Gentleman Junkie and Other Stories of the Hung-Up Generation

by Harlan Ellison, Harlan Ellison, Diane Dillon (Illustrator)

This contains:
The Children of Nights
Final Shtick
May We Also Speak
Daniel White for the Greater Good
Lady Bug Lady Bug
Free with this Box
There's One on Every Campus
At the Mountains of Blindness
This is Jackie Spinning
No Game for Children
The Late Great Arnie Draper
High Dice
Enter the Fanatic, Stage Center
Someone is Hungrier
Memory of a Muted Trumpet
Sally in Our Alley
Gentleman Junkie

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Crime, Horror, Fantasy

255 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1958

About the author

Harlan Jay Ellison (1934-2018) was a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism.

His literary and television work has received many awards. He wrote for the original series of both The Outer Limits and Star Trek as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; edited the multiple-award-winning short story anthology series Dangerous Visions; and served as creative consultant/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.

Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I go to Harlan Ellison when I am angry. When the world isn't even pretending at fairness, when it seems like there's nothing left for an individual to do. I seek out Harlan Ellison when I am at my most powerless, in hopes that his vitriol will spark me forward. Ellison does this in ways no one ever has. Ellison is angrier than all of us.

This collection barely even touches the scifi/fantasy/horror Ellison is best known for -- hints of a vampire or old souls in a couple, but aside from that, this Dorothy-Parker-lauded series of stories is about injustice. Racial and economic, particularly, and all the heartbreaking bullshit that comes with those disparities. Most are pretty good, a few are incoherent, and another few smack of that particular magic Ellison alone has: fingers in the side, arresting and intense, and with your full attention engaged. Not a standout collection, really, but still special.

Special. Special. Special in its fucking prescience, see, because not to get political in an Ellison review because oh heaven knows he'd never utter a word of opinion ----- but a racist just got elected president of the United States, and Ellison wrote these in the 50s and 60s. And what has changed?

I seek out Ellison when I'm angry.
I want that anger to mean something.
Usually he makes me believe it does.
Usually.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of the best of Ellison's non-genre early stories. It's a rather dark book, focusing on universal issues such as drug use, sexism, racism... the same issues that still currently dominate our culture and discussions. The stories are surprisingly human in temper as well, bringing insight alternately to the qualities of bravery and cowardice, ignorance and knowledge, sin and redemption... you know, all of the heavy hitters. A few of the stories seem just a bit creaky with age, but they're still thought-provoking pieces well worth consideration.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harlan Ellison's first big hit from the early sixties is back in print here with a poignant look at American life in the mid-twentieth century. With dark edges and a cautionary bent, this collection of short stories could become a classic of American literature. Despite Ellison's obvious mastery of the short story, "Gentleman Junkie" is often overlooked simply because it is a foray into an unusual genre for this normally speculative author. It certainly deserves more attention than it's gotten, not only for the quality and downright grittiness of the fiction but also for its historical significance in giving Ellison a reason to keep pursuing the career of writing.

Written during his short stint in the military, Gentleman Junkie and other tales carries a persistence and brand of honesty rarely seen in writers analyzing the follies of their own generation. All of the stories deal with the issues du jour, such as racism, anti-semitism, sexism, addiction, and the beginning of the end of the American dream. All of these narratives also showcase the dark side of humanity and highlight much of the beginning of the counterculture era.

Many of the shorts in this collection make quite an impact: here are a few focal points.

"Daniel White for the Greater Good" - This piece is often recognized as the most important and memorable of the collection. Tackling racism in the south, Ellison turns expectation on its head and makes the reader consider the law of unintended consequences. Juxtaposed with the final tale, "The Night of Delicate Terrors", it provides a fascinating look at the realities of race in Ellison's time, something many take for granted in this age of acceptance.
"There's One on Every Campus" - This is a story about “that girl” -- the one we all know and yet don't bother knowing. But who is she really, on the inside? "There's One…" is a fascinating story about early feminism, sexism, and individualism. It is memorable because it is such a clear snapshot of that pre-counterculture time period.

