From the first edition's dust jacket: "Torn from today's headlines this novel takes you right into the heart of the new flood country, the Northeast United States which has generally been free of hurricanes and attendant floods. Now disaster has struck, more than once—terrible and grim. "Although this novel will give you an accurate and brilliantly vivid picture of what it's like to live through a flood, even more importantly it will show you what the people are like who fought the catastrophe and how those who survived are still fighting. Through it all you will sense a growing feeling of pride—that despite the selfishness of some, the people of the town met the terrible onslaught with courage and a sense of mutual help. "Already well known for their superb science fiction, Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth demonstrate here their equal power in the realistic contemporary novel. "Five years—twenty-three books. Since 1951 Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth have produced—together, separately or working with others—just under two dozen novels, anthologies and collections of short stories. Nearly all of their works are science fiction—the sharply satirical 'The Space Merchants' and 'Gladiator'at-Law,' which they wrote in collaboration; Mr. Kornbluth's brilliantly executed studies of the near future in 'Not This August' and 'Takeoff'; Mr. Pohl's celebrated series of 'Star Science Fiction Stories.' "It took an act of God to turn the joint efforts of this team away from the world of tomorrow and make them focus their attention on the dramatic events of today. "The series of storms that lashed the Eastern states in 1954 and 1955 cost Mr. Pohl a roof and Mr. Kornbluth a cellar, for what missed Mr. Pohl on the Jersey shore turned and drove through the upstate New York area where Mr. Kornbluth lives. 'A Town is Drowning' was begun while the repairmen were still at work. "Now thirty-six, Frederik Pohl has spent nearly two decades in the world of publishing—magazine and book editor, writer and anthologist, literary agent, advertising copywriter and magazine circulation expert. At thirty-two, Mr. Kornbluth's career has included five years as Bureau Chief of a national news wire service. Both now devote full time to writing, principally novels, with several new titles scheduled to appear within the next year."
Authors
Cyril M. Kornbluth grew up in Inwood in New York City. As a teenager, he became a member of the Futurians, the influential group of science fiction fans and writers. While a member of the Futurians, he met and became friends with Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl, Donald A. Wollheim, Robert A. W. Lowndes, and his future wife Mary Byers. He also participated in the Fantasy Amateur Press Association. Kornbluth served in the US Army during World War II (European Theatre). He received a Bronze Star for his service in the Battle of the Bulge, where he served as a member of a heavy machine gun crew. Upon his discharge, he returned to finish his education, which had been interrupted by the war, at the University of Chicago. While living in Chicago he also worked at Trans-Radio Press, a news wire service. In 1951 he started writing full time, returning to the East Coast where he collaborated on a number of novels with his old Futurian friends Frederik Pohl and Judith Merrill. He used a variety of pen-names: Cecil Corwin, S. D. Gottesman, Edward J. Bellin, Kenneth Falconer, Walter C. Davies, Simon Eisner, Jordan Park, Arthur Cooke, Paul Dennis Lavond and Scott Mariner.
