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Voice from the Edge #4
The Deathbird & Other Stories
In a prolific career spanning more than 50 years, Harlan Ellison has been the acclaimed master of speculative fiction. In fact, a 1999 Locus poll named him the all-time best writer of short fiction as well as the editor of the all-time best anthology (Dangerous Visions). In addition to his dozens of Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards, Ellison has won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, and multiple Bram Stoker Awards from the Horror Writers Association (including the Lifetime Achievement Award). As an audiobook narrator, he's twice won Audie Awards and been nominated for a Grammy Award.
The Deathbird & Other Stories presents, for the first time in audio, 13 of Ellison’s classic stories:
"Ellison Wonderland"
"The Deathbird" (Hugo & Locus winner; Nebula nominee)
"The Creation of Water"
"Run for the Stars"
"Croatoan" (Hugo nominee)
"The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World" (Hugo winner)
"On the Slab"
"The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore" (Nebula nominee)
"The Dreams a Nightmare Dreams"
"The Whimper of Whipped Dogs"
"Killing Bernstein"
"Count the Clock That Tells the Time" (Locus winner; Hugo nominee)
"How Interesting: A Tiny Man" (Nebula winner)
The Deathbird & Other Stories presents, for the first time in audio, 13 of Ellison’s classic stories:
"Ellison Wonderland"
"The Deathbird" (Hugo & Locus winner; Nebula nominee)
"The Creation of Water"
"Run for the Stars"
"Croatoan" (Hugo nominee)
"The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World" (Hugo winner)
"On the Slab"
"The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore" (Nebula nominee)
"The Dreams a Nightmare Dreams"
"The Whimper of Whipped Dogs"
"Killing Bernstein"
"Count the Clock That Tells the Time" (Locus winner; Hugo nominee)
"How Interesting: A Tiny Man" (Nebula winner)
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 17, 2011
5 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Ellison
1,075 books2,794 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 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 23, 2018
Oh lordy, these stories were so good. I feel like the last person on earth to have discovered Harlan Ellison or something. As if I had some really good idea why I should have avoided his stories or something. I mean, I've only been hearing about all these all my life, and yet, the only reason I didn't read them was that they were SHORT.
So. Stupid. Of. Me.
So here I go, choosing this collection mainly because I already know he blends horror in with fantasy and science fiction in really fantastic ways and the whole "Deathbird" in the title seemed just about perfect for an October read. And I was right. :)
The Deathbird was pretty freaking amazing, adding a whole sympathy for the devil thing and an endless stream of reincarnations and a wickedly cool ending. Hello, God and the Devil. Only this is an epic rendition full of dead dogs and pain and the whole Ademic treatment all rolled into a burning bush. :) Loved it.
Most of the stories were simply fantastic, but a few were outstanding. This is Harlan, don't you know. Quicksilver, dirty as hell, sharp as a seat full of tacks you just sat on, and desperately wicked.
Run for the Stars might have just been an SF adventure with TONS of dead Earthlings, a death switch sun-bomb, revenge and bloodshed, but I love this antihero stuff.
Croatoan did the whole alligators in the sewers in a REALLY nicely twisted way. :)
My personal favorite might be The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World because, hey, let's face it... I love twisted as hell stories that let all the imagination hang out. :)
I'm skipping a quick review a whole bunch not because they aren't good but because I can't do them justice, but The Whimper of Whipped Dogs really made me wish I was worshipping dark gods in dirty cities. :)
Killing Bernstein was a wickedly funny love story... of a sort. :)
But the Count the Clock That Tells the Time was a great 4th Dimensional romp that does a ton of justice to the whole Wasting Time trope. :)
How Interesting: A Tiny Man was just plain harsh. :)
Do I recommend Harlan? HELL YES. Brilliant writer. Ascerbic, cruel, freaking intelligent, very knowledgeable, deep, heartfelt, and quicksilver. These have got to be some of the very best short stories I've ever read.
Or at least, while I'm reading them, they have a certain quality to drive out all thoughts of any other kind of work until they start leaking from my ears, having eaten all other stories like slavering dogs inside my skull.
Just. Wow. :)
So. Stupid. Of. Me.
So here I go, choosing this collection mainly because I already know he blends horror in with fantasy and science fiction in really fantastic ways and the whole "Deathbird" in the title seemed just about perfect for an October read. And I was right. :)
The Deathbird was pretty freaking amazing, adding a whole sympathy for the devil thing and an endless stream of reincarnations and a wickedly cool ending. Hello, God and the Devil. Only this is an epic rendition full of dead dogs and pain and the whole Ademic treatment all rolled into a burning bush. :) Loved it.
Most of the stories were simply fantastic, but a few were outstanding. This is Harlan, don't you know. Quicksilver, dirty as hell, sharp as a seat full of tacks you just sat on, and desperately wicked.
Run for the Stars might have just been an SF adventure with TONS of dead Earthlings, a death switch sun-bomb, revenge and bloodshed, but I love this antihero stuff.
Croatoan did the whole alligators in the sewers in a REALLY nicely twisted way. :)
My personal favorite might be The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World because, hey, let's face it... I love twisted as hell stories that let all the imagination hang out. :)
I'm skipping a quick review a whole bunch not because they aren't good but because I can't do them justice, but The Whimper of Whipped Dogs really made me wish I was worshipping dark gods in dirty cities. :)
Killing Bernstein was a wickedly funny love story... of a sort. :)
But the Count the Clock That Tells the Time was a great 4th Dimensional romp that does a ton of justice to the whole Wasting Time trope. :)
How Interesting: A Tiny Man was just plain harsh. :)
Do I recommend Harlan? HELL YES. Brilliant writer. Ascerbic, cruel, freaking intelligent, very knowledgeable, deep, heartfelt, and quicksilver. These have got to be some of the very best short stories I've ever read.
Or at least, while I'm reading them, they have a certain quality to drive out all thoughts of any other kind of work until they start leaking from my ears, having eaten all other stories like slavering dogs inside my skull.
Just. Wow. :)
January 16, 2016
The Deathbird & Other Stories: The Voice from the Edge Vol. 4: Some of his most experimental stories
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
This is the fourth installment in Harlan Ellison’s 5-volume THE VOICE FROM THE EDGE series. He’s a born storyteller, without question the most passionate, intense and brilliant audiobook narrator I’ve ever experienced. He captures the characters’ quirks and attitudes, and narrates with masterful pacing and tone. This is the ideal showcase for him to read his favorite stories from a career spanning over 60 years.
Vol. 1 featured some of his best stories and narration, Vol. 2 was also excellent but not quite as brilliant as Vol. 1, and Vol. 3 had some top-notch stories and finished with two horror tales, the first narrated by Robert Bloch. Vol. 4 is the first collection in which not all the stories are narrated by Ellison himself. Fortunately the other narrators are very good, including Theodore Bikel, Stefan Rudnicki, and Arte Johnson. You can imagine that someone as picky and demanding as Ellison would tolerate nothing less.
What distinguishes Vol. 4 of this collection is not just the large number of award winners and nominees, but the challenging nature of the stories. They are complex, elusive, erudite, and experimental. So much is implied; very little is spelled out. But they are also very rewarding if you listen carefully. I actually listened twice to the ones I liked best. In particular, Ellison’s endings often contain a twist that redefines what came before, so you need to make sure you don’t miss them. Stories from the 1970s and later have gone completely away from the early more pulpy stories of the 1950s. That’s why it’s strange that the longest story in the collection, “Run for the Stars” (1957), reminded me of Philip K. Dick’s earlier stories. Frankly, it feels quite dated and pales versus his later, more mature stories, so I’m not sure why it was included and narrated by Ellison himself. Having said that, it’s an impressive collection and these were my favorites:
“The Deathbird” (1973; Hugo & Locus winner, Nebula nominee): This is the most challenging story in the collection. It tells a very unconventional story of the creation and destruction of the world. A shadow figure drifts through the layers of a desolate far-future earth to find a crypt in the center preserving Nathan Stack, a man who has been sleeping there for 250,000 years. The shadow figure is named Dira, and is also known as the Snake, who harks back to the Garden of Eden. Dira was left on the Earth by an earlier race to make sure that humanity knows the true story of creation. That is because the God we know has twisted the story of Genesis to his own ends, and the Snake has been on the side of humanity. And only Nathan Stack, essentially the avatar of mankind, has the power to confront God and end the pain of the world with the help of the Deathbird, whom Dira commands.
