No Doors, No Windows

1975

Ellison's suspense anthology: 15 stories and one wild, 32-page introduction, none collected previously except for "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs," first published in book form mere weeks earlier in Deathbird Stories. Some, such as "Toe the Line" and "Ormond Always Pays His Bills," are simple pulp crime yarns; others are masterful examples of psychological terror and, in the case of "Whipped Dogs," mystical fantasy. Excellent.

Contents

• Introduction: Blood/Thoughts
• The Whimper of Whipped Dogs
• Eddie, You're My Friend
• Status Quo at Troyden's
• Nedra at f:5.6
• Opposites Attract
• Toe the Line
• Down in the Dark
• Pride in the Profession
• The Children's Hour
• White Trash Don't Exist
• Thicker Than Blood
• Two Inches in Tomorrow's Column
• Promises of Laughter
• Ormond Always Pays His Bills
• The Man on the Juice Wagon
• Tired Old Man