padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
I have a PKD collection with an intro by Harlan Ellison in which he talks about this game they (+ other sci-fi contemporaries) would play where you take a single sentence or simple concept and try to spin it off into as many directions as you can, how Dick was invariably the winner, how he could come up w/more wild ideas in a single paragraph than some writers in their entire careers. there were a whole lot of authors better at the craft of writing, but science fiction is ultimately about ideas and Dick is pretty much the undisputed champion. honestly I kind of like the clunky prose, tho that might just be me. it has charm.
@Benny - I've never actually read any Ellison but for excellent SF short story writers I have two other recs: James Tiptree Jr. and Lucius Shepard.
@Benny - I've never actually read any Ellison but for excellent SF short story writers I have two other recs: James Tiptree Jr. and Lucius Shepard.