"If you don't care about science enough to be interested in it on its own, you shouldn't try to write hard science fiction. You can write like Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison as much as you want"

This quote by Frederik Pohl is highlighting the value of having a genuine interest in science when composing difficult sci-fi. He is recommending that if you do not have a passion for science, you ought to not try to compose difficult science fiction. Instead, he recommends that you can write in a design similar to Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison, who composed sci-fi without a deep understanding of science. This quote is a suggestion that tough science fiction requires a strong understanding of science, which if you do not have that knowledge, you need to focus on writing in a different design. Pohl's quote is a reminder that composing tough science fiction requires a deep understanding of science, which if you do not have that knowledge, you should concentrate on writing in a various design.