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Legendary sci-fi author Harlan Ellison passed away last night. May he Rest in Peace.
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituar...628-story.html
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituar...628-story.html
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"For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
"The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
"Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
"There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
"Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
"Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
"Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me -
For some reason, I thought he'd been gone for years...“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers -
Only his reputation -- he was already known as a walking trainwreck, but when he grabbed Connie Willis's breasts on the Hugo stage (2006, apparently -- I'd thought it was more recent), a lot of people just said "the hell with this dude". That was when the SF/F community was just starting to confront sexual harassment/misogyny... and AIUI, Connie was (and is) a lot more popular personally than Harlan.Quoth Nunavut Pants View PostComment
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I also thought he was long gone.
Could have told you long before 2006 that he was a prick; met him at a con once, back when I was thin and cute . . .
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He was a phenomenal writer, but yes, his attitude towards women was absolutely fucking gawdawful. I always wondered if he'd smartened up in that area as he got older. From Mental_Mouse's comment, though, it sounds as though not.
Like Nunavut Pants and morgana, I'd also thought for some time that he was long gone and I'd just missed the obit. I think it was at least partly because I'd not heard of him writing anything for many years.
I used to have a massive collection of his works, with cover artwork on all the books by (IIRC) Leo and Diane Dillon. I had to downsize a couple of decades ago, when I lost my fulltime job, and most of those books, unfortunately, were collateral damage. I did keep two, and they're buried somewhere in my storage units: The Glass Teat and The Other Glass Teat. They were collections of his columns from the L.A. Free Press, and they are my favourites of all his work.
I did sorta meet him on two occasions. The first time I was at a s/f convention and he was signing autographs. I took a photo with my mother's Brownie, and anybody old enough to remember those things knows the flash will blind you at a quarter of a mile. Of course, he looked up and directly at me just as I tripped the shutter ... He blinked, obviously stunned. I don't remember whether I managed to blurt out an apology. I do remember I braced myself to get verbally flayed. He just mumbled something like "Holy shit" and went back to signing autographs.
The second time, he was coming to Toronto and I was in my journalism program and wanted to interview him. So I called him ... at his home in California. I took the time difference into account and during the short chat he did say thanks for that ... apparently a lot of people who called him from all around the globe didn't, resulting in phone calls in the wee hours and, no doubt, a lot of swearing on his part. The interview could not be worked into his schedule, alas.Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
~ Mr HeroComment
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Now I wanna see that pic, Pix ^__^
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*ahem*
I was somewhat aware of his (deserved) rep regarding the fairer sex, but I didn't bring it up because a) "RIP" thread and b) the potential for a discussion of it to veer too close to Fratching.
Hint hint
"For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
"The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
"Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
"There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
"Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
"Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
"Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - meComment
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Quoth EricKei View PostNow I wanna see that pic, Pix ^__^
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*ahem*
I was somewhat aware of his (deserved) rep regarding the fairer sex, but I didn't bring it up because a) "RIP" thread and b) the potential for a discussion of it to veer too close to Fratching.
Hint hint
It's likely somewhere in my storage units. If/when I find it, I will scan it and post it, LOL. IIRC, he's just staring into the camera, looking pretty stunned, waiting for his vision to return.
Re: your second paragraph, I wasn't even thinking of that. Sorry.
My own two very brief interactions with him were very pleasant and with nothing but courtesy on his part.
Last edited by Pixelated; 06-30-2018, 01:44 AM.Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
~ Mr HeroComment
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It's cool. That was addressed to everybody, anyway
"For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
"The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
"Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
"There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
"Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
"Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
"Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - meComment
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My apologies as well. Didn't occur to me.Quoth EricKei View PostI was somewhat aware of his (deserved) rep regarding the fairer sex, but I didn't bring it up because a) "RIP" thread and b) the potential for a discussion of it to veer too close to Fratching.
Hint hint
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