The Last Dangerous Visions has been a long-time coming. Originally announced in 1973 by Harlan Ellison, the last book of the anthology series became a legend in the science fiction community for the simple fact that it didn’t seem it would ever be published. This was a mind-boggling situation after the success of the first two collections: Dangerous Visions (1967) and Again, Dangerous Visions (1972). No one knew why Ellison delayed publication, writers were frustrated and the publisher annoyed. But Ellison never gave a clear explanation as to why he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – complete the series.
Fast forward to 2024 and The Last Dangerous Visions finally hits bookshelves. It was completed by writer J. Michael Stracznski, who is the executor of Ellison’s estate. In fact, they were close friends for decades. In a lengthy forward to the book (titled “Ellison Exegesis”), JMS writes a moving tribute to Ellison and finally unveils the long and arduous journey of this book.
As it turns out, Ellison was bi-polar and manic depressive. No one knew this, and if they did, it would have explained his erratic and strange behavior over the years. Ellison was stuck on this final volume, on wading through all the stories, and JMS explains just how much it painted Ellison to let down all these authors and readers. I found myself tearing up reading about his struggles.
The book, however, turned out wonderfully and Ellison would have been proud of it.
Admittedly, some of the stories are a bit dated, but that can be forgiven as the subject matter still resonates. The idea behind this collection was to compile stories that pushed the envelope of science fiction and speculative fiction. Most still do.
I think JMS did a great job of including as many stories as he could, and they span from the time the book was first announced up to the 2000s. The authorship is diverse, the stories range from dark to humorous.
My favorite was “First Sight” by Adrian Tchaikovsky, an alternate take on a first contact situation that goes horribly awry. However, there are few others that bear mentioning. “The Final Pogrom” by Dan Simmons is a scary tale of racism taken to the extreme. It hints at just how bad our current political and social climate can be if we don’t maintain checks and balances. I also enjoyed “The Time of the Skin” by A.E. Van Vogt, which was a creepy look at alien changelings, which had a nice horror story vibe.
Overall, this was a great conclusion to the complete anthology. I highly recommend all three volumes. They’re an amazing collection of fiction that stands the test of time.
RB
Glad the last book finally saw the light of day – sounds intriguing!
In a way, the book’s journey is just as fascinating as the stories it contains. 🙂
Wow. Thank you Richard, for the recommendation. I found your review very interesting.
My pleasure, Morag. Cheers!
Hello..!
I am definitely adding them to my list and the way you reviewed actually piqued my interest!!
Thank you for the recommendation 😇
Have a blessed week ahead 🌷♥️
I’m glad to hear that, Aparna, and I hope you get a chance to read the anthology (be warned, it’s a LOT of stories). 🙂
Wishing you a beautiful week, my friend! 🌸
It’s admirable that Stracznski was able to pick up and complete the uncompleted work. That’s not an easy task.
Definitely not, but I think his love for his friend compelled him to complete the work for him. I consider it a labor of love.
The story of the stories! I’m adding it to my list.
Oh, I’m glad, Michelle. I think you’ll enjoy this collection, especially that forward about Ellison’s struggles compiling and editing the anthology.
Fine summary, Richard.
Thank you, Pat. 🙂
Hah, this reminds that any physical illness is always accepted.
But any mental illness, never seems to be a good excuse.
The world has improved, but not enough.
But for what it’s worth, the most genius people on Earth had/ have some sort of mental health issue and didn’t go around saying “just be happy, the world is a wonderful place”.
A bit reality and skepticism can go a long way when creating any type of art 🙂
Thanks for mentioning this topic!
I have been getting more and more into short story collections, so I will out this one on the list!
So very true, Andrea. I always try to remind myself that I never know what’s going on in another person’s head, what they may be dealing with, so I try to give the benefit of the doubt.
Thank for stopping by and have a fantastic day!
Thanks for the recommendations
My pleasure, Sheree.