What do you think?
Rate this book
Troublemakers
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Harlan Ellison has written or edited 75 books, more than 1700 stories, essays, articles and newspaper columns, two dozen teleplays, and a dozen movies.
Now, for the first time anywhere, Troublemakers presents a collection of Ellison's classic stories -- chosen by the author -- that will introduce new readers to a writer described by the New York Times as having "the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind."
A special new collection of Ellison’s short stories, selected especially for this volume by the author, including the newly revised and expanded 6,500 word tale “Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts.”In a career spanning more than 50 years, Harlan Ellison has written or edited 75 books, more than 1700 stories, essays, articles and newspaper columns, two dozen teleplays, and a dozen movies.Now, for the first time anywhere, TROUBLEMAKERS presents a collection of Ellison’s classic stories—chosen by the author—that will introduce new readers to a writer described by the New York Times as having “the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind.”Includes the award-winning stories “’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” and “Deeper Than the Darkness”
Contents
Introduction
ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE
A LOT OF SAUCERS
SOLDIER
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
NIGHT VIGIL
THE VOICE IN THE GARDEN
DEEPER THAN THE DARKNESS
NEVER SEND TO KNOW FOR WHOM THE LETTUCE WILTS
SENSIBLE CITY
LIFE HUTCH
DJINN, NO CHASER
"REPENT, HARLEQUIN!" SAID THE TICKTOCKMAN
INVASION FOOTNOTE
GNOMEBODY
TRACKING LEVEL
JEFFTY IS FIVE
FREE WITH THIS BOX!
Now, for the first time anywhere, Troublemakers presents a collection of Ellison's classic stories -- chosen by the author -- that will introduce new readers to a writer described by the New York Times as having "the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind."
A special new collection of Ellison’s short stories, selected especially for this volume by the author, including the newly revised and expanded 6,500 word tale “Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts.”In a career spanning more than 50 years, Harlan Ellison has written or edited 75 books, more than 1700 stories, essays, articles and newspaper columns, two dozen teleplays, and a dozen movies.Now, for the first time anywhere, TROUBLEMAKERS presents a collection of Ellison’s classic stories—chosen by the author—that will introduce new readers to a writer described by the New York Times as having “the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind.”Includes the award-winning stories “’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” and “Deeper Than the Darkness”
Contents
Introduction
ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE
A LOT OF SAUCERS
SOLDIER
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
NIGHT VIGIL
THE VOICE IN THE GARDEN
DEEPER THAN THE DARKNESS
NEVER SEND TO KNOW FOR WHOM THE LETTUCE WILTS
SENSIBLE CITY
LIFE HUTCH
DJINN, NO CHASER
"REPENT, HARLEQUIN!" SAID THE TICKTOCKMAN
INVASION FOOTNOTE
GNOMEBODY
TRACKING LEVEL
JEFFTY IS FIVE
FREE WITH THIS BOX!
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
83 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Ellison
1,078 books2,799 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".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 23, 2009
I hadn’t read anything by Ellison before, although I was well aware of his reputation in the realms of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Troublemakers is a collection of his short stories that was put together for a high-school audience, but I think it works well as an introduction for a reader of any age. The stories inside are each some combination of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, and they cover a very wide range of topics and lengths. There are a couple stories that didn’t do much for me, but most of them were excellent, and a few that absolutely blew me away. In Troublemakers I discovered a voice that grabbed me and made me take notice. I will definitely be reading more from Harlan Ellison in the future.
July 24, 2016
Troublemakers is a 2001 retrospective targeted at the YA market. This is an odd concept that does not really work well. It’s not a Best-of-Ellison collection as much as What-Has-Ellison-Written-That-Teenagers-Might-Like? The result is a compendium with a few great stories and a bunch of moderately entertaining fluff pieces (full disclosure: I like Harlan’s serious dramatic stories but rarely take to his kitsch humor).
While not a stellar cohesive volume of fiction, there are some interesting stories, and each of them has a new introduction from the author addressed to teenage “troublemakers”.
On the Downhill Side: An overwritten fantasy about two ghosts in New Orleans who must learn to embrace true love in order to free themselves from Limbo. There is a magical unicorn involved. Enough said. (From Deathbird Stories)
A Lot of Saucers: A light-hearted comedy about alien invaders. Ellison’s intro to this story is the best part. (As far as I can tell, this was never previously collected.)
Soldier: A clever anti-war tale. Ellison later adapted this into a famous Outer Limits episode. The tv version was much different and inspired the movie The Terminator. (From the Land of Fear)
Rain Rain Go Away: An insubstantial early story centered on the premise that one man can postpone the rain with this childhood rhyme. (From Ellison Wonderland)
Night Vigil: This is a well-written story about a man who has lived in isolation in deep space for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, I cannot get over the utter silliness of the premise. If we can build machines that can monitor the entire universe for alien threats, then why can’t those same machines send a warning message back to Earth? Why does someone have to sit in a room waiting for a red light to blink, so he can key a message back to the home planet? (From Over the Edge)
The Voice in the Garden: A short short that builds to a one-line joke in the last sentence. Funny in the way only Harlan can make it funny. (From the Land of Fear)
Deeper than the Darkness: Deals with classes of people—mutants and telepaths--treated as outcasts by mainstream society. Ellison would go on, years later, to deal with the same subject in more depth as consultant and writer on one of my favorite science fiction television shows, Babylon 5. (From Paingod and Other Delusions)
Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts: Ellison extensively rewrote his 1956 story “But Who Wilts the Lettuce” for this collection. The result is a well-paced but thin story about a gnome-like alien attempting to subvert Earth through small inconveniences. He bends nails, wilts lettuce, weakens buttons, and even invents the English language. He wears a yellow button with the proclamation “Conqueror”. (Previously uncollected)
Sensible City: A fun but insubstantial piece about a sadistic former sheriff and his deputy, now on the run from the law themselves, who get their comeuppance in a town full of zombies. (From Slippage)
Life Hutch: A great locked-room thriller story. A wounded pilot stranded on a barren planet is terrorized by an out of control malfunctioning robot. One of the better offerings from Ellison’s early years. It features a clever ending and reminded me of something Isaac Asimov might have written. (From the Land of Fear)
Djinn, No Chaser: I’ve read this story before, but I never liked it. It’s a silly story with a silly ending. (From Stalking the Nightmare)
“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman: This is a classic in the sci-fi genre. Required reading. Won the Nebula, Hugo, and Prometheus awards. Having said that, the story has always seemed rooted in a 1960’s mentality and has not aged all that well.
Invasion Footnote: A throwaway tale of a robot who achieves sentience and plots to conquer the world. It is written for broad humor rather than a serious treatment of the theme. (from Stalking the Nightmare)
Gnomebody – Features an engaging adolescent character who chances upon a gnome that can grant wishes. In this early short story, Ellison writes with a strong voice but does not seem to know quite what to do with it. (from Ellison Wonderland)
Tracking Level – Another early effort. This man vs. beast tale builds a decent amount of suspense, but Ellison telegraphs the ending from the onset. (From Stalking the Nightmare)
Jeffty is Five—This is my favorite Harlan Ellison story off all time. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Jeffty is a boy who never ages and can connect with the past in a special way. This subtle, sophisticated tale manages to be an elegy to pop culture of the 1940’s, a rumination on the loss of innocence caused by Growing Up, and an examination of whether technical progress costs us our humanity. Ironically, the “Now” of the story is the late 1960’s juxtaposed to the “Then” of the story which is the 1940’s. Now that the 1960’s themselves have faded into the history books, this story has new layers of resonance for younger readers. (from Shatterday)
Free with this Box!—The only completely non-sci-fi/fantasy story. It is 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. (From Gentleman Junkie and Other Stories)
What to make of this collection? The new introductions are nice, but the good stories are available elsewhere. If I were to steer a new reader to Harlan Ellison, I would recommend Top of the Volcano over this book.
While not a stellar cohesive volume of fiction, there are some interesting stories, and each of them has a new introduction from the author addressed to teenage “troublemakers”.
On the Downhill Side: An overwritten fantasy about two ghosts in New Orleans who must learn to embrace true love in order to free themselves from Limbo. There is a magical unicorn involved. Enough said. (From Deathbird Stories)
A Lot of Saucers: A light-hearted comedy about alien invaders. Ellison’s intro to this story is the best part. (As far as I can tell, this was never previously collected.)
