Adam Sylvain

6 May, 2010
ENGL 302, Section H32
Dr. Nanian

Unveiling a Science Fiction Mogul:

A research on the life and literary contributions of Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison is world renowned as one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time.

His expansive literary accomplishments span 75 books, more than 1,000 short stories and include

novellas, screenplays, teleplays, and essays. Ellison has written acclaimed criticism on the

subjects of literature, film, television and print media, although his footprint on the literary world

exceeds the mere scope of his work. Despite beginning his work at a time when the modern

brand of science fiction was not widely recognized among scholars and critics, Ellison became

one of the most celebrated of all fiction writers. His early life was a sequence of misfortune.

Fatherless, expelled, vagrant, criminal, and egoist, could all accurately describe a young Harlan

Ellison. How then did Ellison reinvigorate the old model of science fiction first introduced in the

early twentieth century?

Harlan Ellison was born Harlan “Jay” Ellison, May 27, 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio. His

early life played an important role in how Ellison’s career as a writer has developed. When he

was fifteen, his father died and Ellison would frequently leave home, taking a series of dead end

jobs ranging from tuna fisherman to stage actor. His vagrant behavior eventually led Ellison to

Ohio State University where he briefly studied before being expelled due to a serious

confrontation with one of his creative writing professors. This wasn’t the only calamity Ellison

experienced at OSU. During his eighteen months at the university he was arrested for shoplifting

a record, driving a car up a main sidewalk to the campus, and punching his professor (Weil and

Wolfe 33).
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After winning numerous Hugo and Nebula awards, recognizing the best contributors of

science fiction literature, Ellison was invited back to speak on the campus which had spurned

him years earlier. Michael Levy was a graduate student at the time and witnessed Ellison’s

lecture:

“Although scheduled to talk and read for two hours, he went on for nearly twice

that. The high points of the evening were two, Ellison’s reading of his

hilarious tale of alien Jew’s in space, ‘I’m looking for Kadak,’ in a thick

Yiddish accent, and his recounting of how he had been expelled from Ohio

State some years earlier for, he claimed, hitting a professor who had

denigrated his writing ability. A master of revenge, Ellison further insisted

that ever since his expulsion, he’d sent that professor a copy of every story he’s

published. He was obviously tickled at having been invited back to Ohio State as

a distinguished author and I’m sure he will be further pleased to see this book in

print from OSU press.”

(Levy 520)

In retrospect, Ellison’s lack of success at OSU was influenced greatly by blatant disapproval the

academia felt towards science fiction in the 1950's. Professors of Creative Writing courses,

throughout the country at that time, did little to foster growth in the kind of genre fiction writing.

In later years he hoped to help others avoid the same discouragement by becoming a frequent

teacher at the Clarion Science Fiction Writing Workshops located at Clarion State College. The

most valuable aspect of the experience for Ellison was the declaration of impudent pride he felt

towards his writing (Weil and Wolfe 34).

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Where many would have been so discouraged they would have given up writing all

together, Ellison’s resiliency allowed him to persevere in his writing unsuppressed. He has

always remained protective of his work, culminating in a relatively recent battle with CBS

Paramount studio. Fortunate for both parties, Ellison's weapon of choice was a lawsuit rather

than his fist. In March, 2009, Ellison sued the studio for neglecting to pay him merchandising

and publishing revenue he was owed from a famous Star Trek episode titled, "The City on the

Edge of Forever." He was the screenwriter for the episode, which originally aired in 1967 and is

now considered one of television's greatest broadcasts ever (Itzkoff).

To understand how Ellison has impacted the science fiction genre, it is essential to know

how the genre began and how it has grown since the early twentieth century. Most critics

attribute the birth of science fiction as an independent branch of literature, as well as early

enthusiasm for the genre, to one man: Hugo Gernsback. Gernsback began publishing the first

science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories in 1926, and founded the first science fiction fan

organization, the Science Fiction League, which unified scattered enthusiasm for the genre. At

that time, it was said the genre served three functions: a narrative offering "entertainment,"

scientific information constituting as a scientific "education," and descriptions of new

discoveries or inventions providing "inspiration." Interest in science fiction began to boom in

the 1950's, as contributors and commentary became much more widespread. However when

Ellison began writing, in the 1960's, interest in modern "mainstream" fiction caused science

fiction writers to concentrate more on literary quality. Like all popular genres, science fiction

has experienced eras characterized by change and re-birth brought on by influential literary

figures such as Damon Knight, James Blish, Michael Moorcock and Harlan Ellison (Westfahl

187-212).
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“Mysteries, westerns, spy stories, science fiction, horror, romance, crime stories

— all have different patterns of origin, all existed in one form or another

before anyone was aware that a genre was evolving…”

(Weil and Wolfe 4)

Despite continually evolving as a genre inherently encouraging progressiveness, those associated

with science fiction insist it remains fundamentally grounded on the principles outlined by

Gernsback almost a century ago.

