Harlan Ellison Criticism
Harlan Ellison's extensive body of work, spanning short stories, novels, screenplays, and editorial projects, has left a significant mark on science fiction and fantasy literature. Born in 1934, Ellison's narratives often delve into the complex interplay between humanity and technology, as well as the cosmic forces that govern existence. His distinct style, characterized by mythological allegory and emotional depth, is evident in seminal works like Paingod and the influential anthology Dangerous Visions. His ability to weave intense human experiences with overarching themes of cosmic struggle and moral reflection has firmly established his place in the literary canon.
A central theme in Ellison's writing is the tension between individuality and technological dominance. This is starkly portrayed in "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream," where a godlike computer subjects the last remnants of humanity to endless torment. Such themes are analyzed in The Computer as a Symbol of God: Ellison's Macabre Exodus, which considers the symbolic role of computers in Ellison's stories.
Although Ellison was initially linked with the "New Wave" movement alongside writers like J.G. Ballard, he identified more closely with the "magic realism" tradition, akin to Borges and Barth. His narrative style, which has drawn both critique and praise, is discussed in Ellison Wonderland: Harlan Ellison Interviewed. In this interview, Ellison shares his thoughts on storytelling and the spontaneity that drives his creative process.
Critics have varied responses to Ellison's work. While some view his style as self-indulgent, as noted by Eric Korn, others, like George Edgar Slusser, appreciate the moral and mythic dimensions that challenge mainstream literary conventions. The collection Deathbird Stories has been both critiqued for pretentiousness by Gerald Jonas and lauded for its imaginative vitality. Similarly, A Boy and His Dog, a story that explores survival and societal critique, is examined in Mythic Patterns in Ellison's 'A Boy and His Dog'.
Ellison's contributions have not gone unrecognized. His work has garnered numerous awards, such as the Hugo and Edgar Awards, underscoring his lasting influence and the continuing relevance of his themes and narrative innovations.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Ellison, Harlan (Vol. 139)
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The Computer as a Symbol of God: Ellison's Macabre Exodus
(summary)
In the following essay, Brady explores the godlike features of computers in Ellison's “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” and Michael Fayette's “The Monster in the Clearing.”
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Mythic Patterns in Ellison's A Boy and His Dog
(summary)
In the following essay, Crow and Erlich examine the mythic patterns and folk motifs present in Ellison's novella A Boy and His Dog.
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Harlan Ellison and Robert A. Heinlein: The Paradigm Makers
(summary)
In the following essay, Sullivan compares and contrasts the paradigms established by Ellison and Heinlein with regard to the depiction of the nature of technology in works of science fiction.
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Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed: Essays by Harlan Ellison
(summary)
In the following introductory essay, Clark discusses the stylistic elements of Ellison's works of nonfiction.
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The Future of History: Violence and the Feminine in Contemporary Science Fiction
(summary)
In the following essay, Clark argues that many science fiction works that are typically viewed as misogynistic due to the “gratuitous” acts of violence against women are actually representations of the conditions that women face in present-day society, and that the “spectacle” of violence is necessary to draw attention to issues related to today's patriarchal hierarchy.
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Angry Candy
(summary)
In the following review, the critic asserts that Angry Candy proves Ellison still has his famous “militantly eccentric insight.” Harlan Ellison's new collection, Angry Candy, is as death-haunted as the other books under review. Indeed, the introduction to the collection, “The Wind Took Your Answer Away,” is a necrology in which Ellison expresses his grief and bitterness at the recent deaths of numerous colleagues and great figures within the milieu of imaginative literature. What follows proves that Ellison's fiction hasn't lost any of the edge, the anger, the militantly eccentric insight that has made him one of the most interesting short story writers in 20th-century American literature.
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Foreword to Watching
(summary)
In the following essay, Kirgo discusses Ellison's style regarding movie reviews.
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Sweets from Harlan Ellison
(summary)
In the following review, Berman offers a positive assessment of Ellison's Angry Candy, praising the author's style and imagination.
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A Critic at the Top of His Voice
(summary)
In the following review, Moss praises the “spellbinding quality” of Ellison's movie reviews, claiming that Ellison attempts to “goad humanity into being more human.”
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A Boy and His Dog
(summary)
In the following review, Olson offers a positive review of the graphic novel adaptation of Ellison's A Boy and His Dog. Richard Corben, an adroit comics artist, turns Ellison's popular Boy and His Dog stories into a graphic novel. The three sequential tales feature 15-year-old Vic and a telepathic canine, Blood, wandering a postnuclear apocalyptic world divided into a culture of armed teenage boys (and a few older gang bosses) who reside on the blasted surface and of mostly older 'good folks' who live in underground cities. Vic and Blood search the surface for food, goods tradable for ammo, and, hardest to find, girls to slake Vic's libido. Violence, gore, and sex, liberally seasoned with profanity, are the fantasy's salient ingredients, and Ellison really cooks with them. For his part, Corben has done a neat job of conjuring the tense, horrific moods of Ellison's fiction. Once the color, not available in the review copy, is laid in, Vic and Blood may be a real stunner in its genre. A compelling adventure, albeit rife with phobias appropriate to its human hero (who, after all, is a punk).
