Ellison Wonderland

Ellison Wonderland, Harlan Ellison, Signet, 1974

Here is a group of imaginative (not just science fiction) stories first published in the late 1950s. When first published in 1962, this was one of Ellison's first fiction collections.

Included is the story of an absolutely foolproof do-it-yourself murder kit. What if you knew, with absolute certainty, that the world will end next Wednesday and you had never been to bed with a woman? A death row inmate, figuring that they will wait until he has finished his last meal, makes a deal with the devil to never stop eating his last meal. A robot is sent on a faster than light trip deep into the galaxy. Its creator planned things very well, having it made a civilian employee of the Space Patrol beforehand. When it returns, 365 years later, it demands payment of all back wages and interest. A commuter gets on the wrong train, and finds himself on an alien planet, one that considers earth the suburbs, all because his neighbor has this. . . thing growing in his garden.

I really enjoyed these stories. They're to the point, and they pack quite a punch. They are all types of imaginative stories, and they're highly recommended.