From the back cover: "A smoldering collection of modern stories mirroring the lust, lives and tempestuous love affairs of woman-hungry men and ... MAN-HUNGRY WOMEN!"
Not surprisingly, this is not among Ellison's better known works. He wrote it, he says, "for a schlock publisher because I needed the money." Most of the stories had appeared under slightly less lurid titles during the late 1950s in upscale men's magazines -- that is, Playboy clones -- such as Gent, Dude and Rogue (the latter for which Ellison served as editor for a year).
Only recently has Ellison begun listing the book in his bibliography -- and consequently, Sex Gang has become among the most sought-after of Ellison titles and one of the top vintage paperbacks ever.
Unquestionably, this is the Ellison book to have, even if his name isn't on the cover. As of late 2002/early 2003, specimens were selling on eBay for more than $800. At least two separate printings exist, but collectors seem to think both are equally valuable. The 1973 second edition from Greenleaf Classics is almost as rare; in March 2003, a signed copy sold for $400.
