Book Description
Most overviews of film are written from some high, sunlit mountaintop. In this first collection of Harlan Ellison's cinema criticism (with expanded, never-before-collected articles as well as an essay written especially for this volume) come from the darkened interiors of a thousand movie houses where this most peculiar of all Observers of the Passing Scene has spent much of his life. The view is guaranteed to make you grind your teeth in anger, nod your head in blessed agreement, and open your eyes in a manner of judging films that is definitely not plebeian. Harlan Ellison's love affair with movies is obvious. As an essayist, he has no equal; as a film critic he has no friends. Take care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Movie reviews from an insider, fan and master storyteller
You'll learn more from one Harlan Ellison movie review than you did in a week of any college history or media class.

He's done the screenplays for various movies to varying degrees of quality, and he's honest about that, which gives him MAD credibility points with me (self-effacing is the path to free, open blasting of others). He blasts movies on the premise that, if they're bad, they've lied to you and sucked the very life out of your existence and should be punished. He's got lots of backstage insight and, even though a great deal of the films in this book are dated by the nature of the films discussed (ever seen a 10 page essay about how bad "Gremlins" was?) which slows the book down in spots, it's over 400 pages of the most erudite, informed, intellectually stimulating slamming you've ever read. He makes you want to go to the video store and stock up on everything in the 80s to see if its as bad as he says it is. I don't agree with every review (and some reviews aren't even reviews, but diatribes about how jacked up society and art is, and these are often chilling), but I am thoroughly engaged with every review, and what more could you ask for?

A must for movie fans or anyone looking for intelligent writing that dares you to not own a dictionary. The book literally makes you smarter.

This is how it's done
The written reviews have much more to give in terms of sheer entertainment value then the moves themselves. If you run across this in a library check it out, it shows how movies reviews should be done ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

The essential Ellison.
Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do If you can only own one Ellison collection,this is the one. This is the author at his crisp ,clean best. There is no meandering or sky larking. Not a word wasted. Everything is bare boned essential. Famous or infamous for his introductions there is one story that intro states "I have nothing to say about this story." Chilling. You will enjoy this....Think of that. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Harlan Ellison is undoubtedly one of the most audacious, infuriating, brazen characters on the planet. Which may help explain why he is also one of the most brilliant, innovative, and eloquent writers on earth. Slippage simply presents recent, typical Ellison. In a word, masterful. The 21 stories in this 1997 collection, which is encased in black boxes, show Ellison at the height of his powers, with several of the stories (no surprise here) major award-winners. Highlights include a black mind reader who pays a visit to a white serialkiller, a husband who falls prey to a vampiric personal computer, and a love affair between a young man and a woman who may be more undead than alive. Perhaps even more fascinating are the painfully candid snapshots of autobiography running throughout the volume. Even if Ellison's unsettling fictionsare not enough to dazzle you, his often bizarre life experiences as an author will still keep you compulsively turning the page like a polite voyeur. --Stanley WiaterBook Description
With this, his best-selling and most critically acclaimed collection ever, Ellison celebrates four decades of brilliant, outrageous writing. The award-winning novella "Mefisto in Onyx" is the centerpiece of an irreverent and wildly imaginative book that the San Diego Union-Tribune called "electrifying...Ellison is back, as unsettling as ever." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Dark Voyages
I bought a copy of this when I heard Mr. Ellison speak in April, 1998 - it took me this long to get around to reading it.When I began, my husband said to me "Uh, oh, you'll be having wierd dreams for awhile".The stories do haunt you like that, in those quiet, creepy moments in the night.These are brilliant, violent, dark stories - you never forget them.While many reviews concentrate on the stories receiving wide acclaim, the one that hit me hardest was "Pulling Hard Time", a nightmarish vision of "capital punishment".It is a wonderful example of Mr. Ellison's ability to knock you between the eyes in relatively few words and the kind of work that is best appreciated by reading it out loud.He defies definition - honored in many fields of writing & superior in all of them.He is out-spoken & defiant in person, but I must say that the hour & a half I heard him speak was some of the best time I've ever spent, agree with him or not.

In the undying words of Keanu Reeves, "Whoa."
This collection will kick your posterier.It will grab you by your lappels and slam you against the wall and shake the @#$% out of you until you've had your complacent, comfortable litte existance irreperably shattered.Like its creater, its not to be taken lightly.

Do not hesitate.Buy it. Read it. If you dare.You will not view the world or your place in it quite the same again.

A masterpiece
I've been a fan of Harlan ever since first learning of him back in the early 90s.I picked up one of his story collections....and then another, and another, until now I've read just about all of them.I truly believe that when it's all said and done, Ellison will be remembered as being one of the absolute best writers of speculative fiction that have ever lived.

Note those key words:"speculative fiction".Harlan himself has mentioned before that he doesn't want to be pigeonholed into one genre (i.e. stuck with the constraining label of "science fiction writer", although much of his work would fall into the sci-fi field).And he doesn't limit himself to one genre.So I would tell you, whomever you are reading this review, to take some of the opinions of my fellow reviewers ("This book isn't sci-fi enough!!!") with a grain of salt.

"Slippage" is another masterpiece by Harlan.It's one of my favorites, and I feel that some of the work here rivals some of his best.It's a beautiful work, one that touches the soul in places, particularly in "The Man Who Rowed Columbus Ashore", as well as the award-winning "Mefisto in Onyx".

I strongly urge any fan of speculative fiction to pick up this book, and be welcomed into the wonderland of Ellison.

A strong collection of stories by one of our best authors
This is perhaps Ellison's best collection.It easily rivals Angry Candy (1988), which is widely considered to be his best work.The centerpiece of Slippage is the novella "Mefisto in Onyx."It is not only a well crafted story with too many twists to count, but it is a great commentary on race, gender, and human relations in general.Another jem in this collection is "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore," which is a great tale of an unlimited man living in a limited world.This story is touching, contemplative, and horrifying at times.It was included in the 1993 Best American Short Stories.Many other stories are included as well as three essays: The introduction is worth the cost of the book, An essay on Ellison's writing process, and an essay about the dangers of television for writers.You also have to admire a man who puts someone else's short story in his collection and praises it.Included is Donald Westlake's striking "Nackles".A tale about hate, more or less.Many other stories are included and all are well polished.This is among my favorite Ellison collections.

