Over the years, Harlan Ellison has published an amazing selection of novels, short stories and essays. Unfortunately, in recent years it had become difficult to find many of the better collections. That's where White Wolf stepped in. Starting in 1996, White Wolf's Borealis Legends imprint started publishing the Edgeworks collections. To date, each publication has contained two previous compilations of Ellison's work.

Edgeworks 4 is made up of Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled and The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. The former is missing a couple of stories which have appeared in earlier editions of Edgeworks but does contain two additional pieces, "Passport" and a teleplay called "Moonlighting."

Typical of most of Ellison's works, the collection of stories in Edgeworks 4 covers a broad spectrum of topics, moods and styles. Ellison's unique titles are almost as enjoyable as the stories themselves. Titles like "Resurgence of Miss Ankle-Strap Wedgie" or "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin" just scream Read Me!!!.

But, is it actually worth the time to read (or reread, as many Ellison fans will recognize these stories from elsewhere)? Yes. In this collection is a not-to-be-missed Hugo Award winner, "The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart of The World," and the famous Nebula Award winner, "A Boy and His Dog," which later spawned a movie of the same title. Another story, "Along the Scenic Route," helped to inspire a truly warped but very fun game called Car Wars (from Steve Jackson Games).

So whether you're already an Ellison fan just looking for a great addition to your collection, or you're wondering what all the fuss is about, the Edgeworks series is a great way to discover (or rediscover) the remarkable talent that is Harlan Ellison. I'm looking forward to Edgeworks 5 in the spring.

Wayne MacLaurin is a regular SF Site reviewer. More of his opinions are available on our Book Reviews pages.