This story is told in non-linear form, with several vignettes that seem like conventional stories, with the unifying theme of people letting go of loved ones. There are also odd snippets of academic-sounding comments, such as the opening lines of the story: “This is a test. Take notes. This will count as 3/4 of your final grade.” The central story is told in mythical, biblical style. It reminded me somewhat of the middle story in Gene Wolfe’s The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1973). Ellison lets the reader put the pieces of the story together gradually, leaving tantalizing clues throughout. I had to listen to this one three times to grasp its meaning, and I’m still not sure I understood everything. But the writing, imagery, and narration (which is done by someone other than Ellison, perhaps Stefan Rudnicki) are so hypnotic and intriguing that it’s worth it. On further reflection, the story’s concept of God as a sinister and not omnipotent creator mirrors the complex Gnostic concepts explored in Philip K. Dick’s The Divine Invasion (1981).
“Croatoan" (1975; Hugo nominee): Here’s another story where it’s not immediately clear what is going on. A man named Gabe is sent by his panicked girlfriend to go into New York’s sewers to retrieve something very precious that they flushed down. The story also moves between flashbacks to put together the full picture of what led him to this point. He discovers that discarded crocodiles, and something far more sinister, infest the sewers. The story is more character than event-driven, and touches on a very sensitive subject in the US today.
“The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World” (1968; Hugo winner):Here is another complex and demanding story with a brilliant title. It takes a similarly elliptical approach, dropping incongruous details and not identifying the connections between story elements. The story begins with very newscast-like comments describing three terrorist-like mass-murders perpetrated by a man named William Sterog, who is clearly insane. The narrative then jumps to the far future in which an Earth expedition finds a giant statue with a beatific expression on its face, and a vague description of the crosscurrents of time, space, and existence.
The story then shifts to a strange underground “level” containing an insane seven-headed dragon (which may be the same as “the maniac.” Two individuals, Semph and Linah, are arguing whether it is appropriate to “drain” the dragon or not. Although not immediately apparent, the “draining” process seems to involve removing the insanity of the subject and dispersing these bad essences elsewhere. The debate centers on what becomes of these essences. Semph is sentenced to death for opposing the draining, and a statue is built in his honor.
Once again the narrative abruptly changes to the description of the meeting of Pope Leo the first and Atilla the Hun. Apparently Pope Leo managed to convince Atilla not to sack Rome, though at other times Rome did not escape this fate. The connection of this to the rest of the story is completely unclear to me.
Finally, during the trial of Semph, it’s made clear that the draining of insanity keeps the future society of the Concord safe from madness, but that these essences have been beamed throughout the universe, and have arrived on the Earth. This may be an explanation for the insane actions described in the beginning, and for all other acts of madness by implication.
“The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore” (1991; Nebula nominee): This story defies easy description. It is strange, sympathetic, cruel, ironic, and filled with humor. Essentially it is a series of tiny vignettes featuring Levendis, a powerful but mysterious figure that goes about the world dealing out justice (with extreme prejudice) in some cases, standing by observing in others, and playing bizarre pranks in others. As it turns out, it appears that Lavendis may be how Harlan Ellison views the role of the divine in our lives — random, capricious, both good and evil, sometimes indifferent, but always unpredictable. God, if he exists, is not either the vindictive Jehovah of the Old Testament nor the merciful and sacrificial Christ of the New Testament. If anything, Lavendis may be Ellison’s way of saying “shit happens” in life and that we shouldn’t expect any rhyme or reason in the world. Life is what you see before you, and it’s up to you what to make of it.
