It was the science fiction genre, however, that most appreciated Ellison's talent--both to Ellison's benefit and chagrin. Reviewers quickly associated him with the New Wave of science fiction writers--a group that included such authors as Brian W. Aldiss, J. G. Ballard, and Robert Silverberg. James Blish, writing under the pseudonym William Atheling, Jr., proclaimed in
More Issues at Hand, "Harlan Ellison is not only the most audible but possibly the most gifted of the American members of the New Wave." Donald A. Wolheim concurred in
The Universe Makers: "Harlan Ellison is one of those one-man phenomena who pop up in a field, follow their own rules, and have such a terrific charisma and personal drive that they get away with it. They break all the rules and make the rest like it."
In response to such reviews, Ellison not only denied his role in the New Wave of science fiction but rejected the notion of a New Wave entirely. "For the record, and for those who need to be told bluntly, I do not believe there is such a thing as 'New Wave' in speculative fiction," Ellison announced in the introduction to The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World.
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