The award-winning fantasy and science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison died today at the age of 84. His wife, Susan, confirmed the news. Ellison edited the influential anthology Dangerous Visions in 1967, and over the course of his storied career had won multiple Nebula, Hugo, Edward, Writers Guild of America, and Edgar Allen Poe Awards — to name just some of his honors. His biography, A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, an Exploration, was published last year.
I was a huge Star Trek fan as a kid and everyone knew that
City at the Edge of Forever was my favorite episode because of the emotional resonance of that final scene. Later I learned that it was Ellison who penned that episode and became a huge fan of his work. I also enjoyed his attitude which often left him with few friends but many, many fans. Some deaths pass you by and others stick for awhile. This is one of those latter examples.
I loved how Harlan always believed he was the smartest boy in the room. That, of course is ridiculous because the smartest boy in the room is ME. But I don't want start anything. Especially today. I will miss his contributions to popular culture where he was a giant. I hope he knew how much he was loved and admired. Unfortunately the insanely creative ones never do. He now belongs to the Universe and I bet he would hate that I said that.
http://www.latimes.com/books/la-et-jc-harlan-ellison-john-scalzi-20180628-story.html
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14 comments:
Sad. He was sharp, witty, and a person of perception. Rest in peace Harlan.
Yup. More ideas in his little finger than most who have ever been on this planet. He's on the Jack Kirby level of greatness for me.
That last quotation is very apt.
It was his most famous line.
One of my favorite authors. I saw him speak several times. He was always very funny and entertaining.
I'll leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE
This one just breaks my heart. I know it was inevitable but still. Harlan once wrote in the Afterward to the Essential Ellison anthology what I think I would like on my gravestone: "For a brief time I was here; and for a brief time I mattered."
RIP Harlan. You were one of a kind and you will be missed.
Great quote jester. Actually Cal, I consider him a notch above Kirby but that's just my opinion. They are both very high on my list. Same level as Mr. Rogers.
I bet somewhere Harlan is pissed as hell that he went in his sleep. He's probably up there endlessly ringing God's ear for rewriting his script.
Oh he is making trouble for the angels you just know it.
I once had an old VHS of a documentary called "Masters of Comic Book Art." It was hosted by Harlan and had interviews with Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Neal Adams, Steve Ditko, Frank Miller, Bernie Wrightson, and others. What a lineup of talent! It was hilarious to hear Kirby, when asked what his motivations were, say "TO MAKE SALES!" Shows the difference between the old Masters and the modern "creators" who can't come up with an original idea. The Masters didn't need a gimmick to sell comics - just talent. And they created lasting works that would be reprinted and respected long after they were gone.
If there's any consolation, it's that Harlan's up there now saying hello again to the King and Eisner and Wrightson, maybe meeting Robert Bloch and Richard Matheson for lunch, and stopping by to tell Rod Serling that the Twilight Zone is now both real and extant on Earth.
Definitely going to watch "Dreams With Sharp Teeth" this weekend in tribute.
That sounds like a great series of interviews. I was looking at his comic books stuff online and he knew his shit. He recognized how groundbreaking Sterenko was when everyone didn't know what to do with him. I would have loved to hear his thoughts on guys like Liefeld. I am sure he would have ripped that punk a new one.
Harlan had no tolerance whatsoever for fakes, hacks, plagiarists and idea thieves. He would surely have excoriated Liefeld -- even moreso for being so shamelessly prideful in doing so! And that would be BEFORE he embarked on his critique of Liefeld's shitty drawings (I refuse to call it "art") ....
That conversation would have made my whole LIFE! We would bond over the topic and become blood brothers.
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