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The Essential Ellison: A 35 Year Retrospective

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When Harlan Ellison published Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions way back in the mists of the previous century, the speculative fiction community was turned on its ear, not just once but several times. Awards and accolades were heaped upon the participants -- none more so than Harlan himself, who brought the whole thing together. When the promised final volume, The Last Dangerous Visions, failed to materialize for thirty years, accolades turned to puzzlement, accusation, invective, and anger -- almost all of it directed at Harlan, who may or may not be the proper target. I won't enter into that debate (much of it is pointless and silly, not to mention frequently absurd and childish). The only reason I bring up the whole DV mess at all is because, in rereading Essential Ellison, I find that while other writers may have produced stories worthy of inclusion in those volumes, it is Harlan himself who, for all these years, had had the truly dangerous visions. Consider the following stories, all included in this eye-opening retrospective:

* "Lonelyache" -- a dark, mysterious tale of a man at the end of his emotional rope, which wallops you like a chunk of slate;

* Punky and the Yale Men" -- wherein a man tries to relive the violent days of his youth; one of Harlan's most underrated stories;

* "A Prayer For No One's Enemy" -- one of Harlan's most controversial tales, which puts not just anti-Semitism but all racism in its proper perspective;

* "Neither Your Jenny Nor Mine" -- a harrowing story of the days of illegal abortions, absolutely riveting;

* "The Resurgence of Miss Ankle-Strap Wedgie" -- Harlan's best-ever parable about the cannibalistic world of Hollywood;

* "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" -- Harlan's delightful, delicious ode to nonconformity;

* "Jeffty Is Five" -- wistful, haunting, and scary all at once, this story (like Bradbury's "The Playground") shows that eternal youth is not all it's cracked up to be;

* "Mom" --Harlan could've talked Oedipus into leaving home;

* "Alive and Well On a Friendless Voyage" -- existential despair as only Harlan can render it;

* "A Boy and His Dog" -- I usually hate the post-apocalypse genre, but Harlan gets it right on this one;

* "The Deathbird" -- my all-time favorite Ellison story, bar none, a beautifully-constructed parable about God, the Devil, and Man's true place in the universe...

...and this list just barely scratches the surface! I haven't touched upon half of the great work in this retrospective -- such as Harlan's heartfelt, sometimes touching, oftimes scathing nonfiction and essays, or the samples of his wicked sense of humor, his brilliant screenwriting, and his absolute fearlessness and honesty in the face of every sort of mendacity and double-dealing one could imagine.

That said, there are some things missing from this book as well; my short list would include such gems as the brilliant "The Beast Who Shouted Love At the Heart of the World," the chilling "Croatoan," the hysterical "From A to Z, In the Chocolate Alphabet" and "How's the Night Life On Cissalda?" (my nominee for Harlan's funniest-ever story), the thought-provoking "Hitler Painted Roses" and "Lonely Women Are the Vessels of Time", and one of my favorites, the haunting "Demon With a Glass Hand". I understand an updated version of Essential Ellison s coming out soon (soon being relative when talking about Harlan and anthologies, natch), and that it will include some new things, like the stunning "Mefisto In Onyx". I can only hope some of the above stories are included as well -- and while they're at it, here's hoping Harlan and Terry Dowling decide to drop "The Man Who Was Heavily Into Revenge," which is my least-favorite of Harlan's works. It's full of the purple overwriting (some of it bordering on self-parody) which has marred so much of Ray Bradbury's latter-day stories. (Sorry, fellow Harlan fans, but I call 'em like I see 'em!) Harlan has said of Stephen King that King needs a good editor; reading "Revenge" makes me wonder if Unca Harlan shouldn't attend the mote in his own eye first.

That, however, is another subject for another time. (And it's a good thing Harlan eschews computers and the Internet, or I'd be getting one hell of an e-mail from him right about now!) The Essential Ellison is what I'm talking about here, and not only is it a great introduction to Harlan's immense body of classic work, it is also one of the finest collections of writing that any American author, living or dead, has ever produced. Only Mark Twain has written as well, as volubly, and on as many topics as Harlan, and only Twain was better...and I have a feeling that only Harlan will be missed as much, and celebrated as much, over the course of the next century as Twain was over the last. Enjoy him while you can, folks -- because writers like Harlan Ellison come along about once every hundred years, and their dangerous visions are not to be taken lightly.

