Gary's Reviews > Partners in Wonder: Stories

I would consider this story collection to be but a set of historical artifacts, or perhaps an exercise in nostalgia. The science fiction owes Harlan Ellison a great debt, as he really was influential in changing the shape of the genre. However, reading these stories (primarily from the 60s or earlier) emphasizes just how much sf has evolved--ironically, in the wake of Ellison's influence.

Several of these collaborations with other giants of the genre are--as Ellison himself more-or-less admits--hardly much more than stunts. They were written essentially as challenges to see whether they could be done. Such stories suffer because they had no overriding authorial vision. A couple strain at humor; unfortunately, in a couple of cases, done by poking fun at various ethnicities. I'm sure curmudgeonly Mr. Ellison would deem that judgement too "p.c.," but a couple of characterizations--esp, in a collaboration with Keith Laumer--were downright painful. In many ways, such stories were products of their time (I could see even myself perpetrating such "youthful indiscretions"--but I'd be embarrassed by them now. I'd bury them rather than publish them to be read by a new generation.