PAINGOD AND OTHER DELUSIONS
by Harlan Ellison®
Copyright © 1965, 1975 by Harlan Ellison
Renewed © 1983 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 0-7592-8658-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-7592-8658-0
Harlan Ellison® is a registered trademark of The Kilimanjaro Corporation.
Front Cover Photo by Stathis Orphanos.
Copyright © Stathis Orphanos.
First E-Reads publication: June, 2008
www.ereads.com
Harlan Ellison website: www.harlanellison.com
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical—including photocopy, recording, Internet posting, electronic bulletin board—or any other information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Author or the Author’s agent, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television or in a recognized on-line journal. For information address Author’s agent: Richard Curtis Associates, Inc., 171 East 74th Street, New York, New York 10021 USA.
All persons, places and organizations in this book—except those clearly in the public domain—are fictitious, and any resemblance that may seem to exist to actual persons, places or organizations living, dead or defunct is purely coincidental. These are works of fiction.
“Paingod” (in a slightly abridged version) originally appeared in Fantastic, June 1964; copyright © 1964 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Copyright reassigned to Author 6 January 1981. Copyright © 1981 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation.
“’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” originally appeared in Galaxy, December 1965; copyright © 1966 by Harlan Ellison.
“The Crackpots” originally appeared in IF: Worlds of Science Fiction, June 1956; copyright © 1956 by Quinn Publishing Company. Copyright reassigned to Author 25 March 1975. Copyright © 1975 by Harlan Ellison.
“Sleeping Dogs” originally appeared in Analog Science Fiction/Fact, October 1974; copyright © 1974 by Harlan Ellison.
“Bright Eyes” originally appeared in Fantastic, April 1965; copyright © 1965 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Copyright reassigned to Author 10 March 1981. Copyright © 1981 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation.
“The Discarded” (under the title “The Abnormals”) originally appeared in Fantastic, April 1959; copyright © 1959 by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company. Copyright reassigned to Author 6 January 1981. Copyright © 1981 by The Kilimanjaro Corporation.
“Wanted in Surgery” originally appeared in IF: Worlds of Science Fiction, August 1957; copyright © 1957 by Quinn Publishing Company. Copyright reassigned to Author 25 March 1975. Copyright © 1975 by Harlan Ellison.
“Deeper Than the Darkness” originally appeared in Infinity Science Fiction, April 1957; copyright © 1957 by Royal Publications, Inc. Copyright reassigned to Author 18 September 1959. Copyright © 1959 by Harlan Ellison.