Amazon.com
Unlike authors who agree to have their work adapted to comics yet remain distant from the finished product, Harlan Ellison loves comics and loves that he has his own comic book. Dream Corridor is essential for die-hard Ellison fans, not only because of the 14 adaptations of his short stories, but also because it contains 5 all-new prose pieces. One of the prose pieces, "Chatting with Anubis," won the Deathrealm Award and the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award for best short story of 1995. If you're not familiar with Ellison's work, Dream Corridor is a great sampler, and it's loaded with a diversity of art styles with illustrations by top-notch artists, including Doug Wildey, Michael T. Gilbert, Gary Gianni, Teddy Kristiansen, and David Lapham. "The End Time of Leinard," "On the Slab," "Knox," "The Rough Boys," and "Cold Friend" are just a few of the stories adapted.Book Description
Harlan Ellison is surely one of the most creative thinkers of our time -- his stories of the fantastic have captured the imaginations of millions of people over the last four decades. In this trade paperback, some of the comics industry's wildest and most original talents adapt Ellison's greatest stories to the comic-book format. Such renowned writers and illustrators as Len Wein, Pat Broderick, Doug Wildey, Phil Foglio, Gary Gianni, Teddy Kristiansen, Max Allan Collins, Tom Sutton, Skip Williamson, Peter David, Mike Deodato, and David Lapham bring to life such award-winning stories as "The End of the Time of Leinard," "Rat Hater," "Knox," "The Rough Boys," and "Catman," as well as nine others. Ellison's interstitial pages -- introducing and commenting on the adaptations -- transmogrified into art by famed OZ artist Eric Shanower -- are included in this 192-page collection, as are the five short stories Ellison wrote especially for the Dream Corridor series (one of which, "Chatting with Anubis," recently won both the Deathrealm Award and the Horror Writers Association's Bram Stoker Award as best short story of 1995). Includes an art gallery by Michael Whelan, Stephen Hickman, and Overton Loyd, and features a cover by Leo and Diane Dillon. If you've ever wondered what preoccupies the mind of a creative genius, just take a walk down Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Quite a treat
One of my favorite comic books. I read it weekly. Anything by Ellison is worth buying and this collection is definily worth it. The best story is probably Rat Hater.

Not good, not bad ...
What we have here is Harlan Ellison having some of his short stories (of which he has written over two thousand) adapted into being graphic stories.

An illustrated character (Ellison himself) takes the reader into his "corridor of dreams" where all the stories he ever wrote are stored in departments. He guides us through the humungous building and opens a department every now and then. Everytime he does the tour is interrupted and we get to read a selected short story ( a window-tale if you will), adapted into comicdom by different people (Len Wein, Michael T. Gilbert and others).
In this particular book are five of those short-stories which vary in quality. I definately want to point out "Rat-hater", a story about a guy taking revenge in the most gruesome way he can think of on a guy who is responsible for his sisters death. To my taste this is the best story in the book (both the story as the painted art are not to be missed). Some of the others are nice (The Len Wein story and something called "On the Slab") but there's also a story done by Phil Foglio about which you'll probably feel sorry you took the time for it afterwards.
Between the several short stories, in the sequences where Ellison takes the reader from one department to another, Ellison uses some pages to take some personal shots at people who in his eyes wrongfully criticezed his work, in a pretty chauvinistic way.
The last two pages contain part of a new never-printed-before piece of proze by Ellison.

All in all the conclussion I must come to is that this is not a spectacularly good book. There are some nice (not great) stories in here and there are some lesser ones.... As it is it's quite enjoyable but only worth the money for true Harlan Ellison fans who can't get enough of him.

Could be much better
This collection has so many problems - mainly, the selection of stories.These tales are by no means his best, or even his better ones.They seem like second-hand-twilight-zone stories: extremely predictable, and might Isay... amateurish?Also, the artists chosen for these adaptations couldhave used some reconsideration."Knox" has someinteresting(?), abstract work, and "On the Slab" is beautiful, but the restcan go. Plus, several prose pieces are included, and if I wanted that, I'dbuy one of his novels!Finally, "I Have No Mouth, and I MustScream", part of the original comic series, and probably the mostwell-done, is not included.Boo, hiss.

This book is borring dribble
If the reader wants a series of borring, unimaginative, and childish "stories" this is the book for you.Harlan has a way of boldly stating facts and ideas in this book as though they are his own when inreality, they are the same tired old stories, ideas, and viewpoints youhave heard from many many other people over the years.In the end you kindof feel sorry for the guy.Doesn't Harlan know what this makes him looklike?

"...a jolt to the brain and a feast for the eyes!"
Ellison once wrote that there are "five native American art forms that we've givento the world: Jazz, of course.Musical comedy as we know it today.The detective story as crafted by Poe.The banjo.And comic books."On display between these covers are some of the finest examples of comic book art and writing."Dream Corridor" sprang to life after Showtime and HBO (having solicited him for an ongoing series) balked at paying Ellison for typing up proposals for a cable TV show.Still intrigued with the thought of having his tales transformed into the visual medium, Ellison came up with the idea for this ongoing series of quarterly comic books.Then he had them adapted by some of the finestwriters and artists working in the medium (Faye Perozich, Peter David, Max Alan Collins,Doug Wildey, John K, Snyder, Mike Deodato, etc.).And to make the package twice as enticing, each issue of "Dream Corridor" included an original piece of cover artwork (beautifully drawn by the likes of Leo and Diane Dillon, Stephen Hickman or Sam Raffa)around which Ellison would write a brand new story.Not a few of those stories arealready considered some of Ellison's best work in recent years:"Pulling Hard Time" is ahard-hitting, futuristic tale which begs a closer examination of our penal system and theoften lopsided scales of justice."Chatting With Anubis," a recent winner of the BramStoker Award from the Horror Writers of America, is a sly rumination on gods and whathappens when the believers stop believing.And "Midnight In the Sunken Cathedral" is ahaunting story about a son who transcends time and space to confront the father he neverknew.This collection of the first year's output from "Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor" isa jolt to the brain and a feast for the eyes!It's sure to attract new fans to a much malignedform of art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Cruel gods
Harlan presents some stellar stories here about what modern gods might be like in what one would call a pessimistic, cynical outlook. He moves through such milieus as sci-fi, high fantasy and even urban fantasy through this book.