Nearly the Best of Ellison
This great collection gives you a representative sampling of Ellison's best short stories, and prove that he is far from a science fiction writer, which is what most people think. Sure, some of his stories definitely are sci-fi, like "Chatting with Anubis" and "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral". However, most of Ellison's tales are better described as speculative fiction, and mostly consist of biting social observation. The best example is the classic "Mefisto in Onyx" which adds the supernatural to a treatise on racial tension, and the "Nackles" stories which deal with the uncomfortable realities of child abuse in the guise of a Christmas fairy tale. Ellison even veers into fantasy ("The Dragon on the Bookshelf") and bizarre character sketches ("The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore") while keeping his offbeat but perceptive worldview intact.

Here you can see that Ellison as a writer is impossible to categorize, and also impossible to ignore. (Note: For an even better collection, see the similarly-packaged volume "Angry Candy".) ... Read more

Book Description
When he's down, kick for the head and groin. Avoid cops. Play it cool There aren't many rules in the primer for gang kids, but they all count. They're all easily understood because they use a simple and sound philosophy it's a stinking life, so get your kicks while you can. The gang is home, take what you want, tell them nothing and don't get caught. Two gangs of juvenile delinquents run riot in New York City. They constantly try to outdo each other with their clothes, weapons, language and lack of morals. They are not just kids playing at war they mean business. The only person who can infiltrate the gang is someone they can trust, someone like themselves. Someone who knows how to handle a knife and a gun ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (13)

A treat !!
This is a real treat for not only Ellison fans, but any SF fan worth his salt. Features some of the best and worst pieces of fiction by Ellison. It could have been alternatively titled "How I became a writer - Harlan Ellison", for through the pages, we (literally) travel through time and realize how Ellison's writings matured and shaped over the years, from his early teens to the present.

I am not rating or dissecting the actual stories cos that takes half the suspense out of the plots .. Just a line of recommendation: GO BUY IT!

it's ellison and it's the size of a brick! :)
i ordered this book because i just recently discovered the awesomeness of mr. ellison's work, and i wanted more of it. more is what i got! nobody told me how huge a tome this thing is... it weighs at least 5 pounds and it's as thick as one of those dictionaries you get at the public library! portable it's not, but if you want absolutely as much of ellison you can get for the money, look no further.

Life without Ellison would be dull
Here it is: 50 years of the splenetic imaginings of Harlan Ellison, who writes like an angel on speed, and doesn't care, God bless him,
if he offends you or not.Read "REPENT HARLEQUIN! Said the Ticktockman,"
and "A Boy and His Dog." Ladies, don't let Ellison's misogynism spook you:you'll be better for having enjoyed the stories of this prolific, disciplined madman.

Xenogenesis and so much more
I bought this book initially so I'd have a copy of the essay 'Xenogenesis', which scared seven shades of pea soup out of me when I first read it in IASFM. Further perusal gave me a thorough glimpse of the work of an author I'd been skipping, as I considered him a product of the 'second wave' of science fiction/science fiction-influenced authors (first wave involving Heinlein, E. E. 'Doc' Smith, and so on). Good to have been proven so wrong, and now it's a book I'll recommend to those of my friends who see 'Harlan Ellison' and only think 'that guy from Babylon 5'.

I Have No Book, And I Must Read
For the uninitiated or causal reader, "The Essential Ellison" represents the best compilation of the author's works between two covers. With 1400 + stories under his belt, Harlan Ellison is one of the most prolific writers of any genre of fiction. The amazing thing is that all of them are good. Even better, most of them are great. And better yet, a good number of them are some of the best short stories written in the last fifty years. Though classified as a sci-fi author, Ellison writes fierce and barbed tales about the alienation of the individual in modern life, whether it's the guise of sci-fi, fantasy, or non-genre fiction. With defiant tone, Ellison passionately defends the individual against the impersonal machinations of ridged, authoritarian systems and their apathetic leaders. Unrelenting and sincere, Ellison's prose and characters take a stand for those who can't or won't. "The Essential Ellison" contains most of the author's greatest stories. From the spiritual longing of "Grail" to the utter insanity of "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream"; from the mute hopelessness of "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" to the phantasmagorical absurdity of "Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktock Man"; from the prophetic frustration of "Along the Scenic Route" to the rebellious shriek of "A Boy and His Dog." Mercurial and pointed, purposeful and thought-provoking, Ellison rarely writes for bemusement's sake alone. And like all great authors, the reader leaves a story with more than they started with. So, if you're tired of the same ol' sci-fi/fantasy story of "an ambitious young farm lad who is really of noble birth assembles a cadre of trusted misfit warriors and does battle with the great evil that threatens to envelop the world" rot, then I whole-heartedly suggest you check out the work of Harlan Ellison. ... Read more

Book Description
The Seattle Times said of Angry Candy: "Ellison's stories rattle the bars of complacency that people put around their souls . . . Razor sharp . . . piercingly profound." Once again, Ellison's writing defies all labels. These seventeen stories by a modern master are an "assembled artifact" of anger and faith - as bittersweet as a"jalapeno-laced cinnamon bear." The sixteen stories collected here are spread over the farthest stretches of time and space, buteven the bleakest of them is warmed by a passionate faith in the endurance of life and its ultimate possibilities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

unbearable
I couldn't get through much of this garbage, and I recommend anyone thinking of reading it do some browsing of the pages at a library or even via Amazon's nifty feature that lets you read a few pages, before you make a terrible mistake.This overblown windbag (Ellison) is so full of himself that his masturbatory writing style oozes filthy wetness right off the page.I had to look this guy up after reading some stuff, and it turns out he's a real jerk in person too, which explains a lot actually.I recommend doing some research on the author even more than even his books.You will be sickened by the thought of reading anything puked up from that mind.Just remember, you're reading a book written by someone who thinks he's better than you and wants everyone to know it.

you won't find a better collection of short stories
This World Fantasy Award-winning collection was the first taste of Harlan Ellison that I had, and boy, was it a good introduction.I have since read a great deal more of Ellison's work, and, while I find that pretty much all of it affects me deeply, the stories in _Angry Candy_ are the ones I find myself coming back to the most.

