Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled
History will surely agree that America's most destructive contribution to 20th century living has been that damaged product called plastic romance. It twists and savages us. After a lifetime of lies about what love is supposed to be, are you finally angry and depressed enough to be part of a "recall" on that shabby, mildewed merchandise? If so, join the remarkable Harlan Ellison as he dissects the soul and body of love in Our Time. In 16 scalpel-sharp stories that range from the legalized whorehouses of Nevada to the steaming lynch towns of Georgia, from the abortion mills of Tijuana to the sound stages of Hollywood, the writer whom Oui magazine charmingly named "the perpetually angry young punk of the bizarre" rips the Saran-Wrap off love and hate and sin and twittering passion—to disclose the raw meat beneath. Here are sixteen poisoned arrows from fantasy's most improbable Cupid in which he presents a world of hearts & flowers guaranteed to revise your thinking about where love is found and how it looks. Cover Art by Leo & Diane Dillon |
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This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. First E-Reads publication: 2009 www.ereads.com No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical-including photocopy, recording, Internet hosting, electronic bulletin board-or any other information storage and retrieval system, or by any other method, means or process of embodying and/or transmitting information, text or the spoken word now known or hereafter devised without permission in writing from The Kilimanjaro Corporation, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television or in a recognized on-line journal. For information address Author's agent: Richard Curtis Associates, Inc., 171 East 74th Street, New York, New York 10021, USA. All persons, places and organizations in this book—except those clearly in the public domain—are fictitious and any resemblance that may seem to exist to actual persons, places or organizations living, dead or defunct is purely coincidental. These are works of fiction. |
SKU: ERBAEN0072
Copyright © 1968, 1976 by Harlan Ellison. Copyright © 1983 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation. Renewed, 1986, 2004 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation. LOVE AIN'T NOTHING BUT SEX MISSPELLED is an Edgeworks Abbey® Offering in association with ereads.com. Published by arrangement with the Author and The Kilimanjaro Corporation. Harlan Ellison and Edgeworks Abbey are registered trademarks of The Kilimanjaro Corporation. Front Cover Illustration by Leo & Diane Dillon. Copyright © 1966 by Leo & Diane Dillon. Renewed, © 1994 by Leo & Diane Dillon. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form. E-Reads, Ltd. Electronic version by Baen Books |
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Introduction: "Having an Affair with a Troll," copyright © 1976 by Harlan Ellison. Renewed, 2004 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation. ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe Author wishes to acknowledge the kindness and encouragement of Messrs. Ralph Weinstock, Bentley Morriss; Raymond F. Locke and Jared Rutter of Knight and Cad magazines; Paul Neimark; the late Hans Stefan Santesson; Damon Knight and Kate Wilhelm; Brian Kirby, formerly of the Los Angeles Free Press and The Staff; Arthur Kunkin, former publisher of the Free Press; G. Barry Golson of Playboy; and Frank M. Robinson, whose editorial and critical proclivities ran more toward giving the Author freedom than directing his words into acceptable channels. And to Andy Ettinger and Herb Alexander, formerly of Trident Press, who were not only critical but kind. And most particularly to my agents at the time, the late Robert P. Mills (in New York) and the still-with-us Marty Shapiro (in Hollywood), who refused to let the Author sell his birthright for a mess of pottage, and because of whose efforts this book became a wonderful reality for the Author who seldom knows what's good for him. DEDICATIONShave always been matters of very special attention for me. I don't show auctorial respect and/oraffection casually. But time passes and things change, and sometimes those who were prominent in the loop, have gone long time away. Even so, a nod should be given to memory.
In 1968, the first edition of this book carried the following dedication:
FOR SHERRI, WHO PICKED UP THE PIECES Eight years later, in February of 1976, when it came time to revise this book for the updated paperback edition, I retained the Plato quote, and reconfigured the dedication thus: FOR SHERRI, WHO PICKED UP THE PIECES. It is now twenty-one years later, close on three decades since this book was first published. I've had one or two brief phone conversations with Sherri in the last twenty years; Lori is long gone and married to someone else, and one hopes she's happy and content; and Leslie Kay is still my long-time friend. I'm not going to recycle the dedications and add someone new. Let it stand, with a gentle smile for Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Harlan / 2 Aug 97 There is an inscription on the lintel over the octagonal portal to Ellison Wonderland. It says: ALWAYS LOOK UP. There is a seven-headed dog guarding the octagonal portal to Ellison Wonderland. If you aren't nice, it will bite you in the ass. KILIMANJARO IS A SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAIN 19,710 FEET HIGH, AND IS SAID TO BE THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN AFRICA. ITS WESTERN SUMMIT IS CALLED THE MASAI "NGÀJE NGÀI," THE HOUSE OF GOD. CLOSE TO THE WESTERN SUMMIT THERE IS THE DRIED AND FROZEN CARCASS OF A LEOPARD. NO ONE HAS EXPLAINED WHAT THE LEOPARD WAS SEEKING AT THAT ALTITUDE. THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO |
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Love has ten thousand names and a million different faces.