Dangerous Visions: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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=== Tropes Associated with the Anthology Itself: ===
=== Tropes Associated with the Anthology Itself: ===
* [[All-Star Cast]]: [[Harlan Ellison]]. [[Isaac Asimov]] (introductions). [[Philip Jose Farmer]]. [[Philip K Dick]]. [[Robert Silverberg]]. [[Robert Bloch]]. [[Fritz Leiber]]. [[Larry Niven]]. [[Poul Anderson (Creator)|Poul Anderson]]. [[Creator/Damon Knight|Damon Knight]]. [[John Brunner]]....
* [[All-Star Cast]]: [[Harlan Ellison]]. [[Isaac Asimov]] (introductions). [[Philip Jose Farmer]]. [[Philip K. Dick]]. [[Robert Silverberg]]. [[Robert Bloch]]. [[Fritz Leiber]]. [[Larry Niven]]. [[Poul Anderson]]. [[Creator/Damon Knight|Damon Knight]]. [[John Brunner]]....
** And ''[[Again, Dangerous Visions]]'' has [[Ursula K Le Guin (Creator)|Ursula K Le Guin]], [[Kurt Vonnegut (Creator)|Kurt Vonnegut]], [[Ray Bradbury]] (with a poem!), [[Piers Anthony]], [[Gahan Wilson]], [[Ben Bova]]...
** And ''[[Again, Dangerous Visions]]'' has [[Ursula K. Le Guin|Ursula K Le Guin]], [[Kurt Vonnegut]], [[Ray Bradbury]] (with a poem!), [[Piers Anthony]], [[Gahan Wilson]], [[Ben Bova]]...
*** AAAAND the lineup for ''[[The Last Dangerous Visions]]'' included [[Orson Scott Card (Creator)|Orson Scott Card]], [[Cordwainer Smith]], [[Dune|Frank Herbert]], [[Michael Moorcock]], [[Gordon R Dickson]]...
*** AAAAND the lineup for ''[[The Last Dangerous Visions]]'' included [[Orson Scott Card]], [[Cordwainer Smith]], [[Dune|Frank Herbert]], [[Michael Moorcock]], [[Gordon R. Dickson]]...
* [[Doorstopper]]: ''[[Dangerous Visions]]'' has a nice bulk to it. ''[[Again, Dangerous Visions]]'' was released in two volumes (although it can also be found as one). And ''The Last Dangerous Visions'' would have had to be released in at least '''THREE''' volumes.
* [[Doorstopper]]: ''[[Dangerous Visions]]'' has a nice bulk to it. ''[[Again, Dangerous Visions]]'' was released in two volumes (although it can also be found as one). And ''The Last Dangerous Visions'' would have had to be released in at least '''THREE''' volumes.
* [[Most Writers Are Male]] And White: Despite being a progressive, forward-looking, radical collection of stories, the gender and racial diversity among the writers in this anthology is only incrementally better than in SF anthologies of the golden age.
* [[Most Writers Are Male]] And White: Despite being a progressive, forward-looking, radical collection of stories, the gender and racial diversity among the writers in this anthology is only incrementally better than in SF anthologies of the golden age.
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** [[For the Evulz]]: More than you can imagine.
** [[For the Evulz]]: More than you can imagine.
** [[A God I Am]]: Cassiday.
** [[A God I Am]]: Cassiday.
** [[Hoist By His Own Petard]]
** [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]
** [[Kick the Son of A Bitch]]: The ending.
** [[Kick the Son of a Bitch]]: The ending.
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Cassiday.
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Cassiday.
** [[Shout-Out]]: The title is one to a line from ''[[King Lear]]'':
** [[Shout-Out]]: The title is one to a line from ''[[King Lear]]'':
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* '''"Riders of the Purple Wage" by [[Philip Jose Farmer]]''' ([[Hugo Award]] for best novella)
* '''"Riders of the Purple Wage" by [[Philip Jose Farmer]]''' ([[Hugo Award]] for best novella)
