This volume is unique in the series in that it is one of the few books which collects criticism on an author who is usually identified as writing popular fiction and is part of the popular culture. Essays discuss Ellison's push-pull relationship with the science fiction and fantasy community, his sense that mainstream critics slighted his work because it was identified with genre fiction or popular fiction, his easy postmodern accommodation of popular culture references and images, and his ambiguous standing in the literary establishment. Also included is a comparison of Ellison's vision of dystopian hell with that of Cormac McCarthy's, and an examination of the underlying mythological and psychological themes of Ellison's works.