author
Edson McCann
A made-up byline with a real science-fiction pedigree, this name was used for a fast-moving 1955 novel created behind the scenes of the magazine world. The result, Preferred Risk, carries the sharp, idea-driven style of two major SF writers working together.
1 Audiobook
Preferred Risk
by Edson McCann
About the author
Edson McCann was not a single person, but a joint pseudonym used by Frederik Pohl and Lester del Rey. The name is best known for the novel Preferred Risk, first published in 1955.
The pseudonym has an especially fun backstory in science-fiction history. Preferred Risk was written quickly for a Galaxy Science Fiction novel competition after no outside submission proved suitable, so two established writers stepped in under a shared pen name instead.
That means books credited to Edson McCann belong to a small but memorable corner of mid-century science fiction: clever, collaborative, and tied to the magazine era that helped shape the genre.