“Count the Clock That Tells the Time” (1978; Locus winner; Hugo nominee): This is a sweet little love story based on very original premise: what happens to all the time that we “waste” in our lives? Does it just disappear, or go someone else and accumulate? Ellison explores this question, and then expands on it by speculating on what happens when two people who have wasted their entire lives in solitude find each other outside of time and space. It’s pretty affecting and has a bittersweet ending as well. Excellent stuff.
“How Interesting: A Tiny Man” (2010; Hugo winner): This is a short but effective story that could only be done full justice being narrated by Ellison himself. What if you were to create a tiny man who could fit in your shirt pocket? How would other people react? Would they simply remark “How Interesting! A tiny man,” or would their reactions be more extreme? The answers this story arrives at are a powerful indictment against the intolerance and close-mindedness of people, and the ending is very sad indeed.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
This is the fourth installment in Harlan Ellison’s 5-volume THE VOICE FROM THE EDGE series. He’s a born storyteller, without question the most passionate, intense and brilliant audiobook narrator I’ve ever experienced. He captures the characters’ quirks and attitudes, and narrates with masterful pacing and tone. This is the ideal showcase for him to read his favorite stories from a career spanning over 60 years.
Vol. 1 featured some of his best stories and narration, Vol. 2 was also excellent but not quite as brilliant as Vol. 1, and Vol. 3 had some top-notch stories and finished with two horror tales, the first narrated by Robert Bloch. Vol. 4 is the first collection in which not all the stories are narrated by Ellison himself. Fortunately the other narrators are very good, including Theodore Bikel, Stefan Rudnicki, and Arte Johnson. You can imagine that someone as picky and demanding as Ellison would tolerate nothing less.
What distinguishes Vol. 4 of this collection is not just the large number of award winners and nominees, but the challenging nature of the stories. They are complex, elusive, erudite, and experimental. So much is implied; very little is spelled out. But they are also very rewarding if you listen carefully. I actually listened twice to the ones I liked best. In particular, Ellison’s endings often contain a twist that redefines what came before, so you need to make sure you don’t miss them. Stories from the 1970s and later have gone completely away from the early more pulpy stories of the 1950s. That’s why it’s strange that the longest story in the collection, “Run for the Stars” (1957), reminded me of Philip K. Dick’s earlier stories. Frankly, it feels quite dated and pales versus his later, more mature stories, so I’m not sure why it was included and narrated by Ellison himself. Having said that, it’s an impressive collection and these were my favorites:
“The Deathbird” (1973; Hugo & Locus winner, Nebula nominee): This is the most challenging story in the collection. It tells a very unconventional story of the creation and destruction of the world. A shadow figure drifts through the layers of a desolate far-future earth to find a crypt in the center preserving Nathan Stack, a man who has been sleeping there for 250,000 years. The shadow figure is named Dira, and is also known as the Snake, who harks back to the Garden of Eden. Dira was left on the Earth by an earlier race to make sure that humanity knows the true story of creation. That is because the God we know has twisted the story of Genesis to his own ends, and the Snake has been on the side of humanity. And only Nathan Stack, essentially the avatar of mankind, has the power to confront God and end the pain of the world with the help of the Deathbird, whom Dira commands.
This story is told in non-linear form, with several vignettes that seem like conventional stories, with the unifying theme of people letting go of loved ones. There are also odd snippets of academic-sounding comments, such as the opening lines of the story: “This is a test. Take notes. This will count as 3/4 of your final grade.” The central story is told in mythical, biblical style. It reminded me somewhat of the middle story in Gene Wolfe’s The Fifth Head of Cerberus (1973). Ellison lets the reader put the pieces of the story together gradually, leaving tantalizing clues throughout. I had to listen to this one three times to grasp its meaning, and I’m still not sure I understood everything. But the writing, imagery, and narration (which is done by someone other than Ellison, perhaps Stefan Rudnicki) are so hypnotic and intriguing that it’s worth it. On further reflection, the story’s concept of God as a sinister and not omnipotent creator mirrors the complex Gnostic concepts explored in Philip K. Dick’s The Divine Invasion (1981).
