The Top of the Volcano: the Award-Winning Stories of Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is a legend in fantasy and sci-fi, and deservedly so. His stories are rich, unexpected, and challenging, pushing limits and drawing new boundaries. (He’s also a world-class curmudgeon and litigious pain-in-the-ass, but like I said, he likes pushing limits.)

The Top of the Volcano collects all of his award-winning stories, complete with dark notions, twist endings, and genre-bending narratives. From the wonderful, double-edged nostalgia of “Jeffty is Five” to the fierce ode to individuality that is “The Region Between,” this is not only the perfect introduction to Ellison for newcomers, but the collection to bring back readers who may have burned out on Ellison’s aggressive style and abrasive reputation. This is not just a collection of short stories, it’s a guidebook to frontier fantasy and sci-fi with a true master storyteller. Whether he’s evoking 1984 with “Repent, Harlequin!” said the Ticktockman or delivering an unexpected solution to a problem in “Djinn, No Chaser,” he is opening minds and treading new ground for readers.

The Top of the Volcano is a marvelous collection, presenting Ellison’s singular voice and packaging it for a new generation of readers.