Soldier: A clever anti-war tale. Ellison later adapted this into a famous Outer Limits episode. The tv version was much different and inspired the movie The Terminator. (From the Land of Fear)
Rain Rain Go Away: An insubstantial early story centered on the premise that one man can postpone the rain with this childhood rhyme. (From Ellison Wonderland)
Night Vigil: This is a well-written story about a man who has lived in isolation in deep space for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, I cannot get over the utter silliness of the premise. If we can build machines that can monitor the entire universe for alien threats, then why can’t those same machines send a warning message back to Earth? Why does someone have to sit in a room waiting for a red light to blink, so he can key a message back to the home planet? (From Over the Edge)
The Voice in the Garden: A short short that builds to a one-line joke in the last sentence. Funny in the way only Harlan can make it funny. (From the Land of Fear)
Deeper than the Darkness: Deals with classes of people—mutants and telepaths--treated as outcasts by mainstream society. Ellison would go on, years later, to deal with the same subject in more depth as consultant and writer on one of my favorite science fiction television shows, Babylon 5. (From Paingod and Other Delusions)
Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts: Ellison extensively rewrote his 1956 story “But Who Wilts the Lettuce” for this collection. The result is a well-paced but thin story about a gnome-like alien attempting to subvert Earth through small inconveniences. He bends nails, wilts lettuce, weakens buttons, and even invents the English language. He wears a yellow button with the proclamation “Conqueror”. (Previously uncollected)
Sensible City: A fun but insubstantial piece about a sadistic former sheriff and his deputy, now on the run from the law themselves, who get their comeuppance in a town full of zombies. (From Slippage)
Life Hutch: A great locked-room thriller story. A wounded pilot stranded on a barren planet is terrorized by an out of control malfunctioning robot. One of the better offerings from Ellison’s early years. It features a clever ending and reminded me of something Isaac Asimov might have written. (From the Land of Fear)
Djinn, No Chaser: I’ve read this story before, but I never liked it. It’s a silly story with a silly ending. (From Stalking the Nightmare)
“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman: This is a classic in the sci-fi genre. Required reading. Won the Nebula, Hugo, and Prometheus awards. Having said that, the story has always seemed rooted in a 1960’s mentality and has not aged all that well.
Invasion Footnote: A throwaway tale of a robot who achieves sentience and plots to conquer the world. It is written for broad humor rather than a serious treatment of the theme. (from Stalking the Nightmare)
Gnomebody – Features an engaging adolescent character who chances upon a gnome that can grant wishes. In this early short story, Ellison writes with a strong voice but does not seem to know quite what to do with it. (from Ellison Wonderland)
Tracking Level – Another early effort. This man vs. beast tale builds a decent amount of suspense, but Ellison telegraphs the ending from the onset. (From Stalking the Nightmare)
Jeffty is Five—This is my favorite Harlan Ellison story off all time. It won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Jeffty is a boy who never ages and can connect with the past in a special way. This subtle, sophisticated tale manages to be an elegy to pop culture of the 1940’s, a rumination on the loss of innocence caused by Growing Up, and an examination of whether technical progress costs us our humanity. Ironically, the “Now” of the story is the late 1960’s juxtaposed to the “Then” of the story which is the 1940’s. Now that the 1960’s themselves have faded into the history books, this story has new layers of resonance for younger readers. (from Shatterday)
Free with this Box!—The only completely non-sci-fi/fantasy story. It is 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. (From Gentleman Junkie and Other Stories)
What to make of this collection? The new introductions are nice, but the good stories are available elsewhere. If I were to steer a new reader to Harlan Ellison, I would recommend Top of the Volcano over this book.
October 13, 2013
Despite this article claiming that Troublemakers is a greatest hits collection of Harlan Ellison's short stories, I am strongly inclined to disagree. After being impressed by I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream I was eager to pick up another collection. Looks like I should have gone with Deathbird Stories instead.
This collection has more of the infuriatingly bad commentary that Ellison is famous for. Before each story, we have entirely too much Creepy Old Uncle trying to rap with his Too Cool For School nephew about the ways of the world. Indeed, this collection's theme is about learning lessons.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't get through this book. I hate to say this but it all felt largely forgettable. I'm not giving up on the man's work. Not yet. Someone with his level of bitterness and talent is hard to forget.
