Ellison, Harlan (ed.) - The Last Dangerous Visions / Эллисон, Харлан (ред.) - Последние опасные видения [2024, epub, ENG]

Assignment No. 1 short story by Stephen Robinett Hunger short story by Max Brooks Intermezzo 1: Broken, Beautiful Body on Beach short story by D. M. Rowles None So Deaf short story by Richard E. Peck War Stories novelette by Edward Bryant Intermezzo 2: Bedtime Story short story by D. M. Rowles The Great Forest Lawn Clearance Sale—Hurry, Last Days! short story by Stephen Dedman Intermezzo 3: Even Beyond Olympus short story by D. M. Rowles After Taste novelette by Cecil Castellucci Leveled Best short story by Steve Herbst The Time of the Skin short story by A. E. van Vogt Rundown short story by John Morressy Intermezzo 4: Elemental short story by D. M. Rowles The Weight of a Feather (The Weight of a Heart) novelette by Cory Doctorow The Malibu Fault short story by Jonathan Fast The Size of the Problem short story by Howard Fast Intermezzo 5: First Contact short story by D. M. Rowles A Night at the Opera short story by Robert Wissner Goodbye short story by Steven Utley Primordial Follies short story by Robert Sheckley Men in White short story by David Brin Intermezzo 6: Continuity short story by D. M. Rowles The Final Pogrom novelette by Dan Simmons Intermezzo 7: The Space Behind the Obvious short story by D. M. Rowles Falling from Grace short story by Ward Moore First Sight short story by Adrian Tchaikovsky Intermezzo 8: Proof short story by D. M. Rowles Binary System short story by Kayo Hartenbaum Dark Threshold short story by P. C. Hodgell The Danann Children Laugh short story by Mildred Downey Broxon Judas Iscariot Didn't Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments short story by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (as by James S. A. Corey)

Long ago there was no space, or hardly any. The vast distances of the universe were filled with solid matter. There were no stars or planets or galaxies; there was only matter, filling nearly all of what we now call space. From one end of the universe to the other, everything was connected. Nothing much ever happened, because there was no place for anything to happen in. The universe was monotonous, but peaceful. There were variations in the density of matter, of course—heavy areas here, light areas there, average areas in between. Variation gave rise to differentiation, which gave rise to creation. Certain proto-beings came into existence between the various strata of the universe. There were few of these beings, and they rarely met. This rendered reproduction difficult, but made for a quiet life. There were few parties, but everyone had plenty of time for meditation. All of this changed when Ilvan came on the scene. Ilvan was the first hetero-eater. All the other proto-beings were auto-eaters, who lived by consuming their own substance. The older they got, the thinner they became, until at last they passed a critical point and vanished entirely. Our expression “he’s wasted to a shadow of himself” dates from that time. ...