The best stories are very hard-hitting and emotionally affecting. These include The Whimper of Whipped Dogs, a retelling of the Kitty Genovese episode about the alleged god of New York City, The Basilisk, where the most terrifying aspect of the story is how a small town treats a returning POW and Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes where a manipulative woman continues to manipulate even after death. There are some other good stories, such as the road rage tale, though not as emotionally hard-hitting.

The problems in several of the stories stem from an abundance of cleverness. Rather than letting the story take the forefront, Harlan chooses to favor style over substance in an attempt to showcase his virtuoisity in the various methods of writing. This lessened some of his stories for me. He is most successful doing this in the titular tale, The Deathbird, but it was still distracting even there.

A very good collection though, despite the flaws. It is unapologetic and uncomprimising demanding you take the stories on their own terms.

Excellent Collection of Short Fiction
While I typically associate Harlan Ellison with Science Fiction, I'm somewhat hesitant to call all of these stories SciFi...they are more like Twilight Zone episodes.They are 19 short stories that involve individuals getting caught up in all sorts of fantastic situations.While there is a general underlying theme of the stories involving "Gods", I found that the main uniting feature was the fantastic nature of the stories.

Some sample reviews from the collection:

ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE(1969)***** - Ellison published this tale of "Road Rage" way back in the late 60's.It is definately a classic, and one of the more SciFi-esque stories from this collection.Richard K. Morgan recently tried to do a modern "Road Rage" novel, MARKET FORCES(2005)***, which takes ideas from ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE, but ultimately falls flat.

O YE OF LITTLE FAITH(1968)**** - A young man of no faith in any god, is accompanying his mid-30's girlfriend back from a quick Tijuana abortion, in this pre-Roe vs. Wade world (Roe vs. Wade was decided in late 1973), and finds himself transported to a world populated by gods nobody believes in any longer.

PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES(1967)*** - A sad story of two people's fateful encounter via a Slot Machine in a Las Vegas Casino.One is a pretty poor girl, who turns to prostitution to claw her way from the ghetto to Beverly Hills; the other is a long-time Vegas loser, who is down to his last dollar, and who's luck is about to change, but is it for the better?

CORPSE(1972)**** - A Latin American Studies professor from Columbia University, a man of some faith in Christianity, begins to see the emergence of a new type of god - the Automobile God, but ultimately fails to realize the inevitability and make the transition to the new faith.

SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969)***** - A Marine, recently back from Vietnam, enters and becomes consumed by the varied pesonalities and drugs in a 60's "Party House"... reminds me of an old house my recently graduated high school buddies rented in San Diego, CA in the 70's (and which was slated to be razed along with the adjacent drive-in theater, to make way for a new shopping center).Like O YE OF LITTLE FAITH, this story is notable for the snapshot it gives of a Beatle's White Album-era America.Indeed, having just said that, I just realized that the title of this story SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969), seems to be a play on the title of the Beatle's White Album song LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS ONION(1968).

This book has recently been republished by the SFBC in December 2005, as part of the third set of books in the SFBC 50th Anniversary Collection.

Modern Gods, What's This?! It's Out of Print?!
I read this book because, in the acknowledgements his wonderful novel "American Gods," neil gaiman said this book burned itself into the back of brain when he was still young enough for something like that to happen.

Well, how can you resist an endorsement like that? So, I raced up to the nearest library that had this book (an hour or so away, I'll have you know) and checked it out. And befoul these modern gods if it didn't blow my mind. At least, parts of it did.

Most of the stories - "the Whimper of Whipped Dogs," "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin," "Basilisk," and "Ernest and the Machine God," just to name a few - are really brilliant. They will twist your mind around like only certain versions of certain myths can. They will smack your conciousness around until you think there really are gods in the engine of your car and that traitors really are the high priests of Aries. They will, as Niel Gaiman says, burn themselves into the back of your brain.

Others, however, are not so brilliant. A few simply repeated ideas put forth in other, better stories. Some were simply not as interesting as the others, and some were both uninteresting and sordid. But please note that "some" could and should be read as "one, two at the outside." The majority are amazing.

On the whole, however, this is a wonderful book. I am shocked and dismayed to find that it it unavailable. I think anybody who is into mythology should read this book, just for some of the ideas expressed in it. So should anyone who read "American Gods" and thought it was cool, too. They should have a good time pointing to certain stories and saying, "Neil Gaiman lifted that, that and that." I recommend this book highly. Even with the few faulty tales herein, it is definately worth the time.

JUST ANOTHER COLLECTION THAT SHOWS WHY ELLISON IS THE BEST
This is a very black, dark book. This is not a book for kids, nor is it a book for people who haven't read anything by Ellison previously. Harlan Ellison is one of those rare writers that can finish a story so powerfully, that you'll feel like you've been literally stabbed in the heart. Like many of Ellison's short story collections, he deals with a specific theme. In this book, he writes short stories about gods, in all their myriad shapes and forms. Gods of machines, pain, rocks, speed, revenge, among others. Of the 19 stories in this collection, let me tell you what I consider to be the best. THE WHIMPER OF WHIPPED DOGS: Ellison's award-winning retelling of the Kitty Genovese incident. Never heard of Kitty Genovese? Don't worry, after reading this chilling tale, you'll make sure you remember. BASILISK: A traitor to his country comes home and finds that he is not welcome. A little confusing at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES: Don't let the strange title deceive you. This is Ellison in TOP form. Ever wondered what gods reside at the casinos and what they have in mind. It's not PRETTY, I can assure you. ERNEST AND THE MACHINE GOD: An easy-to-visualize story about a girl in a car-accident and her meetings at a gas station. ADRIFT OFF THE ISLETS OF LANGERHANS . . . : Another award-winning story about a man trying to find the geographical location of his soul. THE DEATHBIRD: Still another award-winner. This one is Ellison's retelling of Genesis. This story has a very innovative structure to it. You'll see what I mean, when you buy this book.

Harlan At His Best
For those fans of Ellison, you will not be disappointed, for those of you not familiar with Ellison, this one will have you hitting the used book stores in a vain hope of finding more fodder for your mind.(Don't bother looking, I already hit every book store myself.)Reading this book is like seeing Mohammed Ali box or Stevie Ray Vaughn play the guitar, you get the feeling of seeing the best at his best.Every story in this collection is a gem, some more than others."The Whimpering of Whipped Dogs" is a classic in and of itself."The Deathbird" is the most amazing story ever created by a fantasy writer and I say this with no hyperbole.Go out and get this book . . . NOW!It will change the way you view the world and yourself.Other books make this promise, Deathbird Stories is the only book I've ever read that actually delivers. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Third in a projected 20-volume series (with two books per volume) from White Wolf publishers, Edgeworks 3 contains the definitive editions of The Harlan Ellison Hornbook and Harlan Ellison's Movie. The award-winning Ellison is the most acclaimed writer in the history of science fiction and fantasy. The Harlan Ellison Hornbook is a collection of essays, most of which were originally published in the Los Angeles Free Press in the early 1970s. A more recent essay on the nostalgia of reading comic books, "Did Your Mother Throw Yours Out?" is by itself worth the price of admission. The modestly titled Harlan Ellison's Movie is just that: the original screenplay for a motion picture the author was commissioned to write in the 1980s. It's amazing, bold, and masterful, as only Ellison can deliver. --Stanley Wiater ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the best Essayists ever...
My father had been a fan of Ellison's ever since I can remember and so I've always had his writing around. Alas, many of his books are out-of-print. I must have taken Harlan Ellison's Hornbook out of the library countless times, re-reading it cover to cover again and again. It's that good.

Most people, if they know of Ellison's work, know mostly of his short stories but this book collects essays he wrote in the 1970s about whatever struck his fancy... a great restaurant, some publisher who ripped him off once, the death of his beloved dog, a woman who double-crossed him, lamenting Lenny Bruce's death... Ellison writes with such authority and with such style--pithy yet degenerate is the best description I can think of. This book hums with intensity as the last greatest angry young man lets loose on all kinds of topics (to read his rant on why he hates Christmas is incredibly funny, even if you don't agree with his sentiments). This is one helluva read.

Even though I've read this book countless times, I keep coming back to it because Ellison's style of writing is endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking. It really gets under you skin and stays there.

Do yourself a favor and track down this book. It is definitely worth it.

Brutally honest
Harlan Ellison has made quite a reputation for himself as an "angry man" of sorts, with his infamous attacks against amateurs in the numerous writing classes that he has taught, or his essays, which are collected herein. Some people claim that he has no emotions, and is unable to sympathize with so-called "normal" people because of this; but he is, in fact, the exact opposite, a man of such fierce emotion and opinion that he may come off as being caustic, or angry. Others claim that he has no "soft" side; if you believe this, read his essay, Ahbhu. These essays display his great intelligence, and tremendous "cultural warehouse of a mind," (The New York Times) and Ellison calls the shots as he sees them - by simply stating his opinion. In doing this, he has created a highly refreshing book, one that I highly recommend to anyone and everyone.

Outspoken Ellison cuts loose, again
Anyone who has ever read Harlan Ellison knows he throws a lot of personnel information and views into his writing.This book is all that. In this collection of essays from the 70s, repackaged nicely, Ellison is angry, funny and sick at the same time.Reading these somewhat tall tales, I was taken back to the days of my childhood.Back to when one of my more crazy "uncles" used to tell me stories of his youth on hot summer days. Ellison is a better writer now than he was then, but the essays still hold up.They hold up even though references to Nixon and Lenny Bruce may leave some younger readers feeling a little unattached to the stories at times. I promise by the time you finish reading this one, you'll find it hard to forget some of the tales told by crazy Uncle Harlan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Repent, Harlan
This is a fascinating piece of detective work - probably not of great interest to the average book reader, but a wonderful revelation to people like myself, who have long wondered what happened to the book we awaited eagerly over 30 years ago.
It was a time when Harlan Ellison seemed to be both a great story writer and a great editor.
Little did we know that his third anthology would sit on the edge of forever.
I have read a number of speculations on the non-appearance of The Last Dangerous Visions, but at last here is one that makes complete sense.
Highly recommended.

