▁book . ▁ ▁Frank ly , ▁had ▁no ▁other ▁story ▁than ▁this ▁one ▁been ▁written ▁for ▁A , D V ▁— ▁the ▁book ▁would ▁be ▁worth ▁reading ." ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁final ▁Neb ula ▁Award ▁ball ot ▁for ▁Best ▁Nov ella ▁of ▁the ▁Year . ▁ ▁History ▁L up off ▁wrote ▁the ▁book ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁almost ▁eleven ▁years . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁writing ▁“ WT BB B ” ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁subm itting ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁chap ters ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 6 , 0 0 0 - word ▁nov ella ▁to ▁Har lan ▁Ell ison . ▁ ▁With ▁Ell ison ' s ▁encourag ement , ▁L up off ▁expanded ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 8 , 0 0 0 - word ▁version ▁he ▁turned ▁in ▁to ▁Ell ison ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁Henry ▁Mor r ison , ▁L up off ' s ▁agent , ▁submitted ▁this ▁version ▁to ▁D ell , ▁which ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁publishing ▁“ WT BB B ” ▁as ▁a ▁possible ▁stand - alone ▁“ sl im ” ▁novel . ▁ ▁L up off ' s ▁contract ▁with ▁Ell ison ▁prohib ited ▁any ▁prior ▁appearance ▁of ▁stories ▁sl ated ▁for ▁Again , ▁D anger ous ▁Vis ions , ▁and ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁delay ▁in ▁AD V ' s ▁publication , ▁the ▁deal ▁with ▁D ell ▁fell ▁through . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁L up off ▁wrote ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁stories ▁which