THE STORY TO END ALL

Number	Writing Date	Pub. Date	Previous	Next	Notes
111	<Fall 1968	Fall 1968	Faith Of Our Fathers	The Electric Ant	116 wds

This brief scrap of a story was written perhaps in late 1967 or early 1968. It was first published in Niekas #20 in the Fall of 1968. This might be "The Story To End All Stories For Harlan Ellison’s DANGEROUS VISIONS" of which Ed Meskys of Bumbejimas said:

"About this time Phil became friendly with Ray Nelson and Jack Newcomb, who also were frequent visitors. He was living alone at this time and he and the other two made a number of cynical remarks about the nature of women. They coauthored a half-page statement on this which I ran in NIEKAS. Later Phil wrote a wonderful half-page satire of a typical story in DANGEROUS VISIONS which I also ran. It was absolutely delightful.
"Shortly before I moved east I began to see a lot of two quite young sisters at Phil's house. Eventually one of them, Nancy, moved in and he later married her."

First let me say that I have instructed my agent to sell you the STORY TO END ALL STORIES FOR HARLAN ELLISON'S DANGEROUS VISIONS for the sum of one dollar -- just to make it a business transaction and to pay for the postage of sending this letter. {...}
{...} Thanks for your wonderful letter and do write me again. Could you send me a copy, when the above story comes out? Thank you

In late 1962 the late Ron Ellik got me interested in Gilbert & Sullivan, and I was fortunate in that San Francisco had a G&S repertory company that did nothing else. During the next three years I got to see all the operettas except SORCERER and GRAND DUKE, and through a plug in SATURDAY REVIEW I found a semi-professional company in DC that performed rare G&S and associated works and recorded them. Thus I had the only recording made to that time of UTOPIA LTD. Since Phil shared my love for G&S I brought the album down. He wanted to hear certain songs and had a beautiful knack for putting the needle down on the right spot on the LP to get it. He spoke enthusiastically of Sullivan's growth as a composer over the years since he had written GONDOLIERS, but was not interested in hearing the entire album even tho I had offered to leave it with him.

About this time Phil became friendly with Ray Nelson and Jack Newcomb, who also were frequent visitors. He was living alone at this time and he and the other two made a number of cynical remarks about the nature of women. They coauthored a half-page statement on this which I ran in NIEKAS. Later Phil wrote a wonderful half-page satire of a typical story in DANGEROUS VISIONS which I also ran. It was absolutely delightful. {this would be "The Story to End All Stories For Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS", published in Niekas #20, Fall 1968 - Lord RC}

Shortly before I moved east I began to see a lot of two quite young sisters at Phil's house. Eventually one of them, Nancy, moved in and he later married her.