From A to Z, in the Chocolate Alphabet
Encyclopedia
From A to Z, in the Chocolate Alphabet, a work by Harlan Ellison
, is a collection of 26 extremely short stories on abstract and basically unrelated topics, displaying various aspects of Ellison’s well known preoccupations with morality, mythology, the trivia of history, and humor.
The last of ten story titles Ellison had kept on his desk for years, "The Chocolate Alphabet" was used (and expanded to its present title) when Ellison wrote the story in the window of a Los Angeles science fiction bookshop, A Change of Hobbit. The story appeared in the October 1976 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
, where its genesis is explained in some detail in the Ellison’s afterword.
The story was sparked by a painting by Larry Todd entitled "2 Nemotropin," which Ellison saw in 1974 and around which he promised to write an 8-page comic story to appear in an edition of Last Gasp
Eco-Funnies, published by "San Francisco, California underground comix
magnate Ron Turner" and illustrated by Todd. Flash-forward to February 1976. Ellison began a week-long stint literally in the front window of A Change of Hobbit, writing a complete story each day for six days as a fund-raiser. (This was the first in a long series of such stunts for other bookstores and in other locations, although Ellison had written short stories to order earlier, notably "O Ye of Little Faith" at the 1965 Westercon
in Long Beach, California
, to three words — "serape", "polyp
", and "minotaur
" — provided at an auction
by the winning bidder, Larry Niven
, whose last name is that of the story’s protagonist.) On Monday, February 23, Ellison wrote the 3000-word story, "Strange Wine," subsequently reprinted (along with other stories written the same week) in his 1978 collection of the same name. On Tuesday, realizing that he could not write an 8-page story for the comic based on Todd’s painting, he resolved to write 26 short-short stories, some as brief as one sentence, as a pastiche of Fredric Brown
, the master of such brief stories. "From A to Z, in The Chocolate Alphabet" was begun that day and, after writing into the wee hours, was finished on Wednesday, February 25, at around 1:30 p.m.
The comic book version, Harlan Ellison's Chocolate Alphabet, with cover and art by Larry Todd, appeared in 1978.
Ellison wrote a sort of sequel to this entitled, "From A to Z, in the Sarsaparilla Alphabet," in the early '90s, beginning it in the window of a L.A. bookstore window and completing it after health issues, which interrupted the writing, were addressed. Although a few people had seen it --photocopies were given to those who purchased over $50 worth of books while the story was being written -- the story sat, unpublished, for nearly ten years, because Ellison, highly prolific at the time, had forgotten about marketing it (and even forgot to include it in his latest collection, Slippage
). After it was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2001, it was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. And because the 26 short-short stories in this novelette deal with gods and demons, it was subsequently collected in the expanded version of Deathbird Stories, published in 2011 by Subterranean Press.
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, is a collection of 26 extremely short stories on abstract and basically unrelated topics, displaying various aspects of Ellison’s well known preoccupations with morality, mythology, the trivia of history, and humor.
The last of ten story titles Ellison had kept on his desk for years, "The Chocolate Alphabet" was used (and expanded to its present title) when Ellison wrote the story in the window of a Los Angeles science fiction bookshop, A Change of Hobbit. The story appeared in the October 1976 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
, where its genesis is explained in some detail in the Ellison’s afterword.
The story was sparked by a painting by Larry Todd entitled "2 Nemotropin," which Ellison saw in 1974 and around which he promised to write an 8-page comic story to appear in an edition of Last Gasp
Last Gasp
Last Gasp is a book and underground comix publisher and distributor based in San Francisco, California.- History :Founded in 1970 by Ron Turner to publish the ecologically-themed comics magazine Slow Death Funnies, followed by the all-female anthology It Ain't Me Babe, Last Gasp soon became a major...
Eco-Funnies, published by "San Francisco, California underground comix
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
magnate Ron Turner" and illustrated by Todd. Flash-forward to February 1976. Ellison began a week-long stint literally in the front window of A Change of Hobbit, writing a complete story each day for six days as a fund-raiser. (This was the first in a long series of such stunts for other bookstores and in other locations, although Ellison had written short stories to order earlier, notably "O Ye of Little Faith" at the 1965 Westercon
Westercon
Westercon is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. "Doc" Dougherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society...
in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, to three words — "serape", "polyp
Polyp
A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are approximately cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the body...
", and "minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
" — provided at an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
by the winning bidder, Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
, whose last name is that of the story’s protagonist.) On Monday, February 23, Ellison wrote the 3000-word story, "Strange Wine," subsequently reprinted (along with other stories written the same week) in his 1978 collection of the same name. On Tuesday, realizing that he could not write an 8-page story for the comic based on Todd’s painting, he resolved to write 26 short-short stories, some as brief as one sentence, as a pastiche of Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
, the master of such brief stories. "From A to Z, in The Chocolate Alphabet" was begun that day and, after writing into the wee hours, was finished on Wednesday, February 25, at around 1:30 p.m.
The comic book version, Harlan Ellison's Chocolate Alphabet, with cover and art by Larry Todd, appeared in 1978.
Ellison wrote a sort of sequel to this entitled, "From A to Z, in the Sarsaparilla Alphabet," in the early '90s, beginning it in the window of a L.A. bookstore window and completing it after health issues, which interrupted the writing, were addressed. Although a few people had seen it --photocopies were given to those who purchased over $50 worth of books while the story was being written -- the story sat, unpublished, for nearly ten years, because Ellison, highly prolific at the time, had forgotten about marketing it (and even forgot to include it in his latest collection, Slippage
Slippage (book)
Slippage is a collection of short stories by author Harlan Ellison. In the introduction, Ellison introduces the concept of 'slippage', or the falling apart of one's life, as the underlying theme of the book...
). After it was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2001, it was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. And because the 26 short-short stories in this novelette deal with gods and demons, it was subsequently collected in the expanded version of Deathbird Stories, published in 2011 by Subterranean Press.