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The Last Dangerous Visions

Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available

An anthology more than half a century in the making, The Last Dangerous Visions is the third and final installment of the legendary science fiction anthology series.

In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was never completed.

Now, six years after Ellison's passing, science fiction's most famous unpublished book is here. And with it, the heartbreaking true story of the troubled genius behind it.

Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous Visions stand as a testament to Ellison's lifelong pursuit of art, uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, P. C. Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow, among others.

The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 12, 2024
      J. Michael Straczynski, close friend of Ellison (1934–2018) and the executor of his estate, honors his commitment to publish the brilliant third and final Dangerous Visions anthology, a stellar assembly of impressive talent which fulfills the series’ mandate to present “cutting-edge stories that spoke to our humanity in all its flaws, faults, and glories.” These 32 tales come from both big names—including James S.A. Corey and David Brin—and relative unknowns. Standouts include Stephen Robinett’s chilling “Assignment No. 1,” an all-too-plausible exploration of how elder care might be handled in the future. In Cecil Castellucci’s “After Taste,” an interstellar foodie’s visit to another species to assess their cuisine lands her in an unexpected dilemma that will remind readers of an emotionally complex Twilight Zone episode. Dan Simmons’s gut-wrenching “The Final Pogrom” opens with the line, “The IBM, Honeywell, and other advanced computers were immensely useful in the final roundup of the Jews,” before detailing how technological advances can continue to be harnessed in support of humanity’s worst aspects. The tales are bookended by Straczynski’s essays describing his relationship with Ellison and the process of selecting what has been included in this volume, which was initially scheduled to appear in 1974. The result is a must-read for genre fans.

    • Booklist

      Starred review from October 1, 2024
      After more than 50 years, it's finally here: the concluding volume of Ellison's groundbreaking speculative-fiction anthology (which began with 1967's Dangerous Visions). While credited to Ellison, it was completed by J. Michael Straczynski, close friend and executor of the Ellison estate, based on Ellison's wishes. Most of the stories were solicited and purchased by Ellison over the years, including works from such luminaries as Edward Bryant, A. E. Van Vogt, and Robert Sheckley, and a terrifyingly prescient story by Dan Simmons. Straczynski solicited the rest in order to bring contemporary voices into the mix, including Max Brooks, Cory Doctorow, Adrian Tchaikovsky, a remarkable entry from first-time author Kayo Hartenbaum, and a story from James S. A. Corey potentially so controversial Straczynski questioned whether to even include it. What's most remarkable is how seamlessly the old and new fit together. It's a testament to the universality of the themes, ideas, concerns, and experiences they explore. This is deep, daring, and inventive storytelling. Of particular value are Straczynski's "Ellison Exegesis," in which he shares his perspective on why Ellison never could finish this work, and "Tetelestai!" where he explains his process for selecting the stories he included. A worthy capstone to Ellison's monumental legacy.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      September 1, 2024

      This anthology has been a shibboleth of a book, a phantasm from the mind of the late Ellison that was announced in 1973 to great applause as the follow-up to his two groundbreaking, mind-blowing collections, Dangerous Visions (1967) and Again, Dangerous Visions (1972). In spite of contracting for over 100 stories, Ellison was never able to finish this magnum opus of a project. Six years after Ellison's death, J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5) has put together a collection that represents Ellison's original vision, through 13 works from an earlier iteration, plus 18 new stories commissioned for this final publication. "War Stories" by Edward Bryant and Ellison's own original introduction give readers a glimpse of what this anthology was intended to be, and new stories by current luminaries in the field, such as Cory Doctorow and Adrian Tchaikovsky, prove there are plenty of dangerous visions yet to explore in the genre. The standout in the collection is Straczynski's "Ellison Exegesis" about his decades-long friendship with the irascible, argumentative, outrageous, and ultimately self-destructive Ellison. VERDICT SF readers will be captivated by this collection of works that are either new for this anthology or have been held in unpublished limbo for decades.--Marlene Harris

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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