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 An Irrelevant, Intriguing Short Story Collection from Harlan Ellison December 24, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Harlan Ellison may be the only contemporary American writer I know of whose work contains the well-crafted irrelevance of Mark Twain's best, the brooding, foreboding tones of Edgar Poe's best, and the lyrical, often youthful optimism of Ray Bradbury's finest. He may be, along with Bradbury, our best writer of short fiction in any genre, but especially, in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. "Strange Wine" is the long overdue reprinting of a short story collection comprised of terse, and quite peculiar, tales published originally back in 1978, but reprinted finally only a few years ago. It remains memorable because of Ellison's hilarious, extensive introduction that's nearly twice as long as many of the short stories included in this collection, and, of course, for the stories too. These often intriguing tales range from very good to great, and do demonstrate Ellison's extensive range from horror to tragedy and comedy (and sometimes all three). My personal favorites include "Mom" (His science fictional Mother's Day "valentine"), "Killing Bernstein" (An odd, hilarious take on cloning and psychotic behavior which only Ellison could write,) and "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (On a congested Manhattan street, the protagonist witnesses the ghosts of Nazis he had executed, years after the end of World War II.). Anyone interested in Ellison's work will certainly wish to add "Strange Wine" to his or hers own private library; without question, it will be a most welcomed addition too.
Good Strange... September 4, 2006
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I.ve heard many people look down on Harlan Ellison's work because of how he is as a person. In my opinion that is an unfit way to judge an author's book. It may be true, in fact, I know it is. A friend of mine saw him at a book signing and yes, it's true, he did get infuriated when someone didn't know who he was, but still, it doesn't mean I'm going to look down upon the way he writes. There is no denying, no matter how big of a donkey's rear he may be, that he is an intelligent and unique writer that can not be imitated.
Give Strange Wine, along with any of his other books, a try.
Let us be clear April 15, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Harlan Ellison is one of; if not the most award winner writers alive today, in any language. I think the Noble Prize is the only thing he has not won. Ellison is STRONG stuff though, and not to be taken lightly. He is an author with very strong convictions that not only cover the page, they bleed through. But along with this, you get a wordsmith unlike any other. Too many authors today can be compared to someone else, which is not true with Ellison.
As for this collection, it is indeed a "Strange Wine". The stories within are a heady brew for the reader. The works here range from uber-short tales, "A - Z in the Chocolate Alphabet", to the essay on media - "Revealed at Last! What Killed the Dinosaurs! And You Don't Look So Terrific Yourself". There is also some pretty dark stories- "Croatoan" and "Hitler Painted Roses". Heck, there is even a semi-comedy superhero story - "The New York Review of Bird". As you read through this, I really suggest you treat it like a fine wine, sip it, read these stories and allow them to sink in. Before you know it, you're finished with this book, and like with all other Ellison collections, you will be wanting more.
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Ellison as always September 29, 2005
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Ellison as Ellison again. As usual you can't miss with his insight on man and the world today and tomorrow.
 learn about the author before reading his work September 27, 2005
8 out of 41 found this review helpful
I recommend anyone new to Harlon Ellison to learn about the author as a person before reading his work. He's a pompous, overbearing, egotistical little man (literally) who thinks he is better than everyone else in the world, and if you don't worship him then he hates you. Read a few pages of his work to see this attitude reflected completely in his bloated writing style. You can do this with Amazon's "first page" feature or just google him to see his stuff before buying it. You'll save yourself some money.
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