This collection is a mixed bag that is hanging its theming on a string that does not hold. Mind you, I am only taking a stab at what that theme might be. The only indication is the title, the blurb on the back, and Harlan Ellison’s introduction - which focuses on the art of anthology rather than what this is an anthology of. Don’t get me wrong – Ellison’s introduction is as good as he ever is. And it is not the role of an introduction to describe what you are about to read. I only bring this up to show that there is no clear indication what this anthology is supposed to do. (And, listed as volume one, what could the other volumes be?)

So, we wind up with a collection of historical and recent stories hanging together on the concept (I think) what happens after the powers of myths and gods have declined. This means well known science fiction authors such as Robert Silverberg ( “After the Myths Went Home”) and R.A Lafferty (one of my favorite Lafferty stories, “Continued on Next Rock”) are cheek by jowl with Ambrose Pierce, Guy de Maupassant, and Euripides. And, just for mood, poems by Stephen Crane and Walt Whitman are included.

The stories are fine. They all match the “theme” and have a fantastical element about them. But, other than a few already known exceptions (Lafferty springs to mind), none of them blaze themselves on the reader’s memory. And, inclusion of older material hurts the collection. It is not that these items are bad, they are just dated. And there are enough of them for that datedness to hurt the overall impact of the collection.

The redeeming thing about the collection is that I would be surprised if most readers had read even 25% previously. By digging into these older works – works that, in spite of my previous comments, are good enough –most readers will meet material that is different; something they haven’t seen before. So, the collection is nice from that regard. But nothing else makes this stand out as a must have anthology. ( )

First of a three-volume series, this book collects tales of imagination from the last couple of centuries. These are not specifically science fiction, or fantasy, or horror stories, but somewhere in the middle.

Robert Silverberg looks at a far-future human society that no longer believes in myths, so a great machine is built to bring to life mythical figures from throughout human history. Among those recreated were Adam and Eve, Odysseus, Shiva, Dionysus, Thor, St. George and St. Jude. It also recreated more modern figures who became mythical, like Galileo, Newton, Freud, Einstein and John Kennedy. After fifty years, humanity gets bored with them, so all of them are sent back into the machine. Then the invaders come and enslave humanity.

There is an excerpt from a longer piece written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers. It explores 1930s New York City in a parallel reality, and is about the opening of the first public suicide chamber. A story from 1901 is about a man found insane and uncommunicative in an isolated area. Later, a diary is found that describes him abruptly quitting his job, living in the isolated area, becoming sick of all human contact, and convincing himself that he is a god. Elvis Presley returns to America from the Army to bear witness to a weird and jumbled timeline of death. There is a portion of a play from early 1900s German Expressionism. Included in this volume are tales by Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood and Guy de Maupassant.

This is what they mean when they talk about "great imaginative literature." These authors helped to create the fantasy and science fiction genres. There is something here for everyone, and it is highly recommended. ( )