Thoughts from the now-late Harlan Ellison, born 1934, died 2018, because I quote him a lot:

"On occasion I've been rented, but I've never been bought."

"You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to your informed opinion."

"Pay the writer! ...I don't take a piss without getting paid."

"The Ice Pirates is so ludicrous it ( Read more... )

Because his graphic novel 7 Against Chaos is out now, and because it can be fun when he speaks, Harlan Ellison gets interviewed by Salon.

Cool: I recognize the idea for 7 Against Chaos: Ellison presented a version of it in the Seventies as his idea for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I also like having confirmation that he wrote his 1993 novel ( Read more... )

How to teach the children of the early Sixties about the dangers of gang life, of knife fights and rumbles and initiations and brass knuckles?

No, not with West Side Story! All that kissing, and that dancing, and that coordination for all of them to be able to snap their fingers...that wouldn't have been what the kids'd be interested in.

What ( Read more... )

There are almost always multiple reasons for doing anything. The reasons for what anybody does may boil down to the root excuse that Harlan Ellison once came up with -- It seemed like a good idea at the time -- but more than one reason's usually there, if you're honest. It's good exercise to think I will do this for Reason A, Reason B, and, to an ( Read more... )

A good kind of elitism: Some people are better than others. A worse, more obnoxious kind of elitism: I'm better than others.

That's a lesson I learned from Harlan Ellison. He'd seen plenty of the second kind, and said that he believed in the first. The second can be a disguised kind of narcissism. Certainly Harlan Ellison has an impressive ego -- ( Read more... )

As I keep checking how Harlan Ellison's Mad-Con appearance is going, I keep wanting to say things related to Harlan -- my admiration of him; my issues with him; his ferocious writing ability; his ridiculously huge influence; his prodigious circle of friends and acquaintances; his ability to epically piss off many people; so much more -- but so much ( Read more... )

The redoubtable Maggie Thompson of Comic Buyers Guide is posting about how Harlan Ellison is having fun at Mad-Con. And also sharing anecdotes about the life and times of Harlan.

Here's Harlan on the floor. Why? Because he's a ham. (Read and understand. Also? Look at that smile.)

Harlan Ellison posted this on Tuesday to the one website he posts to regularly:
HARLAN ELLISON
- Tuesday, September 21 2010 19:29:58
ME & YOU & MAD-CON

I thought I'd make it. Did, damn close.

If you ever loved me or my work, Mad-Con this Friday is where I'll be. I am here in bed, and have been for some time. But I keep my promises. Pay your ( Read more... )

So share I shall: Here's Harlan Ellison telling Robin Williams about what L. Ron Hubbard was like in the Fifties.

Click to view

Yes, Harlan speaks faster than Robin Williams. Can your ears keep up?

Harlan Ellison once claimed in one of his fake bios (which he started writing 'cause he got sick of just reciting his actual life story) that he was writing "a biography of Bettie Page for young adults."

We need that book!