"It crouches near the center of creation. There is no night where it waits. Only the riddle of which terrible dream will set it loose. It beheaded mercy to take possession of that place. It feasts on darkness from the minds of men. No one has ever seen its eyeless face. When it sleeps we know a few moments of peace. But when it breathes again we go down in fire and mate with jackals. It knows our fear. It has our number. It waited for our coming and it will abide long after we have become congealed smoke. It has never heard music, and shows its fangs when we panic. It is the beast of our savage past, hungering today, and waiting patiently for the mortal meal of all our golden tomorrows. It lies waiting." --Harlan Ellison 15 stories by Harlan Ellison
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
The Beast That Shouted Love At the Heart of the World
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eleven stories and a lousy introduction.
Mar 28 2001
By John Peter O'connor
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
A lot of people skip introductions to books which is just as well in the case of this one but the contents really do not need an introduction.
The eleven stories here, first published between 1957 and 1969, can stand up and speak for themselves very well indeed. From the opening shot of the title story to the close with "A boy and his dog" the author delivers a fine selection of his work.
There are no weak stories in this book, every one is a good read. The title story, "Try a Dull Knife", "Santa Claus VS. S.P.I.D.E.R." and "A boy and his dog" are my favourites and they show the range of Ellison's talents from horror to science fiction and also display his characteristic cynical humour.
"A boy and his dog" is the best known story here largely because it has been made into a very controversial film. It also happens to be one of Ellison's finest stories and that is praise indeed. It tells the story of fifteen year old Vic and his telepathic dog Blood in a post apocalypse America. Even though it is a brutish story, Ellison's wit and lucid writing style make it a compelling read.
The stories here will appeal to almost any SF fan though, if you are new to Ellison, the book "The Essential Ellison" is a better first buy. If you like this author and wonder what else you might like to read, I'd suggest short story collections by Bruce Sterling and Eric brown.
Although this book is out of print, it is available together with the anthology "Love ain't nothing but sex misspelled" as volume four of the Edgeworks series. I note though that the contents of the Edgeworks version are not the same as the contents of my copy of this book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uniquely dark and clever speculative fiction
May 20 2012
By FinH
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Almost worth the price of purchase for the short story 'A Boy And His Dog' alone, although the rest of the content is of the same concentrated brand of visceral, spectacularly imaginative fiction. The inimitable Harlan Ellison does not disappoint, with a collection of vivid and thoughtful tales which linger in the reader's mind. The dark and outlandish work is also liberally sprinkled with doses of Ellison's customary wry humour.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A strong overall collection
Mar 5 2013
By Craig Childs
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition
THE BEAST THAT SHOUTED LOVE AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD was an excellent collection. The title story won a Hugo. "A Dog and His Boy" won a Nebula (the screenplay based on this story also won a Hugo a few years later). "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin" was nominated for a Nebula (although, oddly, it was one of my least favorite stories).
Other strong entries include "Worlds to Kill", "Run for the Stars", and "Asleep: With Still Hands". The collection as a whole is an good showcase of Ellison's range and depth within the genre of speculative fiction.
The only missteps, in my opinion, were "The Place With No Name" which was just too experimental and confusing, and "Try a Dull Knife" which I thought was trying to be a high-brow vampire story that just didn't work for me.
Other strong entries include "Worlds to Kill", "Run for the Stars", and "Asleep: With Still Hands". The collection as a whole is an good showcase of Ellison's range and depth within the genre of speculative fiction.
The only missteps, in my opinion, were "The Place With No Name" which was just too experimental and confusing, and "Try a Dull Knife" which I thought was trying to be a high-brow vampire story that just didn't work for me.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
