The Space Merchants is a thought-provoking and sarcastic novel that depicts the future using advertising methods from the 1950s. It highlights how businesses manipulate religious sales concepts into a religion, and that advertising is deceptive. The unique aspect of the book is that it begins with a societal general principle instead of technology. Although rockets are present in the story, the focus is on copywriters, and their roles are well-planned. The book offers insight into how advertising was used during that era when people were less vulnerable to marketing tactics. The advertising industry's techniques are far less complex than advertising today, although it doesn't imply that there is an advertising industry aristocracy. The book is intended to be sarcastic and the underlying contingencies make it fascinating as futurology. It highlights that only in Antarctica and near the blast-off radius of Venus rockets is there any vacant space on the exceedingly overpopulated Earth.

The book also predicts how industries have amassed enough power to change political boundaries from geographical to corporate. They advocate globally to ensure that services are used, and revenues remain high. Advertising agencies play a significant part in promoting these services. The book highlights that advertising targets all five senses and often makes the products compulsive in nature. Wealth gets funneled towards the top, expanding the middle class and making the wealthy thrive. The impoverished must rely on low-quality nourishment, and third-world countries provide labor for the rich. Many people wear mouth filters when walking down big streets due to pollution. The wealthy reside in tiny apartments containing fold-out mattresses and tables where privacy is impossible.

Although still relevant, the book is imperfect years later and some ideas are unsophisticated. It falls under "soft" science fiction that deals with sociological insights instead of "hard" science fiction that deals with the whys and hows of technology. The book tries to criticize the age in which it was written, and all science fiction aims to be indicative to some extent. There are a few key female characters in the book, one serving as the protagonist's loyal secretary, and the other as his ex-wife who is a renowned heart surgeon and a more capable leader than the protagonist believes. Although the protagonist is not a likable character, his evolution illustrates his ability to grow.

In conclusion, The Space Merchants offers a unique perspective on advertising and how it influences society. Its criticism of industrial conglomerates, mega-corporations, and their impact on political boundaries makes it thought-provoking. Although some of its predictions may seem flawed, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in science fiction and advertising.