Sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison dies at 84

by
This content has been archived. It may no longer be accurate or relevant.

From Engadget:

Sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison has died at 84. Ellison, who was an author of novellas and short stories, wrote for shows including Star Trek, Babylon 5,The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. He passed away in his sleep early Thursday.

. . . .

Ellison penned a 1967 Star Trek episode called “City on the Edge of Forever,” though writers on the show rewrote the script to pull out Ellison’s anti-war message. The famously opinionated writer published two drafts of his script in a 1995 book, and sued over revenue from the episode in 2009, eventually reaching a settlement.

He took Hollywood to task several other times, including suing James Cameron and other figures behind The Terminator, claiming that the movie cribbed from two of his Outer Limits episodes. The film’s production company and distributor settled out of court; the terms forced them to acknowledge Ellison’s influence in The Terminator‘s end credits.

Link to the rest at Engadget

Click to Tweet/Email/Share This Post

25 thoughts on “Sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison dies at 84”

  1. Met w Harlan over lunch many years ago whenever he stopped by a large book review rag where i was a contrib editor

    He was often wry, not mean. And could write like an angel. Dw Smith did a fine job eulogizing him over at his website, re Harlan’s persistance to write in public in store windows

    Rest in peace old genius amigo.

  2. My first introduction to him came in a Justice League of America comic book from the early ’70s. Writer Mike Friedrich created a character called “Harlequin Ellis,” a mercurial author who imagined himself as Superman and Batman and fell in love with Black Canary. Being about 8 or 9 years old I had no idea who the character was based on and it wasn’t until years later that I made the connection.

    During the 1980s Ellison and The Comics Journal got involved in a nasty libel suit with another comics writer, Michael Fleisher. I believe that was decided in Ellison’s favor.

  6. Many, many years ago I first heard of Ellison in a Writer’s Digest book, “How to Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction.”

    The anthology editor asked Ellison (among many other famous authors, including Ray Bradbury, who wrote a chapter) for his recommendations of what budding writers in those genres should read. Unlike the other writers, Ellison called him to verbally give his recommendations, so the editor was able to record their conversation via the answering machine. The editor described Ellison as having a “mercurial” speaking style; and I got the impression it would be fun to talk to him.

    Here were Ellison’s recommendations, as of copyright date 1987:

    The Song of Kali, by Dan Simmons, “which is probably the most brilliant novel of the last decade,” Ellison had judged.

    “No Collection of fantasy is complete,” Harlan continued, “without mentioning the novels of Dr. Seuss … Lovecraft’s ‘Rats in the Walls’ — probably the most perfect piece of fantasy ever written … Frederick Prokosch, The Seven Who Fled: It has a surreal quality about it — even though it’s not really a fantasy — that has informed much of my writing.”

    He also recommended Clark Ashton Smith’s “City of the Singing Flame,” and Fritz Lieber’s “Our Lady of Darkness.”

    Pre-Kindle I could never find some of these people in stores (unless used). Or Ellison himself, for that matter. But now we have Kindle, and it is glorious.

        • Try this one:

          https://www.amazon.com/Paingod-Other-Delusions-Harlan-Ellison-ebook/dp/B00J90EMRY/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0VHG82ETJYQ28DZ6EPSH

          If nothing else, it’s afforda at $1.99.

          As noted above, Ellison was brilliant but not for everybody.
          —-
          Robert Heinlein says, “This book is raw corn liquor—you should serve a whiskbroom with each shot so the customer can brush the sawdust off after he gets up from the floor.” Perhaps a mooring cable might also be added as necessary equipment for reading these eight wonderful stories. They not only knock you down . . . they raise you to the stars. Passion is the keynote as you encounter the Harlequin and his nemesis, the dreaded Tictockman, in one of the most reprinted and widely taught stories in the English language; a pyretic who creates fire merely by willing it; the last surgeon in a world of robot physicians; a spaceship filled with hideous mutants rejected by the world that gave them birth. Touching, gentle, and shocking stories from an incomparable master of impossible dreams and troubling truths.
          —

          He’s closer to Bradbury and Cordwainer Smith than Asimov or Clarke.

          Probably his most accessible work would be the movie version of A BOY AND HIS DOG. 1975. Starring a very young Don Johnson.

          • I used to be uptight about other’s people punctuality. Then I read “Repent Harlequin, Said the Ticktock Man.” I believe it was in the “Essential Harlan Ellison, a 35-year Retrospective.” I’ve been waiting for it, or the 50 year Retrospective to show up on Kindle (still in paperback only). He’s one of the authors I have alerts for on Bookbub; his works are often on sale at $1 – 3.99, but even the regular prices are reasonable.

        • The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World, because it contains the stories “A Boy and His Dog” and “Along the Scenic Route”.

          Deathbird Stories.

          If you’re in the mood for some of Ellison’s nonfiction, try Harlan Ellison’s Watching, a collection of his movie reviews. It’s Ellison at his opinionated best.

    • There’s a video game of that now, with Harlan doing the voice of the computer. I never wanted to even see it. That is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read.

  11. OMG, what a shock. I loved Harlan. His writing inspired me to be a writer. He was acerbic and witty and never suffered fools gladly. I had always hoped to get to meet him but alas now that will never happen.
    RIP sir, the world will seem a little emptier now.

  12. Harlan was the most brilliant, intelligent, funniest man I ever knew. We met at the Clarion anniversary reunion in 1992 and that led to my spending three wonderful days at Ellison Wonderland with him and Susan.

    Yeah, he could be angry. But he could also be extremely kind and generous, and I saw that side of him more than once.

    Also, “Pay the effing writer” is my indie mantra.

  13. In the history of the genre, he might be the second most important editor, after Campbell (and just ahead of Bova) for his DANGEROUS VISIONS anthologies. In the context of the times they established once and for all that SF was a mature field and that no ideas should be banned, however uncomfortable, and that SF most definitely is not “kid stuff”.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_Visions

    And then, of course, his personal style won’t soon be matched. There was a reason IrrascibleHarlanEllison was considered a single word. 🙂

  14. I discovered Harlan E. in 1979 when I happened upon STRANGE WINE in the school library. I then sought everything I could find, even his early non-SF stuff (which I didn’t care for). I really enjoyed his introductions and essays. He really was a passionate, angry, opinionated guy, but he was a helluva writer. Whether he wrote touching, funny, witty, silly…he could write, that Harlan. I moved recently and had to let a whole lot–tears,sobs, wail, tears–of my huge library of thousands of books go–including many classic SF novels with those great covers– but I kept most of my Harlan collection. Once life calms down, I’ll sit down and reread, because that’s the best way to honor the passing of a talented writer of tales of wonder. RIP, HE.

  15. I never cared for his work – way, way too dark. But the man could write things that grabbed at the emotions in a way that few others could.

    I do hope that he has found peace at last. He was the most even-tempered man in the field; angry all the time.

Comments are closed.