Tag Archives: Harlan Ellison

Thoughts on The Last Dangerous Visions Edited by Harlan Ellison and J. Michael Straczynski

This is not a book review, because at this time I don’t plan to read the entire volume. I borrowed The Last Dangerous Visions from the library to read the introduction and afterword by Straczynski, which comprise almost seventy-five pages, … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits Edited by J. Michael Straczynski; Part Three

These days we are constantly beset by entertainment that features extreme acts of violence. We see violent deeds so often in film and television that we have become inured to them; they have, in a sense, lost their shock value. … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits Edited by J. Michael Straczynski; Part Two

I have been a traveler for much of my life, but my situation and finances don’t make it possible to do so at present. They do, however, make it possible for me to qualify for the national program known as … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Harlan Ellison’s Greatest Hits Edited by J. Michael Straczynski; Part One

And now we turn to a complex subject: the writer Harlan Ellison. He was a volatile, controversial figure during his lifetime, and continues to be after his death. His literary executor, Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, is intent upon … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Write Better Stories

In a recent Facebook post, a well-known author posed the question, “What is the best writing advice you have ever received?” There were many excellent answers, most having to do with not listening to criticism, persevering in the face of … Continue reading

Posted in On Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part Four

John Varley’s novella “The Persistence of Vision” is a deeply troubling story; at least it troubles me. The narrator is an unemployed middle-aged man who, in the late 1980s, decides to hit the road rather than endure poverty in the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part Two

And now we come to the novelette “Gonna Roll the Bones” by Fritz Leiber, which first appeared in Harlan Ellison’s groundbreaking anthology Dangerous Visions. It is ostensibly a classic deal-with-the-devil fantasy, albeit unusually rich in descriptive detail and stylistic depth. … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Rereading The Best of the Nebulas Edited by Ben Bova; Part One

Having a strong urge to get back to my literary roots, I picked up the weighty tome The Best of the Nebulas and began to read. As Bova, the editor, explains in the introduction, these stories were selected by members … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unintended but Vivid Flashbacks

Recently my sister gave me an envelope full of memorabilia saved by my mother, who died decades ago while I was living in South Asia. Evidently she was quite a hoarder. As I perused the material, I came across class … Continue reading

Posted in Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2023: A Personal Overview; Part Two: Some Stats

I recently finished compiling the statistics of how many original words I wrote in 2023. Every year I keep a small journal with important appointments and so on, and every day in that journal I write down my word count … Continue reading

Posted in Memoir, On Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment