, Dreams with Sharp Teeth, whose subject is Harlan Ellison, speculative fiction writer for every medium, tale-spinner possibly without peer. I risk being taken for a dowager fanboy, I am that enamored of his work and his essential self. The movie and the G-force energy of Ellison speaking his mind made the two people in this household who write feel that, no matter how deeply in his shadow we may walk, if we keep working, refining, learning and propping our minds open with whatever sticks we can find, we have chosen a path which may lead...anywhere.This is an excerpt from the short story, "Bright Eyes", collected in the volume Paingod and Other Delusions. Much of Ellison's nearly 50 years of work seems either out of print or not easy to find. It is worth the hunt.
"Feet without toes. Softly-padded feet, furred. Footsteps sounded gently, padding furry, down ink-chill corridors of the place. A place Bright Eyes had inhabited since before time had substance. Since before places had names. A dark place, a shadowed place, only a blot against the eternally nightened skies. No stars chip-ice twittered insanely against that night; for in truth the night was mad enough.
Night was a condition Bright Eyes understood. And he knew about day...
He knew about almost everything.
The worms. The moles. The trunks of dead trees. The whites of eggs. Music. And random sounds. The sound fish make in the deep. The flares of the sun...Clocks and what they do. Ice cream. Wax seals on parchment dedications. Grass and leaves. Metal and wood. Up and down. Here and most of there. Bright Eyes knew it all."
Following is a clip from the documentary. If he is not known to you, meet Harlan Ellison.
6 comments:
Ellison is pretty famous in science fiction circles, if for nothing else, writing one of the original star trek episodes, "City on the Edge of Forever." Long ago he wrote a short story titled, "Repent Harlequin Said the Ticktockman." which I really liked. .
Laoch - He quotes from both the Star Trek episode and "Repent Harlequin" in the movie. He has a remarkable body of work and I found it inspiring to watch, and especially, to listen to him.
Neat! I'll have to watch the film clip when I get home.
Laoch - If you see the movie, I'd be interested in your opinion.
After watching the clip I could hear my mother's voice in my head (she was a psychologist) saying he did not have enough safe mom time when he was growing up. People who lack filters often make other people very uncomfortable, which I am sure he must do on a continual basis. That doesn't change the fact that he is right about some things or that he is a good writer.
Laoch - How interesting to have a take on what may be the source of his high velocity, unfiltered rants. Certainly a big part of who he is and how he approaches life. Based on his style and volume of work, I can only imagine that he is an open receiver with no off switch; it would make one wish for lightning fingers, to get it all down on paper.
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