** [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Having one of these is a requirement for being in the story.
** [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Having one of these is a requirement for being in the story.
*** Chibiabos Elgreco Winnegan. Falco Accipter. Omar [[Bacchae (Theatre)|Bacchylides]] Runic. Benedictine Serinus Melba. Rousseau [[Noble Savage|Red Hawk]]. [[Pinkerton Detective|Pinkerton]] [[Edgar Allan Poe|Legrand]]. [[Hugo Gernsback|Huga]] [[HG Wells|Wells]]-[[Edgar Rice Burroughs|Erb]] [[Robert A. Heinlein|Hein]][[Theodore Sturgeon|stur]][[Ray Bradbury|bury]] ([[Lampshade Hanging|even the other characters remark on]] [[Overly Long Name|how ridiculously long his name is]]).
*** Chibiabos Elgreco Winnegan. Falco Accipter. Omar [[Bacchae|Bacchylides]] Runic. Benedictine Serinus Melba. Rousseau [[Noble Savage|Red Hawk]]. [[Pinkerton Detective|Pinkerton]] [[Edgar Allan Poe|Legrand]]. [[Hugo Gernsback|Huga]] [[H. G. Wells|Wells]]-[[Edgar Rice Burroughs|Erb]] [[Robert A. Heinlein|Hein]][[Theodore Sturgeon|stur]][[Ray Bradbury|bury]] ([[Lampshade Hanging|even the other characters remark on]] [[Overly Long Name|how ridiculously long his name is]]).
** [[Freudian Excuse]]: Introduced, subverted, parodied to hell and back, all at the same time.
** [[Freudian Excuse]]: Introduced, subverted, parodied to hell and back, all at the same time.
** [[Freudian Slip]]: See 'Freudian excuse'.
** [[Freudian Slip]]: See 'Freudian excuse'.
** [[Incredibly Lame Pun]] : This story is actually almost a stream-of-consciousness of amazing puns and literary references
** [[Incredibly Lame Pun]] : This story is actually almost a stream-of-consciousness of amazing puns and literary references
** [[Literary Allusion Title]]: SO many of the section-titles are these. To name just a few: "[[The Odyssey (Literature)|Sing, O Mews]], [[Uncle Sam Wants You|of Uncle Sam"]], "[[The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Literature)|The Ancient Marinator]]", "Sexual Implications of The [[Charge Of The Light Brigade]]", "[[Alice in Wonderland (Literature)|The Mad P Party]]"...
** [[Literary Allusion Title]]: SO many of the section-titles are these. To name just a few: "[[Odyssey|Sing, O Mews]], [[Uncle Sam Wants You|of Uncle Sam"]], "[[The Rime of the Ancient Mariner|The Ancient Marinator]]", "Sexual Implications of The [[Charge Of The Light Brigade]]", "[[Alice in Wonderland|The Mad P Party]]"...
** [[Pungeon Master]]: [[Author Appeal|Farmer himself]], but also some of the characters in the story.
** [[Pungeon Master]]: [[Author Appeal|Farmer himself]], but also some of the characters in the story.
** [[Shout-Out]]: The number of literary allusions and puns in this story is simply staggering.
** [[Shout-Out]]: The number of literary allusions and puns in this story is simply staggering.
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** [[Gallows Humor]]
** [[Gallows Humor]]
** [[Historical In-Joke]]/[[Genius Bonus]]: Benjamin Bathurst, "that American aviatrix", and the crew of the ''Marie Celeste''. To name just a few...
** [[Historical In-Joke]]/[[Genius Bonus]]: Benjamin Bathurst, "that American aviatrix", and the crew of the ''Marie Celeste''. To name just a few...
** [[Hoist By His Own Petard]]: {{spoiler|Juliette}}
** [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: {{spoiler|Juliette}}
** {{spoiler|[[Jack the Ripper]]}}: the Toy.
** {{spoiler|[[Jack the Ripper]]}}: the Toy.
** [[Knife Nut]]: Juliette.
** [[Knife Nut]]: Juliette.
** [[Marquis De Sade|Marquis de Sade]]: [[Genius Bonus|Juliette is named after the titular antiheroine of ''Justine'']]
** [[Marquis de Sade]]: [[Genius Bonus|Juliette is named after the titular antiheroine of ''Justine'']]
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Juliette.
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Juliette.
** [[Twist Ending]]
** [[Twist Ending]]
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** [[Future Slang]]
** [[Future Slang]]
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Jack.
** [[Person of Mass Destruction]]: Jack.
** [[Sympathy for The Devil|Sympathy For The Ripper]]
** [[Sympathy for the Devil|Sympathy For The Ripper]]


* '''"The Night That All Time Broke Out" by [[Brian W Aldiss]]'''
* '''"The Night That All Time Broke Out" by [[Brian W Aldiss]]'''
** [[The End of the World As We Know It]]
** [[The End of the World as We Know It]]


* '''"The Man Who Went to the Moon — Twice" by [[Howard Rodman]]'''
* '''"The Man Who Went to the Moon — Twice" by [[Howard Rodman]]'''
** [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]
** [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]


* '''"Faith of Our Fathers" by [[Philip K Dick]]'''
* '''"Faith of Our Fathers" by [[Philip K. Dick]]'''
** [[Dirty Communists]]: How Dick speculated the Cold War might turn out.
** [[Dirty Communists]]: How Dick speculated the Cold War might turn out.
** [[A Form You Are Comfortable With]]: [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]]
** [[A Form You Are Comfortable With]]: [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]]
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** [[Religious Horror]]
** [[Religious Horror]]
** [[Scary Amoral Religion]]
** [[Scary Amoral Religion]]
** [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made On Drugs?]]: In-story: '''GOD'''. Out-of-story, subverted--Ellison even writes that he wanted "a story to be written about, and under the influence of (if possible), LSD. What follows...is the result of such a hallucinogenic journey."
** [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?]]: In-story: '''GOD'''. Out-of-story, subverted--Ellison even writes that he wanted "a story to be written about, and under the influence of (if possible), LSD. What follows...is the result of such a hallucinogenic journey."


* '''"The Jigsaw Man" by [[Larry Niven]]'''
* '''"The Jigsaw Man" by [[Larry Niven]]'''
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** [[Enfant Terrible]]
** [[Enfant Terrible]]


* '''"Eutopia" by [[Poul Anderson (Creator)|Poul Anderson]]'''
* '''"Eutopia" by [[Poul Anderson]]'''
** Contains both [[Utopia]] and [[Dystopia]]
** Contains both [[Utopia]] and [[Dystopia]]
** [[Giving Radio to The Romans]]
** [[Giving Radio to the Romans]]
** [[Heroic Fantasy]]: Deconstructed.
** [[Heroic Fantasy]]: Deconstructed.
** [[Hero's Muse]]: Subverted: The protagonist is on the run and only keeps going due to his dreams of his lover Nik, {{spoiler|who turns out to be a boy}}.
** [[Hero's Muse]]: Subverted: The protagonist is on the run and only keeps going due to his dreams of his lover Nik, {{spoiler|who turns out to be a boy}}.
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* '''"Shall the Dust Praise Thee?" by [[Creator/Damon Knight|Damon Knight]]'''
* '''"Shall the Dust Praise Thee?" by [[Creator/Damon Knight|Damon Knight]]'''
** [[The End of the World As We Know It]]
** [[The End of the World as We Know It]]


* '''"If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?" by [[Theodore Sturgeon]]'''
* '''"If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?" by [[Theodore Sturgeon]]'''
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* '''"Encounter with a Hick" by Jonathan Brand'''
* '''"Encounter with a Hick" by Jonathan Brand'''
** [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]:[[In-Universe]]; of ''[[The Bible (Literature)|God]]''
** [[Alternative Character Interpretation]]:[[In-Universe]]; of ''[[The Bible|God]]''
** [[Historical In-Joke|Biblical In-Joke]]
** [[Historical In-Joke|Biblical In-Joke]]
** [[Noodle Incident]]: From Harlan's introduction:
** [[Noodle Incident]]: From Harlan's introduction:
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* '''"Judas" by [[John Brunner]]'''
* '''"Judas" by [[John Brunner]]'''
** [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Android Jesus]]
** [[Crystal Dragon Jesus|Android Jesus]]
** [[Deus Est Machina]]: In a [[Sympathy for The Devil]] moment, the man branded with the title-name gives the following monologue to A-46:
** [[Deus Est Machina]]: In a [[Sympathy for the Devil]] moment, the man branded with the title-name gives the following monologue to A-46:
{{quote| "We've been slaves to our tools since the first caveman made the first knife to help him get his supper. After that there was no going back, and we built till our machines were ten million times more powerful than ourselves. We gave ourselves cars when we might have learned to run; we made airplanes when we might have grown wings; and then the inevitable. We made a machine our God."}}
{{quote| "We've been slaves to our tools since the first caveman made the first knife to help him get his supper. After that there was no going back, and we built till our machines were ten million times more powerful than ourselves. We gave ourselves cars when we might have learned to run; we made airplanes when we might have grown wings; and then the inevitable. We made a machine our God."}}
** [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]
** [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]
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** [[First Church of Mecha]]: The Word Made Steel.
** [[First Church of Mecha]]: The Word Made Steel.
** [[Messianic Archtype]]
** [[Messianic Archtype]]
** [[No Such Thing As Space Jesus|No Such Thing As Robot Jesus]]: Don't tell that to A-46.
** [[No Such Thing as Space Jesus|No Such Thing As Robot Jesus]]: Don't tell that to A-46.
** [[Robot Religion]]
** [[Robot Religion]]
** [[Rule of Symbolism]]: {{spoiler|If you're an android...}}
** [[Rule of Symbolism]]: {{spoiler|If you're an android...}}
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* '''"Carcinoma Angels" by [[Norman Spinrad]]'''
* '''"Carcinoma Angels" by [[Norman Spinrad]]'''
** [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick]]: "Novocain; morphine; curare; ''vlut'', a rare Central Asian poison which induced temporary blindness; [[Noodle Implements|olfactorcain, a top-secret smell-deadener used by skunk farmers]]; tympanoline, a drug which temporarily deadened the auditory nerves (used primarily by filibustering senators); a large dose of Benzedrinel lysergic acid; psilocybin; mescaline; peyote extract; [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made On Drugs?|seven other highly experimental and most illegal hallucinogens;]] [[Eye of Newt|eye of newt]] and [[Unfortunate Ingredients|toe of dog]]."
** [[Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick]]: "Novocain; morphine; curare; ''vlut'', a rare Central Asian poison which induced temporary blindness; [[Noodle Implements|olfactorcain, a top-secret smell-deadener used by skunk farmers]]; tympanoline, a drug which temporarily deadened the auditory nerves (used primarily by filibustering senators); a large dose of Benzedrinel lysergic acid; psilocybin; mescaline; peyote extract; [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?|seven other highly experimental and most illegal hallucinogens;]] [[Eye of Newt]] and [[Unfortunate Ingredients|toe of dog]]."
** [[Crazy Prepared]]: Harrison Wintergreen.
** [[Crazy Prepared]]: Harrison Wintergreen.
** [[Moment of Awesome]]: Harrison Wintergreen {{spoiler|beating cancer.}}
** [[Moment of Awesome]]: Harrison Wintergreen {{spoiler|beating cancer.}}

