6 ms·

One of the truly greats. Perhaps my favorite short-story writer along with James Tiptree, Jr. Here are three stories you need to read right now if you haven't:

One of the truly greats. Perhaps my favorite short-story writer along with James Tiptree, Jr. Here are three stories you need to read right now if you haven't: 1. "Repent Harlequin," said the Ticktockman., 2. Jeffty is Five, and 3. I have no mouth and I must scream, which contains one of the most memorable similes that still sticks in my mind: "the sliding cold horror of a razor blade slicing my eyeball." I'm doing this from memory but I think it's pretty close. And Isaac Asimov, who couldn't have been a more different writer from Ellison, really seemed (from his writings) to love the guy.

ur-whale 8y ago
Wasn't the razor blade slicing an eyeball originally from a 1929 French movie called "Un Chien Andalou"? Source: https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1959/in-un-chien-andalou-is-a-real-eyeball-being-sliced/ https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1959/in-un-chien-a...
- mkempe 8y ago
  Although it's classified as French, I think of it as a Spanish movie because of who made it: a 1929 silent surrealist short film by Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí.
ubernostrum 8y ago
It's worth pointing out that "James Tiptree, Jr." was the pseudonym of Alice Sheldon, who adopted a masculine pen name in order to get her work past editors who wouldn't otherwise have accepted/published submissions from a female author.
tunesmith 8y ago
Jeffty is Five was my first exposure to Ellison and I still remember the feeling of mundane horror I got. Such a great story. My other favorite was Eidolons. My second earliest memory of Ellison was Bruce Willis playing the main character in Shatterday when Twilight Zone got revived!
westoncb 8y ago
I remember reading Asimov talking about his early relationship with Ellison. Ellison was the super smart way too young guy always showing up at the sci-fi conventions, hanging out with the grown ups, who everyone knew was gonna make it some day. (That's my recollection from many years back—pretty sure the gist is accurate though.)
- scriptproof 8y ago
  He said, "Are you Isaac Asimov?" And in his voice was awe and wonder and amazement. I was rather pleased, but I struggled hard to retain a modest demeanor. "Yes, I am," I said. "You're not kidding? You're really Isaac Asimov?" The words have not yet been invented that would describe the ardor and reverence with which his tongue caressed the syllables of my name. "Well, I think you're—" he began, still in the same tone of voice, and for a split second he paused, while I listened and the audience held its breath. "—a nothing!"
  - westoncb 8y ago
    Ha! What's that from?
    - scriptproof 8y ago
      Asimov's own biography.

ur-whale 8y ago

Wasn't the razor blade slicing an eyeball originally from a 1929 French movie called "Un Chien Andalou"? Source: https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1959/in-un-chien-andalou-is-a-real-eyeball-being-sliced/ https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1959/in-un-chien-a...

mkempe 8y ago
Although it's classified as French, I think of it as a Spanish movie because of who made it: a 1929 silent surrealist short film by Spanish director Luis Buñuel and artist Salvador Dalí.

ubernostrum 8y ago

It's worth pointing out that "James Tiptree, Jr." was the pseudonym of Alice Sheldon, who adopted a masculine pen name in order to get her work past editors who wouldn't otherwise have accepted/published submissions from a female author.

tunesmith 8y ago

Jeffty is Five was my first exposure to Ellison and I still remember the feeling of mundane horror I got. Such a great story. My other favorite was Eidolons. My second earliest memory of Ellison was Bruce Willis playing the main character in Shatterday when Twilight Zone got revived!

westoncb 8y ago

I remember reading Asimov talking about his early relationship with Ellison. Ellison was the super smart way too young guy always showing up at the sci-fi conventions, hanging out with the grown ups, who everyone knew was gonna make it some day. (That's my recollection from many years back—pretty sure the gist is accurate though.)

scriptproof 8y ago
He said, "Are you Isaac Asimov?" And in his voice was awe and wonder and amazement. I was rather pleased, but I struggled hard to retain a modest demeanor. "Yes, I am," I said. "You're not kidding? You're really Isaac Asimov?" The words have not yet been invented that would describe the ardor and reverence with which his tongue caressed the syllables of my name. "Well, I think you're—" he began, still in the same tone of voice, and for a split second he paused, while I listened and the audience held its breath. "—a nothing!"
- westoncb 8y ago
  Ha! What's that from?
  - scriptproof 8y ago
    Asimov's own biography.