Medea: Harlan's World

1985

A project better in concept than in execution.

In 1975, Ellison was invited to teach an adult education course at UCLA on the subject of science fiction. One evening's session was devoted to the imagining process -- how writers develop their ideas into stories -- and featured a panel of genre luminaries essentially creating an entire planetary culture on the spot.

Medea documents the concept seminar, the dialogue between writers and readers, and the stories by Thomas Disch, Theodore Sturgeon, Ellison and eight other authors that resulted. The process, it turned out, was immensely more interesting than the imaginary world of Medea.

For students of the writing art, the book is an essential primer; as a science fiction opus, it's only so-so.

Collector's note

Copies of the original mimeographed seminar materials are the true collectables associated with this work.

However, there is one other: an extremely limited (35 copies) lettered edition bound in full Moroccan black goatskin leather with blue iridescent end pages and silver lettering, signed by all 11 contributors and the artist.

Contents

• Introduction: Cosmic Hod-Carriers
• Part I: The Specs
  • Introduction
  • Basic Concepts: Astrophysics, Geology (by Hal Clement)
  • Geology, Meteorology, Oceanography, Geography, Nomenclature, Biology (by Poul Anderson)
  • Biology, Ecology, Xenology (by Larry Niven)
  • Xenology, Sociology, Politics, Theology, Mathematics (by Frederik Pohl)
• Part II: The Concept Seminar (Participants Thomas M. Disch, Frank Herbert, Robert Silverberg, Theodore Sturgeon)
• Part III: The Extrapolations, the Questions (Contributed by the Audience of the Concept Seminar)
• Part IV: Second Thoughts (by project participants)
• Part V: The Stories
  • Farside Station (by Jack Williamson)
  • Flare Time (by Larry Niven)
  • With Virgil Oddum at the East Pole
  • Swanilda's Song (by Frederik Pohl)
  • Seasoning (by Hal Clement)
  • Concepts (by Thomas M. Disch)
  • Songs of a Sentient Flute (by Frank Herbert)
  • Hunter's Moon (by Poul Anderson)
  • The Promise (by Kate Wilhelm)
  • Why Dolphins Don't Bite (by Theodore Sturgeon)
  • Waiting for the Earthquake (by Robert Silverberg)