Turn Off Ads?
Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

  1. #1
    Member marcshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Zeta Reticuli
    Posts
    10,039

    Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    I tried to make the title as blunt or possible in his honor. Honestly, I thought he was at least 130.

    Here's a reprint of an interview he gave regarding a legal fight over unauthorized internet reprints of his work. http://www.writersdigest.com/writing...harlan_ellison
    It is on the whole probable that we continually dream, but that consciousness makes such a noise that we do not hear it. Carl Jung.


  2. Turn Off Ads?
  3. #2
    Member Redsfaithful's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Bexley, OH
    Posts
    8,602

    Re: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    I've read a couple of things by Ellison, short stories ("I have no mouth.." and I think some others). marcshoe, what would you say are the most important of his works if I just wanted to hit the high points?
    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

  4. #3
    Member marcshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Zeta Reticuli
    Posts
    10,039

    Re: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    Honestly, I've read a number of his short stories and comics over the years, but it's hard to think of names. I first became aware of him reading Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine as a teen, and specifically remember a story based on the Kitty Genovese murder. In later years, even though I've continued to read his stories, I mostly identify him with his acerbic commentary on science fiction, pop culture, and the state of the world. He did such things as declare that Stephen King's endorsements were meaningless now, because he gave too many of them and declared that we needed to step up our exploration of space because we were going to need a new place to live soon. I have a book containing the "true" supernatural experiences of horror writers, and his entry says something along the lines of "Of course I haven't seen a ghost, there's no such thing! And anyone who tell you they have is mentally ill!"

    I've always been aware of him as much as a personality as a writer. His persona was a sort of anti-Ray Bradbury, but if you strip away the trappings, their philosophies (Bradbury once said the purpose of his stories was to "prevent the future") were surprisingly similar.

    Looking over lists of his stories, though, one that stuck with me as “Jeffty is Five".
    It is on the whole probable that we continually dream, but that consciousness makes such a noise that we do not hear it. Carl Jung.

  5. Likes:

    Redsfaithful (06-29-2018)

  6. #4
    Member Redsfaithful's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Bexley, OH
    Posts
    8,602

    Re: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    Quote Originally Posted by marcshoe View Post
    Stephen King's endorsements were meaningless now, because he gave too many of them
    This is very true, I think King's standards for declaring something amazing are super low - it's kind of funny.
    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

  7. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Moscow, Russia
    Posts
    10,394

    Re: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    I've never read him, but he wrote my favorite Star Trek episode.

    A Boy and His Dog is a pretty creepy movie.

  8. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    2,319

    Re: Harlan Ellison Dies at 84

    The best Star Trek episodes, Terminator, Blade Runner, A Boy and his dog, Babylon 5 all have roots in Ellison's work. That's the stuff that Hollywood was able to leverage. There were several "products" that used the name "I have no mouth but I must scream" but none of them were better than the original short story.

    Marcshoe has excellent taste. "Jefty is five" is sublime.
    "Even a bad day at the ballpark beats the snot out of most other good days. I'll take my scorecard and pencil and beer and hot dog and rage at the dips and cheer at the highs, but I'm not ever going to stop loving this game and this team and nobody will ever take that away from me." Roy Tucker October 2010


Turn Off Ads?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

Thank you, and most importantly, enjoy yourselves!


RedsZone.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball


Contact us: Boss | Gallen5862 | Plus Plus | Powel Crosley | RedlegJake | The Operator