The facts of the case...
This is a very specialized non-fiction book (booklet? pamphlet? it is very short) dealing with the sad history of the much awaited but never realized publication of The Last Dangerous Visions anthology by Harlan Ellison.The author, Christopher Priest, did his research, cited all of his sources, and pretty much just relates the facts of what Ellison has said and when he said it verses what he has actually done.

The biggest fact one can add to this book is that it is now 2005, over thirty years after the project began and eight years since Priest wrote his history/analysis of its non-occurence, and LDV _still_ has not come out nor shown any sign of ever coming out. And with each passing year, the stories age even further and, except for the handful of authors who took their stories back and had them published elsewhere, more of the included authors pass on with their stories unseen and unread in their lifetime.

Some of the other reviewers who have castigated Priest apparently didn't bother to do their research.One implies that Priest is being vindictive because his own story was rejected for LDV, which is not true (that was a completely different author, John Shirley).Another reveals his ignorance of Priest's publishing history, accusing him of riding the coattails of an American comic book author of the same name, when in fact the British author Priest has been around longer, pubished more and in fact has the real claim to the name since the comic book author apparently changed his name.

This book is interesting and invaluable if you're at all curious about this much talked-about but never seen anthology. Harlan Ellison is one of the truly great writers of speculative fiction and has earned his place of honor in its history.But even great men have their foibles and failures, and sadly LDV looks to be his.

By Another Man's Bootstraps
First, it should be said that if you discovered this jumped-up fan tirade to be linked in any way to REAL books by award winning writer Harlan Ellison you have been led astray. But since the link to Harlan's work and Priest's is probably established by Priest and his associates pressing on this link repeatedly in their free time you will have this.

An unsuspecting reader should also know that when pressing the name Christopher Priest one is presented with links to a number of comic book TPB's by a different Christpher Priest. Here we have an example of a person achieving marginal notice by riding on the coat tails of not one, but TWO different (and far better) writers.

If you enjoy long winded and meanspirited tirades that bleat on for pages about slights and literary misdemeanors that could be covered in a few sentences - this is the screed you've been waiting for. If, on the other hand you'd like to read a good book - fiction or non-fiction - in just about any genre imaginable - try one of the 70 or so books Harlan has published in the last 45 years.

This book is published in the United States by Fantagraphics. This is appropriate as Fantagraphics also publishes the Eros line of XXX rated comics in order to stay afloat these days. Fans of self-abuse will be right at home with this title or any of the other books in the one-fisted Fantagraphics catalog.

Insightful Little Book.
Really, I still think that after reading this essay it's a great loss that The Last Dangerous Visions never saw the light of day. Up to now, I mean. I hope it will be put together one day but chances seem small.

Anyway, The Book on the Edge of Forever provides plenty of information, though a sad feeling may overcome you while reading it.

Thank you, Christopher Priest, for this book.

One-sided hatchet job by two self-described "Enemies"...
Priest's contribution to TLDV was rejected 30 years ago by Harlan Ellison, and this one-sided hatchet job, published by another of Ellison's personal antagonists, Gary Groth, is the result. The fact that these two individuals went so far as to actually refer to themselves as the "Enemies of Ellison" (later "Victims of Ellison" but still something right out of elementary school) speaks volumes about both writer and publisher. It is ad hominem masquerading as journalism, and wasn't worth reading as a free download, let alone paying ... for it.

If you want to be entertained, read the many many volumes of Harlan Ellison's stories and essays. If you want to know more about Ellison himself, there are far better and more objective biographies and critiques of the man and his work.

For those previous reviewers who mentioned Stephen King's "lost story," consider this: It doesn't seem to have bothered King, who has gone on to have some modest success as a writer. Priest, OTOH, has built his entire ... career by attaching himself to Harlan's ankle like an angry Yorkie.

Skip this book... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great buy at any pric
A collect series of columns running the gamet of movie criticisms to automobiles, from friends to foes. This is Ellison at his very best. An absolute must for fans of the written word.

Ellison the columnist
Harlan Ellison has a tremendous gift as an essayist and columnist.At the beginning of the 1980's he agreed to do a regular column for the LA WEEKLY on the condition that they publish whatever he wrote, without revising it or suggesting rewrites.He demanded, and got, the freedom to choose any target, no matter how sensitive to the paper's interests or its readership.A wise editor agreed.The results are collected in this volume.

His columns are not formally structured, but don't be misled into thinking these columns were easy.He writes in a conversational voice, but it is that of a brilliant, nimble conversationalist.Ellison cajoles, caresses, eulogizes, and excoriates.The columns are witty and passionate, and evoke the tensions, the hopes and the lies, of the Reagan Era; of Hollywood, advertising, and journalism in that time; of Ellison's advocacy of the Equal Rights Amendment and gun control.By turns, he is riotously funny, righteously indignant, and capable of issuing a devastating, fatwa-like call to outrage and democratic retribution.

Ellison contends that we should dispense with the notion that every common person is entitled to an opinion; but that every person should be entitled to an informed opinion and the means to express it, as befits a citizen of this nation.In this, it is call not only to outrage but to excellence.