Ellison short story, Shatterday, accurately demonstrates Gernsback's model of science

fiction writing. The plot is teeming with surprise entertainment as the main character, Peter Jay

Novins, mistakenly dials his own number to his apartment. He then becomes startled when

someone answers his call; Himself. Referring to his other self as Jay, Novins is forced to cope

with that fact that he is sharing an identity, mind and body. The pair quickly comes to an

understanding that they can't both exist and carry on happy lives. Here entails the education.

Peter Novins is reminded by Jay of his many shortcomings, including the ways he has mistreated

his mother and the women in his life. Jay invites his mother to stay with him in Novins'

apartment and makes amends with the women whom he has hurt. Peter Novins realizes he is

losing control of the situation and becomes ill. Before he dies he concedes to the fact that his

better self will live on. Inspiration is shared by anyone experiencing a midlife crisis. Peter Jay

Novins had all the symptoms of such a person: an unhappy career, apathetic emotion towards

his family, and a plethora of failed relationships. As he discovered, however, the better person

can live on, leaving behind the bitter, resentful, and sick person to die (Ellison 319-332).

Shatterday is just one of the works showcasing Ellison’s eclectic abilities as a science fiction

writer.
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In the short story, The Whimper of Whipped Dogs, Ellison presents another plot stirring

with controversy. The plot itself is dark, telling the story of a young woman from Vermont who

both witnesses and experiences unthinkable fear and brutal assault while living in New York

City. Ellison’s descriptions are morbid and vividly written. “As she spun out, he slashed

straight across and opened her up just below the breasts. Blood sprayed through her clothing and

the man was soaked; it seemed to drive him even more berserk. He went at her again, as she

tried to hold herself together, the blood pouring down her arms.” (Ellison 531) His description of

the scene exceeds mere visualization and rather lends itself to an image someone emotionally

delusional might relate. This type of graphically written description is not unfamiliar to critics

who have labeled the breadth of Ellison’s work as “confrontational,” “shocking” and “…always

entertaining” (De Lint 37). This assessment holds true in this short story, as the reader is treated

to a scandalizing narrative which challenges feminism, and reverses progressive ideology

concerning educated woman and the dangers of living in the city.

This work is also an example of how Ellison often uses disparity in the egos of the main

characters to highlight a psychological struggle. In this story, the main character, Beth, is scared

into valuing security over her own self worth after she witnesses a brutal murder. Ultimately,

this leads her into the arms of a man who mistreats and controls her, realizing how desperate for

protection she really is. This central conflict and the true crux of the story is also a repeated

theme in other examples of Ellison’s work. “Representative stories from the Ellison canon yield

examples of duels, revenge motifs, combats between unequals, characters who suffer at the

hands of ‘system builders’ and those who rebel, frequently with futile results” (Samuelson 224).

The climactic moment of the story occurs when she is attacked inside her home. She is beaten

viciously and struggles for her life against the relentless aggressor. When it seems she is
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moments away from death, she is rescued by the man who has controlled her and made her feel

inferior. In essence, the story examines how the woman surrenders her will and personal

happiness to feel safe while she is alone in a big city.

In addition to being a recognizably gifted writer, Ellison has built a strong reputation as a

literary critic and critic of critics. In a January 1963 edition of Writer’s Digest Magazine, Ellison

offers advice on how to write a book that will sell and what to expect from the most “serious

lit’ry reviewers.” He also writes at length about what constitutes a controversial topic, since

controversy is so closely tied to many of his works. For Ellison, creating controversy often

involves thoroughness in building main characters of a story. Fully developing characters leads

to situations of irony and conflict in how readers perceive them. This can involve making a

criminal, deserving of condemnation, simultaneously worthy of sympathy. Ellison reveals this

paradox by writing, “…And when you find a man incapable of understanding the depth of

depravity of his own acts, then how can you, in all good conscience, kill him? He then becomes

an object of pity, a figure in need of help” (Ellison 181). This quote reveals Ellison’s uncommon

ability to bring his readers into paradoxical situations, challenging their psyche. The content of

his work seems to concentrate less on what he wants to say and more on the changing attitudes

and predicted perceptions of his readers. His goal seems to almost always be controversy and

the necessary next step is to determine what makes an alluring subject.

A controversial novel relies on an interesting subject. Ellison asks, “Has anyone ever

written a definitive novel about narcotics addiction among doctors? The real face of evil in our

times as mirrored by the corruption in police departments?” His message seems clear: writing a

novel which will inevitably cause people to think differently about any particular topic is a good

strategy. “There is money, honey, in writing a book that deals with an explosive topic.” (Ellison
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182-183) This might seem like simple advice but writers are cautioned to beware of the

difference between a controversial topic and sensational one. Writing about a sensational topic

often means writing about a topic the writer doesn’t understand. In which case, appreciable

writing is often diluted to cliché prose and hackneyed characterizations resulting in morose

reading. This problem is usually an unfortunate symptom of a worse ailment for prospective

writers: the quest to write the “Great American Novel.” The tragedy is that doing so often

causes the writer to forget the focus of any novel; to convey a story. Ellison finishes the article

by criticizing the way many book reviews are conducted, which he says often ignore great

writing simply because it isn’t packaged cutely enough. Because of this, his last earnest advice

is to write a novel that they [reviewers] “cannot ignore.” (Ellison 186-189)

The aforementioned work, The Whimper of Whipped Dogs is an example of a

controversial story. It possesses multidimensional characters and a plot that challenges

conventional thinking about well-educated, well-intentioned women living in a big city. A

feminist thinker would say that Beth is an empowered woman. However, in an example of his

literary prowess, Ellison shows her weakness in an incredibly profound way. The strategy seems

to be to stack facts and descriptions about the character which lead the reader to make a strong

assumption about them. Then, inevitably, a crucial event occurs and the result of this event, the

reaction and preceding events, reverse the way the reader feels and the confidence they had about

the topic is shaken. Ellison achieves this in many of his works, and has inspired other writers of

the genre to do the same. Even those literary techniques which writers used long before

Ellison’s time, he was able to typify within his own era. There is strong reason why whatever he

writes, story or criticism, teleplay or novel; it is almost always read with enthusiasm.
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The impact Harlan Ellison has imposed on the fiction genre can perhaps best be presented

by the title of a fictional work, written in the 1960’s titled: “A FICTIONAL ARCHITECTURE

THAT MANAGES ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY NOT ONCE TO MENTION HARLAN

ELLISON” (Delaney 309). Aside from being one of the most productive writers of science

fiction, evidenced by the scope his work, his obvious love for fiction writing has been revealed in

his passionate criticism of others’ works. By refusing to abandon his devotion to the genre,

despite strong opposition by superiors and critics, Ellison helped popularize a science fiction

rebirth. He inspired creativity, with new controversial topics, encouraging fiction writers who

had been educated not to invest in science fiction writing. The assumption could be made that

the punch which expelled him from Ohio State reflects an ardent defense, not of his own ego, but

of a writing genre he would bleed to protect. Harlan Ellison will be 76 years old in May and the

legacy he has fervidly built lives on with him.

Word Count (with quotes): 2,140

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Works Cited

Delaney, Samuel R. The Jewel-Hinged Jaw: Notes on the Language of Science Fiction.

Elizabethtown, New York: Dragon Press, 1977. Print.

De Lint, Charles. “Harlan Ellison’s Dream Corridor/Shatterday.” Harlan Ellison’s Dream

Corridor. Shatterday. Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar. 2008: Vol. 114, Issue 3. 35-37.

Periodical.

Ellison, Harlan. “Controversy: Sharpest Sword of the Paperback Novelist.” Legends of

Literature: The Best Articles, Interviews, and Essays from the Archives of Writer’s

Digest Magazine. Sexton, Phillip. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, 2007. 179-191.

Book.

Ellison, Harlan. “Shatterday.” Shatterday. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980.

319-332. Book.

Ellison, Harlan. “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs.” The Best American Mystery Stories of the

Century. Hillerman, Tony. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. 530-546.

Book.

Itzkoff, Dave. “Set Faces to Stunned: ‘Star Trek’ Writer Sues.” nytimes.com. The New York

Times. 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2009.

Levy, Michael. “Review: Of Stories and the Man.” Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever by

Ellen Weil and Gary K. Wolfe. Science Fiction Studies, Nov. 2002: Vol. 29, No. 3,

Japanese Science Fiction. 520-523. Periodical.

Samuelson, David N. “Review: Ellison and Clarke.” Harlan Ellison: Unrepentant Harlequin by

Georges Edgar Slusser. Science Fiction Studies, Jul. 1980: Vol. 7, No. 2. 223-224.

Periodical.
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Smith, Candace. Reviews DVD Docurama, “Harlan Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth.” Harlan

Ellison: Dreams with Sharp Teeth. Booklist, Oct. 2009: Vol. 106, Issue 4. 66.

Periodical.

Weil, Ellen and Gary K. Wolfe. Harlan Ellison: The Edge of Forever.

Ohio State University Press. 2002. Print.

Westfahl, Gary. “The Popular Tradition of Science Fiction Criticism, 1926-1980.” Science

Fiction Studies, Jul. 1999: Vol. 26, No. 2. 187-212