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Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed
A series of essays including: Stealing Tomorrow, Down the Rabbit-Hole to TV-Land, Rolling Dat Ole Debbil Electronic Stone, Defeating the Green Slime, Fear Not your Enemies, From Albany, With Hate, Centerpunching, Voe Doe Dee Oh Doe, Cheap Thrills on the Road to H*ll, and more.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
22 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Ellison
1,073 books2,760 followersHarlan 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".
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".
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 18, 2015
A book of Harlan Ellison essays takes an eternity to read.
It's not that they're exceptionally dense, nor boring or difficult. Rather it's that they're fucking fantastic, every last one, regardless of subject or content, because they are infused with Harlan's inimitable, impeccable vitriol. Reading Harlan Ellison is reading passion incarnate. As he knows, not everyone can handle that shit.
But if you can: get yourself a book of Harlan Ellison essays. Let yourself get fired up by his anger, overwhelmed by his intensity. Beg yourself to read more slowly so the experience lasts longer, even as you're frantically rushing to get to the next fantastic paragraph. And yes, be impressed by his insights -- almost none of which are dated, despite being written decades ago. Harlan's got his entire fucking fist on the pulse of reality, and you can too.
There is no author who makes me feel as real as Harlan Ellison does -- but he hits best when you're at an emotional and passionate high.
He expects and deserves nothing less.
It's not that they're exceptionally dense, nor boring or difficult. Rather it's that they're fucking fantastic, every last one, regardless of subject or content, because they are infused with Harlan's inimitable, impeccable vitriol. Reading Harlan Ellison is reading passion incarnate. As he knows, not everyone can handle that shit.
But if you can: get yourself a book of Harlan Ellison essays. Let yourself get fired up by his anger, overwhelmed by his intensity. Beg yourself to read more slowly so the experience lasts longer, even as you're frantically rushing to get to the next fantastic paragraph. And yes, be impressed by his insights -- almost none of which are dated, despite being written decades ago. Harlan's got his entire fucking fist on the pulse of reality, and you can too.
There is no author who makes me feel as real as Harlan Ellison does -- but he hits best when you're at an emotional and passionate high.
He expects and deserves nothing less.
December 16, 2012
Typical Ellison essays. Provocative, opinionated, the guy doesn't suffer fools, and knows how to put his views across in a relentlessly entertaining way. The highlight is the civil rights essay, with Ellison on the road in the 1960s with student activists in redneck southern states. This must be one of the best accounts of these times that I have ever read. Next best was the essay about Steve McQueen, another hero of mine. Good to know that the two of them met.
August 26, 2025
REAGAN, YOU CREPUSCULAR OLD FART! LENNON IS DEAD, YOU PUDDINGBRAIN.
November 20, 2019
Essays from the most grumpy and witty sci-fi writer (please excuse the moniker) of all time. The fun is guaranteed. Especially in the first essays and the last ones. It also depends how well you know people like Bob Silverberg or Steve McQueen and if you're as starstruck by them as Harlan is.
I might write a whole essay about this book of essays because there's so much content in it and it all deserves to be thoroughly reviewed but, alas, I don't have time nor will. They touch everything from racial tensions through how dumb movie studios are to video dating service.
Harlan says that his essay (eulogy) about his mother would make us weep but it's not so. What made me tear up, through laughing out loud, was the sweetest "love" letter to a friend I've ever read titled "Voe doe dee oh doe". Harlan can, through all his bitterness and grumpiness, be just as big flatterer. His ex-wives would know... When I remember the part where Robert threw the first draft of Deathbird into the pool because it was "crap" I laugh even now. This essay along with the last one are my favorites from this collection.
True Love: Groping for the Holy Grail is essay about video dating service and Harlan's experience with it. I think it's the longest essay in the book and also the last. But, dammit, it's so well written! There's some sort of joke, wordplay, witty or sarcastic reference literally on every page and I snickered at almost every one of them while reading it on a bus. If you're familiar with his type of writing you understand what I mean. If you're not, well, you better start reading. I was also surprised by Harlan's positive attitude for such thing (even though it took some time for people to push him to try it and write this essay for L.A. Times).
I also want to mention one important thing. A sad one, really. Nothing has changed. The world has moved on but Hollywood stayed the same. One third of these essays is in one way or another connected to movie and television industry and it is obvious that the same type of dumb incompetent suits make decisions nowadays as did in the 70's and 80's. Nothing's changed, and maybe even got worse since we're now getting a flood of shitty remakes made only for brainless masses to consume. I have to applaud Harlan for having such patience with these guys (I mean it half sarcastically, half literally).
Definitely recommended read for fans of his work but also for people who want to see what the life was like 30-40 years ago in L.A.
I might write a whole essay about this book of essays because there's so much content in it and it all deserves to be thoroughly reviewed but, alas, I don't have time nor will. They touch everything from racial tensions through how dumb movie studios are to video dating service.
Harlan says that his essay (eulogy) about his mother would make us weep but it's not so. What made me tear up, through laughing out loud, was the sweetest "love" letter to a friend I've ever read titled "Voe doe dee oh doe". Harlan can, through all his bitterness and grumpiness, be just as big flatterer. His ex-wives would know... When I remember the part where Robert threw the first draft of Deathbird into the pool because it was "crap" I laugh even now. This essay along with the last one are my favorites from this collection.