"Someone is Hungrier" - My favorite in this collection, this one has a darker tone than most of the other stories, (though all have their moments). Again, it's a new look at feminism and the bad things that can happen to those who reach too far, too fast. Ellison superbly uses irony to capture the truth of unhealthy ambition.

"No Game for Children" - A classic take on revenge and juvenile delinquency, with a slightly horrific twist.
Gentleman Junkie... is a fascinating look at the late fifties and early sixties. Ellison's prose is easy to submerge oneself into, as existing fans can already appreciate. This book can be used as a learning tool for current and future generations, an important historical fiction, and just an outright great group of stories. Philosophically deep and also pleasurable to read, this collection deserves a look from anyone serious about American literature.
Recommended.

This book was provided to me by SF Revu in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some that complain this collection suffers from what it is not, as in not science fiction, not horror, not fantasy. I'm gonna bet Ellison could give zero fucks about those opinions.
This is Ellison writing about social justice issues a half century ago or more. Sadly, one would be hard pressed to say these stories don't mirror what is happening in 2019, and even more depressing, what will probably STILL be happening in 2119. Oh, those awful racist, sexist, homophobic, and elitist people of the 60's... Um, yeah, not much change. Worse surely, since so much of our hatred is in spite of how much damage we know it does. Fuck.
Ellison doesn't ty to make nice or mine words or sugar coat anything here. Just Ellison being who he is, which is a better writer than nearly anyone could ever hope to be.
Enjoyable, if I can use that adjective for such topics, for its skillful execution.

[Craig Childs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1961 short story collection catapulted Harlan Ellison into the literary limelight at the age of 27. It contains a few crime stories, but the bulk are literary stories that address social issues such as racism, poverty, addiction, and the isolation of modern society. "Turnpike" was added to all post-1975 editions.

When Harlan Ellison is at the peak of his game, his stories entertain and resonate long afterward. This is one of his strongest, most consistent collections even though on the whole I prefer his science fiction. I alternated between the kindle edition and the audiobook narrated by Luis Moreno and Mia Barron.

Here are my individual story reviews in order from most- to least-liked:

"Final Shtick" -- A successful comedian returns to his hometown but must face memories of a childhood tainted by antisemitism. If you have seen the documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth, you know this is largely autobiographical.

"Daniel White for the Greater Good" -- A Black man in Georgia rapes a white teenager. An NAACP lawyer mulls whether to let the town lynch him, in order to turn him into a martyr for the Civil Rights movement. Dorothy Parker famously reviewed this story, which was the turning point to launch Ellison into popularity. This is an excellent, if cynical, story. It is a shame the politics of race and prejudice have not improved much in the last 60 years.

"Memory of a Muted Trumpet" -- The story of a failed romance--and a murdered newborn baby in a burlap sack--is related during two Bohemian parties in Greenwich Village. This story is the spiritual antecedent to the author's more well-known "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin".

"Gentleman Junkie" -- A successful psychiatrist with a secret heroin addiction spirals towards rock bottom looking for a fix. Ellison famously said he never drank or took drugs, but he captured the pain and sickness of addiction so vividly. Originally titled "Night Fix".

"There's One on Every Campus" -- Sylvia is the campus tramp, an easy lay for any college boy, but tonight she demands something extra from Cal. The mores of students have changed in the last six decades, but the human need for connection and self-respect has not.

"Free With This Box!" -- Based on a real-life incident from Harlan’s life wherein he was caught stealing prizes from cereal boxes as a small boy. It is a simple tale but poignant. It reminds adults of the perils of scaring and over-disciplining small children.

"The Late, Great Arnie Draper" -- A group of college students gather to remember a friend who has died. This is not really much of a story on the surface, but the final line is surprising and leaves you wondering just how much of the dead man's life is being glossed over…

"Enter the Fanatic, Stage Center" -- A bearded man visits a small American town and exposes everyone's most intimate secrets through his paintings. The town of Prince has a dark secret, and Evil has arrived for its retribution.