For a brief introduction into the persona that is Harlan Ellison, I would kindly direct you to his rant about paying the writer. I don't disagree with his position but as The Dude once said to Walter:
This collection has more of the infuriatingly bad commentary that Ellison is famous for. Before each story, we have entirely too much Creepy Old Uncle trying to rap with his Too Cool For School nephew about the ways of the world. Indeed, this collection's theme is about learning lessons.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't get through this book. I hate to say this but it all felt largely forgettable. I'm not giving up on the man's work. Not yet. Someone with his level of bitterness and talent is hard to forget.
For a brief introduction into the persona that is Harlan Ellison, I would kindly direct you to his rant about paying the writer. I don't disagree with his position but as The Dude once said to Walter:
Walter: Am I wrong?
The Dude: No you're not wrong.
Walter: Am I wrong?
The Dude: You're not wrong, Walter. You're just an asshole.
Walter: ...All right then.
Want to read
December 22, 2008Much as I love the Crotchety Old Bastard, I've never been able to make it through this particular collection of his stories.
August 23, 2020
Timeless Tales of Trouble: Another Great Ellison Anthology
Harlan Ellison wrote entertaining and relevant short stories throughout his career, and while many of them capture similar themes and are written in the same voice, it's always fun to marvel at his wild imagination and iconic imagery. It's a shame he didn't write more full novels in his life but what's here is pretty great, as are his witty cynical observations on the newer I tried to the tales he wrote decades earlier. This collection contains the legendary "Repent Harlequin Said the Tick Tock Man" but it's the lesser known stories like "Jefty..." that demonstrate Ellison at highest and most creative, blending sci-fi and humanistic narrative in a way that few can match.
Harlan Ellison wrote entertaining and relevant short stories throughout his career, and while many of them capture similar themes and are written in the same voice, it's always fun to marvel at his wild imagination and iconic imagery. It's a shame he didn't write more full novels in his life but what's here is pretty great, as are his witty cynical observations on the newer I tried to the tales he wrote decades earlier. This collection contains the legendary "Repent Harlequin Said the Tick Tock Man" but it's the lesser known stories like "Jefty..." that demonstrate Ellison at highest and most creative, blending sci-fi and humanistic narrative in a way that few can match.
January 29, 2025
What a great introduction to a true master of his art. Harlan Ellison is both full of himself and has his tongue planted firmly planed in cheek. This introduction is both him yelling at his young audience, but with twinkle in his eye. He cajoles, but at the same time is telling them not to take him so seriously. The tying thread in this series is everyone one of his stories presented represents some sort of trouble for the protagonist. Some of the stories are truly fun and some truly worrying. A great cross section of his writing for new readers.
February 25, 2020
Brilliance
Ellison Stories you know, stories you don't, all linked through the theme of being the fly in the ointment, burr under the saddle, the bad, yet attractive, kid in the back of the classroom. Brilliant stories, engaging stories, stories that enlighten and also anger. The Harlequin is here and Qarlo and Jeffty and the Djinn and some folks you don't know quite as well. Get to know them. We need cautionary tales more than ever.
Ellison Stories you know, stories you don't, all linked through the theme of being the fly in the ointment, burr under the saddle, the bad, yet attractive, kid in the back of the classroom. Brilliant stories, engaging stories, stories that enlighten and also anger. The Harlequin is here and Qarlo and Jeffty and the Djinn and some folks you don't know quite as well. Get to know them. We need cautionary tales more than ever.
January 8, 2024
Ellison's introductions to the stories were annoying. I skipped most of the stories, couldn't get into them.
I had to read "Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts" for the quirky title, but found it weird and silly. “ ‘Repent, Harlequine!’ Said the Ticktockman” was ok but also a bit silly. I didn't care for "Jeffty is Five" due to the unlikable characters and the rose-colored nostalgia. I liked "Life Hutch" because sci-fi.
I had to read "Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts" for the quirky title, but found it weird and silly. “ ‘Repent, Harlequine!’ Said the Ticktockman” was ok but also a bit silly. I didn't care for "Jeffty is Five" due to the unlikable characters and the rose-colored nostalgia. I liked "Life Hutch" because sci-fi.
