Harlan Ellison
A fiercely brilliant and contentious voice in speculative fiction who attacked complacency with relentless, imaginative fury.
1934–2018 (age 84)·American writer·Birthday: May 27·The Silent Generation
Biography
Harlan Ellison wrote as if his typewriter were a weapon. Dropping out of college after a professor dismissed his talent, he stormed into New York's literary scene, selling stories while taking any job that fed him. His work, a volatile mix of social criticism, dark fantasy, and raw emotion, became a cornerstone of the New Wave movement that pushed science fiction toward psychological and stylistic complexity. Ellison was famously combative, suing studios, publicly feuding, and delivering legendary, fiery lectures. Yet this same intensity fueled masterpieces like 'I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream' and the seminal anthology 'Dangerous Visions,' which challenged writers to break taboos. He lived his life and crafted his stories by one unwavering principle: never suffer fools, and never let the world off easy.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Harlan was born in 1934, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Harlan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1934
#1 Movie
It Happened One Night
Best Picture
It Happened One Night
Harlan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1934Born
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Started school
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Became a teenager
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Could drive
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1952Could vote
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Turned 21
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1964Turned 30
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 40
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 50
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 60
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 70
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 80
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2018Died at 84
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- He wrote the classic Star Trek episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever,' often cited as the series' finest.
- He created and edited the 'Dangerous Visions' anthologies, which revolutionized science fiction by encouraging transgressive themes.
- He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards for his short stories, including for 'I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.'
- He received a special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for 'Demon with a Glass Hand.'
Did You Know?
He once poured a pitcher of iced tea over an executive's head during a meeting about one of his scripts.
He wrote over 1,700 short stories, essays, and scripts but never completed a traditional novel.
He was a passionate advocate for writers' rights and successfully sued to reclaim the copyrights to several of his early TV scripts.
He claimed to have been hired and fired by Walt Disney in the same afternoon for making a risqué joke.
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
