Dangerous Visions

A hallmark of the New Wave movement. Source: Here

"What you hold in your hands is more than a book. If we are lucky, it is a revolution."

When Harlan Ellison began this sci-fi anthology with the above quote, I can't help but wonder if he knew an inkling of how seismic its impact would be. A collection of 33 short stories by some of the leading science fiction luminaries writing at the time as well as some relative newcomers - Philip K. Dick, Theodore Sturgeon, Robert Silverberg, Brian W. Aldiss, Samuel R. Delaney, and of course Harlan Ellison himself - this anthology is filled to the brim with accomplished writers at the peak of their abilities or soon to be ascendant.

Published in 1967 and edited together by American writer Harlan Ellison, the prime objective of this anthology was to bring to the forefront stories considered too dangerous, too risky and taboo for publication elsewhere. Dangerous Visions would form a cornerstone of the New Wave movement and was soon followed up in 1972 by an even larger sequel; Again, Dangerous Visions. Each story begins with an introduction by Ellison and an afterword by the author outlining their intent and some closing comments, padding the page count considerably but also adding some extra insight into the creation of each story which was an aspect of the book I enjoyed.

With the sheer glut of stories available it took some time to sift through and decide but there were a great number of gems in there:

• Evensong (Lester del Rey) - it does in seven pages what whole books often fail to do. Utterly arresting and compelling to the very end; just saying anything about the plot is a spoiler but what a way to start off the book!
• A Toy for Juliette (Robert Bloch) - a very dark and grim tale about a killer whose grandfather brings her victims from across time, with an unexpected sting in the tail to come.
• Faith of Our Fathers (Philip K. Dick) - my favorite in the collection, though I'm generally biased toward anything Dick. A strange meld of theology, Cold War politics and hallucinogenic drugs filled with quintessential Dick strangeness.
• Gonna Roll the Bones (Fritz Leiber) - a man plays craps with Death. Shades of the Seventh Seal there for me so if that doesn't sell you on it, I don't know what will.
• The Doll-House (James Cross) - a cautionary tale mixing ancient mythology with modern parable, where our protagonist receives a doll-house containing a small Greek oracle. 
• If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister? (Theodore Sturgeon) - a discomforting story that still packs a punch. Sturgeon knows how to write a good story.
• Judas (John Brunner) - my first taste of Brunner's writing and holy smokes he is good. Another zinger in this collection!
• Carcinoma Angels (Norman Spinrad) - an entertaining story with a stinger of an end.

For an anthology promising "dangerous visions" I couldn't shake the feeling that a lot of them weren't really particularly dangerous. Maybe it's the fact that these stories were published in 1968 and several decades' worth of new stories, new themes and new dangers just mean they don't feel quite as timely or as risky as they once did. Nevertheless these remains evocative enough for me to at least understand why this anthology is as revered as it is.

Another small criticism was the lack of diversity in the number of authors whose stories were published. For all the forward-thinking and progressiveness of these stories, a primarily white male author base I can't help but feel doesn't represent the full depth and breadth of what dangerous visions sci-fi can offer.

On the whole though, I really enjoyed reading Dangerous Visions. A vital cornerstone of the New Wave, it is a sampling of some of the finest work of the time. Worth it on the historical value alone.