The Knights of Arthur

The Knights of Arthur is a science fiction novella by Frederik Pohl first published in 1958.

Pohl takes us into the future in this quirky and funny story, where the population of the United States is less than 10,000 people ... total. Yes you guessed it, there was a war; but the 'clean' bombs killed people and left most everything else intact. Our trio of 'Knights' are not very talented or smart or brave, but they have survived very well and now are taking on New York City to fulfill a quest of Arthur. You see, Arthur has no legs. Or arms. Or body. But he is very opinionated nevertheless. This is a fascinating story that is full of humor and human nature as only Pohl can do it.

Sailors Sam Dunlap and Arthur check in to a New York hotel to await their mate Vern Engdahl when a girl shows up proposing to purchase Arthur. They need guys like Arthur to help run the city, and the fact that he fits in a small suitcase is even better.

The Knights of Arthur was first published in the January 1958 edition of Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. (1919-2013) was an American science fiction writer and editor, with a career spanning more than seventy-five years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited Galaxy and its sister magazine If; the latter won three successive annual Hugo Awards as the year's best professional magazine. He won four Hugo and three Nebula Awards. 

The Science Fiction Writers of America named Pohl its 12th recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award in 1993 and he was inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998.