Great Ellison non-fiction
For those of you who only know Harlan Ellison from his fiction, you'll enjoy this collection of essays written for the LA "Weekly" newspaper.A very eclectic collection of subjects, from critiques of local restaurants, to an emotional account of his early life, to a hilarious recounting of pranks he's pulled.

Seldom have I been as engaged by a writer's views as I was with Ellsion.I found myself engaged in a mental debate with Ellison on many issues.Don't miss out on this book!

An Ellison non-fiction treat
For those of you who only know Harlan Ellison from his fiction, you'll enjoy this collection of essays written for the LA "Weekly" newspaper.A very eclectic collection of subjects, from critiques of local restaurants, to an emotional account of his early life, to a hilarious recounting of pranks he's pulled.

Seldom have I been as engaged by a writer's views as I was with Ellsion.I found myself engaged in a mental debate with Ellison on many issues.Don't miss out on this book! ... Read more

Product Description
When Professor Aronnax agrees to investigate a series of attacks by a mysterious sea monster, he begins an incredible underwater journey that leads him from Atlantis to the South Pole. Through unforeseen dangers and exotic settings, this epic adventure is a tour-de-force of imagination and narrative grandeur. ... Read more

Product Description
The first issue of Dream Corridor. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

An interesting read...
He does go on and on and on a bit, and you have to be careful not get bile on yourself as it gushes out of the book, but if you're hungry for behind-the-scenes ST info, whether truthful or not, it's enjoyable.

Speaking of time warps
I see that I ordered this book from Amazon nearly 10 years ago...so perhaps I should get around to my review. (No, it didn't take me that long to read the book.) As I recall, I bought it less out of interest in the original script (Star Trek hasn't appealed to me since my teens, aka the 1970s) than in order to have a complete version of Ellison's splenetic denunciation of "those amoeba-brained barbarians who butchered his masterpiece." I had read a brief excerpt of same in Harper's, nearly wet myself laughing (at Ellison's self-righteous ego, not from anything he wrote for intentional comic effect), and had to have the whole thing. And I did. But a little bit goes a long way, as the cliche states, and Mr. Ellison's screed tires before very long. (Thinking that a grown man, a professional writer, wrote these complaints is finally pretty sad.) At the very least, his original teleplay was obviously much too long for an actual aired episode of Trek, so it was going to have to be cut one way or another, so what was that baby crying about?

On the other hand, don't miss out on The Oscar, the 1966 bomb co-written by Ellison, which is MST3K-worthy. So bad it was referenced MORE THAN ONCE on SCTV, including an extended parody called The Nobel.

So, in conclusion, I love it when hack writers (Steven King, I mean you too) whine about how they're just not appreciated...but keep it to a three-page maximum, okay boys?

Harlan Should Just Make It Himself
I loved this book. It gives us more insight into the original version of a great episode. I love Harlan Ellison, warts and all, however, my holding back from giving this book 5 stars is that there is no insight into the production process. Harlan feels that his script was wronged somehow. As pointed out in various reviews here on Amazon, if he didn't want changes made, he shouldn't have written it for a series.

Here is an idea Harlan... what with all the interest in fan films, and since you own the rights to the script lock, stock and barrel, why don't you get together a group of actors and crew, and make your version of "City..." yourself. Believe me, this would be a great thing, since there is no Star Trek fan film activity being done in LA except "Hidden Frontier."

Unless there is a WGA rule that prohibits this, maybe you should think about it. Walter Koenig and George Takei are working with the "New Voyages" group trying to get something they never got from Gene and Paramount; respect for their characters. Maybe you should think about it.

City on the Edge of Forever, a writer on the edge of madness
To hear Harlan Ellison tell it(as well as his butt-kissing entourage, which includes Peter David, David Gerrold and Melinda Snodgrass), his original script for City on the Edge of Forever is the greatest work of literature since Joyce's Ulysses. It isn't. It is, however, a very ambitious and well-written teleplay, but then so is Gene Roddenberry's version that was actually produced. Both scripts have their strong points and weak points. In Ellison's version, the strong points(in comparison to the Roddenberry script) include a drug-dealing officer who causes the temporal displacement, which is more convincing than a doped-up McCoy; a pair of ominous ancients who call themselves the Guardians of Forever, which is far cooler than a single Guardian that looks like a post-apocalyptic video screen; and the final, very moving conversation between Kirk and Spock. The weak points are the silly business with the space pirates(having the Enterprise simply cease to exist is more logical, and poetic), a dated drug trip scene, and the tacky retribution that eventually befalls the villainous time-distorter. Regarding Kirk's actions(or lack of action) at the story's climax, both versions are valid. I disagree with the all the folks(Ellison and his cronies included) who think the original ending makes Kirk more human, less heroic. I never thought of Kirk as especially heroic in the Roddenberry version, just pragmatic, he does what he has to do, what many of us "humans" would do in the same situation. He is still guided by passion, but his passion for theway of life he knew and the people in it, his passion for the millions who would have suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis, wins out. In fact, having Kirk be the one to prevent Edith from being saved is in many ways more powerful than Ellison's ending. They both work for their own reasons, however.

I can't agree with those who act as if even the bastardized version of City is light years beyond anything else Star Trek ever produced. For my money, Amok Time is the most brilliantly written and executed episode, and there are several other episodes in the same league. Even the highly flawed Requiem for Methuselah had the potential, if it had been done correctly, to be as powerful and meaningful a love story as City.

