Member Reviews
Paul P, Bookseller
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
A masterwork of myth and terror, Deathbird Stories collects nineteen of Harlan Ellison's best stories written over the course of a decade. In it, ancient gods fade as modern society creates new deities to worship—gods of technology, drugs, gambling. Revolutionary when first published, the short stories contained here have won multiple honors, including the prestigious Hugo and British Science Fiction Awards. They have inspired a generation of readers and other authors to reexamine blind faith and fight against crumbling institutions. Stark and often angry, this collection strips away convention and hypocrisy and lays bare the human condition. After all, the gods we invent contain all too much of their inventors.
I have been recommended this author - and this collection in particular - a number of times by friends and customers. I had read an odd story here and there in magazines or other compilations but they were few and far between. So when the opportunity came to read this one, I thought, why not?
What I got was a collection of brilliantly written stories, covering topics such as technology, gambling and drugs, and the human condition. There is no denying the skills as a writer of Ellison. His prose is tight, his characters are all too real. I have to give it to him for that - not too many authors can hold that against him.
But, here's the catch for me. While all the writing was good, the stories just didn't connect with me. There were two or three that I really enjoyed but, for the most part, I found myself skimming...and in a short story, that's not too promising.
Would I recommend this? Yes, in the same way my friends and customers did. If you are going to read Ellison, this is a collection of a variety of themes and styles. Worth a look!
Paul
ARH
