90
I can’t remember the exact details, but this one made me think of “The Tunnel under the World” by Frederik Pohl. I also saw that in 1956 it got adapted for radio on NBC’s X Minus One.
The main guy starts noticing weird glitches in what he sees, and then you can tell his whole reality (and even his life) doesn’t really make sense when you look too hard. He keeps trying to get out of the world he’s stuck in, but it never really goes the way he hopes—at least not consistently.
Virtual Nightmare (2000) [1:24:39] Based on the Frederik Pohl short story The Tunnel under the World
By winter_rabbit29
It’s kind of wild how this one starts (based on that Frederik Pohl short story) and then really turns into the protagonist questioning if his reality is even real. At first it’s just little glitches in what he’s seeing, but then you realize there’s a bunch about his world—and his whole life—that doesn’t make sense once you look closer. He keeps trying to get out of the situation he’s stuck in, though the attempts don’t exactly go the way he wants. Also, I noticed it was adapted for radio in 1956 on NBC’s X Minus One, which is pretty cool.
Looking for short story about a man trying to escape a city overrun by ads.
By SedulityLake
It feels like the whole plot is about this guy stuck in a world where TV ads are basically everywhere—like even in his bedroom and on public transit and just all over the city. He hears about this older-style motel outside town where there supposedly aren’t any TVs, so no ads bothering you. He goes out there and the owner basically promises it’ll be free of all that.
But later you find out the owner’s actually making a call and it turns into this government/corporation setup to bait people who hate ads, catch them, and then “treat” them. Pretty dark twist.
I keep thinking it might be related to Frederik Pohl somehow—after re-reading “The Tunnel under the World,” it just gave me that vibe—but I’m not sure. Also I feel like it was published in the 50s or 60s, but again, not totally certain.
I asked around and nobody could really pin it down, but I did end up finding out the title is “The Room” by Ray Russell.
The first story about us living in a simulation?
By hawkWandering8606
I read Simulchron 3 by Jerry Soul when I was about 11.
I think it was around 1959. The main guy spots this crack in his world, squeezes through, and then he meets his Showrunner—then it seems like the other world is all messed up too, with cracks and stuff.
Honestly my brain was totally wrecked by how wild it was 😂
Those were the good days though, when everything finally clicked once the “mist” lifted.
Recommend Titles for my SF Class
By PBee26
Hey everyone! I’m a 9–12 grade teacher and right now I run a semester-long science fiction elective. It’s been a cool chance to dig into the genre, both through the content and the authors themselves. I’m looking for some “must read” sci-fi picks for teens who are just getting into it—bonus points if you can say why you recommend each one.
Quick note: we usually do around 15–20 short stories (depending on pacing and how much we get into discussion) and then 3 novels, read at the same time in literature circles, like mini book clubs. What would you suggest?
The Tunnel under the World by Frederik Pohl ('55): A dramatisation by Mike Walker that modernises some of the language and references in this famous sci-fi story. See comment for Wiki plot summary if you want spoilers.
By Dragon_Brook
Guy Buckhardt keeps waking up after the exact same nightmare, and for a while it feels like he’s just being pacified every day by all these “special offers” and loads of stuff to buy. But then things start to slip and he can remember more than he was able to before… and I’m not sure if that’s going to make it worse or somehow change how he feels.
Also, I didn’t expect it to have this much going on. This one’s from 1955, and it’s been dramatised too—BBC Radio 4 did a version in Dec 2000.
The Tunnel under the World by Frederik Pohl ('55): A dramatisation by Mike Walker that modernises some of the language and references in this famous sci-fi story.
By IanInAustin
I really love classic Frederik Pohl stuff.
Movies that remind you of a book, but not based on that book.
By shoreyoung7571
Sometimes a movie or a character in some other medium hits me so hard it reminds me of a specific book I’ve read—like, I start wondering if they’re somehow connected, even if the original book is totally unrelated. Like, Tony DiNozzo on NCIS just makes me think of Ivan Vorpatril from the Vorkosigan books. It’s not the best comparison, but it made me curious: does anyone else get that “this feels linked” reaction when you’re watching something that’s definitely not?
The Tunnel Under The World, by Frederik Pohl (I think Blade Runner fans would enjoy this short story)
By violet_planet5373
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing. Another one I always end up thinking about when it comes to BR is “Full Circle” by H.B. Hickey—I haven’t been able to find a solid link to it online though.
The Tunnel under the World — Frederik Pohl (Audiobook)
By Prologue-Gold
“Feckle Freezer!” is the vibe 😄
I’ve only read Fred Pohl once, but I’ve got a ton of respect for him. Looking back, his novels (and the ones he did with C. M. Kornbluth) were some of the best SF I was into back when I was a teen.
Short Stories (less than 15 pages) with cliffhangers & plot twists
By MayaReads
Could someone point me to some short stories in English that are about 5–6 pages and have really surprising endings? Thanks!
I’ve already liked:
- The Lady or the Tiger
- The Tell-Tale Heart
- After Twenty Years
- The Lottery
- The Necklace
- The Most Dangerous Game
- The Gift of the Magi
Dark city and Pohl
By cat-lake7
I just read “The Tunnel Under the World” by Frederik Pohl, and the whole vibe/setting felt really close to “Dark City.” Are they related in any way?
I really need a SF thriller that hits the spot. Something like Blake Crouch
By Small-Mug1980
I’ve read Blake Crouch’s *Dark Matter* and *Recursion*, plus *Pines*, and I liked *Dark Matter* the best. Any other books you’d recommend? I’ve also been into some WW2 historical fiction, so anything like that would be great too.
Frederik Pohl - The Tunnel Under The World
By folio-needle
This kind of feels like the same original concept as Dark City.
[TOMT] [FILM] Escaping from the fake world and realizing that they are tiny or toy people.
By frozenCrown6
Does anyone else know what this is? I’m pretty sure the story is about a few people realizing they’re trapped in some kind of fake world that’s run by something nobody understands. They spend most of it trying to break out, and the ending is basically like, “surprise,” because the camera shows they were super small in a toy-like universe or box. It feels like it could’ve been one of those short films that used to pop up online, maybe even like the DUST channel stuff. Anyone have a clue what the title is?
Confession time: Older sci-fi is getting increasingly harder to read because of the technology
By frozenCrown6
I know this topic has probably come up before, but I just have to say it. I’m finally going through the Foundation series for the first time (I read the first book ages ago and didn’t keep going), and some parts are honestly hard to get through. A big reason is the “older” kind of tech Asimov uses. When I see characters still relying on stuff that isn’t really digital—like anything film-based—I catch myself feeling kinda let down, like the author didn’t guess what tech would look like today. I know that’s unfair, but I can’t seem to turn the feeling off.
For me it didn’t used to be like this with Dune. I’m a huge Herbert fan, and I started reading those before a lot of modern digital tech existed, so it didn’t bother me as much. But when I reread Dune recently, it hit me way harder.
Oddly, I’m less bothered by the big stuff—like how space travel actually works—because we still don’t really have answers to that in real life. That disappointment is there too, but it doesn’t get under my skin the same way.
Also, I’ve noticed I don’t have the same problem with Jules Verne or the Barsoom books. Maybe because they’re more obviously in the fantasy lane, so it doesn’t feel like I’m comparing them to reality as much?
Does anyone else run into this? And how do you deal with it—do you just push through, or is there a way you adjusted your mindset?
Edit: wow, this got a lot of attention. Thanks to everyone for the replies. I get why some people might be annoyed, but I wasn’t trying to bash sci-fi writers in general. It was more of a personal confession than a critique. I’ll still read and enjoy sci-fi.
Asimov short story about chess.
By notebookPencil
Hey,
I’ve been trying to track down an Asimov short story I read ages ago as a kid, but I can’t seem to find anything about it online.
I remember it being really short—maybe just a couple of pages. The basic idea, as far as I can tell, was about an average chess player who somehow stumbles on a weird board setup that’s so awful it ends up killing his opponents.
I read it in a school library book that had color illustrations for the stories. I’m not totally sure if it was actually Asimov or if he was maybe the editor of the collection. It was so long ago that my details are a little fuzzy.
If anyone has any idea what story this could be, I’d really appreciate the help.