Frankly, Ellison's script, with its quality and its historic value, is the primary reason to read this book. Ellison's bileous introduction is certainly entertaining, but it is also overlong, repetitive and obscenely self-praising. Likewise, the afterword essays are a little too obsequious for my tastes. If Ellison is truly the man of integrity he claims to be, then he should have allowed some negative reactions to his work, just to balance things out. Instead, the author comes across as a man who needs his ego stoked as often as the warp engines on a starship.

Want some cheese with your whine, Harlan?
Moan, moan, b*tch, whine, whine. It's all too much, as the Beatles sang. I read this book once, a few years ago. Harlan thinks he is making a great case for himself, but in his much speaking, his heart is revealed -- he simply doesn't seem to have understood that he was hired to create a script that fits within the pre-established context of an episodic television series, and was beholden to the vision of its creator, Gene Roddenberry.

He's like Ayn Rand's Howard Roarke who wants to take other people's money and use it to build his own vision of a building instead. No, Harlan, you should dance with the guy who brung ya. Roddenberry paid for a script that fit HIS specifications.

City on the Edge of Forever was one of the great Star Trek episodes, and reading Harlan's "ideal" version of it is of great interest. As a standalone motion picture, it would have been great. The problem is, he took liberties with the characters and story that simply wouldn't fit the Star Trek series.

As I recall, in the end of the book it is revealed that D.C. Fontana re-wrote the script that was eventually filmed. If that is true, then praises for D.C. Fontana. I love Harlan's script, and I love the final TV episode that was filmed. I just don't think all the fuss about the rewrite is justified. It was rewritten, and it should have been rewritten. Harlan, if he wasn't such an egonmaniacal little twit, could have done the rewrite properly himself, had he wanted to. He just didn't want to. His loss, because to my mind, D.C. Fontana deserves as much credit as Harlan for one of the top ten episodes of the pioneering TV show Star Trek (The Original Series).

Harlan Ellison is a great writer. I do not debate that. But it is much better to read his fiction than his endless crabbing about these incidents that happened nearly forty years ago. It matters less than the dust on the balance now. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An ambitious, flawed shared-world project: 3.5 stars
..
MEDEA was an an ambitious shared-world project based on a seminar Ellison taughtat UCLA in 1975. I reread part of it in 2002. Niven's Flare Time is the standout story, one of his finest standalone shorts. The Silverberg and Poul Andeson stories were OK, and I barely rememember the other stories. Google for TOC, eg at Wikipedia.

The introductory and world-building matter is alternately dull and pretentious, and there is a stunningly self-indulgent transcript of a panel discussion of the project that goes on and on and on -- it's like reading a 20-year old Usenet discussion: there's a certain queasy fascination at the start, but tedium quickly sets in.As usual, Niven's backstory essay is worth rereading. The others weren't.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

GENIUS!!!
This book is a work of sheer genius! If I were to pick between these guys and Einstein, I would pick these guys!!! Read this and it will definitely get your mind going. I loved this book and I always will. It is a must read if you are a scifi fan.

This one needs to be printed reprinted and updated
Back in the middle 80's I remember purchasing this book. It has to me been one of the best I ever got because it has a meeting of minds of all the best science fiction has to offer.If only there could have been a sequel.It has great illustrations by Kelly Freas and compelling stories that can be read more than once.I hope Harlan if you're reading it's a place that can be updated with writers like Bruce Sterling and William Gibson.Why can't we see more like this one?

A Meeting of Minds
This book, inspired by HE, was a collaboration of many of sf's finest talents, including Hal Clement, Ursula K. Leguin, Fred Pohl, and Robert Silverberg.Together, they created the worldMedea, defining the world,its indigenous creatures, and the interaction between these creatures, andhuman colonists.Forthe intricasy and detail of the shared-worldconstruct, there is no finer work.The collection of short stories thatresult isbrilliant! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ellison at teh top of his game
I bought this book in, of all places, Cambridge England, and stayed up past 3 AM reading it. It was hysterically laugh-out-loud funny as it pushed my memory back to early childhood (I was born in January 1965 so 69-70 are at the edge of recollection); yet, shows like "My Wolrd, and Welcome To It" which Ellison rightly loved still fired a few joyous neurons buried in the back of my skull. I've given it four stars because much of the commentary simply cannot mean anything to those born after, say, 1980. They didn't see the shows, know the mood, grow up with the actors, or watch the re-runs. But for those over forty (or who can remember who The Banana Splits were), I would recommend it unhesitatingly.

Liberal hate literature
A liberal Jew's long howl of rage against the goy. Ellison's hatred of America and all things American so obviously springs from ethnic and racial prejudice--why won't those damned goys listen to us wonderfully enlightened intellectuals?--that it's difficult to take seriously his commentaries on television or any other subject.

Television =""ChewingGum For The Brain"
This is an excellent book describing how American Culture was influenced and depicted by televison in the 1960's and 70's. Mr. Ellison goes to a great lengths in this very well written book to describe the History Of Televsion and why we are so captivated by it. TV shows may come and go but Mr. Ellison's book is here to stay. You will never see televison again in the same light (no pun intended) after reading this very good book.