“Croatoan" (1975; Hugo nominee): Here’s another story where it’s not immediately clear what is going on. A man named Gabe is sent by his panicked girlfriend to go into New York’s sewers to retrieve something very precious that they flushed down. The story also moves between flashbacks to put together the full picture of what led him to this point. He discovers that discarded crocodiles, and something far more sinister, infest the sewers. The story is more character than event-driven, and touches on a very sensitive subject in the US today.
“The Beast Who Shouted Love at the Heart of the World” (1968; Hugo winner):Here is another complex and demanding story with a brilliant title. It takes a similarly elliptical approach, dropping incongruous details and not identifying the connections between story elements. The story begins with very newscast-like comments describing three terrorist-like mass-murders perpetrated by a man named William Sterog, who is clearly insane. The narrative then jumps to the far future in which an Earth expedition finds a giant statue with a beatific expression on its face, and a vague description of the crosscurrents of time, space, and existence.
The story then shifts to a strange underground “level” containing an insane seven-headed dragon (which may be the same as “the maniac.” Two individuals, Semph and Linah, are arguing whether it is appropriate to “drain” the dragon or not. Although not immediately apparent, the “draining” process seems to involve removing the insanity of the subject and dispersing these bad essences elsewhere. The debate centers on what becomes of these essences. Semph is sentenced to death for opposing the draining, and a statue is built in his honor.
Once again the narrative abruptly changes to the description of the meeting of Pope Leo the first and Atilla the Hun. Apparently Pope Leo managed to convince Atilla not to sack Rome, though at other times Rome did not escape this fate. The connection of this to the rest of the story is completely unclear to me.
Finally, during the trial of Semph, it’s made clear that the draining of insanity keeps the future society of the Concord safe from madness, but that these essences have been beamed throughout the universe, and have arrived on the Earth. This may be an explanation for the insane actions described in the beginning, and for all other acts of madness by implication.
“The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore” (1991; Nebula nominee): This story defies easy description. It is strange, sympathetic, cruel, ironic, and filled with humor. Essentially it is a series of tiny vignettes featuring Levendis, a powerful but mysterious figure that goes about the world dealing out justice (with extreme prejudice) in some cases, standing by observing in others, and playing bizarre pranks in others. As it turns out, it appears that Lavendis may be how Harlan Ellison views the role of the divine in our lives — random, capricious, both good and evil, sometimes indifferent, but always unpredictable. God, if he exists, is not either the vindictive Jehovah of the Old Testament nor the merciful and sacrificial Christ of the New Testament. If anything, Lavendis may be Ellison’s way of saying “shit happens” in life and that we shouldn’t expect any rhyme or reason in the world. Life is what you see before you, and it’s up to you what to make of it.
“Count the Clock That Tells the Time” (1978; Locus winner; Hugo nominee): This is a sweet little love story based on very original premise: what happens to all the time that we “waste” in our lives? Does it just disappear, or go someone else and accumulate? Ellison explores this question, and then expands on it by speculating on what happens when two people who have wasted their entire lives in solitude find each other outside of time and space. It’s pretty affecting and has a bittersweet ending as well. Excellent stuff.
“How Interesting: A Tiny Man” (2010; Hugo winner): This is a short but effective story that could only be done full justice being narrated by Ellison himself. What if you were to create a tiny man who could fit in your shirt pocket? How would other people react? Would they simply remark “How Interesting! A tiny man,” or would their reactions be more extreme? The answers this story arrives at are a powerful indictment against the intolerance and close-mindedness of people, and the ending is very sad indeed.
October 8, 2025
”High in the bloody sky, the Deathbird circled.”
Circuitous and pointless.
Circuitous and pointless.
