Conference noted::sf

    	There are four SF Topics on Ellison, at 209, 266, 500, and 569.
    

    re:.2
    
    He created the scenario for THE STARLOST and wrote the first script.
    However, it was almost completely re-written and trashed, so he
    took his name off it, substituting "Cordwainer Bird".
    
    His STAR TREK script was also fairly substantially re-written by
    Gene Roddenberry, though Ellison left hi name on it.
    
    re:.0
    
    A complete bibliography of Ellison's work is a major undertaking.
    A woman named Leslie Swigert did one in the mid-70's as a Library
    Science degree project. A somewhat less detailed version appeared
    in the "Special Harlan Ellison Issue" of THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY
    & SCIENCE FICTION (July 1977 issue, if memory serves). I don't
    have a copy of Swigert's original (she had printed up copies for
    sale), nor have I seen one for sale anywhere. And I haven't seen
    any updates since.
    
    There really isn't much of Ellison's work that's currently in print.
    
    --- jerry

    The last two volumes of stories I remember reading were:
    "Shatterday" and "Angry Candy".  "Angry Candy" was out in hard cover
    just a year or two ago I believe.  I've also read "The Gentlemen
    Junkie"(?), Deathbird Stories, and whatever the volumes that contained "A Boy
    and His Dog" and "I Have no Mouth But I Must Scream"
    
    						- john

    One of my favorite books of all time is his novelization (with Ed
    Bryant) of 'the way The Starlost was supposed to be', called Phoenix
    Without Ashes.  I've also read some of his other stuff, and while some
    of it's interesting, I can't seem to read any of his stuff any more
    without thinking of his rambling, vituperative flames about anything
    and  _everything_ in his (F&SF?) review collumns.  Then there were his
    car ads, which didn't mesh very well with his outspoken feelings about
    Hollywood.... :+}
    
    Willie

    H.E. was filmed at a recent comic book convention in Toronto for
    a program called "Prisoners of Gravity".  He stated that he likes
    to write for comics and he mentions some of the feature comics he
    has written for.  I think one of the comics mentioned was X-Men??
        
    By the way "Prisoners of Gravity" is a weekly 1/2 hour program produced
    by TV Ontario and features interviews with comic book writers such
    as Ellison and other famous SF writers as well as showing trailers
    of SF movies (past and present).  It is aimed I think at the teen-age
    male viewer but anyone with an interest in SF would enjoy the format
    and content.
    
    BC

    re:.6
    
    Ellison has never written THE X-MEN per se. There was an Ethiopian
    famine relief benefit comic published by Marvel that starred the
    X-Men, with a large number of comics writers and artists contributing
    (as well as a few writers not normally associated with comics. Each
    writer/artist team did 3 pages worth, and Ellison teamed up with
    Frank Miller (writer/artist of BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS)
    for his 3-page stint. Incidentally, Stephen King also wrote a 3-page
    stretch.
    
    Some of Ellison's stories have been adapted for comics -- most
    recently (a) an adaptation of all of his Vic & Blood stories by
    Richard Corben, and (b) adaptations of his Kyba War stories by Ken
    Steacy under the title NIGHT AND THE ENEMY. Also, back circa 1970,
    Ellison wrote a treatment for a two-part story that Roy Thomas turned
    into a comic script that crossed over from an issue of THE AVENGERS
    to an issue of THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
    
    There are only three comics stories that I can think of that Ellison
    had a direct hand in writing. One was an issue of DETECTIVE COMICS
    featuring Batman, another was an issue of DAREDEVIL (these were
    both within that last five years or so). The third was *way* back
    in the middle 60's for one of the black-and-white horror comics
    published by Warren, EERIE.
    
    --- jerry

RE -.1 What do you mean "all his Vic & Blood stories"? Were there more besides
"A Boy and His Dog"? Tell me there were, please!

Back in the late 70's there was a whole series of volumes published by Pyramid,
possibly covering his complete biblio to that point. Sadly, by the time I found
them, they were scattered like so much dust throughout various used book stores.

