Strange Wine. by Harlan Ellison - 1984.

New York, NY Warner Books, 1984. Paperback First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. Good in Wraps: shows indications of moderate use: slight spine lean; light wear to extremities; a crease at the upper front corner and another near the outside edge of the front panel; some creasing at the back strip; mild rubbing and faint soiling to wrapper covers; binding secure; text clean. No longer 'As New', but remains clean, sturdy, and quite presentable. NOT a Remainder. NOT a Book-Club Edition. NOT an Ex-Library copy. 12mo. 316pp. Mass Market Paperback. Harlan Ellison may be the only contemporary American writer I know of whose work contains the well-crafted irrelevance of Mark Twain's best, the brooding, foreboding tones of Edgar Poe's best, and the lyrical, often youthful optimism of Ray Bradbury's finest. He may be, along with Bradbury, our best writer of short fiction in any genre, but especially, in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. "Strange Wine" is the long overdue reprinting of a short story collection comprised of terse, and quite peculiar, tales published originally back in 1978, but reprinted finally only a few years ago. It remains memorable because of Ellison's hilarious, extensive introduction that's nearly twice as long as many of the short stories included in this collection, and, of course, for the stories too. These often intriguing tales range from very good to great, and do demonstrate Ellison's extensive range from horror to tragedy and comedy (and sometimes all three). My personal favorites include "Mom" (His science fictional Mother's Day "valentine"), "Killing Bernstein" (An odd, hilarious take on cloning and psychotic behavior which only Ellison could write) and "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams" (On a congested Manhattan street, the protagonist witnesses the ghosts of Nazis he had executed, years after the end of World War II). Anyone interested in Ellison's work will certainly wish to add "Strange Wine" to his or hers own private library; without question, it will be a most welcomed addition too.