Posted on 06/28/2018 1:52:19 PM PDT by Ciaphas Cain
Harlan Ellison, one of the most influential sci-fi writers of the twentieth century, passed away today in his sleep. He was 84 years old.
Christine Valada, the widow of the late Len Wein and a friend of Harlan and his wife Susan, officially announced the author’s passing on Twitter.
“Susan Ellison has asked me to announce the passing of writer Harlan Ellison, in his sleep, earlier today,” Valada wrote. “For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I mattered.”—HE, 1934-2018. Arrangements for a celebration of his life are pending.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbr.com ...
I wonder if he’s meeting AM.
RIP, Mr. Ellison. Thanks for the memories.
City on the edge of forever. Arguably the BEST of STTOS.
RIP Harlan
The wrong Ellison passed away.
I don’t know this Harlan Ellison guy, but I do remember that Len Wein used to write for Flash Comics, and I think Superman, if I recall. Slightly more realistic than Cary Bates, and didn’t get hung up on social issues (left) like Denny O’Neil did.
He wrote some very weird stuff—not my favorite—but very creative..
PKD and Harlan Ellison, my two favorites as a young man.
RIP
When I lived in Toronto, I went to see him speak one winter Sunday afternoon. This would have been around 1988-89.
He spoke for about 4 1/2 hours, appeared not to use any notes, and made for an absolutely wonderful experience.
I remember walking in with good weather and walking out in the middle of a blizzard.
I’d say rest in peace, but it wouldn’t suit you, Harlan. One of the greatest.
I met him when I interviewed him for national magazines for which I wrote in the 1980s.
Kind and charming and charismatic in person despite being involved in pitched battles with TV and Hollywood types over total integrity and freedom he demanded.
Was always nice to me despite disagreements politically and he kindly wrote a blurb for my first published book.
One of a kind who is irreplaceable like Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra.
We’ll all miss him who read his work or saw his screenplays brought to life.
“Jeffty Is Five” - great short story by HE.
I grew up reading his books that I got from the local library.
Played baseball everyday from sun up to sun down and then read sci fi.
Good times, Vonnegut, Heinlein in the mix too.
Even L Ron Hubbard was outstanding.
rip
One of the greats of the genre. Sci fi is a desert these days.
RIP, A complete maniac, a unique voice. I wonder what the % of sci-fi fans today even recognize the name. Here’s a 1982 interview with him, Gene Wolfe and Isaac Asimov by Studs Terkel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZvcKB9vQO0
Freegards
ping
It has cast aside its libertarian roots and gone totally watermelon - Green on the outside, Red on the inside.
So sorry to hear this. Some sci fi fans and I were discussing him on Tuesday. In 1976 a friend and I traveled to LA for my first out of town convention. She wanted to see Harlan’s house. He was listed in the phone book and his house, in a curving hillside road, had a big sign “Ellison Wonderland”. Not exactly shy!
There is great sci-fi being written, there’s even a few gems that still get popular. But yeah the vast majority of the newer popular stuff doesn’t seem to hold up, at least in my opinion.
Freegards
Battlefield Earth was a great book, but the movie had no chance.
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