Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison’s is one of the greatest short story anthology books I’ve picked up. In this video, I go over the first 5 stories.
In the video, I summarize these areas:
-Introduction: Oblations at Alien Altars
-The Whimper of Whipped Dogs
-Along the Scenic Route
-On the Downhill Side
-O Ye of Little Faith
-Neon
Though Ellison’s style is brutal, straight forward, and doesn’t pull punches, Deathbird Stories has moments of simple beauty. Romance elements seem like another writer is at the helm. But the theme of belief in the creation of the supernatural, to the point of sustaining it’s personification — a literal god — comes through in almost every story. But, being a theme throughout the book, all stories share a look at humanity and their relationship with others, their desires, and their powerful belief in these concepts. From hard science fiction, whimsical romance, to contemporary settings, fantasy, and surreal horror, Ellison is a master at creating quick, clear, powerful worlds that are so poignant, you’ll remember them for years after.
Similar to a fine wine with so much flavor, instead, Ellison’s Deathbird is like a series of a vineyard’s vintages. Instead, you get a variety of bottles of varying genre blends for you to taste. Additionally, they’re easy to read, though hard to put down. Some, you might wish were turned into novellas.
Interested? Get Deathbird Stories at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DTNXhF
