It’s a way to transport yourself back half a century, to a time when science fiction was still fresh and new when Harlan Ellison was an unknown name, a hotshot young writer with only two previous books to his name and when a mainstream publisher still tried their best to package his singular voice as typical paperback SF. On top of all of that though, this little book is simply a pure slice of 60s nostalgia. And the novel on the flip side, The Man With Nine Lives, has never been reprinted… so if you’re an Ellison collector, this is the only way to get it. A Touch of Infinity is also Ellison’s first short story collection and that alone makes it remarkable. 54 years after this book went on sale, I still want to find out what that’s all about.

Ed Valigursky’s classic cover, featuring a spacesuit-clad future person hiding in the rubble from invading flying saucers, clearly didn’t hurt. But speaking as someone who’s bought and sold Ace Doubles for many years, I think Harlan Ellison’s A Touch of Infinity (paired with The Man With Nine Lives) may be the most in demand. Dick are near the top of the list, as are novels by Asimov and Dean Koontz.

Of course, even among the Ace Doubles, some are more collectible than others. Best of all, they had some really terrific covers, including some truly iconic SF images. Wollheim, one of the most accomplished editors our genre has ever seen, and the authors in their stable reads like a Who’s Who of major talent of the era. The Ace Doubles have a lot of things going for them in terms of raw collectibility. But I get the most pleasure out of the Ace Doubles. I enjoy collecting vintage SF and fantasy paperbacks of all kinds.

Brain Movies by Harlan Ellison