Harlan Ellison Saying Goodbye

[filkertom]

Man oh man. One of my heroes, one of my primary influences. Sounds as if he's not expecting to be around much longer at all.

Comments

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

That would be the end of an epoch. I would advice anybody who has half a chance to go hear him at that last convention to do that thing.
I've seen him speak, and he's, um, bracing to listen to.
Undoubtedly very like Steinbeck was, when he crawled through a crowd to hear that writer speak.

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

My feelings about Mr. Ellison are mixed...but I am still sorry to hear that he is on his last legs. Once upon a time, when he hosted "Hour 25" on KPFK radio in Santa Monica, he did very well by my mother when he interviewed her and two of her fellow Wiccans for a Halloween special. I was hoping I would someday get the chance to thank him for that...but now, perhaps I never will.

[realinterrobang.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm really sad to hear that he's quitting writing. I've lost two of my favourite authors to their quitting from failing health in the last while, and it feels like a blow.

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Same feelings I get about Wagner. A racist, misogynist prick - but a brilliant artist. I can only hope the one outshines the other in the long run.

[bayushisan.livejournal.com]

I remember the commentaries that Harlan Ellison did for the sci fi channel. I was always impressed with his intelligence and, though I disagreed from time to time, I respected his opinion. It will be sad to see him go.

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

You know, I always wanted to ask him if the lime Jello stories were true.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

And here I thought he was too ornery to die.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

You could write to him in care of any of his publishers, and they can forward it to him. It may take them a little time to do this, so it might not hurt to put a note on the envelope about hurrying.

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll see about doing that.

[ebenbrooks.livejournal.com]

Kinda like Alan Moore?

Oh, no, wait. Alan Moore is too scary to die...

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Having witnessed Harlan announce he was never again going to do conventions, or SF, or television, or any number of the other "I'm done!" statements he's released in the past, I really can't muster much feeling here.

This is a man who openly mocked fandom, and now he wants us all to show up for his swan song? No.

Sorry if I sound hard-hearted, but I dealt with that man too many times to fall for his line again.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Word (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02132008.shtml)!

[mouser.livejournal.com]

I do respect his "Burn every unfinished work you can find" comment.

Every piece of "finished by someone else" (Heinlein, Asimov, Roddenberry, Brian Daley, etc) thing I've seen/read has been pretty bad.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

Well, my feelings about Ellison are deeply mixed, and there's a lot of negativity in there, but...still, if he's really going, I hope he goes quietly and without pain, just the way he wants. I won't lionize the man, but I'll extend my sympathy and best wishes.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

Lime Jello stories? My Google-fu is failing me...

[holmes365.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one to flash on Little Big Man?? "It's a good day to die!" We will see if it rains.

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

Something I heard from a member of the Lunacon con-com, WAY back in the late 80s or early 90s. It was a panel on the antics of luminaries of SF. And this person claimed that at one point, there was a clause in Harlan Ellison's appearance contracts that if he was going to be appearing at a con, one of the things that had to be provided was a bathtub full of lime jello. Not because he liked lime jello, or because he had any purpose for it, but because that way, he KNEW they really wanted him at the convention.

According to the story, it caused a lot of problems with hotels, because lime jello is really very hard to get out of the bathtub. It stains....

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

What about Tolkien?

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Not as prolific a dead author as L. Ron Hubbard.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

I don't know about that. Tolkien died in 1973, remember? And when I was in Borders last week, another customer mentioned that there was yet another new book by Tolkien that had just come out. How many unfinished manuscripts, research notes, etc., did he leave behind?

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Many of them say "Tolkein" but if you look closely, it's by Christopher, his son.

[mneme]

Oh, man.

He can be infuriating as hell (particularly in person), but if he goes -- when he goes -- he'll leave a giant hole.

[purpleranger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but Christopher usually takes a much smaller "Edited By" credit at the bottom of the cover. It's JRRT whose name is splashed in large friendly letters across the top of the cover.

Still, you have a point. How much of these "JRRT" books were written mostly by Chris, who seems to be making a career out of his father's name and literary reputation?

[sethb.livejournal.com]

There's a true story that vaguely resembles that one. It involves a bathtub full of lime jello and three people, none of whom was Harlan.

[sethb.livejournal.com]

Is that the first time Harlan ever wanted to do something quietly?

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

I've no doubt. ;-) However, the person who told this story at the panel was very clear that the lime jello wasn't used for any purpose, nefarious, dessert or otherwise.