Editing Harlan Ellison (section)

===''The Last Dangerous Visions''===
''[[The Last Dangerous Visions]]'' (TLDV), the third volume of Ellison's anthology series, was originally announced for publication in 1973,<ref name="deadloss" /> but not published until October 2024, six years after Ellison died.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Last Dangerous Visions Edited by Harlan Ellison (review) |magazine=[[Publishers Weekly]] |date=July 25, 2024 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9798212183796 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}</ref> Nearly 150 writers, many now also dead, had submitted works for the volume. In 1993, Ellison threatened to sue the [[New England Science Fiction Association]] (NESFA) for publishing "Himself in Anachron", a short story written by [[Cordwainer Smith]] and originally sold by his widow to Ellison for the anthology.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 1993 |title=ConFrancisco Continued |url=http://news.ansible.co.uk/a76.html#worldcon |journal=Ansible |volume=76 |issn=0265-9816 |access-date=March 11, 2006 |archive-date=February 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213023028/http://news.ansible.co.uk/a76.html#worldcon |url-status=live }}</ref> The NESFA later reached an amicable settlement after it was revealed that the story contract had expired, allowing them to legally acquire it for publication.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 1993 |title=Infinitely Improbable |url=http://news.ansible.co.uk/a77.html#he |journal=Ansible |volume=77 |issn=0265-9816 |access-date=March 11, 2006 |archive-date=February 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213023034/http://news.ansible.co.uk/a77.html#he |url-status=live }}</ref>

British science fiction author [[Christopher Priest (novelist)|Christopher Priest]] criticized Ellison's editorial practices in an article entitled "The Book on the Edge of Forever",<ref name="deadloss">{{Cite book |last=Priest |first=Christopher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XlAFAAAACAAJ |title=The book on the edge of forever: an enquiry into the non-appearance of Harlan Ellison's The last dangerous visions |publisher=Fantagraphics Books |year=1994 |isbn=978-1-56097-159-7 |location=Seattle, WA |oclc=34231805 |author-link=Christopher Priest (novelist) |access-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605010613/https://books.google.com/books?id=XlAFAAAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> later expanded into a book. Priest documented a half-dozen unfulfilled promises by Ellison to publish ''TLDV'' within a year of the statement. Priest claims that he submitted a story at Ellison's request, which Ellison retained for several months until Priest withdrew the story and demanded that Ellison return the manuscript. Ellison was incensed by "The Book on the Edge of Forever" and, personally or by proxy, threatened Priest on numerous occasions after its publication.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ansible.co.uk/writing/cpriest.html |title=Christopher Priest interview (1995) |publisher=Ansible.co.uk |access-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716065215/http://www.ansible.co.uk/writing/cpriest.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In November 2020, the executor of the Harlan Ellison estate, J. Michael Straczynski, announced on Patreon that he was proceeding with the final preparations for the publication of TLDV with the proceeds to go to the Harlan and Susan Ellison Trust. The book was expected to be published in April 2021, as significant publisher interest was expressed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Straczynski|first=J. Michael|date=November 15, 2020|title=On Finishing The Last Dangerous Visions|url=https://www.patreon.com/posts/43848905|access-date=November 15, 2020|website=Patreon|archive-date=December 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201216121638/https://www.patreon.com/posts/43848905|url-status=live}}</ref>

Christopher Priest was unimpressed, saying that Straczynski was "in the same sort of unenviable position as [[Donald Trump|Trump]]'s caddie", but as an experienced professional would possibly work something out. He added, "I kind of lost interest in all that years ago. Ellison clearly did too, along with everyone else. (Although I gather he went on with his magical thinking if anyone asked when he was going to deliver.) Many of the stories were withdrawn, because Ellison acted like a dick. Of the ones that remain, most of them are by writers who are now deceased, so the rights have expired and the estates would have to be traced. A lot of the writers have disowned their stories as juvenilia, or outdated, or simply because Ellison was acting like a dick."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Harlan Ellison's The Last Dangerous Visions may finally be published, after five-decade wait |last=Flood |first=Alison |newspaper=The Guardian |date=November 16, 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/16/harlan-ellison-the-last-dangerous-visions-anthology-may-be-published |access-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116165436/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/16/harlan-ellison-the-last-dangerous-visions-anthology-may-be-published |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite early hopes of a 2021 release for TLDV, 2021 came and went with no book.  An October 2021 'progress report' from Straczynski revealed that the book was still in preparation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://file770.com/last-dangerous-visions-progress-report/|title = Last Dangerous Visions Progress Report|date = October 20, 2021}}</ref> On May 2, 2022, Straczynski announced that the book would be published in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1521237044294414337|title=NEWS: A deal to publish Harlan Ellison's THE LAST DANGEROUS VISIONS, as well as its predecessors, DANGEROUS VISIONS and AGAIN, DANGEROUS VISIONS has been struck with Blackstone Publishers via the Janklow & Nesbit Agency, and announced at the London Book Fair, slated for '23.|website=Twitter.com|access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> On July 10, 2022, Straczynski announced on Twitter that ''The Last Dangerous Visions'' will be published on September 1, 2024, by Blackstone Publishers.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=straczynski |last=Straczynski |first=J. Michael |date=July 10, 2022 | number= 1546273000307101699 |title=More news about Harlan Ellison's THE LAST DANGEROUS VISIONS. To build excitement for TLDV, Blackstone will be republishing the original DV on September 1 '23; AGAIN, DANGEROUS VISIONS will come out about six months later, culminating in the publication of TLDV on September 1 '24. |url=https://twitter.com/straczynski/status/1546273000307101699 |access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> The book was finally published on October 1, 2024, after half a century.