"Sally in Our Alley" -- After a prostitute is found beheaded, a neighborhood of eccentric Beat writers is interrogated, "regulars who found in the Alley those things so dear to the existence of a liberal-minded intellectual beat type: stimulating conversation, artistic atmosphere, cultural contacts, cheap booze and chicks." A biting satire.

"RFD #2" (with Henry Slesar) -- Miss Loretta Parish hires the Harrison Talmadge agency to perform an added service in removing the threat of one Philip Grademan. Murder-for-hire leads to laughs in this rapid-fire epistolary tale. Originally titled "For Services Rendered".

"The Silence of Infidelity" -- A married man on a grocery run spies an alluring woman standing at the bus stop. They do not speak. Their eyes meet, then they simply walk to her apartment and begin a longstanding, life-defining affair. I am not sure if this story is supposed to support the idea of love at first sight, or maybe it is intended to affirm the fundamental animalism of the human species. Either way, it features memorable images and circumstances.

"Have Coolth" -- A talented jazz pianist tangles with a dangerous, self-absorbed seductress who threatens to derail his life. This story builds a world of depth through its colorful use of slang language.

"This is Jackie Spinning" -- An influential disc jockey backs a singer in whom he has a financial stake, rather than a musician owned by the mob. An interesting crime story; I had no idea how corrupt the recording industry used to be.

"High Dice" -- A white college student looking for his next fix agrees to play craps with a Black short order cook to get the money he needs. This story succeeds in creating an atmosphere of claustrophobia and escalating violence.

"No Game for Children" -- Delinquent teen Bruce terrorizes the meek professor who lives next door. He tries to wreck the older man's car. He peeps into windows while the man's wife is undressing. He kills the family cat. But even worn-down academics can strike back when they are pushed too far…

"Turnpike" -- A long-haul trucker pursues a beautiful blonde driving a blue Mercedes. This is Ellison's take on the traditional James M. Cain love triangle murder.

“No Fourth Commandment” -- An older man befriends a troubled teenager who is on a quest to kill his father. Originally titled "Wandering Killer".

"At the Mountains of Blindness" -- A dealer and his junkie customers come to an understanding that supersedes the merely transactional nature of their business.

"May We Also Speak? Four Statements from the Hung-Up Generation" -- A store owner guns down a would-be thief… An ad man sells out a colleague with a sick child… A man gets a woman he does not love pregnant… A talented horn player is rejected from the band… Here are four vignettes with nothing in common except the themes of selfishness and callous disregard for others.
 
"Lady Bug, Lady Bug" -- Ivor Balmi is an emotionally detached, misogynistic artist who is content with making lousy paintings rather than risking failure. This story is another Ellison rant on True Art, but it virtually ignores the most interesting character Christina. She starts an affair with Ivor after learning that he slept with her sixteen-year old daughter. Whatever twisted mindset propels her is more interesting than Ivor's existential dilemmas.

"The Night of Delicate Terrors" -- Stuck in a snowstorm, a Black family is refused service at a white restaurant and hotel. This maudlin pre-Civil Rights story ends on a fantasy of Black-on-white retribution.

"Someone is Hungrier" -- A woman betrays her abusive boyfriend and flees to Chicago, only to find herself being hunted. This story relies on a twist ending that falls flat.

[L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since we are talking Harlan Ellison there is really no reason to engage in any advocacy. I am either preaching to the converted or spitting into the wind. There is no middle ground with Ellison. Consequently the point here is to be informative. "Gentleman Junkie" is a collection of dark stories dealing more with the real world than you usually find in Ellison's more famous works of speculative fiction. These are stories about racial prejudice, drug addiction, juvenile delinquency, anti-Semitism, alienation, violence and other fun topics. Consequently, these are tales best consumed one at a time, because to sit down and read this book cover to cover would be a bit much for most souls.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early collection of non-sf short stories by Ellison. The stories were written in the 1950s-1960s. Many stories offer a snapshot of the beats-hipsters and junkies of the period and are generally in the realist vein. Other stories are more in the twist ending mode. Like most short story collections, there is variability in the quality of the stories. Generally, I found the later stories to be better, hence I am splitting the rating between 2 and 4 stars.

