num_pages: 1015
description: In Egyptian mythology, Iai is the rebel, the tester, the stubborn resisting force of intellect and insight which donkey-like stands its ground, refusing to budge, and challenges what is accepted and valued and thought to be sensible and true. This book is a portrait of one artist as sublime Rebel. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be a "Best of" collection (though it does contain much of his finest work). Rather, it is a sound representation, "warts and all," of the writing of someone who is perfectly, vigorously, cast as the Iai of his age. Though Harlan's work is widely known and applauded, not enough is made of the sense of social responsibility that is central to it. In fact, this dimension often seems to be deliberately overlooked and the major thrust of his fantasy trivialized. He deals in ideas, sometimes so full of love and compassion that they stun with their simple honesty; sometimes set with barbs and hooks that catch and tear and make us gasp and make us feel. Dr. Johnson would have been proud. Shakespeare would have smiled fondly. Because that's the dimension of achievement occurring here. Ellison is as close to the pulse of his age as Chaucer and Shakespeare and Dickens ever came to theirs.Contents1 • Introduction: Sublime Rebel • essay by Terry Dowling5 • Beginnings • essay by Terry Dowling11 • The Sword of Parmagon • (1949) • short story by Harlan Ellison17 • The Gloconda • (1949) • short story by Harlan Ellison23 • The Wilder One • (1955) • short story by Harlan Ellison25 • The Saga of Machine Gun Joe • (1955) • short story by Harlan Ellison27 • Glowworm • (1956) • short story by Harlan Ellison41 • Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • short story by Harlan Ellison53 • S.R.O. • (1957) • short story by Harlan Ellison63 • Worlds of Terror • essay by Terry Dowling67 • Lonelyache • (1964) • short story by Harlan Ellison83 • Punky &amp; the Yale Men • (1966) • novelette by Harlan Ellison107 • A Prayer for No One's Enemy • (1966) • novelette by Harlan Ellison125 • Worlds of Love • essay by Terry Dowling129 • In Lonely Lands • (1959) • short story by Harlan Ellison135 • The Time of the Eye • (1959) • short story by Harlan Ellison143 • Grail • (1981) • novelette by Harlan Ellison163 • That New Old-Time Religion • essay by Terry Dowling167 • I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream • (1967) • short story by Harlan Ellison181 • Corpse • (1972) • short story by Harlan Ellison189 • The Whimper of Whipped Dogs • (1973) • short story by Harlan Ellison205 • A Stab of Merriment • essay by Terry Dowling209 • The Voice in the Garden • (1967) • short story by Harlan Ellison211 • Erotophobia • (1971) • short story by Harlan Ellison217 • Mom • (1976) • short story by Harlan Ellison229 • Ecowareness • (1974) • short story by Harlan Ellison231 • The Outpost Undiscovered by Tourists • (1982) • short story by Harlan Ellison235 • Dept. of "What Was the Question?" Dept. • (1974) • essay by Harlan Ellison237 • Dept. of "Trivial Pursuit" Dept. • (1986) • essay by Harlan Ellison241 • Trouble With Women • essay by Terry Dowling245 • The Very Last Day of a Good Woman • (1958) • short story by Harlan Ellison253 • Valerie: A True Memoir • (1972) • essay by Harlan Ellison267 • The Other Eye of Polyphemus • (1977) • short story by Harlan Ellison275 • All the Birds Come Home to Roost • (1979) • short story by Harlan Ellison287 • To the Mattresses With Mean Demons • essay by Terry Dowling293 • The Tombs • (1961) • novelette by Harlan Ellison333 • "Our Little Miss" • (1970) • essay by Harlan Ellison341 • A Love Song to Jerry Falwell • (1984) • essay by Harlan Ellison347 • Telltale Tics and Tremors • (1977) • essay by Harlan Ellison357 • True Love: Groping for the Holy Grail • (1978) • essay by Harlan Ellison377 • Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38° 