The best book about tee vee that I have ever read
I have read a good many books about television and its history, but thisis, far and away, the best of the lot.I do not always agree with Mr.Ellison's opinions, but this man can write with the best of them andeverything in here is worth reading andmulling over.I am a little youngto have been a part of the civil rights/anti-Viet Nam era, but everythinghere coincides with my recollections of this time as a youthful bystander. You might not remember many of the shows about which he wrote.Most ofthem are forgotten, and with good reason. Here, it doesn't matter at all. Ellison writes about so much more just tee vee that, ultimately, America'sportrait is reduced to a 21" tee vee screen.Scary, enlightening,entertaining and often roll around on the floor rolling your head offfunny.He wrote a companion volume called "The Other GlassTeat," which consisted of later columns from the Los Angeles Freep anda few from the paper that picked up the column after the Freep dropped him. Not as good as this, but still excellent writing.Perhaps the beststories are those of when he went to speak at a high school in the ghettoand had a kid tell him off and the other of when he was a tryout contestanton the pilot of "The Dating Game."The first tells us more aboutAmerica at that time than all the self-righteous academic nonsense everpublished; the second is uproariously funny and also tells us a great dealabout how vacuous we can be.What can I say?Get it.Read it. Thinkabout it. I have recommended this book to friends many times with theguarantee that if they did not like it, I would buy it from them at coverprice.I still have only my original copy of this gem.

classic anti-nostolgia
Hate nostalgia? Harlan brings you a live, from the trenches, collection of his late 60's - early 70's Los Angeles Free Press televison-criticism columns. Unearth the horror of Tammy Grimes! See why Laugh-In was, in truth, an example of proto-Republican mind-molding and why all the true freaks watched the Smothers Brothers instead!. (My copy came from Half-Price books, Austin,TX, and supposedly there is a companion volume called The Other Glass Teat, one that is REALLY hard to find and one that I would be very grateful to read.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must read for Ellison fans
Whether you've just gotten interested in Ellison's work or have been a fan for decades (I've been hooked since 1984 when a friend lent me "Strange Wine" at summer camp), this book offers an indispensable look at both the context and substance of HE's work--the 1950s pulp markets in which he published his earliest short stories; his seminal contributions to SF's "New Wave" of the late 1960s; and the various themes that run throughout his more mature stories of the 1970s and onward. Weil and Wolfe deserve high marks for their objectivity, neither excessively praising HE's unique talents nor damning his occasional lapses. Nearing 70, HE's output has slowed in recent years, so perhaps this is the ideal time for retrospective criticism of his career. This volume aptly summarizes one of the most notable talents in the history of speculative fiction.

A broad ranging volume of literary criticism
Harlan Ellison: The Edge Of Forever by Ellen Weil (Professor of Humanities and English, Roosevelt University, Chicago) and Ellen Weil (Humanities and Holocaust Studies, Roosevelt University and the Newberry Library, Chicago) is a broad ranging volume of literary criticism concerning the short stories, novels, TV scripts and movie scripts of the world-famous author Harlan Ellison, best known to the general public for his unique contributions to the science fiction and fantasy genres. Harlan Ellison: The Edge Of Forever explores Ellison's impact upon the science fiction literary genre, as well as Ellison's numerous other works including his early crime stories and his latest experimental narratives. Harlan Ellison: The Edge Of Forever is a "must-read" for the legions of Ellison's fans, and an invaluable addition to academic 20th Century American Literature reference collections. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A masterpiece
This book contains 16 wonderful stories of triumph over alienation and despair.Stories that challenge us to find wonder in the common place and to seek out hope in a world that sometimes seems coldly indifferent to our struggles.Harlan Ellison is a wonderful writer and it is a shame to seesuch a great book go out of print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

HIS FIRST NOVEL
After reading this, it puzzles me why Harlan Ellison doesn't write more novels than he did. Especially considering that this is his first novel, he did an amazing job. Before I go on let me clear up one thing: this is a work of FICTION based on FACT. Harlan Ellison ran around with a group of Brooklyn gangsters for 10 weeks to get background for this story. And it shows. Parts of this book make the movie On the Waterfront with Marlan Brando seem tame. Basically it is the story of Rusty Santoro, President of a gang called the Cougars. But he feels that he can do better in life, so he drops out of his gang--they aren't too happy about it. And just as soon as he's about to break loose, he gets snared back in again. This is what Harlan Ellison means by The Web of the City. Harlan Ellison does everything well in this novel: from the distorted language of the lower class, to the atmosphere of the bad parts of town, and the types of people that live there. Although written in the 1958, this book reads as if it were written not too long ago. This book was first published as Rumble, but Web of the City is the title that Harlan gave it. I highly recommend this book, this author, and anything he writes.

Ellison writes about his experiences in a gang.
Really cool stuff.As a very young writer, Ellison went undercover and joined a street gang as their "war counsellor".He spent a while living this life and then wrote this novel (also published as "Rumble") about it.Reading the book may feel a bit like watching "West Side Story" in its almost quaint depiction of 50's-era teenage life, but once you get past the dated lingo, it's a scary and heartfelt portrayal of very real people.The novel gives us some real insight into Ellison too, as he writes not only about the kids whose lives he describes but also about the ways in which those lives touch his, the decisions he must make during his time with them, and his discoveries about himself.As a story it's not his most neatly-crafted... but then, it's not a work of fiction ... Read more

Book Description
The complete graphic novel cycle, with Ellison's short stories featuring illustrations by Corben. Beginning with "Eggsucker," chronicling the early days between 14-year-old loner Vic and his brilliant, telepathic dog, Blood, the book continues and expands into "A Boy and his Dog," showing how much smarter Blood is and how loyal Vic is. Each adaptation is followed by the actual Ellison short story, illustrated with previously unpublished art by Corben. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

They get no better than this!
For me Richard Corben is the most original artist in the field. While his older work is certainly inspired by the old EC horror and crime masters, his style and aesthetic became (during the late 70's) something completely unique. His style and skill allow him to slip from realistic to iconic (or cartoony) without any of it seeming out of place. His characters have a presence and weight to them that I have seen no other comic book artist achieve. The effect is sometimes unnerving and bizzare but always engrossing.