Some personal history on this book. I checked it out of the school library in 8th grade and it disappeared while at home. I asked my mother when it was due and she miraculously found it. Censorship! So I finally finished it yesterday some 49 years later. I doubt I would have become a junkie from reading the book in 8th grade (the story Gentleman Junkie was a cautionary tale!). Maybe a beat, but doubtful because I am very anti-smoking.

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this already a decades-old Harlan Ellison fan, but he still managed to surprise me with this collection of stories from the late 50s and early 60s, none of them science/speculative fiction, but all of them in their own entirely unique ways masterpieces of the short story form. There is not the slightest hint of a failure in the entire book, but for me the particular standout is "Sally in Our Alley," which immediately burst into my list of favorite short stories if all time. This collection, inexplicably, can be difficult to find, but it's well worth the effort.

Nothing short of genius.

[Florence Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre sci-fi circle jerk propaganda! Get on your spaceship grind, buddy, lest you get banished henceforth from Asimov's shag pad!!

[Terry Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly non sci-fi early writings of Harlan Ellison.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harlan Ellison has produced a steady stream of award-winning short stories and television scripts down the years, often in the fantasy and Science Fiction genres. This book does not fall into those categories but perhaps SFCrowsnest got it because he’s a fantasy author or perhaps because it‘s from the Subterranean Press who release many excellent anthologies in our favourite genres. In any case, it doesn’t hurt to read the mainstream sometimes. It keeps us geeks in touch with grim reality and, in these stories, there is an awful lot of reality and much of it is grim. As the cover blurb says it’s about ‘the lost, the damned, the helpless, trying to get a handle on life’. I’m just warning you, it’s not a feel good, nice, sweet, fluffy bunny cuddles sort of book.

These tales were written in the late fifties and early sixties, some of them while Ellison was serving time in the army. He started writing for a living in 1955 and churned out pulp fiction of all kinds to pay the rent. With the U.S. government providing room and board and less time to write, he could concentrate on what he really wanted to do, which was stories of the oppressed minorities in society or of those folks not conforming to Eisenhower era norms.

So we have the ’Gentleman Junkie’ of the title story, a psychiatrist hooked on heroin. ‘High Dice’ about a poorer junkie trapped in a toilet with a mean gambler. ‘At The Mountains Of Blindness’ about Porky, a dealer who gets his comeuppance in a very unusual way. We have ’Final Shtick’, about Marty Field, born Feldman, returning to his home town as a celebrity and pretending they really did all love him back when he was a kid. ‘Daniel White For The Greater Good’ concerns a black rapist who just might deserve lynching. There are a few good yarns about party people and ‘artists’ on the fringes of society: ‘Lady Bug, Lady Bug’, ‘Sally In Our Alley’ and ‘Have Coolth’.

‘Enter The Fanatic, Stage Center’ is a neat mix of ‘Bad Day At Black Rock’ and ‘High Plains Drifter’ but completely original, I hasten to add before Harlan puts a rotten fish in the post. ‘Free With This Box!’ is an autobiographical tale of a little boy being suckered by big business then scared by the police. It was a formative experience.

All good stuff but I particularly liked the clever ones in which something mentioned briefly in the body of the story turns into the kicker at the end, kind of utilising Chekov’s old maxim about the shotgun on the wall. ‘This Is Jackie Spinning’ about a disc-jockey messing with the mob does this. So does ‘Someone Is Hungrier’ in which a dame hiding out from her mobster boyfriend is hoist by her own values.

All the stories are powerful, so powerful that in overdose they become overpowering. It’s a book best dipped into now and then, not swallowed in one gulp. There’s a strong urge to take it all in because it’s so good. While churning out all those pulp stories, Harlan did learn how to write. Practice made him pretty perfect. However, I think that like Silverberg, Ellison does himself an injustice in downplaying the hackwork. Turning out a readable, entertaining story is nothing to sneeze at even if it ain’t ‘Art’.

A brilliant collection that I enjoyed far more than I thought I would, to be honest. Ellison proves that the short story is still a thing worth doing and, obviously, worth doing well. Highly recommended.

Eamonn Murphy
This review first appeared at https://www.sfcrowsnest.info/

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Basics

A collection of short stories, mainly in a contemporary vein. Each story deals with some transgression or sin and how it impacts the life of the sinner and those around them. From greed to lust to addiction.

My Thoughts

The unfortunate thing here is that these stories don’t entirely hold up for a modern audience. At times, they come off as morality tales, and there’s a preachiness there. They waffled between being simple, honest portrayals of hard lives and waggling a finger at the characters in an attempt to teach the audience something. When they were the former, it was wonderful. When they were the latter, it rankled.

I think, too, that it’s easy to write a contemporary story that teaches something, but harder to do so in science fiction. There is no SF to be found here. It’s all steeped entirely in reality, and I simply prefer seeing Ellison wind his way through a more fantastical setting, molding it to suit what message he wants to impart. Using SF as the package for a message can make it an easier pill to swallow, where these stories felt jagged and force-fed.

I didn’t hate it by any means, but I remember thinking quite clearly that I wish I could figure out what was holding this back from being what his other collections have been to me. The writing was still beautiful. I have enjoyed his contemporary stories, like from No Doors, No Windows, in the past. So what was the problem? They weren’t smooth. Particularly any story that incorporated drug use was judgmental. Regardless about how I felt about these topics, I didn’t enjoy feeling as if I should feel one way or another.

I wouldn’t recommend this for a first time reader, but for completionists, go for it. It’s always worth Ellison’s prose.

Final Rating

3.5/5

[Aaron Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first taste of Harlan Ellison and can now say he's my number 2 favorite short story author just behind (Guy De Maupassant). Let me start out by saying that Ellison is exceptional in just about every aspect from Characterization to pacing and everything in between, the guy is simply the complete package. Ellison isn't conventional by any means and certainly doesn't shy away from provocative dialect. In short, Ellison isn't for the faint heart and is a truly fearless and honest writer who puts you right in the center in uncompromising situations. Ellison had a tough life and it shows within his work, (gentleman junkie) is a collection of early short stories which garnered Harlan with an underground cult status and finally enabled him to make a full time living writing and I can see why after reading this flawless anthology. The collection is predominantly focused on real life situations with a surreal spin on them which will have you emotionally invested and wanting more. I will list my standouts below as always.

1) The children of nights (Introduction by Harlan Ellison)- Simply put, this has got to be the most honest and profound introduction I've had the pleasure of reading. Ellison explains his feeling for the collection you are about to read and also adds how it came about in the most fearless and honest way. Truly inspirational, thought provoking stuff which has led me on my path to short story writing. Thank you Harlan Ellison.

2) (Final Shtick)- A superb page turner to kick off the collection. Marty Field, from Ohio and who has made a small name for himself in Las Vegas is a below average stand-up comedian. Marty has never forgotten his childhood memories and has to face them when returning to his former stomping ground. A dark, satirical masterpiece.

3) (Gentleman Junkie)- The title story of the book and rightfully so because this has to be one of the most harrowing stories I have read. Believe me when I say that most horror I've read doesn't compare to this brutal tale of heroin junkie, Walter Caulder.

4) (Payment returned, unopened)- An author who can write a 3 page flash story and make you care is obviously pretty special and this one had a novels worth of emotion crammed into maybe 2,500 words. a young lad seeks out a fortune teller regarding his now pregnant girlfriend and his regret in doing so. The end had me reeling.

5) (The Truth)- A new York Jazz band search for a new trumpeter and get more than they bargained for when a kid answers the call, fun, punchy and a great unpredictable ending.

6) (Daniel White for the greater good)- I have to admit even I found this one hard to read, the things which got published in the 70's wouldn't see the light of the day today. Racism within a small back country town in Georgia is brutally told here by Ellison and in a most honest way, utterly tragic from start to finish. Read with caution.

