Dating from the late 60s, this is one of Ellison's stronger short story collections. He's known primarily as a fantasist, but most of these are gritty, down-to-earth tales about anything from an illegal abortion in Mexico ("Neither Your Jenny Nor Mine") and a shy late 20s fellow's introduction to sex in a Nevada brothel, to an old Jewish woman confronting a neo-Nazi, and a prison riot. The two outstanding pieces are "The Return of Miss Ankle-Strap Wedgie," an atypical novella about a Hollywood team that brings a largely talentless, aging starlet out of retirement as a publicity stunt, and the lengthy introduction in which the author talks candidly about his own lessons in sex and love. (He assures us the title of the collection is ironic, by the way.)
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The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus
