Posted on 06/02/2021 1:36:23 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at lfs.org ...
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/
I know I read that story but I don’t remember a bit of it.
Outstanding story.
How interesting.
I thought it would be canceled by now (no joke).
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.
I was thinking the same. It has been 45+ years since I read it, I expect. 40 minimum.
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'!
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.
I’m still waiting for Disney World to offer a “Be Harlan Ellison for ten minutes!” ride.
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.
Bkmk
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
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/
[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
Read later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.