Dangerous Visions

by Harlan Ellison
Dangerous Visions cover
Good Books rating 3.17
Anthologies (Multi-author)
Technical
  • ID: 2098
  • Added: 2025-10-12
  • Updated: 2025-10-12
  • ISBN: 9780575108035
  • Publisher: Hachette UK
  • Published: 2012-02-09
  • Reviews: 3

Dangerous Visions is a seminal anthology that set a high standard for science fiction collections. Published in 1967, it features stories by renowned authors such as Samuel R. Delany, Philip K. Dick, and Roger Zelazny, many of which won major awards. The anthology was unavailable for 15 years but has returned to print, remaining as relevant today as it was upon its initial release. /n/n This collection is a must-read for science fiction enthusiasts, offering a glimpse into the creative minds that shaped the genre. The stories within Dangerous Visions push the boundaries of imagination and continue to inspire new generations of readers and writers.

Reviews
Short Science Fiction Review · 2024-07-17
provocative 3.50

The collection features brutal content, but it is justified by a compelling sci-fi premise. The anthology's impact is undeniable, though some stories are more challenging than others.

This reviewer acknowledges that the anthology is not for the faint of heart, with its graphic depictions of abuse and violence. However, they appreciate the sci-fi reasoning behind these elements, which makes the collection's impact more profound. They note that while some stories are difficult to get through, the overall anthology is a significant piece of science fiction that pushes boundaries and challenges readers.

Quick quotes

    Good. A very unpleasant story with brutal on screen abuse and violence.

    Eventually there is a good sci-fi reason why we are reading this, but ...

    It came in at a fairly robust 239,000 words (per Harlan Ellison) and 520 pages in hardback.

Reddit - printSF · u/printSF · 2024-07-17
disappointing 2.00

The reviewer found one of the highly acclaimed stories in the collection to be incoherent and pointless, despite its accolades.

This reviewer was particularly critical of a story that won a Hugo and was praised by the editor, finding it incoherent and insufferable. They felt that the story was stuffed with unfunny humor and lacked a clear point, which was disappointing given its reputation. Overall, their experience with the anthology was mixed, highlighting the subjective nature of literary appreciation.

Quick quotes

    Ellison called this the best story in the collection and it won a Hugo, but I found it incoherent, insufferable, pointless, stuffed with unfunny ...

    I believe it was the largest original anthology of ...

    This short story, described by its author as an allegory, seemed a bit weak to lead off the anthology.

A Deep Look by Dave Hook · Dave Hook · 2024-05-23
historical 4.00

The anthology is noted for its substantial size and historical significance in the science fiction genre.

Dave Hook highlights the anthology's impressive size, with over 239,000 words and 520 pages in hardback. They emphasize its historical importance, noting that it is one of the most highly regarded science fiction anthologies of all time. While acknowledging its length and scope, they also suggest that the collection has aged unevenly, with some stories holding up better than others over time.

Quick quotes

    It came in at a fairly robust 239,000 words (per Harlan Ellison) and 520 pages in hardback.

    Harlan Ellison's 1967 anthology Dangerous Visions might just be the best known, and most highly regarded, science fiction anthology of all time.

    Forty years after publication, this book has aged unevenly. The majority of the stories do not fair well with the passage of time.

Appears in Lists