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Slippage: Previously Uncollected, Precariously Poised Stories
Harlan Ellison is undoubtedly one of the most audacious, infuriating, brazen characters on the planet. Which may help explain why he is also one of the most brilliant, innovative, and eloquent writers on earth. Slippage simply presents recent, typical Ellison. In a word, masterful. The 21 stories in this 1997 collection, which is encased in black boxes, show Ellison at the...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
September 17th 1998
by Mariner Books
(first published 1997)
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It is a disappointment that while authors like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and Robert A. Heinlein have such immediate renown and recognition, the name Harlan Ellison does not often get the respect it deserves. Asimov and company were true visionaries, but Ellison was just a few too many years late onto the scene. Most famous for his short story collections, he has penned countless works over the last 50 years and is best known for editing the book “Dangerous Visions”; an anthology of tales by...more
Now that I've finally picked up Ellison's work, he's rapidly becoming a new favorite author. There are many startling ideas and blindsiding surprises in this collection. Again, each story has its own strength and appeal, but my list of favorites would include Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep, Crazy as a Soup Sandwich, The Lingering Scent of Woodsmoke (a short one, but a particular favorite), the totally brilliant (in my opinion) Go Toward the Light (it doesn't mean what you would think!), Meph...more
I love Harlan Ellison. Every-in-your-face, cocky, let's turn what you think upside-down and inside-out word of him. The man can write. He can write so darn well that he can tell you about his bypass surgery and make you think it's freakin' awesome. He can spin a tale about living through an earthquake on a mountain top and make you wish you had been there. And that's just in the introduction, folks. Haven't even made it to the "real" short stories yet.
I've said it before (back when I read his co...more
I've said it before (back when I read his co...more
Sep 28, 2008
Rob
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
collection
I don't have much to say about Slippage. I had never (consciously) read any Harlan Ellison before and because of how celebrated the man's name is, I decided it was worth giving his werk a shot.
Maybe Slippage just isn't one of his better collections. I'm certainly open to the possibility that I got the bad egg from the dozen, if you catch my meaning.
This is not to say that there was nothing redeeming or at all enjoyable about this collection. "This Story Is Titled the Man Who Rowed Christopher Co...more
Maybe Slippage just isn't one of his better collections. I'm certainly open to the possibility that I got the bad egg from the dozen, if you catch my meaning.
This is not to say that there was nothing redeeming or at all enjoyable about this collection. "This Story Is Titled the Man Who Rowed Christopher Co...more
Technically, I love Ellison's style: his manner of word application is great, especially in his non-fiction. But his ego makes it impossible to completely like him. The tale of his difficulties adapting Donald E. Westlake's short story "Nackles" for "The Twilight Zone" in the '80's is an example. He relates his frustrations with network censorship in bringing the work to television, but after reading the script it's all too clear why they wouldn't let him do what he wanted. Of COURSE they weren'...more
This is the first Harlan Ellison collection i read, and it started me on a mad rampage of speculative fiction addiction which i am still wallowing in to this day. I think the short story is an excellent format for weird fiction, because you don't have to develop ideas and characters for hundreds of pages. I call them 'vignettes' and it makes possible all manner of whimsy and inspiration and odd quirky moments. I don't particularly remember which stories are included in this collection, although...more
Feb 04, 2009
Lisa
is currently reading it
So far it's very interesting but then I'm only on page 7. I have read some of his books before but it's been a few years and it's also reminding yet again that my vocabulary is much too small. ;p will keep reading and adding as I go.
Much as he's an obtuse, arrogant, insufferable cock monkey, Harlan Ellison plays the short story like a fiddle. My all time favorite short of all time ever is in here, "Scartaris, June 28th".
A late-period roar from Ellison, with "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore" and "Mefisto in Onyx" ranking among his best.
Jun 06, 2010
Ben Francis
marked it as to-read
Sonja said read it. So read it!!
Ellison what else needs to be said.
Loved ! That simple.
Fantastic!
Sep 27, 2012
Daniel Appleton
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any lover of fantasy / fiction
Recommended to Daniel by:
it was a gift
Typical Ellison - Cautionary tales, & his razor - sharp wit make SLIPPAGE quite a read.
I'll have to read my ( autographed ) copy again, & look for my other anthologies by HE.
I'll have to read my ( autographed ) copy again, & look for my other anthologies by HE.
This is probably the best Ellison anthology I've ever read. There are many other that I have not so I may not be a good judge of the "best." The contents run the gamut from sci-fi to rant to pure horror with plenty of genre bending, as you would expect. The entire "Nackles" controversy is laid out from the original Donald Westlake story to Harlan's teleplay.
I had forgotten how good Ellison could write straight horror.
I had forgotten how good Ellison could write straight horror.
A good mix of Ellison stuff - not quite as brutal as some previous works, and while I enjoyed the intro, the biographical comments inbetween didn't do much for me. THe typographical tricks also got old rather quickly. It probably didn't help that I was finishing up Deathbird and Other Stories at about the same time.
Not bad, not bad at all. What it lacks in coherence, it more than makes up for in imagination: Harlan has Gaiman's dream-sparkle wit and acumen of myth, making this collection of short stories very enjoyable. Be sure to check out the one on Anubis: very nicely done.
I remember I liked it a bunch. I enjoyed the short essay at the beginning and especially the short "Mephisto in Onyx". I remember bits and pieces of the other stories... and, in general, was happy with the book. This was my introduction to Ellison.
I don't remember much about this book, frankly, because I read it an awful long time ago. I do remember feeling the need for a Harlan Ellison fix, and being very satisfied with this purchase.
My wife really liked this book, but I don't think it's his best work. Some of the stories are really good, but a lot just wander.
My first experience with Harlan Ellison. The stories were, for the most part, very enjoyable. But boy does he ever have some "interesting" descriptions...
Ellison is one of my favorite authors ever. His stories have intrigued, haunted and scarred me for years. (and in this case, that's very good.) This one did not disappoint.
<3 Harlan Ellison
May 13, 2013
Teresa
marked it as to-read
May 12, 2013
David Ingulsrud
marked it as to-read
May 10, 2013
Bryan
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Harlan Ellison ®: Slippage Discussion (No Spoilers) | 1 | 7 | Oct 29, 2012 08:55am |
Harlan Jay Ellison is a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism. His literary and television work has received many awards. He wrote for the original series of both The Outer Limits and Star Trek as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; edited the multiple-award-winning short story anthology series Dangerous Visions; and served as creative consultant/writ...more
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“Entertain, yes. That goes without saying. But a good writer does that automatically, it's built into the machine. Telling a thumpingly good, mesmerizing story is what one does without question. But beyond that, any writer worth his/her hire knows that all writing, one way or another, is subversive. It is guerrilla warfare against the status quo.”
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“The mistake we all make is in assuming anybody remembers anydamnthing from one day to the next. If that were true, we'd stop getting involved with approximately the same kind of wrong lover each time, we'd learn the lessons of history, the death penalty would discourage those plotting murder, and George Santayana's famous quote would be about as popular as "the bee's knees." But few of us keep accurate records of what we've learned as we hobble through life barking our shins in the dark on experiences we've already had....”
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