February 22, 2020
Nice collection
When Ellison is on his game there are none better, and there are some true classics here. There are also a lot of his lesser works, some which are very good, and a few that were just okay. I’m glad I picked this up just to get some stories I’ve never read before and a few I could read again and again.
When Ellison is on his game there are none better, and there are some true classics here. There are also a lot of his lesser works, some which are very good, and a few that were just okay. I’m glad I picked this up just to get some stories I’ve never read before and a few I could read again and again.
May 22, 2017
I've loved Harlan Ellison for many years, but this particular anthology has too many mediocre stories and not enough really good ones. Any Ellison anthology is worth reading, but readers who want to try him should look instead for another collection, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream."
March 24, 2021
Not the best Harlan
There are some good stories and the commentary can occasionally be witty (most of it is just annoying) but overall it feels dated and most of the stories are meh today. I would point new readers elsewhere for Harlan who was a master of his craft.
There are some good stories and the commentary can occasionally be witty (most of it is just annoying) but overall it feels dated and most of the stories are meh today. I would point new readers elsewhere for Harlan who was a master of his craft.
March 19, 2025
Harlan Ellison has some boomer takes in this, but other than that it's a good collection of short stories. Shoutout to my favorites "A Lot of Saucers", "Soldier", "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" and "Jeffty is Five".
May 7, 2019
A few good stories but nothing really stands out.
May 27, 2020
Great collection of short stories, included many I haven't read before!
Read
February 19, 2021Clever, always in a present voice, sometimes snarky, some better than others, all fun to read.
March 17, 2021
"If you haven't read Harlan Ellison, you haven't read." ~ Richard Halasz
February 28, 2025
Harlan has to be one of the best authors in modern history. His work is more relevant than ever in these trying times
May 7, 2025
Ellison-lite mode, not bad. Good clean fun with notes about how each story should be considered before reading
September 24, 2025
Always imaginative, always a touch of the twist.
June 14, 2023
Plus:
Ellison is his ordinary ornery self in the intros to his stories.
There's some genuine gems amongst the lot here: Soldier, 'Repent, Harlequin', Jeffty is Five.
Minus:
Some chaff here. 'On the Downhill Side' in particular seems an outlier.
I didn't care for the story much.
Some of the others felt a bit insubstantial or throwaway.
The idea behind the collection is so strange:
'Hey kids, you know who you might be interested in? A new wave sci-fi author in his late-60s?'
I'm a fan of the persona that Ellison built for himself over the years I'm just not sure that it works when he's pandering to teenagers.
Interesting:
Despite the reason behind it's existence being a bit strange and some of the stories being a bit throwaway.
There's some seminal work here.
Ellison is his ordinary ornery self in the intros to his stories.
There's some genuine gems amongst the lot here: Soldier, 'Repent, Harlequin', Jeffty is Five.
Minus:
Some chaff here. 'On the Downhill Side' in particular seems an outlier.
I didn't care for the story much.
Some of the others felt a bit insubstantial or throwaway.
The idea behind the collection is so strange:
'Hey kids, you know who you might be interested in? A new wave sci-fi author in his late-60s?'
I'm a fan of the persona that Ellison built for himself over the years I'm just not sure that it works when he's pandering to teenagers.
Interesting:
Despite the reason behind it's existence being a bit strange and some of the stories being a bit throwaway.
There's some seminal work here.
February 14, 2017
This is an interesting collection of stories that Ellison selected because he felt they would appeal to a younger audience than most of his current readers, and he hoped it would serve as an introduction of his work and perhaps have a special message for these young "troublemakers." It's a nice mix of familiar classics and lesser-known works, with selections from the mid-1950s through his most famous and productive years. Jeffty is Five, Soldier, and "Repent Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman are among my all time favorites, though I actually liked all of the stories included.
February 8, 2016
I'm a huge fan of Harlan Ellison and have been for years. His ability to write dark and complex stories, short little absurdist ditties, and everything in between is one of the reasons that you can read story collection after story collection and never feel deja vu. Every story is a world of its own.