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Ellison Wonderland: Harlan Ellison Interviewed
(summary)
In the following interview, Harlan Ellison with Joseph V. Francavilla examines Ellison's versatile literary and screenwriting career, emphasizing his resistance to genre labels, the thematic balance between good and evil in his works, and his preference for spontaneous storytelling, which prioritizes surprise and unpredictability over conventional narrative outcomes.
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The Harlan Ellison Hornbook
(summary)
In the review below, Brady gives a mixed assessment of The Harlan Ellison Hornbook, describing Harlan Ellison as redoubtable and provocative, with a collection of essays that can be both formidable and illustrious.
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The Harlan Ellison Hornbook
(summary)
In the following review, the critic praises the “magically relaxed” essays in The Harlan Ellison Hornbook. These autobiographical essays, most of them originally published in the Los Angeles Free Press in 1972–73, are magically relaxed in comparison to much of his fiction, colloquial, superbly easy to read. Ellison himself, gullible and generous, or intoxicated with rage, burns into the reader's mind, utterly believable, absolutely open to the world.
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Harlan Ellison's Watching and How to Go to the Movies
(summary)
In the following review, Thomajan compares Ellison's collection of movie reviews with that of Quentin Crisp, criticizing Ellison for writing in the “mock-heroic mold” and for Ellison's belief that science fiction is “the cinema's most important genre.”
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Created in the Image of God: The Narrator and the Computer in Harlan Ellison's ‘I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream’
(summary)
In the following essay, Fain compares five published versions of “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” in order to support his argument that Ted, the narrator of the story, is “alone … both fully human and fully godlike in the story.”
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At Play in the Fields of the Weird: An Evocative Polish Surrealist Makes His American Debut
(summary)
In the following review, Killheffer discusses Mind Fields, a compilation of artwork by Jacek Yerka and stories by Harlan Ellison.
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Mefisto in Onyx
(summary)
In the below review, Mort offers a positive critique of Mefisto in Onyx but criticizes Ellison for the manner in which the book was published.
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The City on the Edge of Forever
(summary)
In the following review, Olson discusses Ellison's motivation for reprinting his award-winning script for the original Star Trek television series, highlighting Ellison's frustrations with Gene Roddenberry's portrayal of his work and affirming the quality of the original script.
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Strangers in a Strange Land
(summary)
In the following essay, Ellison discusses the correlation between cult suicide and obsession with science fiction.
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Slippage
(summary)
In the review below, Nash offers a positive appraisal of Slippage, highlighting Harlan Ellison's writing style and the themes present in the stories, particularly noting the novella 'Mefisto in Onyx' as a reminder of Ellison's capacity to convey stark, staring psychosis.
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What Walpole Wrought; or, The Horror! The Horror!
(summary)
In the following essay, Cart touches on numerous aspects of Ellison's works and career, focusing on the author's views of modern science fiction, horror, and fantasy.
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The Computer as a Symbol of God: Ellison's Macabre Exodus
(summary)
- Ellison, Harlan (Vol. 1)
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Ellison, Harlan (Vol. 13)
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Theodore Sturgeon
(summary)
In the following essay, the critic highlights Harlan Ellison's evolving style and suggests that despite his occasional shortcomings, his collection Paingod marks him as a burgeoning force in science fiction, emphasizing his imaginative imagery and profound themes that merit continued observation of his growth as an author.
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Gerald Jonas
(summary)
In the following essay, Gerald Jonas examines Harlan Ellison's "Deathbird Stories," noting its unique blend of intense emotion and concern for the human condition, while critiquing the narrative's reliance on excessive imagery and Ellison's tendency toward pretension, ultimately finding artistic merit in the collection's final story, "The Deathbird."
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Eric Korn
(summary)
In the following essay, Eric Korn examines Harlan Ellison's dual impact on science fiction, celebrating his influential anthologies like Dangerous Visions while critiquing his tendency towards self-indulgence and the genre's less appealing traits.
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J. G. Ballard
(summary)
In the following essay, J. G. Ballard argues that Harlan Ellison stands out among science fiction writers for his exuberant style and imaginative drive, positioning him as a new kind of writer who, despite a disinterest in science itself, effectively uses the genre to explore intense emotional themes.
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Mythic Patterns in Ellison's 'A Boy and His Dog'
(summary)
In the following essay, Crow and Erlich examine Harlan Ellison's novella A Boy and His Dog, highlighting its use of mythic structures and satirical elements to critique societal complacency and technological advancement, while portraying a post-apocalyptic world with themes of initiation, survival instincts, and the duality of human nature.
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George Edgar Slusser
(summary)
In the following essay, George Edgar Slusser examines Harlan Ellison's work, arguing that Ellison's exploration of fantasy and myth within American literature not only challenges the traditional literary "mainstream" but also reveals a complex duality between his journalist persona and his role as a private fantasist, creating a dynamic interplay between moral commentary and mythmaking.
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Mark Mansell
(summary)
In the following essay, Mark Mansell argues that Harlan Ellison's Strange Wine is a significant collection that showcases Ellison's storytelling prowess, emotional depth, and unique ability to intertwine narratives, emphasizing both his well-known darker tales and his often-overlooked lighter, ironic stories.
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Theodore Sturgeon
(summary)
- Further Reading