by Harlan Ellison

isbn: 002028361X
subject: Fiction and Literature, SF, Short Stories
finished: 12/27/1998

This is a collection of meditations on the ideas that gods cannot survive without worshipers, and that we can create new gods to replace the old ones. Ellison has a biting wit and an eye for the uglier parts of human nature; he sometimes writes wonderfully, and other times he's painfully pretentious. Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes, Adrift Just Off the Islets of Langerhans, and The Deathbird are some of Ellison's best stories -- they're very good. Otherwise, quality is spotty (Along the Scenic Route is a low point). Years ago, this was one of my favorite books; I still think it's good, but for whatever reason it doesn't blow me away like it used to. I recommend it, but not to the faint-at-heart.