Pointless Adventures in Literature-Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions Books: RGBIB 356 Part Two

[@wonderworld1928]

I could listen to your literary memoria all day, we need longer videos of your account of some of the authors you encountered or was close to. Make them 40 minutes or even an hour. Life is short and we want more of you and your wonderful insights.

[@Scottmbradfield]

Thanks for the positivity, Wonderworld! We do our best! I have written lots of this stuff down in personal essays you can find in my recent books, especially this one: www.amazon.com/Reading-Great-Books-Bathtub-Reviews-ebook/dp/B09SXN11L4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4SJ9THQ7FWSR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TQcEF_RsOR8fTDe_2kTbmOi60d6-Uz1_cXiRobgtIx5L7zg3FsFA1YK6-_kccRZjHb4K_v5gBNTRulYVoYJHkfvrpT_LCuQFZMQu-z28NcbwZ96c9e_X0qSEWmHYN3OCAkSbU0sUYz2XXaVmuTlmBOHLu0muDAEWLURREoFMyplPF0U5uY4q9r_kQbKlqNK3ipocu79OputPwKgcKJeRIxEtDxg2FcqLMrPVxEXfROI.6FD25_CWJ6tk-wJAC_VRLAaitnMfRFdNwQo8PoMhqGk&dib_tag=se&keywords=scott+bradfield&qid=1730235484&sprefix=scott+bradfield%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1 Stay safe in the bathtub! s

[@excelsiorathletic]

I've got one of the DV2 paperback copies. You are right about the introductions. I haven't read much recent SF: The Expanse series, Ted Chiang's excellent stories, Octavia Butler. Much of it seems far too long: publishers like series.

[@jordil6152]

I'm finishing up the last few stories now. There was a lot good great stories, but the new solicitations left me cold. Still shout out to "After Taste" and "Rundown". Haven't read the Afterword Apologia, but it seems the best route would have been to simply reconstruct the book as it would have been had it been released. Sort of like those archival releases the Estate puts out instead of shooting for relevancy by tossing in some new pieces, etc. It's a dead project, so treat it forensically. Probably easier said than done, but the night is young.

[@Scottmbradfield]

Yeah I do wish they had just gone and got the original stories Ellison bought even when rights reverted... he had interesting taste, and probably wouldn't have bought most of those new stories, or at least I would hope.. s

[@carltaylor6452]

I'm not tempted. Had it been called 'The Lost Dangerous Visons' and included the few original stories and the essays and correspondence detailing Ellison's failure to bring it together back in the day, that would be interesting although, I suspect, not as saleable.

[@Scottmbradfield]

The original TOC is sort of a fascinating what-if book... s

[@Yellowblam]

Great video.

[@Scottmbradfield]

Thanks for stopping by the bathtub, Yellow Blam!

[@shockingscience]

So is there a short story about the importance of bathtub rituals that you can expand on? Are potatoes and herbs involved, and if so, are there any secrete ingredients? Asking for a friend.

[@lukestables708]

These books look really cool, thanks! They are on 'the list'. I loved B5 too as a kid. But seems you didn't like it too much? So not recommended? Just first 2 I guess.

[@Scottmbradfield]

By B5 you mean TLDV? The new volume is interesting in recalling history of what happened to original TLDV but I found it pretty boring, especially compared to the earlier volumes and their writers... I actually hope TLDV isn't an indication of the "best" sf being done today...

[@ChrisC-ei2kc]

No Bob Shaw?

[@Scottmbradfield]

Actually Bob Shaw did have a story scheduled to be in TLDV but it's one of the many that disappeared or reverted over the decades...

[@TimMcLain-rf3vj]

As an owner and admirer of the 2 original volumes, I'm barely interested at all in this one after hearing your summation. It seems misleading, too, to claim it is "Edited by Harlan Ellison" when clearly it is not. As for Ellison being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of introductions needing to be written (among other tasks) it's not surprising he felt blocked. But what a monumental achievement that would've been had he pulled it off.

[@reaganwiles_art]

You may not have got yourself into Dangerous Visions, but I've seen a story of yours in a Norton [sic] Anthology; so somebody out there thinks Scott Bradfield is a "serious" littérateur. Don't be so modest, MB, makes the rest of us assholes look even worse than we already are. LOL! 😅

[@Scottmbradfield]

Ok thanks Reagan, now I need to find that Norton anthology... s

[@reaganwiles_art]

Well, not surprisingly, I was wrong about that Norton book. It's this one: The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, Ed., Tobias Wolff, a very respectable stable. Sorry about the inaccuracy. But Vintage! Damn! Come on. That dang Norton book is $63.46 on Amazon today, and I've seen it listed elsewhere for over a $100. Crazy. But hey, hard to blame them with everybody reading for free, or nearly, online.

[@davidmayhew8083]

Can't understand a word...