August 6, 2025
It can be a little jarring to read at times since the story goes a lot of different places within 28 pages as well as the meta test questions included, but that makes it an extremely unique experience. The main concept is a very interesting speculation about the relationship between God and Satan that definitely provokes many thoughts while maintaining a very cool sci-fi twist. Not at all what I anticipated it to be but I walk away from it very pleased
April 29, 2021
I’m not sure what to make of Harlan Ellison. I read I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream and was impressed, and also a bit horrified. This is my first short story collection of his and I found myself juggling three emotions: awe, confusion, and frustration.
I’m in awe of his wild inventiveness and originality. His stories are so out there, I’m not sure I’ve read anything like it before. His prose is always striking, vivid, and cruel. It provokes reactions.
I’m confused because I don’t understand what he’s on about half the time. This could be due to the audiobook format, the density of my own head, or perhaps some of these stories are just nonsensical. Maybe it’s a combination of all three. This can be bad, as in The Beast that Shouted Love at the World. I got nothing from this story. I read the analysis after. Nope, I still don’t get it. However, sometimes the confusion almost feels like a sort of magic, or spell that he’s cast. The titled story The Deathbird had this effect on me. I was wildly confused throughout, yet immersed. It stuck with me after, and I have plans to eventually revisit it.
I’m frustrated because he’s such a pessimist. His writing is gnarly, and almost always picks at the scabby underbelly of society or clings to the darkest parts of the human psyche. In small doses I suppose this could be fine, but taking in a whole collection at once is wearisome and grating. In particular his story The Whimper of Whipped Dogs really aggravated me. It riffs off of a true story, but really just exploits the event for Ellison to rant and rave at how evil and dangerous cities are. This is one I hope I can forget, it’s cringe worthy.
The collection ends with How Interesting: A Tiny Man, which is arguably my favorite story offered here. I’m not quite sure if it’s simple or has hidden depths, but it's at least written in a way that’s easy to follow and digest, and I appreciated that.
Even though these short stories were hit or miss, I’m still fascinated with Harlan Ellison as an author, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
Story-6, Language-9, Ideas-8, Characters-5, Enjoyment-6, Overall-6.7
I’m in awe of his wild inventiveness and originality. His stories are so out there, I’m not sure I’ve read anything like it before. His prose is always striking, vivid, and cruel. It provokes reactions.
I’m confused because I don’t understand what he’s on about half the time. This could be due to the audiobook format, the density of my own head, or perhaps some of these stories are just nonsensical. Maybe it’s a combination of all three. This can be bad, as in The Beast that Shouted Love at the World. I got nothing from this story. I read the analysis after. Nope, I still don’t get it. However, sometimes the confusion almost feels like a sort of magic, or spell that he’s cast. The titled story The Deathbird had this effect on me. I was wildly confused throughout, yet immersed. It stuck with me after, and I have plans to eventually revisit it.
I’m frustrated because he’s such a pessimist. His writing is gnarly, and almost always picks at the scabby underbelly of society or clings to the darkest parts of the human psyche. In small doses I suppose this could be fine, but taking in a whole collection at once is wearisome and grating. In particular his story The Whimper of Whipped Dogs really aggravated me. It riffs off of a true story, but really just exploits the event for Ellison to rant and rave at how evil and dangerous cities are. This is one I hope I can forget, it’s cringe worthy.
The collection ends with How Interesting: A Tiny Man, which is arguably my favorite story offered here. I’m not quite sure if it’s simple or has hidden depths, but it's at least written in a way that’s easy to follow and digest, and I appreciated that.
Even though these short stories were hit or miss, I’m still fascinated with Harlan Ellison as an author, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
Story-6, Language-9, Ideas-8, Characters-5, Enjoyment-6, Overall-6.7
March 25, 2025
ok this would be a solid 4.5 but i can’t do that here. i read “the deathbird” and it was so fucking interesting. i think i have a lot to say about this but im on ft rn and i can’t multitask. all i will say is harlan ellisson i don’t like how u just jump into stories i’m sorry but let me catch up.
