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Run for the Stars/Echoes of Thunder
Dreamdust-addicted lowlife Benno Tallant is the last hope of the Earth; John Stranger, a space steelworker, works in space station construction
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Harlan Ellison
460 books2,841 followersHarlan Jay Ellison (1934-2018) was 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/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.
Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".
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/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.
Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 8, 2021
This is Tor Double #32, of a series of 36 double books published from 1988 to 1991 by Tor Books. It contains two novellas. Unlike most of the volumes in the series, this one is not bound tête-bêche (back-to-back and inverted). There is only one cover. The novellas are listed here alphabetically by author; I feel neither should be considered “primary.”
Echoes of Thunder, by Jack Dann & Jack C. Haldeman II (1991) ****
This is the original publication of this novella. It is an expansion of Dann and Haldeman’s 1982 Nebula-nominated short story “High Steel.” Both writers were frequent collaborators with other writers. Jack Dann also with George Zebrowski. Jack Haldeman also with his younger brother Joe Haldeman, and his wife Barbara Delaplace. The novel was revised again for stand-alone publication under the title High Steel in 1993.
It is set in a future where corporations utilize weak governments to conscript workers for space construction. The story centers on one character, John Stranger, who would have been a strong medicine man on his Dakota reservation, but lives in orbit with the change demanded of him. The juxtaposition between his construction work, and his teachings back on the reservation, come together to climax during an intercorporate space war. I was very engaged by the story.
Run for the Stars, by Harland Ellison (1957) ***
This was originally published in the June 1957 issue of Science Fiction Adventures. It can also be found in his 1969 collection The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. Ellison is a winner of many science fiction awards for his shorter works, but not for this very early one.
The Kyben demolished Deald’s World. Benno Tallant is a criminal low-life selected to be left behind with a bomb implanted in his stomach, by the retreating human forces. Aside from the plot, the writing is a good example of Ellison's ability to explore the emotional landscape of his character. The "tomato-surprise" ending isn't all that much of a surprise though.
Echoes of Thunder, by Jack Dann & Jack C. Haldeman II (1991) ****
This is the original publication of this novella. It is an expansion of Dann and Haldeman’s 1982 Nebula-nominated short story “High Steel.” Both writers were frequent collaborators with other writers. Jack Dann also with George Zebrowski. Jack Haldeman also with his younger brother Joe Haldeman, and his wife Barbara Delaplace. The novel was revised again for stand-alone publication under the title High Steel in 1993.
It is set in a future where corporations utilize weak governments to conscript workers for space construction. The story centers on one character, John Stranger, who would have been a strong medicine man on his Dakota reservation, but lives in orbit with the change demanded of him. The juxtaposition between his construction work, and his teachings back on the reservation, come together to climax during an intercorporate space war. I was very engaged by the story.
Run for the Stars, by Harland Ellison (1957) ***
This was originally published in the June 1957 issue of Science Fiction Adventures. It can also be found in his 1969 collection The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. Ellison is a winner of many science fiction awards for his shorter works, but not for this very early one.
The Kyben demolished Deald’s World. Benno Tallant is a criminal low-life selected to be left behind with a bomb implanted in his stomach, by the retreating human forces. Aside from the plot, the writing is a good example of Ellison's ability to explore the emotional landscape of his character. The "tomato-surprise" ending isn't all that much of a surprise though.
July 17, 2025
The Ellison story was well written of course, but too bleak for me. I read the comic adaptation as a kid and didn't like it. I hoped the story would bring a little more humanity to it. I still did not care for it too much. The second story was a big old mess and I really disliked it.
July 2, 2011
This is an early SF novella by Ellison from '57, expanded slightly in '85, paired with a '91 novella by others with an American Indian protagonist. Ellison's half of the book is a thriller in which an unlikely hero (a junkie) must delay or thwart an alien invasion. The other story's ethnic focus offers interest, but it ends unsatisfyingly. Both stories are serviceable but neither is very memorable.
June 4, 2014
Harlan Ellison's Run for the Stars was pretty awesome. I'm loving that it's about a vengeful addict who wants to kill the human race - into it.
I didn't bother with Echoes of Thunder since its summary described it as 'an indian magic' story written by two white dudes. So, fuck that racist shit forever.
I didn't bother with Echoes of Thunder since its summary described it as 'an indian magic' story written by two white dudes. So, fuck that racist shit forever.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews