It's a story about the hopes and dreams and desperation of Las Vegas. 'Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes' is as good a story as you'll find anywhere.

This story is fuel-injected, turbo-charged madness.ĭo you want something a little bit grittier, a little bit more noir-ish? You came to the right place. Then again, it's probably worth getting this collection just for 'Along The Scenic Route.' Ever been cut off on the freeway? Ever been stuck behind a slowpoke or had some punk riding your tail? Wouldn't it be great if you could just phone Central Control and challenge them to a duel? Welcome to the future where just being a family man isn't good enough. It is a harsh, coarse story and it's so good it's worth getting the whole book just for this one. Ellison takes this true story and peoples it with a young twenty- something from rural New England and his she adjusts to being one of the onlookers. It is a time when crime raged through the streets and rudeness ruled. It's New York City in the mid seventies and the city is epitomized by the all-too-true story of Kitty Genovese and the two dozen people who heard her scream and did nothing to help. The first story in this collection is, of course, 'The Whimper of Whipped Dogs.' It is a singularly intense piece that takes the reader through a whirlwind of emotions. The tales presented here are, first and foremost, about the human condition, about human emotions, frustrations, angers, fears.

Don't necessarily dismiss Ellison as a science fiction writer as many of his stories have little, if anything, to do with flying saucers and little green men. These stories are powerful, gripping,mesmerizing. I first read this incredible collection over thirty years ago and, even before opening it up again, I could recall most of these stories in intense detail.

Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison