Publishers Weekly
Originally published in 1958 under the title Rumble, Edgar-winner Ellison’s first novel—about a Brooklyn street gang—bears some plot parallels to the musical West Side Story. Rusty Santoro has stepped down as leader of the Cougars, but, unsurprisingly, finds that ending his connection with them and starting fresh is not so simple. His successor, Candle, is looking to send a message by administering a beating to Santoro, forcing Santoro to defend himself—and get back into the world of violence he is trying to escape. The ugliness only escalates from there, ultimately claiming a life. Readers should be prepared for a neophyte writer’s occasional awkward phrasing (e.g., “The spoor of conquest was high in Rusty now”) and action that’s pretty tame by today’s standards of urban crime fiction. “No Way Out” and two other short stories published in 1950s magazines round out the volume. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"It’s hard to fathom that one of the most illustrious speculative-fiction writing careers—in addition to ten Hugos, Ellison has won so many other awards that even he probably can’t remember half of them—launched with this gangbanger tale in 1958. Ellison based the action on his own experiences in a Brooklyn gang. Along with Web, the volume includes three related gang stories—”No Game for Children,” “Stand Still and Die,” and “No Way Out.” More fodder for the argument that Ellison may have pioneered what we now call street lit. Classic cover art on this one, too. – Library Journal
“Take a look at Web of the City, you will be glad you did.” – Crimezine
“Hard Case has done an amazing job repackaging Web of the City with three additional tales of violence and dread.” – Bibliodiscoteque
"It's a great read itself and even more fascinating when looked upon in the context of Ellison's hugely influential career." - Ain’t It Cool Holiday Gift Guide
Library Journal
It’s hard to fathom that one of the most illustrious speculative-fiction writing careers—in addition to ten Hugos, Ellison has won so many other awards that even he probably can’t remember half of them—launched with this gangbanger tale in 1958. Ellison based the action on his own experiences in a Brooklyn gang. Along with Web, the volume includes three related gang stories—”No Game for Children,” “Stand Still and Die,” and “No Way Out.” More fodder for the argument that Ellison may have pioneered what we now call street lit. Classic cover art on this one, too.
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