Sex Gang to Pulling a Train — Harlan Ellison Becomes Paul Merchant Once Again
Word has it that Harlan Ellison has agreed to reprint his Paul Merchant Nightstand Sex Gang with a new title, Pulling a Train, containing new stories. The publisher is the new Kicks Books, from underground music zine Kicks Magazine, also a vintage record label, Norton Records, that reissues and produces new groovy, 50s-style retro bachelor pad garage tunes and co-run by vintage-collector, ex-Cramps drummer, Miriam Linna.
Kicks is also publishing a collection of “science fiction” poetry by Sun Ra. How cool is that? The line has a vintage look based on Signet and Avon books of the salad days.
This is a curious and surprising re-issue on many levels…Ellison has said he would never republish it, had in the past denied it…maybe the upswing in vintage reprints by many old pals from the heydays changed his mind…one would surmise he would have gone with Subterranean or Stark House or even Hard Case rather than a new venture, or maybe a new venture is the way to go.
Either way, we are looking forward to this one.
July 13, 2011 at 7:08 pm
I have been itching to lay my hands on a copy. It will be a welcomed idea if this book is reprinted.
July 14, 2011 at 5:14 pm
I always note that Ellison inspired a lot of the writers that I read. Besides this one, can you please recommend the best of his more conventional work? I may, though, check out Pulling A Train down the line (oh, is that a pun?). I wonder if finding a used version of Sex Gang will be less expensive.
July 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Wish Ellison would reprint the old stories. If he’s ashamed of them, he shouldn’t be.