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Herald Classics

By: Harlan Ellison, J. Michael Straczynski - editor

Narrated by: Harlan Ellison, Grover Gardner, Hillary Huber, Tim Lounibos, Scott Brick, Steven Jay Cohen, Robert Fass, Neil Hellegers, Dion Graham, Edoardo Ballerini, Stefan Rudnicki, Angelo Di Loreto, Luis Moreno

A collection of award-winning short stories by Harlan Ellison, an eight-time Hugo Award winner, five-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and four-time Nebula Award winner

Harlan Ellison’s work shaped the science-fiction, fantasy, and horror genres in the twentieth century, and this collection of his best-known and most-acclaimed stories is a perfect treasury for old Ellison fans as well as listeners discovering this zany, polyphonic writer for the first time.

Featuring these stories and many more:

“‘Repent Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman”—Hugo Award winner

“Jeffty Is Five”—British Fantasy Award winner

“The Whimper of Whipped Dogs”—Edgar Allan Poe Award winner

Includes two bonus stories:

“The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World”

“Shattered Like a Glass Goblin”

©2024 The Harlan and Susan Ellison Foundation (P)2024 Blackstone Publishing

Read, listen, consume Harlan Ellison

If you love Scifi then at least part of you loves Harlan Elllison.

Anyone new to Harlan should understand these writings are products of their time. The views of 20, 30, 40 years ago aren't the same as today, thought the lessons seem to be the same.

Harlan wrote through the lens of science fiction, horror, and the human condition, his stories are a mirror which he holds up right in our face and asks what do you see and before we can answer he's telling us what he sees. Sometimes it ain't pretty.

As an audio book it is a privilege to have the author deliver his work in this way. To hear his own words, every emotion, sarcastic quip, and expression the way he wanted it read.

Narrators Mostly Miss the Mark

Most of the narrators were screeching during the stories. One or 2 understood how to read them. Spoiled the book so much :(

Loved every minute

The stories are so good. I liked the ones narrated by Harlan Ellison himself and especially the insights into his life throughout the book.

Huge fan of the writing but NOT of this production

From a great Harlan Ellison Fan:
People. C'mon.
J. Michael Straczynski, the editor of the book, is a discerning film-maker, isn't he? He's also the curator of Harlan's work, from what he says (or what Grover Gardner says) in the intro? Harlan's audio work deserves better treatment. (Where's audio producers Yuri Rasovsky (RIP) or Stefan Rudnicki, who is very much still with us, for that matter?) As the editor actually says in the intro, Harlan was meticulous in curating his audio work. As an audiobook, this obviously had no captain at the helm (no producer or director credits at the end?) And although there was a big disclaimer at the top about offending anyone with outdated politically incorrect attitudes and words from the past, there is absolutely NO explanation as to what the heck we're listening to. The listener is absolutely lost as to what the heck is going on. There are live clips of Harlan reading his own material; then out of the blue we get contemporary narrators, most of whom have no grasp whatsoever on the mercurial quality of Harlan's work. Who cast this? Every one of the new readers sound like they're in a different studio and no attempt to fix the sound quality of the current narrators. Even otherwise great narrators like Gardner and Ballerini and Graham are completely at sea with this type of writing; they seem more interested in sounding pretty than biting into Harlan's writing. Of course, Rudnicki and Fass get it on the mark, but all others fall painfully short. (BTW, where was Scott Brick? He's listed but never introduced.) Some narrators introduce themselves, others don't. No years given on each work to help us navigate (they are listed in the book.) Everyone knows Neil Gaiman narrates, so why didn't someone push and get him to narrate his foreword? Why didn't Straczynski narrate his intro? Why didn't Cassandra Khaw read hers (she's all over Youtube and has a very distinctive accent which the lady reader couldn't copy.) This is the day and age of super-curated audiobooks, and this one gets such casual treatment? I can't give it a lower star rating than a four because of Harlan's writing and Rudnicki and Fass' performances, but the production is not a tribute to the amazing writer that was Harlan Ellison. It saddens me as a fan.

Anxiety-Inducing

Most of the stories are good, though for someone who marched with Dr. King, it's remarkable how racist some of this is. I know he definitely wasn't, but some of the stuff just comes off as an open-minded guy in the 60s and 70s trying to write non-racist stories that come across whitewashed. The thing I absolutely couldn't handle is Ellison's narration of his own stories. I mean, they are HIS stories, so he obviously tells 'em like he writes them, but it's just...too much. I just wanted him to calm down a bit instead of the ceaseless yelling and rushing through passages. And the other narrators are just the opposite so that you almost miss Harlan's rea...and then you just say hell with the whole thing.