May 24, 2015
Tremendous. Great to hear Harlan's 'How Interesting : A Tiny Man', his most recent award winner. Some stories in this collection are more accessible than others, but all are never less than thought provoking and at best truly awesome. The Deathbird is deservedly a masterwork.
August 30, 2022
The deathbird. Harlan Ellison
📖📖📖
Words are unnecessary when it comes to the intelligence of Harlan Ellison! His expression is enchanting, his honesty raw as well as captivating, riveting you to its narrative with an elliptical, but not deficient abstractness that deliciously "dresses up" his caustic mood! If we want to talk about the area of the "fantasy" we must at least give him a chance.
Το πουλί του θανάτου. Harlan Ellison.
📖📖📖
Τα λόγια είναι περιττά μπροστά στην ευφυΐα του εκλιπόντος πια Harlan Ellison! Ο λόγος του μαγευτικός, η ειλικρίνειά του ωμή όσο και σαγηνευτική, σε καθηλώνει στην αφήγησή της με μια ελλειπτική, όχι όμως ελλειμματική αφαιρετικότητα που ντύνεται απολαυστικά την καυστική του διάθεση! Αν θέλουμε να μιλάμε για το χώρο του "φανταστικού" οφείλουμε στο ελάχιστο να του δώσουμε την ευκαιρία.
📖📖📖
Words are unnecessary when it comes to the intelligence of Harlan Ellison! His expression is enchanting, his honesty raw as well as captivating, riveting you to its narrative with an elliptical, but not deficient abstractness that deliciously "dresses up" his caustic mood! If we want to talk about the area of the "fantasy" we must at least give him a chance.
Το πουλί του θανάτου. Harlan Ellison.
📖📖📖
Τα λόγια είναι περιττά μπροστά στην ευφυΐα του εκλιπόντος πια Harlan Ellison! Ο λόγος του μαγευτικός, η ειλικρίνειά του ωμή όσο και σαγηνευτική, σε καθηλώνει στην αφήγησή της με μια ελλειπτική, όχι όμως ελλειμματική αφαιρετικότητα που ντύνεται απολαυστικά την καυστική του διάθεση! Αν θέλουμε να μιλάμε για το χώρο του "φανταστικού" οφείλουμε στο ελάχιστο να του δώσουμε την ευκαιρία.
June 11, 2019
I take great pleasure in reading and have read quite a few books in my lifetime, including the literary classics. I’ve read books by winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Man Booker Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In other words – I’m familiar with a number of books that are widely considered to be ‘great literature’.
I say that, not to brag, but as a prelude to the following:
1) Harlan Ellison, at his best, holds his own against the literary giants.
2) While not all of the tales in this collection represent Ellison at his best, The Deathbird is one of the finest stories ever written.
I say that, not to brag, but as a prelude to the following:
1) Harlan Ellison, at his best, holds his own against the literary giants.
2) While not all of the tales in this collection represent Ellison at his best, The Deathbird is one of the finest stories ever written.
January 1, 2018
OBSCURE - is how I found most of these fantasy stories by Harlan Ellison. One or two stayed with me for a while, like the detailed description of Prometheus's punishment and the story where wasted time - and people who do nothing with their time on Earth - end up in a meaningless grey dimension. Oh yes, and the one where the junkie takes over an invading alien fleet by turning them into addicts and then as leader becomes clean himself. No more books by Harlan Ellison for me I think.
June 8, 2024
this is for the story 'the deathbird' only, not this collection.
at least this wasn't fully impenetrable & confusing & dense like the first two stories in this 'greatest hits' collection.
it was just about 50% that way. parts of it were actually interesting & engaging & quite readable.
i still didn't get a lot of it, & i was left more frustrated than anything. i guess this is all too deep for me.
at least this wasn't fully impenetrable & confusing & dense like the first two stories in this 'greatest hits' collection.
it was just about 50% that way. parts of it were actually interesting & engaging & quite readable.
i still didn't get a lot of it, & i was left more frustrated than anything. i guess this is all too deep for me.
September 27, 2025
Wow Harlan, the Judeo-Christian God was the bad guy all along and Satan actually wanted to liberate mankind by designing a single (rich, for some reason he had to be a rich guy) man who's the epitome of human consciousness who must kill God while all other humans ever lived are guillable idiots... you are so smart and edgy, this doesn't look like something Lavey and Ayn Rand could come up after snorting a bunch of coke and unoriginality...
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February 26, 2025The Deathbird: Quite the contrast in creation from the other two I've thus far read. He actually developed this (I can only assume). Quite moving throughout, but stories such as this that depict God in a literal way I usually find... well, lacking. Obviously. Because who can give commentary on God? Who could have any insight or opinions on such a thing beyond their own fears?
October 12, 2022
deathbird WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW. wow. bold and unique. my inspiration.
January 1, 2025
This book makes me feel inflatingly intelligent- knowing that so many people (at least half of the population) is not smart enough… or unwilling, to understand how extraordinary it is.
December 5, 2025
I love how he tells a story. He’s funny and really gets you to think. Sometimes the stories were ridiculous but that’s the whole point right? This is a book you’d want to read again, for fun but to gain additional understanding.
January 18, 2016
AV Club's "Gateways to Geekery" for Harlan Ellison recommend starting with "The Deathbird." I've recognized Ellison in the pantheon of speculative fiction authors and thought leaders since the heyday of my sci-fi reading in the early '80s, but aside from some contributions to The Twilight Zone Magazine (a dearly beloved text for me in those formative years), I recently realized that I couldn't cite a title from among his major works that I can recall actually reading. Time to rectify that! In addition to "The Deathbird," this collection features other tales from that classic collection dealing with the complicated relationship between humanity, divinity and mythology, a couple of mind-f*** stories (the opening "Ellison Wonderland" is a doozy), and some stories that land in the netherworld between Lovecraft and Dick ("Croatoan," for example). While not every story engaged my imagination equally, Ellison's narration is top-notch and enhances the material. Going to dig a little deeper into his oeuvre.
January 7, 2018
Harlan Ellison has a dirty mind, and when he speaks out what is on his mind he is so close that you can almost smell his foul breath as his raspy voice cuts deep into your eardrums while you fall into his whirlpool of utter despair. Oh, there is little hope out, here you are stuck in a gigantic labyrinthal sewer infested with rats and corpses and no light at the end of it all. Just a bunch of egotistical, sociopathic protagonists battling out egotistical, sociopathic antagonists; and you know very well that you only stand by their side because Harlan´s voice makes the whole thing so damn personal. Listen to it, do not read it! Listen to that irritating scissor voice of Harlan´s nagging inside your head, forcing you to feel all that terror of his protagonists. Try not to care, I dare you! Sometimes he even lets someone else narrate his stories, they are all very good break when you really, really need a rest from Harlan.
So, this is one more dirty nightmarish "experience" to check off your bucket list.
Oh, did I mention he is also a dirty genius?
So, this is one more dirty nightmarish "experience" to check off your bucket list.
Oh, did I mention he is also a dirty genius?
December 22, 2017
I've been enjoying this series of audiobooks a lot. This particular one is not entirely narrated by Ellison, but the other performances are very good. I think the stories in this book are not quite as good (as a whole) as the previous ones, with the exception of The Deathbird, which is a masterpiece. Just for that single story (which is long, actually a novella), this is more than worth it, it's now one of my favorite short stories ever, reminding me of the times I discovered Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman.
If nothing else, listen to The Deathbird. It's poetic and visceral, a broken structure mythopoesis, interpreting our relationship with death and love.
If nothing else, listen to The Deathbird. It's poetic and visceral, a broken structure mythopoesis, interpreting our relationship with death and love.
September 21, 2013
A couple of the stories were good, but as a whole I wasn't impressed with them.
April 6, 2016
I still have no idea what "The Deathbird" is about, but it's HE at his best. Just enjoy the stories.
April 10, 2017
I'm actually sad that I'm finished with this. One of the best audiobooks I've listened to.
November 19, 2015
4.5 Stars
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