Death is the theme tying together the stories in _Angry Candy_--death, and our difficulty accepting it as an inevitable part of life.The book is saturated with anger and loss, yes, but also with dark humor and a sense that life is something worth fighting for.

Other reviewers have talked about the standout stories in this collection, including "Paladin of the Lost Hour," which picked up a Hugo Award, "Soft Monkey," and "The Importance of Dream Sleep."No one has mentioned "Stuffing," which is not generally considered one of Ellison's strongest stories, but which affected me deeply when I first read it and which remains one of my favorites.I read it while struggling through a profound depression, and the sense of futility and powerlessness it conveyed struck a chord in me.I think that typifies _Angry Candy_: while every story in this collection is admirable, there is almost certain to be at least one that resonates particularly strongly for you.And if that doesn't make you want to read this book, I don't know what will.

Essential
Not just essential to fans of Harlan Ellison, this book is mind-altering, beginning with the first line of the opener, "Paladin of the Lost Hour". I can't recommend this book enough. I kept it checked out of the library when I was younger and much broker; I got older and less broke; and now, much like another reviewer, I keep buying new copies after I loan them out and they never return. Combine this with "the Essential Ellison" and you will understand why people are so rabid about the works of Harlan Ellison.

Ellison- challenging, puzzling, dynamic
Harlan Ellison is one the world's great short story writers. Forget about labels, SF, fantasy, etc. He is just one of the better practitioners of this art form. He also can be one of the most infuriating, writing experimental stories that take many pages to say nothing. ANGRY CANDY is bit of both with the good outweighing the incomprehensible.
"Paladin of the Lost Hour," "Prince Myshkin," "Laugh Track," and especially "Soft Monkey" ( an incredible tale of survival in the heartless city) are all fine examples of Ellison's ability to create a variety of stories that can grip you with suspense or put a mile on your face ( arare talent in any writer). It is the few occasions where Ellison drifts off into the bizarre; with stories like "The Region Between" or "Eidolons" where the point is...well I'm not sure where the point is; this being the problem. It is these types of stories that keep me from giving this collection the highest rating, but one thing about Ellison's writing it is never boring and it will always challenge the reader's emotions and intellect. ANGRY CANDY is another example of Ellison's ability to do both of these things magnificently.

Death pervads this masterpiece
Angry Candy is considered by some to be Harlan Ellison's best collection of short stories.I think Slippage is a tiny bit better, but Angry Candy is powerful.The collection starts with an essay Ellison wrote after the deaths of many friends in a short time period (A list is provided; organized by month of death; human mortality is truely freightening).The common thread throughout these stories is death.Death shows up everywhere: from the Titanic to werewolves in Paris to an Aunt trapped for eternity on a "Laugh Track".The stars of the collection are "The Paladin of the Lost Hour," which was an episode of the New Twilight Zone."Paladin" is a beautiful tale of race relations and human emotions."Soft Monkey" is a tale of a New York bag-woman who chooses the wrong place to sleep one night and the relationship she has with a doll."The Function of Dream Sleep" was written last and deals with Ellison's loss of friends.It seems it was written as a release from the pain of loss.All of the other stories in this collection are sound and most importantly entertaining.Ellison knows how to tell the story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Sci Fi's Angry Young Man
He's been raging for years. Star trek and outer limits episodes, the short story he claims (with much vigor.) was the basis for the terminator.
He is a man from a bygone age who writes with a passion that is not found today. Some of the best short stories to be found (I have no mouth and I must scream)flow from his pen. A man worthy of a retrospective.
think of that!Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do

Never Far Away
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.

Fantastic
My first introduction to Harlan Ellison was in a college course called "Alternative Political Futures" where the professor used science fiction to illustrate the concepts that underlie political science.As part of that course, we read many of the great works of science ficition, including Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, A Canticle for Leibowitz, Ender's Game, and Childhood's End.

By far, however, the most fascinating writer in the course was Harlan Ellison, and we read two of his stories, A Boy and His Dog and Repent Harlenquin Said the Ticktockman.In just a few pages of each of his stories, Ellison creates a believeable world through the use of nimble wordplay and intriguing characters.

Essential Ellison demonstrates Ellison's development over the course of his career and provides a wealth of entertaining stories.Even more than the fiction, however, I enjoyed the autobiographical essays that are interspersed throughout the book.Ellison opens the window to his own personality, and he is character as vivid as any of his fictional creations.

The only reason that I gave four stars instead of the unabashed five star rating is because there are several stories in this 1000+ page tome that did not catch my fancy.That's to be expected, but I struggled through about 200 pages of the overall book.Don't let that deter you - find the stories that resonate with you.

Truly Dangerous Visions
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.

The Most Bang for your Buck
Buy this book. Buy it now.Harlan Ellisn is the difference between writing and storytelling.....like some medieval wanderer with a heart full of magic, Harlan will leave your imagination reeling. These stories are theresult of a person with a keen eye for the human soul and a style that farexceeds "expectations"....They may or may not change your life,but they are guaranteed to make your day. Buy it now, while there is stilltime. Your local bookstore will seem like a third-world newspaper rack whenyou realize that they probably don't have it, and you will be sorry. ... Read more

Book Description

From Harlan Ellsion, whom The Washington Post regards as "lyric poet, satirist, explorer of odd psychological corners, moralist, one-line comedian, purveyor of pure horror and black comedy,"comes Strange Wine. Discover among these tales the spirits of executed Nazi war criminals who walk Manhattan streets, the damned soul of a murderess escaped from Hell, gremlins writing the fantasies of a gone-dry writer and the exquisite Dr. D(c)¨arque Angel who deals her patients doses of deathú Anything and everything that is good about short story collections is condensed into this one book, the scope of which ranges from satire ("The New York Review Of Bird") to humor ("Working With The Little People") to outright horror (the devastating "Croatoan"). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

An Irrelevant, Intriguing Short Story Collection from Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison may be the only contemporary American writer I know of whose work contains the well-crafted irrelevance of Mark Twain's best, the brooding, foreboding tones of Edgar Poe's best, and the lyrical, often youthful optimism of Ray Bradbury's finest. He may be, along with Bradbury, our best writer of short fiction in any genre, but especially, in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. "Strange Wine" is the long overdue reprinting of a short story collection comprised of terse, and quite peculiar, tales published originally back in 1978, but reprinted finally only a few years ago. It remains memorable because of Ellison's hilarious, extensive introduction that's nearly twice as long as many of the short stories included in this collection, and, of course, for the stories too. These often intriguing tales range from very good to great, and do demonstrate Ellison's extensive range from horror to tragedy and comedy (and sometimes all three). My personal favorites include "Mom" (His science fictional Mother's Day "valentine"), "Killing Bernstein" (An odd, hilarious take on cloning and psychotic behavior which only Ellison could write,) and "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (On a congested Manhattan street, the protagonist witnesses the ghosts of Nazis he had executed, years after the end of World War II.). Anyone interested in Ellison's work will certainly wish to add "Strange Wine" to his or hers own private library; without question, it will be a most welcomed addition too.

Good Strange...
I.ve heard many people look down on Harlan Ellison's work because of how he is as a person. In my opinion that is an unfit way to judge an author's book. It may be true, in fact, I know it is. A friend of mine saw him at a book signing and yes, it's true, he did get infuriated when someone didn't know who he was, but still, it doesn't mean I'm going to look down upon the way he writes. There is no denying, no matter how big of a donkey's rear he may be, that he is an intelligent and unique writer that can not be imitated.

Give Strange Wine, along with any of his other books, a try.

Let us be clear
Harlan Ellison is one of; if not the most award winner writers alive today, in any language. I think the Noble Prize is the only thing he has not won. Ellison is STRONG stuff though, and not to be taken lightly. He is an author with very strong convictions that not only cover the page, they bleed through. But along with this, you get a wordsmith unlike any other. Too many authors today can be compared to someone else, which is not true with Ellison.

As for this collection, it is indeed a "Strange Wine". The stories within are a heady brew for the reader. The works here range from uber-short tales, "A - Z in the Chocolate Alphabet", to the essay on media - "Revealed at Last! What Killed the Dinosaurs! And You Don't Look So Terrific Yourself". There is also some pretty dark stories- "Croatoan" and "Hitler Painted Roses". Heck, there is even a semi-comedy superhero story - "The New York Review of Bird". As you read through this, I really suggest you treat it like a fine wine, sip it, read these stories and allow them to sink in. Before you know it, you're finished with this book, and like with all other Ellison collections, you will be wanting more.

[...]

Ellison as always
Ellison as Ellison again. As usual you can't miss with his insight on man and the world today and tomorrow.

learn about the author before reading his work
I recommend anyone new to Harlon Ellison to learn about the author as a person before reading his work.He's a pompous, overbearing, egotistical little man (literally) who thinks he is better than everyone else in the world, and if you don't worship him then he hates you.Read a few pages of his work to see this attitude reflected completely in his bloated writing style.You can do this with Amazon's "first page" feature or just google him to see his stuff before buying it.You'll save yourself some money. ... Read more

Book Description

In a career spanning more than 50 years, Harlan Ellison has written or edited 75 books, more than 1700 stories, essays, articles and newspaper columns, two dozen teleplays, and a dozen movies.

Now, for the first time anywhere, Troublemakerspresents a collection of Ellison's classic stories -- chosen by the author -- that will introduce new readers to a writer described by the New York Times as having "the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Love the Essays!
Yes, this is a collection of Ellison's stories that have been published many times over. However, the short essays that precede each story are worth the price alone, in my opinion (My personal favorite is the "Soldier" preamble, andI feel this story is very relevant to what's going on today).
I admit a certain prejudice to Harlan Ellison's work: My mother introduced me to his books early on, and at difficult times in my life it was good to hear another articulate the anger I felt. Got me through many a sleepless night!Plus, in one of his storiesthere is a character that has our family name (not a common one). So...Take my review with a grain of (rock)salt if you will, but read at least one of his stories if you haven't already.
I would say that this book is a good intro to Harlan Ellison's work.

A feast of Ellison!
Having spent the last 30 years voraciously comsuming everything Harlan has written I believe I am well qualified to review this lastest book. My only complaint with the book is that Harlan left out so many great stories that I would have included. However including so many other stories would have made this collection extremely unwieldy to say the least. Suffice it to say that every story is a gem and I hope that this volume becomes a starting point for many new fans of Ellison's remarkable fiction.
I also wish to inform you that contray to another review Gene Roddenberry did not re-write Ellison's Star Trek script, he had others do the vandalism for him. Let it also be noted that Harlan's original script (not the broadcast episode itself) for that same Star Trek episode won the writer's Guild of America award for "Best Episodic Drama" in 1968.
Everyone is entitled to their informed opinion.

The Very Best of Harlan...
Troublemakers is the best introduction to the stories of Harlan Ellison in print.Out of the roughly 2,000 stories he has written, some of his greatest are here, including Soldier, Jeffty is Five, and "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman.Each story comes with a little preface by the author, wherein he loosely ties them all together with the theme of "troublemaking."(In actuality, this is a "greatest hits" collection.)However, this by no means contains ALL of his greatest hits.For instance, The Whimper of Whipped Dogs is absent, as is Demon with a Glass Hand.For something along those lines you'd need to purchase The Essential Ellison - and only Harlan could get away with calling a book the size of the Norton Anthology "essential."However, to begin a study of his work, this is the place to start.

The thrill is gone.
Several years ago, Harlan Ellison was vital, Harlan Ellison was angry, Harlan Ellison was a force of chaos that upset the applecart any chance he got. Time hasn't been kind either to him or to the stories collected herein. He's become the unapologetic, misanthropic crank who stands in the middle of the square railing at all the fools around him and ultimately is tiresome to read or listen to. If you're in your late teens or early twenties, this and his other collections will shake you up...but probably only for one read-through. Harlan, get a life. Given an extra star for nostalgia's sake.

A Very Angry Man Makes Trouble
I find it somewhat difficult to sum up an entire book of short stories in a single review.Many of the stories in TROUBLEMAKERS are magical, thought-provoking and wonderful.But on the other hand, others in the collection simply bored me, and left me impatient for the next story to begin.The book as a whole I found to be mostly hit and miss, with some real standouts that do manage to make the collection a welcome one.

Like a belligerent Rod Serling with a chip on his shoulder, Harlan Ellison angrily provides an introduction to each of his stories (sometimes being more entertaining in his factual summary than in the work of fiction itself) and describes some of the themes that he was attempting to inject into the particular story.The overall hook of this collection is, as you may have guessed from the title, troublemakers and the, er, trouble that they make.Included are stories ranging from 1956 up through the year of publication (2001), many of which are products of their era, yet still manage to have a timeless feel to them.For example, the utterly sixties "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said The Ticktockman" is dripping with the feeling and sensibilities of that decade, but can be read today in the 21st century without losing any of its original passion.The stories here make a good suite of tales, though you'll have to squint your eyes a bit to squeeze some of them under the troublemaking heading.

As I mentioned, some of the stories here are absolutely amazing.When Ellison's talents are clicking he can create stories that boggle the imagination and rank up with the best of Ray Bradbury, another master of the fantastical short story.Yet there are several selections here that I found to be a bit dreary and inconsequential.I wondered briefly if I had missed something, but after skimming what I had just read I came to the conclusion that I had, indeed, "got" the story, I just hadn't cared for it.The worst of this collection tend to be uninteresting and contain foreseeable conclusions, sharply clashing with the imaginative heights of the best.It's a pity that the collection is a bit haphazard because the really good stories definitely make this collection worth a purchase.

This was the first collection of Ellison's short stories that I've read and I certainly plan on reading more in the future.Although I didn't care for several of the stories in this particular anthology, I recognized a quality that I liked.TROUBLEMAKERS features stories that can be raw in places, have a sense of faint futility and aren't assured of a happy ending.Many of them were genuinely unpredictable (and by unpredictable, I mean that I honestly didn't see the ending coming rather than guessing it but assuming that the author wouldn't go there) and occasionally unsettling.The best stories in TROUBLEMAKERS did what any good anthology should do -- make me want to read more by this author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Ellison is redundant in this book
I admire Yerka's paintings, but I agree with some of the reviewers here that those stories by Ellison may distort or ruin what Yerka wanted to say. Those stories just don't go well with the paintings.

Ellison completely misses that warm Eastern-European feel that one can get from Yerka's paintings. That actually why some people from the western world may find it hard to get a feel of what Yerka tried to show. Just visit Yerka's official page on the internet!

As a comment to an earlier review by some reader (from December 16, 1997) I have to say that the car transformed to a lizard on the cover of the book is not Volkswagen beetle. The make of the car is "Pobeda", it was made in the 50s in USSR and Poland. Only people with high status in society could afford to have such a car then.

Perhaps a good one for Ellison fans
Yerka's paintings capture many things. In the most literal sense, one (e.g. Afternoon with the Grimm brothers) might include a cat, antique block planes, what looks like an old tube TV, a workbench-turning-piano, and possibly the monster under the bed. The detail goes on, and many of his paintings present the same collections of oddities, neatly arrayed like words on a page. Others (including Please Don't Slam the Door, Foraging in the Field, and Eruption) suggest an uneasy truce between the things of man and the forces of nature. Yet others (Susan, for example) imply intimacy between people, and with the world.

In too many cases, though, I see the catalog of Yerka's personal icons arrayed across the page, and feel as if the picture's meaning is not meant for me. Perhaps his personal language is too personal. For whatever reason, the imagery says very little to me.

Harlan Ellison, on the other hand, says far too much. Most of this book alternates pages, Ellison's writing on the left and Yerka's painting on the right, plus commentary by Ellison at the end of the book. Long ago, Ellison's favortie topic became Ellison, and I was no longer able to enjoy his writing. I would have liked the book better with Ellison's part missing.

Yerka's work is competent; some people may find it legible. Ellison has a following, and those readers are sure to find something here to like. Unfortunately, I am not in either group.

//wiredweird

still my favorite
The day I stumbled on this book, I was merely looking for a fantasy art collection with pretty pictures.As I plunged into the book, realizing what it was really about, I couldn't and, to date, haven't put it down. That was five years ago.Never has a collection such as this forced me tocontinually look into and out of each picture in order to find somethingnew.Both Ellison's and Yerka's imagination form a synergy unrivaled inthis genre.While I have since collected another collection of Yerka'sart, I have snatched everyhthing I can find from Ellison.While I am oftendrawn into each of his stories with a similar intensity, ("The Beastthat Shouted. . . " is my current favorite) none of his work affectsme as much as "To Each His Own", "Foraging in theFields", "Amok Harvest", "Darkness Falls. . ." andmost others in this collection.For a quick jaunt into the minds of thesetwo artists, I thoroughly recommend this book.For those new to Ellison,his author notes at the end of the book give a brief view of some of hisopinions of the Real World.

my last name is yerka too:)
my last name is yerka so i think its cool:)...b/c not that many people have the last name of yerka.

Ellison ruins Yerka's vision
I am a big fan of surrealism and fantastiqueism, and I love some science fiction (Stanislaw Lem, early Robert Heinlein, etc.).I've always liked Yerka.In this case, however, I liked every single painting less afterreading the Ellison story inspired by it.Ellison's style is similar inboth content and smartass writing style to the early works of Heinlein, butthey destroy the mysterious, inexplicable, and most importantly, AMBIGUOUSquality of all of Yerka's paintings. ... Read more

Book Description
A multiple-award winning author's relentless classic adventure of deceit, flight, terror and destruction.

The Kyben demolished Deald's World and their armada was heading for Earth. All that stood in their way was a man on Deald's World named Benno Tallant, about as lousy a candidate for hero as one could imagine: junkie, looter, coward, betrayer. The retreating Earth forces decide to make him the last man on Deald's World. They surgically implant a cataclysmic bomb in his body, turn him loose, and let the Kyben hunt him down.

See Benno Run. Run, Benno, Run Like Hell.

Harlan Ellison has written or edited more than seventy-five books, over 1,700 stories, essays and articles, and dozens of screenplays and teleplays. He has won numerous awards including the Edgar, Hugo, Nebula, Bradbury, and Stoker - as well as two "Listen Up" Awards and an Audie for Best Solo Narration. He lives in California. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

See Harlan Run...
Harlan Ellison fiction is a treat for those who enjoy imaginative and speculative. Here, Ellison dusts off an old manuscript and gives it the audio treatment. It's quite well done. Harlan admits that as he was performing the narrative that he improvised and made certain edits, though I could not tell where these instances occurred. RUN is one of Harlan's classic science-fiction stories, and even though Harlan will protest that he is NOT a science-fiction writer (just listen to any of his recorded lectures), it is clearly science-fiction. But it is good science fiction and smartly done. The price is amazing. I purchased a used copy through Amazon sellers for under $10 bucks and have already listened to the disks several times. We need more recorded Ellison stories and they should be recorded by Harlan himself. He may not be a "professional" actor per se, but no one reads his work in the same style as Harlan. It really makes the experience complete in my humble opinion. ... Read more

Book Description
Trente was the paingod; appointed by the all-powerful Ethos gods to provide pain and suffering across the entire universe. But now, Trente has committed the worst possible offense: he cares. And he must know the answer to his burning question. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A book with a pulse!
Ellison writes with humanity that you can feel in your gut and an imagination that makes Star Wars look like C-SPAN.On top of all of that there is often alot of humor and cutting wit weaved into his stories aswell. Think Paul Auster + HP Lovecraft+ Philip K Dick and you might get some idea of what you're in for. It's science fiction as poetry. Ellison never insults the intellect of his readers (in fact he challenges it) but he also isn't afraid of dealing with science fiction pulp standards like mutants, aliens and spaceships. I'll give you one quick sample line:

"The dead were everywhere, sighing soundlessly with milk-white eyes at a tomorrow that had never come."

(that line is from a story where the main character is an alien riding a giant rat named Thomas carrying a bag of skulls. Yeah...)

Also the short story "Repent Harlequin!", Said the Ticktockman is included in this book, which is one of my personal favorites! The introductions before each story are also great and give you an insight into Ellison's personality, as do the stories themselves. If youre unfamiliar with Ellison this is a good starter or check out The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World.

A strange book
I read sci-fi occasionally and I picked up an old copy of this book. To be honest I found the stream-of-conciousness introductions more interesting than the stories they preceded. For the most part I felt the stories were rather one note and gave an air of being made up as they go along without any kind of arc or structure apparent from one end to the other. Perhaps this is common when you're on a deadline and have to pump these things out to order, but I wasn't very satisfied with the outcome.

For example the widely mooted "Bright Eyes" story was apparently conceived to go with apainting and indeed the first few pages are almost a verbatim description of that painting - an alien riding a giant rat with a castle backdrop. It's feels like a school essay where the pupil has to write a story about a picture. Then the story turns right angles as alien and rat complete a mini odyssey and dump a bag of skulls in memory of his dead race after humans have wiped themselves out. Perhaps it was meant to be moving but to be honest it's just weird.

Most of the stories are like this. I did find some of them enjoyable but for the most part, I was more bemused than anything else.

entertaining
i thought "paingod and other delusions" was interesting to say the least, Ellison has a way of writing that makes it hard to put the book down, i enjoyed it very much and would recomend this book to anyone who likes science fiction, or just reading for that matter.

The beginning of the Ellison we've come to know
Ellison broke into print back in 1956, and in the ten years that followed, he wrote an extraordinary number of short stories. Yet prolific as he was from the beginning, he didn't start to hit the level of quality we associate with his mature work until the late '50s. Even then, a number of his stories in speculative fiction would contain scenes, images, and ideas that no one else could handle in those days, only to be marred somewhat by immaturity. This shows up in a lot of the pulp-sf appurtenances that he loaded the earlier stories with in this book. Stories like "The Discarded" and to a lesser extent, "Deeper Than the Darkness" touch places in the psyche that evoke genuine pain--then jar us with risible notions of mutants and somewhat puerile descriptions intended to horrify and shock.

Later stories in this book, such as "Bright Eyes" (1964) and "Repent, Harlequin!..." (1965) are more accomplished and controlled in this regard. I can still read them with considerable pleasure. "Deeper Than the Darkness" has a lot that can be said for it, too, but one must look past some of the pulp-sf crudities that I alluded to above.

The title story, "Paingod," is an interesting attempt that I don't think comes off entirely. A pretty good read, nevertheless.

So you get the picture: the book is a mixed bag, but an interesting one. The stories are often moving, because Ellison felt strongly about the issues embodied, and communicated it effectively. And the book is historically interesting, because it points the way to his later fiction.

Is the book up to the level of quality to be found in his later books, such as _Shatterday_ or _Angry Candy_? No, but that doesn't make it bad. If memory serves, Ellison was 31 when _Paingod_ appeared. The late Theodore Sturgeon wrote an appreciative review at the time where he recognized Ellison's promise on the basis of this book. Neither Sturgeon's probity nor his perspicacity are in doubt because of it. :-)

All in all, the book is worth reading if you're an aficionado of speculative fiction. Ten years ago, I might have said that some of these stories had become dated in a bad way. The cycle of world events seems to have swung back around, and the stories seem (to use a very '60s word) _relevant_ again. :-]

It can truly be said that Ellison is a writer like no other!
Ellison, for the most part, has been out of print for the past twenty years, and that, in my opinion, is a bad thing. A very bad thing! During the 60s and 70s, he was not only the best writer of the New Wave of science-fiction, he was also the most original short story writer around. It can be said that he wrote like no one else. His style is vigorous, compelling and lucid. No one else can hold a candle to him. A prolific writer, he wrote something like 700 stories, starting from the 50s and continuing through to the early 80s. The stories in this collection are from the 60s, and what a wonderful collection it is too.

'"Repent, Harlequin" said the Tick Tock Man' is a story every bit as good as it's title - and I think that the title is a real peach. In about 3000 words he describes a dystopia where society is ruthlessly regimented by the clock. If you are five minutes late for an appointment, you lose five minutes off your life. The Tick Tock Man (or the Master Timekeeper, to call him by his official title) rules with a ruthless efficiency, and relentlessly tracks down the Harlequin, the ultimate non-conformist who refuses to be on time and who ingeniously disrupts the smooth running of this soulless society. If you have read 1984, you will know what happens- but there is a lovely twist at the end, which I won't spoil by giving away. The story may sound daft but it works and works beautifully. His imagination is unique. His aim is true. In Paingod, another classic, he tries to explain why there is so much pain in the world and why it is so necessary. There are other glories here: 'The Discarded', 'The Crackpots' and 'Deeper Than Darkness.' All worth your perusal. Each story is preceded by a short introduction that is as readable, entertaining and lively as the stories.

Ellison is a wonderful writer who doesn't deserve the neglect that has befallen him. Buy this book and maybe -yes, just maybe! - it will encourage some enterprising publisher to reprint such essential collections as Strange Wine, Deathbird Stories, Alone Against Tomorrow, and Approaching Oblivion. Why Ellison isn't one of the most popular men of American letters utterly baffles me. He is as good as the best and better than most. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Well Written, Exciting, Unexpected
Like many other people, my impression of Harlan Ellison is colored poorly from a personal encounter.But this is a review of the material, and irrespective his personal conduct, the man can flat-out write a story.He's good - no doubt about it.

This collection has his most famous stories and they ought to be familiar because they've been retold and homaged and performed often enough to be mainstays of fiction.I have no complaints about the stories, no complaints at all.The only reason I gave this less than five stars is that I wanted more background from the collection - more insight into how the story's materialized and what makes the fiction writer tick.Other collections of suberb work do better in the 'fluff' or background material.

I recommend it to all.

CV Rick

ALWAYS AN INTERESTING TAKE AND INTERESTING READ
I first read this paperback back in the late 60s, I was pretty impressed at that time.After giving it a reread recently, I was still impressed but not quite so captivated as when I was much younger.This is a very, very good group of short stories.My favorite was the title story, of people trapped in a computer.This was quite forward looking of the author when you consider when the story was first published.I do have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers in that I am not at all sure if the author had full control of his narrative at all times.On the other hand, this is sort of a part of the charm of the book.I can well see how this book recieved the Hugo and Nebula Awards during those times.If you are a student of the SiFi genre, then this is one you will probably want to read and own.Recommend it highly.

Pretty good overall
I bought this collection so I would have some entertainment on the Greyhound trip to Columbus and back for my bar exam.It helped time pass and Harlan is very enthralling storyteller.He brings a lot of dimension to all of his characters, from Blood, the telepathic dog in "A Boy and His Dog," to Ted, the paranoid narrator of "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.""I Have No Mouth . . ." and "'Repent Harlequin' Said the Ticktockman" are among Harlan's most prolific stories and come first.The rest range from good to mediocre.I probably could have done without "The Time of the Eye" and "The Lingering Smell of Woodsmoke," but "Laugh Track" is quite hilarious and "Paladin of the Last Hour" is perhaps the most poignant story of Harlan's repertoire that I have heard.
Now for the criticisms -- I think the intro where Harlan discusses "Grail" would have been better placed near that particular story.It kinda stinks to be told about how great a story "Grail" is according to Harlan and have to sit through the entire collection to hear it.
The arrangement needs a little touchup, "A Boy and His Dog" is split between two discs, but the division makes little sense.The vast majority of the story is on one disc with the brief wrap-up on the next.This is bad editing.
Harlan's voice goes from clear to very murky throughout the stories.This makes the stories hard to listen to without constant fussing with the volume.This is especially a problem in "I Have No Mouth . . ." with incredibly loud sound effects throughout the story.
Review in Short
The Good: Good story selection overall, 3-dimensional characterization, good narration from the author.
The Bad: Some illogical placement, poor editing and arrangement, uneven volume.

Professional Voice Actors Might Object
But Harlan Ellison is really the best possible narrator for this collection of some of his stories that I can imagine. Yes, he invests a lot in each story, and yes, this involves sometimes moving his mouth a little too far away from the mic, but not a word, not a syllable is lost and so much is gained. So much terror, so much suspense, so much authenticity. You'll feel like you're living in a series of demented worlds that could only have sprung from the demoniac mind of Harlan Ellison. I think it's a nice touch that the manufacturers were able to persuade the busiest man in the writing business to drop what he was doing and revisit his classics. Face it, he's not getting any younger and this narration might be the very last he'll ever do. Some fans however would prefer it if he had "no mouth" at all!