This collection has a bit of everything and is a decent intro to his work. Only down side? The book was intended as a collection for high school students and if there's one person you REALLY don't want talking to high school students, it's Ellison. He introduces each story with some forced-hip patter and in his very Ellison-esque, characteristically in-your-face way, tells a bit about what the "lesson" is. He's rough, abrasive, profane, and it's one of the things his fans love about him, his ability to give no f*cks whatsoever about what you think. But I kept imagining kids reading these intros and getting so turned off by them that they won't be able to appreciate the stories because they're going to count him as just another blowhard adult. I'd recommend skipping the intros and just enjoy the stories.
This collection has a bit of everything and is a decent intro to his work. Only down side? The book was intended as a collection for high school students and if there's one person you REALLY don't want talking to high school students, it's Ellison. He introduces each story with some forced-hip patter and in his very Ellison-esque, characteristically in-your-face way, tells a bit about what the "lesson" is. He's rough, abrasive, profane, and it's one of the things his fans love about him, his ability to give no f*cks whatsoever about what you think. But I kept imagining kids reading these intros and getting so turned off by them that they won't be able to appreciate the stories because they're going to count him as just another blowhard adult. I'd recommend skipping the intros and just enjoy the stories.
July 31, 2012
I love Harlan Ellison. There were a couple of "misses" in this anthology -- stories that left me thinking, "what was the point?" The majority of them are wonderful. There are two big classics here: "Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktock Man" and "Soldier." Since this anthology is themed (i.e. stories about troublemakers or trouble-making in general), Ellison has written a curmudgeonly invective to introduce each one; I enjoyed them thoroughly. He wrote a new story for the anthology, "Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts." More than anything, is shows that he is as sharp and brilliant as ever -- it was one of my favorites in the bunch. My only complaint is that the publishing company who did this one did shoddy work -- the binding came unglued easily, I spotted more than half a dozen typos and the overall quality is not great. It's not a "big name" publisher but nonetheless, I never like to see an artist's work put out into the world shabbily.
September 21, 2016
I cannot believe it took me so long to discover Harlan Ellison. I enjoyed most of the short stories in this collection, reflecting Ellison's sharp mind and vivid imagination. He sure is a good story teller - and a master of creative, sophisticated insults!
One of the characters (Ferreno in 'Night Vigil') somehow reminded me of Desmond in the TV series 'Lost'. Both are isolated men, burdened with a nonsense (but important) task to save the world. I wonder if Ellison's story influenced Lost's script.
I am certain, I will read more of Ellison's work in the near future...
One of the characters (Ferreno in 'Night Vigil') somehow reminded me of Desmond in the TV series 'Lost'. Both are isolated men, burdened with a nonsense (but important) task to save the world. I wonder if Ellison's story influenced Lost's script.
I am certain, I will read more of Ellison's work in the near future...
June 3, 2012
Ellison is the master of speculative fiction. And he has masterfully put together a masterful collection of masterful stories. Did I mention he was the master?
Kidding aside, every one of these stories is flawless. Ellison's commentary on each story is also a delight - mock-serious, mock-humourous, always insightful.
Do not miss this book.
Kidding aside, every one of these stories is flawless. Ellison's commentary on each story is also a delight - mock-serious, mock-humourous, always insightful.
Do not miss this book.
August 13, 2013
Intended for the YA market, Ellison attempted to pick stories with a life lesson of sorts. Whatever, it's an entertaining selection, with a couple of rarities, and "Never Send to Know for Whom the Lettuce Wilts," a long, uncollected story that's pretty funny, about an alien with a very long-term plan to demoralize us through broken buttons, bent nails and brown lettuce.
October 23, 2013
This is a fine introduction to the work of Ellison. The collection is a trifle uneven but it contains many of Harlan's best known stories. If you know someone looking for an excellent writer to follow, give them this. You will fall in love with the way this man turns a phrase and this collection will open the door to Ellison's wonderland.
January 6, 2015
Meh. I love me some Ellison, but I wish I'd read this book when I was young enough to appreciate it more. "Man in his early 40s" is obviously not the target audience of this collection. Still, there are some hits here, such as "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman."
Read
April 14, 2016Found this at a used book store in Montclair, NJ. Score! Many of the stories I read before in other Ellison collections, and they are always a pleasure to read again. But, there's still many that I visited for the first time. Enjoyed it all immensely!
September 3, 2007
I'm a few stories in; reading it on the subway.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews