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A review by oleksandr
Dangerous Visions by Harlan Ellison
3.0
This is an anthology of all-new (as for 1967) short works of speculative fiction, one of the most prominent collections in SF. The editor, [a:Harlan Ellison|7415|Harlan Ellison|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1377708311p2/7415.jpg], asked a lot of famous and not-so-famous authors to send him their stories, too ‘dangerous’ to be published in magazines I read is as a part of monthly reading in January 2020 at The Evolution of Science Fiction group.
There is the list of works with concise notion what was assumed dangerous about them and slightly longer reviews of more prominent pieces. All stories have intros by Ellison where he tries to joke about them or write accolades. For a ghetto genre it was the first semi-serious introduction of many authors, usually known only by their works
Evensong by Lester del Rey sacrilege
Flies by Robert Silverberg sacrilege
The Day After the Day the Martians Came by Frederik Pohl a nice funny piece about almost instinctive segregation and denigration of the Other
Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip José Farmer the longest work, novella that won Hugo in 1968. Maybe the most serious early attempt to construct a future universal income and a great interest in art. Actively tries to shock reader e.g. with artists painting with their penises… extremely stylish and thus hard to read for a non-native speaker
The Malley System by Miriam Allen deFord changing criminals with psychology, but much weaker than idea in [b:A Clockwork Orange|41817486|A Clockwork Orange|Anthony Burgess|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549260060l/41817486._SX50_.jpg|23596].
A Toy for Juliette by Robert Bloch a story spoilered by the intro.
The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World by Harlan Ellison the response to the previous one.
The Night That All Time Broke Out by Brian W. Aldiss an interesting world where time is supplied like gas. Weird in a good way
The Man Who Went to the Moon – Twice by Howard Rodman a nostalgy piece, not dangerous but nice.
Faith of our Fathers by Philip K. Dick acid trip in Chinese dictatorship future, PKD style
The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven when transplantation is ubiquitous but a deficit of bodies, nominated for Hugo
Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber SF stylization of ‘original American story’, won Hugo and Nebula for best novelette
Lord Randy, My Son by Joe L. Hensley a version of the present day Christ
Eutopia by Poul Anderson taboo, a traveler between dimensions is prosecuted for a crime that is normal in his world
Incident in Moderan by David R. Bunch a false hope for mercy in merciless world
The Escaping by David R. Bunch a flow of consciousness
The Doll-House by James Cross a horror story of monkey paw variety
Sex and/or Mr Morrison by Carol Emshwiller taboo, why we hide our ‘private parts’, aren’t they beautiful?
Shall the Dust Praise Thee? by Damon Knight sacrilege, no need for the apocalypse after the H-bomb
If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister? by Theodore Sturgeon, taboo, Nebula nominee, a planet were sex with everyone is ok
What Happened to Auguste Clarot? by Larry Eisenberg a witty pseudo-mystery
Ersatz by Henry Slesar, taboo, a tired warrior needs a woman
Go, Go, Go, Said the Bird by Sonya Dorman, taboo, cannibalism
The Happy Breed by John T. Sladek, a horror of world without pain and unhappiness
Encounter With A Hick by Jonathan Brand, sacrilege
From the Government Printing Office by Kris Neville a world from POV of a 3-year old, nurtured in line with psychiatric theories
Land of the Great Horses by R.A. Lafferty all Roma finally return home
The Recognition by J.G. Ballard a misanthropic depressing piece
Judas by John Brunner an android wants to be a god
Test to Destruction by Keith Laumer power struggle on Earth happens just when aliens attept to invade, power corrupts story
Carcinoma Angels by Norman Spinrad a very nice piece about fighting cancer
Auto-Da-Fé by Roger Zelazny a florid version of corrida with cars
Aye, and Gomorrah … by Samuel R. Delany an interesting allusion to non-hetero ‘normal’ sexuality
There is the list of works with concise notion what was assumed dangerous about them and slightly longer reviews of more prominent pieces. All stories have intros by Ellison where he tries to joke about them or write accolades. For a ghetto genre it was the first semi-serious introduction of many authors, usually known only by their works
Evensong by Lester del Rey sacrilege
Flies by Robert Silverberg sacrilege
The Day After the Day the Martians Came by Frederik Pohl a nice funny piece about almost instinctive segregation and denigration of the Other
Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip José Farmer the longest work, novella that won Hugo in 1968. Maybe the most serious early attempt to construct a future universal income and a great interest in art. Actively tries to shock reader e.g. with artists painting with their penises… extremely stylish and thus hard to read for a non-native speaker
The Malley System by Miriam Allen deFord changing criminals with psychology, but much weaker than idea in [b:A Clockwork Orange|41817486|A Clockwork Orange|Anthony Burgess|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549260060l/41817486._SX50_.jpg|23596].
A Toy for Juliette by Robert Bloch a story spoilered by the intro.
The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World by Harlan Ellison the response to the previous one.
The Night That All Time Broke Out by Brian W. Aldiss an interesting world where time is supplied like gas. Weird in a good way
The Man Who Went to the Moon – Twice by Howard Rodman a nostalgy piece, not dangerous but nice.
Faith of our Fathers by Philip K. Dick acid trip in Chinese dictatorship future, PKD style
The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven when transplantation is ubiquitous but a deficit of bodies, nominated for Hugo
Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber SF stylization of ‘original American story’, won Hugo and Nebula for best novelette
Lord Randy, My Son by Joe L. Hensley a version of the present day Christ
Eutopia by Poul Anderson taboo, a traveler between dimensions is prosecuted for a crime that is normal in his world
Incident in Moderan by David R. Bunch a false hope for mercy in merciless world
The Escaping by David R. Bunch a flow of consciousness
The Doll-House by James Cross a horror story of monkey paw variety
Sex and/or Mr Morrison by Carol Emshwiller taboo, why we hide our ‘private parts’, aren’t they beautiful?
Shall the Dust Praise Thee? by Damon Knight sacrilege, no need for the apocalypse after the H-bomb
If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister? by Theodore Sturgeon, taboo, Nebula nominee, a planet were sex with everyone is ok
What Happened to Auguste Clarot? by Larry Eisenberg a witty pseudo-mystery
Ersatz by Henry Slesar, taboo, a tired warrior needs a woman
Go, Go, Go, Said the Bird by Sonya Dorman, taboo, cannibalism
The Happy Breed by John T. Sladek, a horror of world without pain and unhappiness
Encounter With A Hick by Jonathan Brand, sacrilege
From the Government Printing Office by Kris Neville a world from POV of a 3-year old, nurtured in line with psychiatric theories
Land of the Great Horses by R.A. Lafferty all Roma finally return home
The Recognition by J.G. Ballard a misanthropic depressing piece
Judas by John Brunner an android wants to be a god
Test to Destruction by Keith Laumer power struggle on Earth happens just when aliens attept to invade, power corrupts story
Carcinoma Angels by Norman Spinrad a very nice piece about fighting cancer
Auto-Da-Fé by Roger Zelazny a florid version of corrida with cars
Aye, and Gomorrah … by Samuel R. Delany an interesting allusion to non-hetero ‘normal’ sexuality