7) (Lady Bug, Lady Bug)- Desensitized below average artist Ivor Balmi holds parties every day within his swanky new York apartment. Ivor charges a fee to host these sleazy gatherings and sometimes beds a random party goer but one girl is about to test Ivor like he's never been tested before. Excellent stuff.

8) (Free With This Box)- This was a welcome story after being bombarded with heavy, emotional driven shorts. This one was light hearted and charming from the off. The story focuses on a little boy, Davey Thomas Cooper who has a penchant for free cereal box toys and apparel, in this case (superhero buttons). Harlan Ellison really shows his range here, that not only can he make one feel uncomfortable and horror stricken but that he can also make you smile from ear to ear which this one will easily do for anyone who can appreciate the magic of childhood.

9) (No Game For Children)- A tense cat and mouse chiller which will have you on the edge of your seat. Phenomenal.

10) (The Late, great Arnie Draper)- We've all known someone who professes to have done it all, you know that one guy at school or college who was top of the pile. Many who knew Arnie give last test impressions of the man. Great life lesson stuff here by Ellison.

11) (High Dice)- A brutal tale of gambling with life and the unsavory folk we meet in the name of greed, superb, hard-hitting fiction here.

12) (Enter the fanatic, stage center)- One of my favorites of the collection which had me hooked right up till the last word. This one is about a mysterious bearded man who waltzes into a small American town and turns the tiny community on its head. Easily one of Ellison's strongest shorts delivered with intent.

13) (Someone is Hungrier)- Another cat and mouse thriller where the protagonist is running and hiding from three gentleman. This isn't however just a cat and mouse story, this is a Harlan Ellison cat and mouse which makes all the difference.

14) (Turnpike)- A young woman is pursued by a testosterone filled truck driver which culminates in the obvious. Its real life stuff folks and this packs a punch.

15) (The Silence Of Infidelity)- Again real life stuff which happens day in and day out all over the world, but reading this doesn't make it any easier to accept. Simple, effective and bad tasting medicine but you know what they say, sometimes the bad tasting medicine is the best medicine.

16) (No Fourth Commandment)- A heart wrenching story of a boy who is searching for his father in the hope of ending his life. Another emotional filled masterpiece with a catchy twist to conclude.

17) (The Night Of Delicate Terrors)- If the previous story hadn't ripped the heart out of your chest then this one will, I mean if you have any ounce of empathy then you will feel this one resonate within for days or weeks thereafter. Ellison leaves no stone unturned here folks and finished the book off with authority.

In closing, I have to say that Harlan Ellison is quite simply one of the greatest writers I've had the pleasure of reading but don't expect an easy ride because he doesn't hold your hand when entering his fearless mind and style. This is the only book I've read by Ellison and I look forward to reading much more by this master. Every story in this jam-packed anthology is solid, meaning not one weak entry. If you aren't shy of life's darkest depths then you need this collection on your shelf immediately, you will not regret whatever price you pay. Exceptional, brutal and honest story telling from one of the greatest.

[Gregor Xane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A jumble of outrageously egoistic, shamelessly moralistic fables, and self-righteous vignettes of patronizing maliciousness, served up in colored dialectic, jazz jive, pretentious literary allusions, and discordant, thesaurus-vocabulary showboating. I loved it!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If you haven't read Harlan Ellison, you haven't read." ~ Richard Halasz

[Andrew Mull · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one does a compilation of bleak stories like Harlan Ellison. The subject matter of these stories are more grounded (not Sci fi), these dealt more with racism, sexism, addiction, poverty and elitism, and all are illustrated in his visceral writing style. The way he writes personality into his characters is really incredible. You feel the desparation and hope, superiority and humbling, embarrassment and rationalization, and often the subtle or overt humor each character experiences or injects in each situation through irony or by personality. Something about it just feels so real, and sadly many of the injustices he was writing about in the 1960s are still sadly seen today and with no more understanding or progress.

[Freder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The foundation of Ellison's entire career is here between two covers.

All of the stories are good, some are very good, and a few approach greatness.

