Harlan Ellison says goodbye to conventions...and to life itself

[thatcrazycajun]

With thanks to my old and dear friend Robert Neagle for passing the word: This article in a Madison, WI alterna-paper reports that one of science fiction's most enduring—and enduringly controversial—Grand Masters is appearing at a convention there this weekend. He has announced it will be his last, ever...and that his death will follow not long after. When the author in question is Harlan Ellison, this can occasion at least as much hopeful cheering from some quarters as sad foreboding from others.

This may not surprise anyone who knows that Harlan is 76 years of age and has had failing health for some time. But he doesn't mention any particular illness or injury that is doing him in, nor is he suicidal in the least; he says he is simply sensing his end is near, like an old dog can supposedly do. The genre community's own Dr. House (which Harlan was decades before that character's creator was a gleam in his daddy's eye) states that he is close to completing his final written work...and has given his wife instructions to burn any remaining unfinished pieces after he kicks, lest someone get ahold of them with the idea of finishing them for him. And I can't say I blame him; anyone attempting to imitate his unique authorial voice, in his fiction or his non-fiction, would inevitably fail to match it.

Science fiction writers are supposed to predict the future...but not like this. (And yes, I know he hates being called that; but the work speaks for itself.) For my part, for all of Harlan's many misbehaviors over the years and his well-documented personal faults, I sincerely and devoutly hope and pray Harlan is wrong on this one. Last time I saw him and mentioned a hope that he would live many more years, he said half-jokingly, "Oh, God, don't wish that on me!" If he truly knows it's his time and is ready to go, so be it; as my Cajun daddy always says, "When the Man Upstairs calls you, that's one time you will not be late." But I hope he will forgive a longtime fan's still wanting him to stick around a bit longer.

Comments

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Damn skippy to all that. Ellison is one of my heroes.

[junquegrrl.livejournal.com]

boo :-( i hope he's wrong, too

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

I'm dubious about this. Although Asimov DID know he was dying, but he had a fatal disease. Is that the case with Harlan? Or is this a way to nicely turn down convention invitations because travel is just too much of a PITA? Art Buchwald was "dying" for several months, he was ready to go but his kidneys surprised him by hanging in there.

I do hope Susan is nodding and saying what he wants to hear and then turns around and keeps his unfinished works. If he *really* feels that way, he'd be trashing those stories now.

I don't think he handled himself well in the way he groped Connie Willis 4 years ago but I am sorry at the prospect that Susan might be joining our terrible club, one we get tired of welcoming new members to.

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

As I mentioned, nothing in the article or Harlan's remarks therein mention any specific terminal illness...and knowing Harlan, if it were something particular in the way of cancer or leukemia or such, he'd come right out and say it. I can even imagine his phrasing: "I got this (disease/tumor/whatever) that's killing me, like a slow-moving serrated knife perambulating around my (brain/heart/gut/other location)..."

As for the unfinished stories, he may sincerely not want them touched after he's gone, but is keeping them around for now in the hope of getting as many as he can finished before the time comes.

Either way, I agree - your authorial widows'/widowers' club is getting way too damned big, and I hope you don't have to welcome Mrs. E. to it anytime soon. (It's quite bad enough that Spider Robinson had to join recently after losing his Jeanne...)

[sodyera.livejournal.com]

Harlan Ellison was the first author reading I'd attended at my first con, back when he was still best know for "City on the Edge of Forever". I remember him as a frequent guest on Tom Snyder's "Tomorrow" show back in the ancient 70s. I'd observed him grow grey and more sinister looking over the years but the same fire remained in the eyes. He's always lived his life on his own terms, so now I suspect he's about to call his own final exit. After seeing Froggy MacIntyre's house remains in a NY Times article otherdeb posted, I don't think Harlan would pull any punches.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

Given the hash that others have made of the greats (and I'm looking at you Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, but especially you Spider Robinson), having his papers burned post mortem is lamentably a wise move. Sad loss to history, tho. Love him or hate him (and I've done both on his written work), Ellison was one of those authors who absolutely changed the genre in major ways.