On a side note, Ben Bova wrote a parody of the whole "Star Lost" debacle called
"The Starcrossed", featuring a hysterical scriptwriter as one of the main 
characaters.

I have been a great fan of Ellison for years. Unfortunately, his output has
dried up recently that I have noticed. The last thing I read by him was an
anthology titled "The Glass Teat". It had numerous (and yes, vituperative)
essays on TV interspersed with the stories, possibly as introductions?

Somewhere, possibly in Glass Teat, there is an interesting discussion of some of
the TV series that he wrote for, as well as the genesis of "Cordwainer Bird,"
the pseudonym he used when he was displeased with the final version of a show.
So next time you watch old reruns of "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The
Flying Nun" (trust me, it's true), "Logan's Run" and several others that 
escape me, watch the credits. He also did a good one for "Outer Limits" called 
"Demon With A Glass Hand" which has been anthologized.

Ellison continues to be one of my favorite writers. Sometimes he gets a bit
goofy and awfully self-righteous, but his prose is always top-notch. Finding
something of his somewhere is always like finding a gem on the beach. One might
ask "Harlan, where are YOU?"

    re:.8
    
    Yes, there were more Vic & Blood stories than "A Boy and His Dog".
    Let's see, there was "Eggsucker", "Blood's a Rover", and "Run, Spot,
    Run". None of these have been collected. About 10 years ago, Ace
    was going to publish a fix-up novel of all of these stories under
    the title BLOOD'S A ROVER, but for various reasons, it fell through.
    
    In fact, "Blood's a Rover" (which introduces a female rover named
    Spike) had its genesis in a series treatment that Ellison was working
    up for a proposed TV series based on "A Boy and His Dog" (!)
    
    Ellison's low output since the late 70's was caused (so he claimed)
    by writer's block brought on by a massive chemical imbalance in his
    system. He's managed to write enough stories and essays to have
    furnished a few collections in the last 10 years (STALKING THE
    NIGHTMARE, ANGRY CANDY, TALES FROM THE PROCRUSTEAN BED, and HARLAN
    ELLISON'S WATCHING), as well as writing four scripts for the mid-80's
    TWILIGHT ZONE revival (one of which, "Paladin of the Lost Hour" is
    in my humble but nevertheless correct opinion, one of the finest
    pieces of drama I've ever seen on television).
    
    --- jerry

"Chemical imbalance"? Smokin' too many banana peels, Harlan?

    Why assume that it's illicit drugs?
    
    Many people suffer from chemical imbalances for perfectly natural
    reasons such as a poor diet.
    
    --- jerry

    Poor diet, not enough sleep, overworking, dream deprivation...
    
    K.C. (who knew someone who had the same problem)

Oh, I know, I was being sarcastic. But we are talking about a major renegade of
the sixties. If someone told you Timothy Leary had a chemical imbalance,
you would probably not ask him what he'd been eating lately. Besides, I'm just
a small-minded yuppy with naturally poor vision...

    Are there any Ellison books in print available in the UK. If so what 
    are they and who are the publishers ?
    
    I've read Death Bird Stories as well as a few shorts in other
    collections including A boy and his dog, all some time ago and I
    no longer have copies. Very enjoyable reads.
    
    Thanks for any info.
    
    Mike.

    You might want to check with Forbidden Planet in London. If anyone
    knew what of Ellison's is still in print over there and would either
    have it or be able to get it for you, they would.
    
    --- jerry

    	Another Harlan rarity, if you've thoughts of compiling a complete
    listing... An artist named "Steranko" printed up a portfolio of 8 or 10
    prints, illustrating "Repent, Harlequin, said the ticktockman". The
    cover print has Thoreau's quote "The mass of men lead lives of quiet
    desperation...."
    
        The artwork is interesting, clockwork mechanisms interspersed with
    P.C. board artwork & soldier's helmets, etc. I believe a limited
    edition of 1500 was produced, signed & numbered by both Steranko &
    Ellison. Came out several years ago, I'm fairly sure that all 1500 have
    already been sold...but rare book-sci-fi stores might be able to
    provide pointers...
    
    					chuck