But as a book, this one shares a problem with many, many short story collections. All of Harlan's stories are sharp, quick jabs to face -- except for those that are harder blows to the gut. And there are twenty-five stories here. After about fifteen of them, a person just gets tired of being punched in the face. It's not Harlan's fault or anyone's, it's just an occupational hazard with short story collections.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

"enter the fanatic" really did it for me.
just about all of them hit me hard but that one just really.... stuck in my craw. this collection taught me that ellison was NOT a sci-fi writer, he did a bit of everything just like my other beloved, jg ballard. he wrote a lot of pulpy fables. a kicker of the guts, and a tickler of the mean-minded. a dude of wonderful verbiage, and a fuckin' treasure.

[Adrian Hunter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely do not understand the appeal of this book. every single sentence is 10 words too long for the point. it is boring, pointless, brutal, cold, and shocking for shock. when the shock *actually works, that is. fucking hated it.

[Vince Darcangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faves:
"Gentleman Junkie"
"May We Also Speak?"
"Lady Bug, Lady Bug"
"Free with this Box!"
"There's One on Every Campus"
"At the Mountains of Blindness"
"This is Jackie Spinning"
"High Dice"
"Enter the Fanatic, Stage Center"
"Turnpike"
"RFD #2"

[Narzack · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's, like, an aggressively good writer.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandatory reading

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellison is an aggressively good writer

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Harlan Ellison's earliest collections, and the stories here are all general fiction, not Science Fiction. It includes a couple of stories I've read before, the powerful racism stories 'Daniel White for the Greater Good' and 'The Night of Delicate Terrors', but a number of them were new to me. The stories are powerful images of a time long past, stories about Beat generation poets and 60's swingers and jazz musicians, druggies and truckers, every day people living fairly normal lives, but captured in impressive simple stories. Ellison paints them well, making these people you wouldn't notice on the street come to life for a brief few pages. Many are unpleasant or unlikable, living lives I don't envy, but even so I appreciate the brief glimpses of their perspectives. Ellison's ability to capture those lifestyles that he has never lived is amazing; all of them are believable. It's an early collection, but even here you can see the promise that is Ellison's amazing career.

[Lucinda Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally bought a used copy of this nearly twenty years ago at a library booksale when I was attending GSC. I loved it but lost it somewhere along the way. Several years back, I was able to buy another used copy from a guy in Canada on ABE. This book is vintage Ellison with some of the best short stories ever written by anyone. "Daniel White For The Greater Good" should be taught in classrooms nationwide, in my humble opinion. My other favorites were "Turnpike" and the title story "Gentleman Junkie." "Someone is Hungrier" is perfect and one I've never forgotten but the one that really got me and brings tears to my eyes every single time I read it is "There's One on Every Campus." Utter truth. I wish I could give 6 stars here. A gem!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection showcases Harlan Ellison's mastery of the short story form, yet it just doesn't have the same panache as his speculative fiction. The writing is skilled, as is expected from Ellison, but it felt to me more like writing exercises for someone who hasn't quite yet found his voice, as might be the case since these were written early in his career. The one story that strays outside of realism is "Enter the Fanatic, Stage Center" which not surprisingly, was my favorite.

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I revisited this book that I read way back in my angst teenager years and to this day it is still a great read. The stories are dated but they still give that good old punch to the gut while reading them.

Definitely not happy stories, but hey it is Harlan Ellison after all! There is a lot of darkness, depression, violence and anger in all these in this collection, but all are very well written gems!

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1961 collection, about jazz, New York, the South, rent parties, racial prejudice, drug abuse, homicide and love, is one of Ellison's early "deadly streets"-themed books, with no SF or fantasy elements at all. Despite some dated elements (such as the subtitle), these 22 stories are mostly still effective.

[Jesse Doggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is only a 3 because the stories are not my cup of tea. Ellison is an excellent writer and brilliantly portrays the characters and their spirit. it's just these stories are about the common man at his darkest. The stories so vivid, they were disturbing to me to read. Great writing, just not for me.

[bluetyson]

Gentleman Junkie: And Other Stories of the Hung-Up Generation by Harlan Ellison (1982)