The problem with Harlan is that he would break rules just because they were there. The Star Trek franchise had rules then and does now about thing that can/cannot happen, which have changed over the decades. But back then, the drug dealer couldn't be heroic and definitely couldn't win, so naturally Harlan did.... what? Also, the writer h…
The problem with Harlan is that he would break rules just because they were there. The Star Trek franchise had rules then and does now about thing that can/cannot happen, which have changed over the decades. But back then, the drug dealer couldn't be heroic and definitely couldn't win, so naturally Harlan did.... what? Also, the writer had to bear in mind that their budgets were not big. I used to know the set designer (through old airplanes) and he told me that when he got his first look at Harlan's version, "The SFX budget was spent in the introductory scene." Coon went in and made it work, but Harlan being the narcissist he was, he had to either win or be the Eternal Victim.
Ellison used to be "my hero" as a writer, and when you stay to the end of the dead sea scrolls on the Terminator movies, you find the last credit is, "The producers wish to recognize the work of Harlan Ellison." That's because he won a lawsuit over the first one for "misappropriation of intellectual property", and he won because there was a guy who wrote for Starlog Magazine, who did an interview with James Cameron, in which Cameron finally answered "what was your inspiration?" and basically said he had come up with the story from being a kid watching Harlan's episodes in two well-known s-f anthologies on TV at the time. I know that writer very extremely closely, and he got very upset when Harlan - who got rich on that decision and Hemdale's refusal to honor it till they got severely whacked - decided to treat him like he treated every other writer he was friends with, eventually. (In other words, I didn't cry over the news of his departure.)
I thought Hugos and Nebulas were only for works of prose fiction.
now, I know better.
generally, for narrative purposes in works in a series, it's best to stick to the rules.
but then again, I'm still not quite over the ridiculous invention of Red Kryptonite...the stuff that only made Superman "weird," as opposed to reliably dead (like the original green variety). that was...when? I'm thinking about 1958 or 9.
Yes, and all those first season shows were produced by Desilu, who also produced Mission: Impossible. (Desi was in bad health and Lucy and her second husband sold her company to Paramount) Most Sci-Fi writers think their ideas are the Next Big Thing. Trust me, they're not. Ellison was no different. If you think about that episode, the SFX was in the first scene. They used the Paramount lot for the rest of it.
did you ever wonder about the pictures of the MI team members who'd NEVER get picked?
what were their special talents? why were those talents never utilized? if they were never working, why didn't they just get shitcanned? were they on salary or retainer?
The problem with Harlan is that he would break rules just because they were there. The Star Trek franchise had rules then and does now about thing that can/cannot happen, which have changed over the decades. But back then, the drug dealer couldn't be heroic and definitely couldn't win, so naturally Harlan did.... what? Also, the writer had to bear in mind that their budgets were not big. I used to know the set designer (through old airplanes) and he told me that when he got his first look at Harlan's version, "The SFX budget was spent in the introductory scene." Coon went in and made it work, but Harlan being the narcissist he was, he had to either win or be the Eternal Victim.
Ellison used to be "my hero" as a writer, and when you stay to the end of the dead sea scrolls on the Terminator movies, you find the last credit is, "The producers wish to recognize the work of Harlan Ellison." That's because he won a lawsuit over the first one for "misappropriation of intellectual property", and he won because there was a guy who wrote for Starlog Magazine, who did an interview with James Cameron, in which Cameron finally answered "what was your inspiration?" and basically said he had come up with the story from being a kid watching Harlan's episodes in two well-known s-f anthologies on TV at the time. I know that writer very extremely closely, and he got very upset when Harlan - who got rich on that decision and Hemdale's refusal to honor it till they got severely whacked - decided to treat him like he treated every other writer he was friends with, eventually. (In other words, I didn't cry over the news of his departure.)
I thought Hugos and Nebulas were only for works of prose fiction.
now, I know better.
generally, for narrative purposes in works in a series, it's best to stick to the rules.
but then again, I'm still not quite over the ridiculous invention of Red Kryptonite...the stuff that only made Superman "weird," as opposed to reliably dead (like the original green variety). that was...when? I'm thinking about 1958 or 9.
Movie scripts and the movie itself. I got into SFWA for writing "The Terror Within," it waulaified the same as having a novel published.
Yes, and all those first season shows were produced by Desilu, who also produced Mission: Impossible. (Desi was in bad health and Lucy and her second husband sold her company to Paramount) Most Sci-Fi writers think their ideas are the Next Big Thing. Trust me, they're not. Ellison was no different. If you think about that episode, the SFX was in the first scene. They used the Paramount lot for the rest of it.
did you ever wonder about the pictures of the MI team members who'd NEVER get picked?
what were their special talents? why were those talents never utilized? if they were never working, why didn't they just get shitcanned? were they on salary or retainer?