Harlan Ellison: Dangerous Visionary, Sci Fi Writer, Outspoken Critic. 1934-2018

This popped up on FB as something I'd shared on this date 3 years ago and I was dismayed to find I hadn't shared it here at the time. It was about the passing of Harlan Ellison, one of the sci fi greats.

Those who know me well know that I grew up absorbing science fiction/fantasy. My dad had a library of over 10,000 books and magazines that he’d started collecting as a kid and that I happily escaped into and grew to adore. Asimov, Foster, Harrison, McCaffrey, Heinlein, and so many others. My mom used to get so mad at me because I’d get so into the worlds I was discovering while reading that I literally wouldn’t hear her calling for me until she stomped in my room and towered over me glowering because she thought I was deliberately ignoring her.

For me, sci fi stories epitomized the best of us humans and what our society aspired to become. Many stories showcased the struggle to reach the ideal community while warning of the inherent weaknesses of seemingly perfect societies - how we treated each other, the limits we could break, the depths of our creativity and ingenuity, overcoming obstacles and biases, our perseverance to survive. The worlds these authors created gave me hope for a better future and ideas for how to resolve conflict. They instilled in me a deep and abiding sense of fairness and equality, that truth and honor made us the best we could be, that curiosity should be encouraged, and our differences made us stronger and more likely to survive any catastrophe.

Whenever the sci fi world loses one of its own, our world is dimmed. For they help light the way for the rest of us who need that inspiration and motivation to try harder, do more, and be better citizens in the here and now for our descendants. Because life isn’t just about living, it’s about leaving it better than you found it.

Dangerous Visionary By David Gerrold

Back in the sixties, Harlan Ellison took a stand for excellence in science fiction. It was a dangerous stand because it didn't just challenge the status quo of the genre, it challenged the foundation on which the status quo rested.

Harlan felt that the SF magazines of the fifties and sixties were limited by self-censorship and afraid of taking on dangerous ideas. He wanted to push the boundaries of the field. He wanted to destroy the boundaries.

So what he did was create an anthology -- 'Dangerous Visions' -- and a sequel, 'Again Dangerous Visions.' These anthologies were designed to be a place where authors could publish stories that they couldn't sell anywhere else. Some of the stories were brilliant in startling ways. And a few were truly subversive.

Harlan Ellison, Provocative Sci-Fi Writer of ‘Star Trek,’ ‘A Boy and His Dog,’ Dies at 84
By Carmel Dagan, Variety | June 28, 2018

Speculative-fiction writer Harlan Ellison, who penned short stories, novellas and criticism, contributed to TV series including “The Outer Limits,” “Star Trek” and “Babylon 5” and won a notable copyright infringement suit against ABC and Paramount and a settlement in a similar suit over “The Terminator,” has died. He was 84.