White Wolf Press

Ellison, Harlan (1934–2018)

Edgeworks 2: Spider Kiss and Stalking the Nightmare [Signed Association Copy]

Clarkston, GA, White Wolf Press, 1996. First Edition, First Printing.
SIGNED HARLAN ELLISON — ROCKABILLY FEVER, NIGHTMARES, AND CULTURAL FURY
Edgeworks 2, pairs two sharply contrasting yet distinctly Ellisonian works: the rock-and-roll descent of Spider Kiss and the acclaimed essay and story collection Stalking the Nightmare. 

Signed by Harlan Ellison on the title page and originating from the library of influential science-fiction editor, reviewer, and publisher D. Douglas Fratz, this copy reflects the enduring network of late twentieth-century speculative-fiction culture.

Combining psychological intensity, social criticism, speculative imagination, and autobiographical energy, the volume demonstrates Ellison’s remarkable range. Whether dissecting fame, rage, media culture, or human cruelty, Ellison writes with the confrontational intelligence and emotional velocity that made him one of the defining voices of modern speculative fiction.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Black cloth binding with metallic spine titles. Octavo format. Hardcover with original dust jacket. First Edition, First Printing. Signed on the title page by Harlan Ellison.

CONDITION: Bindings are tight and secure. Text is clean; light, even age-toning. No flaws or blemishes beyond minimal shelf handling. Dust jacket bright and well-preserved. An excellent collector copy, still gift quality. From the library of D. Douglas Fratz.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE — 
Harlan Ellison became one of the most influential and controversial voices in postwar American speculative fiction. A multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner, he helped push science fiction toward greater literary ambition and sharper social critique during the 1960s and beyond.

The Edgeworks series sought to preserve and consolidate Ellison’s sprawling body of work, introducing new generations of readers to both his fiction and nonfiction. The association to D. Douglas Fratz further roots this copy within the world of science-fiction criticism, reviewing culture, and fandom history.

Spider Kiss, originally published in 1961, channels the destructive energy of early rock-and-roll culture into a dark narrative of ambition, exploitation, and personal collapse. Loosely inspired by the rise of Elvis Presley and the machinery of celebrity culture, the novel reveals Ellison’s fascination with fame as both mythology and corruption.

In contrast, Stalking the Nightmare gathers stories and essays exploring censorship, violence, politics, literature, media, and the anxieties of modern life. Together, the paired works showcase Ellison’s ability to move seamlessly between speculative fiction, cultural criticism, memoir, and literary polemic.

Throughout the volume, Ellison’s signature qualities remain unmistakable: moral outrage, intellectual aggression, emotional vulnerability, and relentless stylistic energy.

Signed Ellison first editions remain actively collected, particularly volumes uniting major fiction and nonfiction works. Copies associated with recognized speculative-fiction figures such as D. Douglas Fratz carry additional appeal within genre collecting circles.

SUBJECTS: Harlan Ellison, signed science fiction, D. Douglas Fratz, Spider Kiss, Stalking the Nightmare, speculative fiction essays, rock-and-roll fiction, social commentary, literary criticism, modern fantasy, horror fiction, science-fiction criticism, White Wolf Press, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Literary Essays, Horror, Cultural Criticism.

Item #20618
ISBN: 1565049616

Price: $180.00