Revision as of 14:38, 8 April 2014
"What you hold in your hands is more than a book. If we are lucky, it is a revolution."
—From "Introduction: Thirty-Two Soothsayers" (1967), Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison doesn't think small. The fact that the above page-quote--the first paragraph of his original introduction to the book--is, if anything, an understatement, says a helluva lot.


For those of you who came into the movie late, I'll bring you up to speed: in the 1960s, Harlan Ellison had the idea of putting together a science-fiction anthology. But not just any ordinary anthology--his mad scheme was to collect stories from the best writers in the field. And not just ANY stories--he wanted stories that were, well, too dangerous to get printed anywhere else.

To cite just one example, from Damon Knight's afterword to "Shall the Dust Praise Thee?":

  "This story was written some years ago, and all I remember about it is that my then agent returned it with loathing, and told me I might possibly sell it to the Atheist Journal in Moscow, but nowhere else."

It also features introductions to each story by Harlan, who talks about the writer, and an afterword by the writer about the story. This gives the reader an immense feeling of the community surrounding science-fiction, and was part of why the anthology was so well-received.

Dangerous Visions (1967) won a truckload of awards, and Harlan got a special citation at the 26th World SF Convention for editing "the most significant and controversial SF book published in 1967". And it's gone on to be perhaps the most influential science-fiction anthology of all time.

It had a sequel anthology, Again, Dangerous Visions (1971), and there were and sometimes apparently are plans for The Last Dangerous Visions, but... well, Harlan doesn't like to talk about it (though Christopher Priest is happy to).

Tropes Associated with the Anthology Itself:

  "Isaac...was too uncharacteristically and idiotically humble to write a story for the book, on the wholly bogus grounds that he was a geezer, couldn't write "the new thing," and didn't want to embarrass himself."


Tropes found in the Stories in Dangerous Visions:

The tropes found in each story (as well as in the introductions and afterwords) are listed under the story in question.

 "But--" Words were useless, but the bitterness inside him forced the words to come from him. "But why? I am God!"

For a moment, something akin to sadness and pity was in the eyes of the Usurper. Then it passed and the answer came. "I know. But I am Man. Come!"

 As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods--

they kill us for their sport.

  Harlan's story is a sequel to "A Toy for Juliette". So Bloch writes the profile of Harlan preceding the story...

  • "Lord Randy, My Son" by Joe L. Hensley

  Harlan's introduction to Joe L. Hensley is one giant rollicking ride of undistilled hilarity.

  • A Pair of Bunch: "Incident in Moderan" and "The Escaping" by David R. Bunch
  • "The Doll-House" by James Cross

 "[Jonathan Brand] was lying there propped on his elbows, a blade of grass in his mouth, watching half a dozen of the older, more sophistocated giants of the science fiction field dousing each other with beer from quart bottles on the lawn of Damon Knight's home.

"Kindness forbids my explaining why Jim Blish, Ted Thomas, Damon and Gordy Dickson were cavorting in such an unseemly manner..."

  "We've been slaves to our tools since the first caveman made the first knife to help him get his supper. After that there was no going back, and we built till our machines were ten million times more powerful than ourselves. We gave ourselves cars when we might have learned to run; we made airplanes when we might have grown wings; and then the inevitable. We made a machine our God."

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