54' N, Longitude 77° 00' 13" W • (1974) • novelette by Harlan Ellison407 • Rococo Technology • essay by Terry Dowling413 • The Sky Is Burning • (1958) • short story by Harlan Ellison421 • The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World • (1967) • novelette by Harlan Ellison439 • Along the Scenic Route • (1969) • short story by Harlan Ellison449 • The Song the Zombie Sang • (1970) • short story by Harlan Ellison and Robert Silverberg461 • Knox • (1974) • short story by Harlan Ellison475 • Heart's Blood • essay by Terry Dowling481 • From Alabamy, with Hate • (1965) • essay by Harlan Ellison493 • My Father • (1972) • essay by Harlan Ellison499 • My Mother • (1976) • essay by Harlan Ellison507 • Tired Old Man • non-genre • (1975) • short story by Harlan Ellison517 • Gopher in the Gilly • [Scenes from the Real World • 4] • (1982) • essay by Harlan Ellison523 • Strange Wine • (1976) • short story by Harlan Ellison531 • Nights &amp; Days in Good Old Hollyweird • essay by Terry Dowling537 • The Resurgence of Miss Ankle-Strap Wedgie • (1968) • novella by Harlan Ellison607 • Flintlock: An Unproduced Teleplay • non-genre • short fiction by Harlan Ellison687 • The Man on the Mushroom • (1974) • essay by Harlan Ellison691 • Somehow, I Don't Think We're in Kansas, Toto • [Scenes from the Real World • 3] • (1974) • essay by Harlan Ellison707 • Face-Down in Gloria Swanson's Swimming Pool • (1978) • essay by Harlan Ellison711 • Petards &amp; Hangings • essay by Terry Dowling715 • Soldier • (1957) • novelette by Harlan Ellison735 • The Night of Delicate Terrors • (1961) • short story by Harlan Ellison743 • Shattered Like a Glass Goblin • (1968) • short story by Harlan Ellison751 • At the Mouse Circus • (1971) • short story by Harlan Ellison759 • Shadows from the Past • essay by Terry Dowling763 • Free with This Box! • (1958) • short story by Harlan Ellison771 • Final Shtick • (1960) • short story by Harlan Ellison781 • One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty • (1970) • short story by Harlan Ellison795 • Jeffty Is Five • (1977) • short story by Harlan Ellison813 • Contracts on the Soul • essay by Terry Dowling817 • Daniel White for the Greater Good • (1961) • short story by Harlan Ellison827 • Neither Your Jenny nor Mine • (1964) • short story by Harlan Ellison861 • Alive and Well and on a Friendless Voyage • (1977) • short story by Harlan Ellison871 • The Classics • essay by Terry Dowling877 • "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman • (1965) • short story by Harlan Ellison887 • Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes • (1967) • novelette by Harlan Ellison905 • A Boy and His Dog • [Vic and Blood • 2] • (1969) • novella by Harlan Ellison939 • The Deathbird • (1973) • novelette by Harlan Ellison965 • Dark Liberation • essay by Terry Dowling971 • The Thick Red Moment • (1982) • essay by Harlan Ellison989 • The Man Who Was Heavily into Revenge • (1978) • short story by Harlan Ellison1003 • Driving in the Spikes • (1983) • essay by Harlan Ellison1015 • Afterword (The Essential Ellison) • essay by Harlan Ellison
language: English
title: The Essential Ellison: A 35 Year Retrospective
titlecomplete: The Essential Ellison: A 35 Year Retrospective
genres: Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Anthologies, Collections, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Essays, Fiction, Horror
ratings_count: 1071
awards: awardedAt: 536486400000
name: Bram Stoker Award
category: Best Fiction Collection, awardedAt: 157795200000
name: Hugo Award
category: Best Novelette for "Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38° 54' N, Longitude 77° 00' 13" W", awardedAt: 157795200000
name: Locus Award
category: Best Novelette for "Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans: Latitude 38° 54' N, Longitude 77° 00' 13" W"
publisher: Morpheus International