Introduction


Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison is almost as famous for his lawsuits as he is for his writing. He has filed many legal claims, some valid and quite a few frivolous, and this has earned him the reputation of being a difficult writer to work with. He readily agrees with that assessment, referring to himself as “possibly the most contentious person on Earth.” Ellison dislikes being pigeonholed into one particular genre and refers to his work as “speculative fiction,” though most critics consider it to be an outstanding body of science fiction. Ellison has written books, plays, short stories, essays, and criticism throughout his career. He has also written extensively for television, including work on The Outer Limits and Star Trek.

Essential Facts

  1. Ellison was expelled from Ohio State University after hitting a professor who had criticized his writing.
  2. Ellison writes under the name of Cordwainer Bird when he believes that his creative contributions to a project have been undermined. Many feel that this is Ellison’s way of giving the people who ruined his vision “the bird.”
  3. Ellison marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in the famous 1965 march led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
  4. Ellison publicly criticized the movie Back to the Future in a 1985 interview but later changed his mind after liking the sequels.
  5. Not only a successful writer, Ellison has also been a creative consultant for The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.