Like anyone interested in science-fiction I had heard of Harlan Ellison but could never find any sort of book that would fairly summerize his talents and save me the trouble of tracking down his best stories among the many volumes available. Unfortunately this is not that book, a lot of his best stuff is in here but a lot more is still left out, notably (for me) "The Beast That Shouted Love At the Heart of the World", however if you want one volume to serve as a sort of introduction to as many sides of the author as they could cram in, this is probably your best bet. A thousand pages and not a wasted page among them, sure you get some early stuff that is just amateurish or just plain normal genre fiction, but then it's a "retrospective" and not a greatest hits package (though that would be nice too), most of the stories are good and some, like "Deathbird" or "Repent Harlequin, Said the Ticktockman" are simply mindblowing and well worth any effort made to get a hold of them. And I'm leaving out a lot more, this guy has more "awesome" stories that most people should be allowed. Even the essays and other articles are revelatory, showing the passion and fire that courses behind all his stories without the fictional settings hiding them. He's at his best when speaking plainly but he can weave a darn good yarn at the same time. Get this if you have any passing interest in the man and while it shouldn't be your only Ellison purchase, it's a good a place to start as any

I was introduced to Harlan Ellison by a high school English/Literature teacher almost 25 years ago and have thanked her in my mind many times. There is no author who has challenged me, entertained me, and frightened me as much and as often as Mr. Ellison. This collection should be owned by anyone who is interested in science fiction, imaginative fiction (Ellison's term), or contemporary literature. Ellison is to the modern short story what Vincent Van Gogh was to Impressionist visual art (disturbing, yet real). Buy this volume and help make this man the star he should have been years ago when he published "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" or "Deathbird".

I've had this book for going on ten years, and rarely is there a month that goes by without me picking it up. Ellison's full range is well represented, from the earliest days up through the classics like 'the Deathbird'. Some of the best Ellison non-fiction and opinion pieces are well represented also. If you've never read Ellison, be prepared to shift your outlook on pretty much everything.
This book and the "Angry Candy" collection would tide me over on a desert island pretty well.

Ellison is the most thought provoking, reaction-getting writer alive, plain and simple. You may hate some of his work, you may love some, but almost every story in this book will make you feel something more powerfuly then you'd think the printed word could.

One of the, if not, the best collection of shorts I've ever read

This is one of the best collections of a single authors work in all of SF. Ellison is one of the best writers of science fiction writing today. (I know he does not like the term science fiction. I'm writing this review though, and I like it.)

Ellison has written over 1700 stories, essays, other works in his career. He has thoughts of all kinds on lots of differing topics. And there is one thing to say, he is never boring. You might disagree with Harlan Ellison, but you will be entertained and you will think after reading his thoughts.

This is a great book and I would highly recommend it to one and all.

Harlan Ellison is in many ways the quintessential author of our time. This book proves it. Paranoia, sex, megalomania, torture--all described graphically in a way few authors can manage. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is clearly the greatest short story ever written. If it doesn't scare the Hell out of you, you're not breathing. This collection is a fitting tribute to a modern literary master.

... than you simply do not posses the ability to be moved. Harlan Ellison has written over 1700 stories encompassing over 60 books. His best stories and essays open you up to the man's heart. He is brutally honest and always has an opinion. It's hard to put his writing under science fiction because although he has written many SF stories; he has also written horror, dark fantasy, "mainstream" fiction and of course, non-fiction. In the end, these classifications are just to place the book somewhere to make the bookseller's life a bit easier. This is the book to get if you are new (what took you so damn long?) to Ellison. It will introduce to some of his best stories and burning critical essays. He is without a doubt one of the best living short story writers we have. Get it and prove me wrong! -E.L.

This book should be one of the cornerstones of a balanced science fiction library. While non-Ellison readers may be put off by Ellison's early juvenilia the book covers all the classics and provides a new perspective on one of America's most talented writers. Well known tales, like "I have no mouth and I must scream" lie side by side with the intensely personal but totally involving "Valerie". Non-fiction and film scripts complete the picture, all complemented by supplemental text. Given the difficulty in reading the complete works of such a prolific writer the editors have done themselves proud. Pick it up and lose yourself for a day or two in the worlds of Ellison's wonderland