True Love: Groping for the Holy Grail is essay about video dating service and Harlan's experience with it. I think it's the longest essay in the book and also the last. But, dammit, it's so well written! There's some sort of joke, wordplay, witty or sarcastic reference literally on every page and I snickered at almost every one of them while reading it on a bus. If you're familiar with his type of writing you understand what I mean. If you're not, well, you better start reading. I was also surprised by Harlan's positive attitude for such thing (even though it took some time for people to push him to try it and write this essay for L.A. Times).
I also want to mention one important thing. A sad one, really. Nothing has changed. The world has moved on but Hollywood stayed the same. One third of these essays is in one way or another connected to movie and television industry and it is obvious that the same type of dumb incompetent suits make decisions nowadays as did in the 70's and 80's. Nothing's changed, and maybe even got worse since we're now getting a flood of shitty remakes made only for brainless masses to consume. I have to applaud Harlan for having such patience with these guys (I mean it half sarcastically, half literally).
Definitely recommended read for fans of his work but also for people who want to see what the life was like 30-40 years ago in L.A.
October 8, 2025
A collection of Ellisons eclectic essays, with a very wide range of subjects. They are, however, entertaining from a historical perspective, and if you wish to form an understanding of the man behind "I Have No Mouth".
Some of the essays reads like the rambling of a person trying to recreate a story, but it falls flat in the end. I guess you had to be there. However, in my opinion, Harlan have a very earnest writting style, if not a bit arrogant. I found it very likeable, and found all of the essays authenic and very 'real'.
I personally found 3 essays the best: His takes on television, his eulogy to his mother and the last essay, where he tries VHS dating. These essays where touching, thoughtprovoking and a great timecapsule of a more analouge time - I think you can properply guess which one is which.
This collection does also have a great deal of insigt into the life of authers, especially science fiction, in the 1950-80, and would be an amazing source for studying the genre in that time in USA. This subject, and multiple others, did not catch my intrest, but the few essays that did, I'll remeber for a long time.
If you like Ellison, it's hard to go wrong here.
Some of the essays reads like the rambling of a person trying to recreate a story, but it falls flat in the end. I guess you had to be there. However, in my opinion, Harlan have a very earnest writting style, if not a bit arrogant. I found it very likeable, and found all of the essays authenic and very 'real'.
I personally found 3 essays the best: His takes on television, his eulogy to his mother and the last essay, where he tries VHS dating. These essays where touching, thoughtprovoking and a great timecapsule of a more analouge time - I think you can properply guess which one is which.
This collection does also have a great deal of insigt into the life of authers, especially science fiction, in the 1950-80, and would be an amazing source for studying the genre in that time in USA. This subject, and multiple others, did not catch my intrest, but the few essays that did, I'll remeber for a long time.
If you like Ellison, it's hard to go wrong here.
December 23, 2020
This is not by any means the best of Harlan Ellison's nonfiction. Sometimes, he had a tendency to rant, especially on the subject of science fiction fans and organizations. Still, Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed has some good essays, mostly on the subject of writers he likes, such as Robert Silverberg and Fritz Leiber. And there is a surprisingly good piece on the Great Expectations dating service, which Ellison used.
July 11, 2018
On starting this book, I was dubious. I felt like I had outgrown Ellison, especially given some of the more contentious opinions in the first part of the book. So I put it down for a while.
Then, he died.
I picked it up again. Maybe my feelings changed knowing he is gone, but the rest of the book seemed charged, humane and powerful. At his best, Harlan wrote like nobody else. His writing could be incandescent enough to blind and burn you. The piece on marching in Mississippi is like that. The final piece, on video dating of all things, exposes his soft underbelly.
I'll miss having him in the world.
Then, he died.
I picked it up again. Maybe my feelings changed knowing he is gone, but the rest of the book seemed charged, humane and powerful. At his best, Harlan wrote like nobody else. His writing could be incandescent enough to blind and burn you. The piece on marching in Mississippi is like that. The final piece, on video dating of all things, exposes his soft underbelly.
I'll miss having him in the world.
January 21, 2023
To be honest, Ellison is one of my favorite authors. This is a collection of essays on a wide variety of subjects, from pieces that praise his favorite authors, his personal experience using a video dating service, a day with Steve McQueen, and many others. It would be difficult to find a writer who is more direct about his views and I find this to be irresistible. Two thumbs way up.
April 6, 2008
An excellent collection of Ellison's non-fiction, including sections on the topics of science fiction, television, and with particularly strong entries observing the current human condition. Ellison is incapable of writing poorly; he's always passionate, opinionated, and his words are always a joy.
March 28, 2012
While less convinced of Ellison's status as one of history's great essayists than the editor, I'm an admirer. This is kind of a grab-bag, with the best pieces being the most surprising: a magazine profile of Steve McQueen, a first-person account of the March on Montgomery and an enthusiastic endorsement of a video dating service. Obscure, but indispensable for his fans.
November 1, 2016
Civil rights essay and his eulogy for his mother really stood out for me. The essays on the television industry still hold true today.
April 4, 2017
If I could write, this is what I'd want to.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews