Poem: "The Book on the Edge of Forever"
This is today's freebie. It was inspired by a prompt from my_partner_doug. It also fills the "Excitement" square in my 10-1-24 card for the Fall Fest Bingo.
"The Book on the Edge of Forever"
Dangerous Visions is
a science fiction anthology
of short stories edited
by Harlan Ellison and
published in 1967.
It featured 33 stories,
all appearing there
for the first time, on
topics that most editors
would never have touched.
Harlan Ellison was not most editors.
The sequel Again, Dangerous Visions
came out in 1972, filled with more stories
that broke rules and upset applecarts.
And there the series sort of ...
stalled. For decades.
The third installment became
notorious, the book that everyone
wanted but nobody could ever get,
The Book on the Edge of Forever.
It was always promised and
yet never delivered, a volume as
persistent and elusive as Bigfoot.
Harlan Ellison died in 2018
with the anthology unfinished.
Then, suddenly and unexpectedly,
the manuscript rose from the grave.
The Last Dangerous Visions
was finally, actually released
by Blackstone Publishers on
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 --
received with great excitement.
It's the ultimate ghost story,
a book full of fiction by
authors mostly now dead,
compiled by an editor
also now deceased,
a kind of literary cryptid,
finally coming into the light.
* * *
Notes:
Dangerous Visions is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Harlan Ellison, published in 1967, with 33 stories.
Harlan Ellison was a writer known for his prolific and influential work in speculative fiction among other genres. One of his
most famous works is the 1967 Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever."
Again, Dangerous Visions is a science fiction short story anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, published in 1972.
The Last Dangerous Visions is a speculative fiction anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, but he died in 2018 with the anthology unfinished. It was published by Blackstone Publishers on October 1, 2024.
Yes, really this time, and you can buy it here:
The Last Dangerous Visions Hardcover - Unabridged, October 1, 2024
by Harlan Ellison
However, in the interests of responsible cryptobibliology, I must state that I have not yet held a physical copy in my hands. The sale page does feature a clear photograph of the cover along with text and audio excerpts as evidence that it now indeed exists. Feel free to reference this page also if you wish to track provenance of how you found out about it and share that with other people.
EDIT 10/2/24 -- The Last Dangerous Visions has arrived at our house. I have personally seen it and held it in my hands. It definitely exists in local-Earth now. \o/
"The Book on the Edge of Forever"
Dangerous Visions is
a science fiction anthology
of short stories edited
by Harlan Ellison and
published in 1967.
It featured 33 stories,
all appearing there
for the first time, on
topics that most editors
would never have touched.
Harlan Ellison was not most editors.
The sequel Again, Dangerous Visions
came out in 1972, filled with more stories
that broke rules and upset applecarts.
And there the series sort of ...
stalled. For decades.
The third installment became
notorious, the book that everyone
wanted but nobody could ever get,
The Book on the Edge of Forever.
It was always promised and
yet never delivered, a volume as
persistent and elusive as Bigfoot.
Harlan Ellison died in 2018
with the anthology unfinished.
Then, suddenly and unexpectedly,
the manuscript rose from the grave.
The Last Dangerous Visions
was finally, actually released
by Blackstone Publishers on
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 --
received with great excitement.
It's the ultimate ghost story,
a book full of fiction by
authors mostly now dead,
compiled by an editor
also now deceased,
a kind of literary cryptid,
finally coming into the light.
* * *
Notes:
Dangerous Visions is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Harlan Ellison, published in 1967, with 33 stories.
Harlan Ellison was a writer known for his prolific and influential work in speculative fiction among other genres. One of his
most famous works is the 1967 Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever."
Again, Dangerous Visions is a science fiction short story anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, published in 1972.
The Last Dangerous Visions is a speculative fiction anthology edited by Harlan Ellison, but he died in 2018 with the anthology unfinished. It was published by Blackstone Publishers on October 1, 2024.
Yes, really this time, and you can buy it here:
The Last Dangerous Visions Hardcover - Unabridged, October 1, 2024
by Harlan Ellison
However, in the interests of responsible cryptobibliology, I must state that I have not yet held a physical copy in my hands. The sale page does feature a clear photograph of the cover along with text and audio excerpts as evidence that it now indeed exists. Feel free to reference this page also if you wish to track provenance of how you found out about it and share that with other people.
EDIT 10/2/24 -- The Last Dangerous Visions has arrived at our house. I have personally seen it and held it in my hands. It definitely exists in local-Earth now. \o/