Civil disobedience challenging repressive authority: Harlan Ellison’s subversive and satirical story “Repent Harlequin!’, Said the Ticktockman,” the 2015 Prometheus Hall of Fame winner

Libertarian Futurist Society ^ | 2021 | Libertarian Futurist Society

[tbw2]

To highlight the Prometheus Awards’ four-decade-plus history and make clear why each winner deserves recognition as a pro-freedom and/or anti-authoritarian work, the Libertarian Futurist Society has been publishing since 2019 a series of Appreciations of past award-winners.

Here is an Appreciation of Harlan Ellison’s “Repent Harlequin!’, Said the Ticktockman,” the 2015 Prometheus Hall of Fame winner for Best Classic Fiction.

[tbw2]

Civil disobedience challenging repressive authority: Harlan Ellison’s subversive and satirical story “Repent Harlequin!’, Said the Ticktockman,” the 2015 Prometheus Hall of Fame winner
http://lfs.org/blog/civil-disobedience-challenging-repressive-authority-harlan-ellisons-subversive-and-satirical-story-repent-harlequin-said-the-ticktockman-the-2015-prometheus-hal/

[Nateman]

I know I read that story but I don’t remember a bit of it.

[Tax-chick]

Outstanding story.

[redgolum]

How interesting.

I thought it would be canceled by now (no joke).

[Steely Tom]

I remember RHSTT. I don't think it was one of Harlan Ellison's best.

A Boy and his Dog, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, those were stories.

Also I must mention "The City on the Edge of Forever," which was a ST-TOS episode, one of the most memorable.

[FreedomPoster]

I was thinking the same. It has been 45+ years since I read it, I expect. 40 minimum.

[SES1066]

Harlan Ellison's (1934-2018) December 1965 "Galaxy Magazine" short story, "Repent Harlequin" [pdf] was emblematic of the "New Wave" SF that was less 'sciency' and more emotional that its predecessors in the field. A dark tale about an authoritarian future society that allocates lifespans by seconds and penalizes transgressors by deducting 'late' seconds from overall lifespan. The protagonist, a chronically late individual, stages nonviolent but manic public protests againt the regimentation of this time-clock world!

Remember Ezekiel Emmanuel (Rahm's brother), the LEFTist bioethicist who advocates not living past 75? This is just how such concepts get their start. "Logan's Run" also comes to mind as an artificially determined lifespan created and imposed by 'society'!

[Retrofitted]

This is one I've got ingrained in my memory, I've read it so much. The line I've been quoting the most? This one, said by the rebellious Everett C. Marm to the TickTockMan:

"Scare someone else. I'd rather be dead than live in a dumb world with a bogeyman like you."

Man, I miss the Angry Dwarf. I'd love to know what he'd be writing and saying about all this crap we're got going on.

[tbw2]

Recent horrifying example: how many people openly endorsed what Thanos in MCU did, wiping out half the people, while others said it really needs to be more.

[TChad]

I’m still waiting for Disney World to offer a “Be Harlan Ellison for ten minutes!” ride.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I read that story fifty years ago! Always liked it and remembered those lines.,.“Repent Harlequin!’ and the harlequin’s response...”GET STUFFED!” That story stuck with me.

Sad what happened to the Harlequin, but then the Tick Tock man was suddenly a few minutes late, but refused to live by his own rules of time management.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[MarkL]

Harlan Ellison was an excellent writer, but an even better editor. He had an anthology trilogy called "Dangerous Visions," "Again, Dangerous Visions," and "The Last Dangerous Visions." Those books were stories of what HE called "speculative fiction" that covered all sorts of genres, but the key feature was that it featured new and upcoming authors work, mixed in with established writers. Reading those stories introduced me to a lot of writers I had never heard of before, including some who became literary stars, like Piers Anthony.

In addition to that, his literary criticism, and TV & Movie critiques were terrific. I recall one statement of his saying that the movie "Gremlins" was one of the most "evil" movies ever made. He was amazing at Sci-Fi and Comic Book conventions. He was a raging leftist, but he was honest.

Mark

[tbw2]

Andrew Fox released a short story collection titled Hazardous Imaginings: The Mondo Book of Politically Incorrect Science Fiction. Inspired by Dangerous Visions.

An Interview with Author Andrew Fox
https://libertyislandmag.com/2020/11/07/an-interview-with-author-andrew-fox/

[SunkenCiv]

[snip] Ellison was anti-Vietnam, an advocate of gun control and a supporter of human rights organisations. [/snip]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/29/harlan-ellison-obituary

search “guns”:
http://www.harlanellison.com/text/pi980325.htm

[NetAddicted]

Read later.