Let there be no doubt about it, a new Ellison collection is an event. Harlan Ellison is one of the best short fiction writers of our time, and [Strange Wine] gives ample evidence of his talent. Ellison writes with immense force and emotion….

Ellison's books are more than just a group of his stories slapped between two covers. They capture his personality. Lest readers miss the meanings of the stories, he adds an introduction to the book, and a preface to each story. The Introduction—"Revealed at Last! What Killed the Dinosaurs! And You Don't Look So Terrific Yourself"—is a dangerous vision more frightening than anything Ellison put into his two anthologies of that name. You will never again feel complacent about watching the boob tube.

Unlike the prior Ellison collection Deathbird Stories, Strange Wine is compiled of not-previously-collected stories. There is no way to summarize an...