As the title suggests, this collection centers on the general theme of agony -- mostly the spiritual variety rather than the physical, although there is a fair dose of the latter as well. The results, while occasionally contrived to the point of noncredibility, exhibit a depth of inventiveness and, more important, of resolve that many writers never achieve.
Paingod probably was the book that first gave Ellison the reputation as an Angry Young Man. Stories such as "The Discarded," a futuristic evocation of the Nazi Holocaust, naturally pegged their author as equal parts storyteller and crusader. But the book demonstrated Ellison's sense of humor, as well; it marks the first book appearance of "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman," which won Ellison his first Nebula award from the Science Fiction Writers of America and has since been anthologized more than 60 times. Essential.
