Christopher Priest’s short book on the subject was written more thantwenty years ago in the spirit of investigative journalism, and treatedthe matter as one of professional concern. Even as long ago as that, MrEllison’s unfinished project had become scandalous. Priest contactedmany of the victims direct and assembled a collection of letters,reports, personal accounts and experiences, and from these mounted adispassionate account of the rudeness, inefficiency and waste of timethat have characterized dealings with Mr Ellison.The project will never be published in printed book form — MrEllison’s rights to the material expired years ago — so Priest’saccount (which campaigned for Mr Ellison to abandon his lazy andbullying ways) now has historical interest only. It remains the onlypublished critical account of the saga of incompetence and untruths.On publication, an attempt at a lawsuit of course followed. MrEllison is someone who never misses a chance to proclaim his commitmentto free speech, except when the freedom is exercised about him.