Harlan Ellison has a similiar ability with prose. He can go from comical to downright heartbreaking without missing a beat.A Boy and His Dog is a great showcase of Ellisons ability in this respect. The combination of he and Corben is perfectly suited for this story of humor and horror on a post apocalyptic landscape. An evironment Corben seems to have mastered (see his brilliant Mutant World, recent Punisher comic, or short story An Angel Shy of Hell for other examples).

In an industry full of cheesy clenched-teeth hunched-over superheroes,or generic drawn-from-digital-photos-of-artists-friends characters and Mike Mignola rip off's it's refreshing to look at a work of art done by two rebel/masters who made their own masterpiece on their own terms with their own aesthetic.

Great Ellison
If you love "A Boy and His Dog", you will LOVE this book.Great stories well done in a comic style.Most women hate this series for some reason :).A wonderful read. Ellison is at his dark, bitter best, and the drawings are great.

Classic Corben back in print from iBooks as of June 2003
Sure, Harlan Ellison wrote the classic stories, but my first exposure to the adventures of Vic and Blood came through Richard Corben's comic adaptations. I read Ellison's stories later and was happy to find that the comics were very faithful adaptations. It's good to see, therefore, that the iBooks paperback edition of VIC & BLOOD - THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF A BOY & HIS DOG gives you the chance to compare the comics with the original stories, all in one book! You get both comic and text versions of "Eggsucker", "A Boy and His Dog", and "Run Spot Run", and the texts are accompanied by a handfull of highly detailed Corben illustrations, along with sidebar quotes from Blood (The Wit and Wisdom of Blood). It's a very attractive package, led off with a humorous introduction by Ellison that touches on his supposed upcoming novel BLOOD'S A ROVER (will we ever see it? I can only hope). While this type of literature might not be everyone's cup of tea, I give this book 5 stars for presentation, as well as its appeal to fans of Ellison and Corben - they will love it. ... Read more

Book Description
He's passed his college entrance exams with flying colors. He can do pretty much whatever he wants. But what teenager Ron Morgan wants most is for his father to quit telling him what to do. Quit running his life. What better way to unwind than having a last blowout on Labor Day in the domed playground of Fun City: Manhattan.Inside the dome, however, Ron loses his wallet and identity card. Worse, he's trapped when the dome closes for the season. There's no way out. Gangs roam the street. Food is scarce. Ron is on his own.All Ron wanted was some fun. He'll be lucky to escape New York alive.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great story, top-notch performance by Harlan Ellison
This is my first foray into Ben Bova's work. I've seen it around but never quite picked it up. If this is typical of the quality of his work, I will be back for more.

The story is set in a future United States in which the cities have been closed. New York City is cut off from the rest of the country except for the summer months - where it becomes a tourist destination away from the unrelenting tedium of suburbia (called "the tracts"). Our protagonist runs away to the city and gets locked in after it is closed at the end of the summer - and he finds out that the city is not empty after all...

Harlan Ellison makes this audiobook seem like a one man radio play. He does a first-rate job at making the story sing and zing. The reviewers who have written complaints below are way off of the mark. Take the word of a listener who has heard more than his share of mediocre readers - Ellison deserves an award.

I give Ellison an A+.
I give the book an A.

Combined score: A+

Great Story, reader [stinks]
This was one of the best sci-fi stories i've listened to in a long while but the person reading the book was awful. If you can overlooks his bad performance the story is worth listening too.

Yuck!Good story, but a horrible peformance.
As I said the story is pretty good, it's a typical action packed adventure story, full of machismo and all the usual stereotypes...the weak but beautiful girl, the "bad" gang member, the innocent hero who manages to do it all etc.It's very entertaining, and excellent if you have a long drive, you won't feel the hours pass, if it wasn't for the reading!

The performer, Harlan Ellison does a horrible job.As he narrates a scene in a smoky room, he coughs, when the hero gets winded, the narration does as well.Most of the "voices" of the various protagonists are downright embarrassing.Evidently Harlan never read the story before narrating it.This is painfully obvious at every turn of the story, where Harlan increases the tension in his voice as a plot is resolving, or heightens the drama to a fever pitch, just as the hero makes it to safety.

Overall, I would have turned it off if the story hadn't been so gripping.Harlans misplaced overacting completely ruins a good work by Ben Bova.

This is the best book ever written.
This is the best book ever written the author, Ben Bova, in my opinion is one of the best authors ever.I read this book in 2 hours I liked it so much, and I am not a person who enjoys reading in fact I hate reading alltogether.This book has totally changed my opinion on reading.READ THISBOOK!!!!!It is a do not miss.

Ellison doesn't just read, he performs!
Author, Harlan Ellison, dons his acting hat for this performance of Ben Bova's CITY OF DARKNESS. With years of practice performing his own short storys and doing voice overs for such cartoons as MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM,PIRATES OF DARKWATER, and several appearences on the live-action, BABYLON5, Ellison has honed his vocal craft to a fine edge. The story is good, butthe main selling point is the riveting performance by Ellison, which ismore then worth the price of admission. Highly recommended. ... Read more