DISPATCHES FROM THE LAST DANGEROUS VISIONS: ARE WE DANGEROUS YET?

And now, the stories, the visions. The other stuff is fun, but they’re what it’s all about.

But first, what is a dangerous vision?

The first volume was an attempt to break down the taboos of the American science fiction magazines and their pulp traditions. By the time the second volume came out, a revolution in the genre was well on its way. The world was changing, too.

Just what is a dangerous vision all these decades later—in another century?

I could write a long essay on the subject, but this is about TLDV, so let’s put my opinions aside and get to the stories–the visions themselves . . .

ASSIGNMENT NO.1 Stephen Robinett:

The AngloAmerican taboo of death and what we do when the old folks get old and nonfunctional gets addressed. Not bad, but after all these decades, it seems like typical fare. Or maybe I’ve just gotten too intimate with the Angel of Death in the last few years . . . 

HUNGER Max Brooks:

I sneered at first. Mel’s kid–who writes those zombie books? But what do I know? It gets a WOW! Turns out Max is a senior fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, New York, knows a lot of stuff and inherited some talent from his parents. A near future war that ain’t the usual “military” sci-fi stuff where it’s all playing soldier with new toys. This time it affects the food industry. The next war always has an element of the unexpected, and usually changes civilization as we know it. And no zombies.

INTERMEZZO 1: BROKEN, BEAUTIFUL BODY ON BEACH - D.M. Rowels

A short poetic piece with images like an early Dalí painting, questioning the idea of what is beautiful. Short, bittersweet, and to the point. What I like to call aesthetic terrorism.

NONE SO DEAF Richard E. Peck

PTSD deafness triggered by grief. Interesting display of what it’s like to live without sound. I would have liked it more if it had gone more badass sci-fi than literary depression.

INTRODUCTION TO ED BRYANT’S “WAR STORIES” Harlan Ellison

The only one of the intros he managed to write, so deserves to be reviewed. It’s a fun, witty blast of Harlan being Harlan. I enjoyed it, but despite the pleasure, he’s avoiding the subject at hand. Probably a taste of why he couldn’t write the others. 

WAR STORIES Ed Bryant

Another winner! A truly dangerous vision. What science/speculative fiction should be. Can our society survive a shark's-eye view of itself? Hey, transhumanists! Read this before going on with your foolish fantasies about leaving our magnificent animal and biological heritage behind. The hot, wet, sticky mess is a lot of fun, and we need it even with the newfangled cybernetics.

Also: Ed Bryant was one of the great writers of the New Wave and he is largely forgotten today. Godfuckndamnit! Wonder if I can find any of his books? He deserved a lot better.

INTERMEZZO 2: BEDTIME STORY D.M.  Rowles

This one capsulizes the whole idea of science fiction—and dangerous visions—in a few paragraphs. Like a nonvisual Gahan Willson cartoon.

So far we have death and aging, war and starvation, beauty, the sense of hearing, war (again) and our bizarre species, and science fiction itself called into question. The inner punk kid in me is amused, and my contemporary jaded adult was actually impressed a few times.

More to come . . .