Raw power, unfettered by technique.
Some authors can interpret and perform their own work, take John Le Carre for instance, his pacing and phrasing let the story emerge on its own merits.Harlan Ellison writes challenging material and then allows no roomfor interpretation with his uncompromising oral style.Maybe the raw, breathy technique adds something for some people so I won't mark it down to 1 star.For me I like it best when the recording company puts in the effort to find the right voice for the story and with very few exceptions that job falls to professional performance artists. ... Read more

Book Description
This book contains ten major stories by the master of science fiction, fantasy, and horror written during the 1960s. The controversial “If All Men We re Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?” shows the author’s technique of “ask the next question” used in a way that shatters social conventions. “When You Care, When You Love” offers a prescient vision of the marriage of deep obsessive love and genetic manipulation, written long before actual cloning techniques existed. “Runesmith” constitutes a rare example of Sturgeon collaborating with a legendary colleague, Harlan Ellison. Included also are two other rarities: two detective stories and a Western that showcase Sturgeon’s knack for characterization and action outside his usual genre. “Take Care of Joey” has been read as an allusion to the complex personal relationship between Sturgeon and Ellison, while “It Was Nothing, Really!” hilariously skewers the mores of the military-industrial complex. As always, these stories demonstrate not only Sturgeon’s brilliant wordplay but also his timeliness, with “Brown-shoes” and “The Nail and the Oracle” standing out as powerful commentaries on the use and abuse of power that might have been written yesterday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fine Collection
A good collection of stories highlighted by a slightly whiney Harlan Ellison introduction that ham handedly serves no introductory purpose except to introduce you to Harlan Ellison, the Harlan Ellison. Harlan Ellison includes a review he wrote of STURGEON IS ALIVE AND WELL, which reviews a handful of the stories in this volume and disses TO HERE AND THE EASEL.

Read the stories, ignore the introduction. Or read the introduction knowing that Harlan Ellison is in love with Harlan Ellison and sweats guilt for having known anyone who is not Harlan Ellison and is a better man than he.

Continuation of SF Heaven
Theodore Sturgeon is the greatest writer of the "SF ghetto", and this collection gathers all his works, regardless of genre or even publication. I think there is 1 more volume to go.You should instantly put it on your Must Have list.Everyone who loves good literature should purchase the entire series -- I know I have, and I'm on limited income. ... Read more

Product Description
Deathbird Stories is a collection of 19 of Harlan Ellison's best stories, including Edgar and Hugo winners, originally published between 1960 and 1974. The publisher states that during preparations for publication by Bluejay Books it was discovered that all previous editions had used outdated imperfect versions of manuscripts. Therefore, this Book Club edition was revised by the author and carefully checked for errors, making this "as close to a Preferred Text as the author and publisher can offer". ... Read more

Product Description
Grimly humorous ventures into the somewhere world of science-fantasy, reported by Harlan Ellison, who has been there. ... Read more

Book Description
He claims he's not a fan of rock-and-roll, but somehow Harlan Ellison's seminal novel based on the career of Jerry Lee Lewis ended up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the first - and still one of the best - dissections of the wildly destructive rock-and-roll lifestyle, Spider Kiss isn't about giant cockroaches that attack Detroit or space invaders that smell like chicken soup. Instead, it's the story of Luther Sellers, a poor kid from Louisville with a voice like an angel who's renamed Stag Preston by a ruthless promoter. Preston's meteoric rise on the music scene is matched only by the rise in his enormous appetites - and not just for home cooking - and soon the invisible monkey named Success is riding him straight to hell. This raucous early novel reinforces Ellison's reputation as one of America's most dynamic writers.Download Description
If you thought the only thing Ellison writes is speculative fiction, craziness about giant cockroaches that attack Detroit or invaders from space who look like pink eggplant and smell like chicken soup, this dynamite novel of the emergent days of rock and roll will turn you around at least three times.No spaceships, no robots, just a nice kid from Louisville with a voice like an angel and an invisible monkey named Success riding him straight to hell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

THE book on Rock & Roll
I can't believe the bevy of 2-star reviews regarding this work!by people who claim to be H.E. fans, no less!!should i mention this is routinely cited as one of the best rock & roll stories EVER?!people, this novel was published in 1961, it's one of Harlan's early works & like many such pieces it has a very gritty & urban quality about it.the story may seem trite in this day & age, but remember that 1961 was far before the whole "debauched rock star" persona was etched into the collective American unconscious.and even though the story might be familiar, don't forget that the protagonist of the tale ISN'T the rock star!and his story makes the book that much better (btw, it wasn't Elvis that the rockstar character was based on, it was Jerry Lee Lewis.)i believe there are a cabal of "Harlan purists" who chafe at the idea of a young H.E. cranking out such hardboiled non-fantasy-oriented material, and as such seem to roll their eyes at anything this isn't I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, or Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World.possibly because Spider Kiss is one novel that you don't have to be a rabid H.E. fan to enjoy.pick this one up and judge for yourself.not to mention, it's always worthwhile picking up an Ellison book before it goes out of print, as they all-too-often do.

Before your time, kids
I suspect that some of the reviewers here were not born yet when this book was written (1961). It is very much a piece of its time and era, back when Ellison really *was* an Angry Young Man (and not a Cranky Old Fart).It wasn't his best book, by any means, but it gives a cynical view of an industry that even then, used people.Yes, the rockabilly star might remind you of Elvis, but what happens might also remind you of the much older tale of Fatty Arbuckle. I read the book in the early 70s, and some of the imagery is still with me.I can still remember the off-hand comment about the visual effect of one-piece girdles, and I remember having to ask someone what it meant to have the cylinders in one's Mercedes re-bored. If you've read The Web of the City, you should read this too.

Disappointment
Ellison's novel of a 50's-era rockabilly star (the book was originally titled "Rockabilly") is energetically written and a page-turner, but it's marred by Ellison's own outlook.Ellison's contempt not only forthe character but also for rock`n'roll in general drips off every page.Itspoiled the book for me, one that I genuinely tried to enjoy.

Sci Fi writer tries to Rock and Roll.
Pre Fab Four novel of the ups and downs of being an up and coming "Rock" star.Not for the Sci Fi fan, more of a Stephen King novel in some ways.

Harlan does Elvis.
Well, maybe not Elvis, but Elvis could play him perfectly in a movie version (if there were a movie version, and if Elvis would take such an unflattering role, and if he weren't old and, not to mince words, dead).Where was I.Yes, it's a full-length Ellison novel, one of his earliest, about a country boy who becomes a huge rock star.The interesting stuff is Ellison's creation of a character who is able to come across as a charming kid and a glamorous star, while gradually being revealed to us as a real scum of a human being.Ellison does it beautifully, from his vantage point as someone who has clearly spent too much time hanging around people in the showbiz industry ... Read more