Since we're on the subject of Harlan Ellison, did you know he hates giving interviews? Here's another reasons why:

A vintage 1992 (and bizarre) CITR (Vancouver, BC) radio interview with Harlan Ellison. Poor Harlan, he's not even normally a fan of interviews and having him interviewed by Nardwuar the Human Serviette (along with A.O. Trapman), perhaps the strangest person in British Columbia makes for some serious strangeness. We're not talking Rufus Polson (AKA Purple Library Guy @ SFU) strange, we're talking many more degrees of magnitude strange. Of course, there's not much SF content in the interview but certainly there are some questions asked of Harlan here you'll not hear asked, or answered, anywhere else |MP3| or |REALAUDIO|. You can read more on the controversy of this particular interview right HERE.

posted by Jesse Willis

Labels: Harlan Ellison, interview, Online Audio

4:37 PM -- (0) comments

 


BBC7's the 7th Dimension is re-airing a classic and relatively famous SF story from Harlan Ellison over the next two Sundays. Soldier, originally published in 1957 under the title Soldier Of The Future this is a time travel tale. Not as well known is that Ellison was drafted into the U.S. Army that same year and was trained as an Army Ranger. After leaving the military Ellison later adapted his story for a 1964 episode of the original The Outer Limits, and still later it was adapted, in a completely unauthorized but brilliant 1984 SF film, The Terminator.

Soldier
By Harlan Ellison; Read by John Sharian
2 half-hour segments - Approx. 1 Hour [UNABRIDGED]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 7 / The 7th Dimension
BROADCAST: Sunday at 6:30pm and 12:30am U.K. Time
"Set a thousand years into the future, Earth has become a nightmare of high-tech battlefields where few survive. From this world, soldier Qarlo is accidentally teleported back to the U.S. city streets of 1964 - to warn the human race of its capacity for self-destruction."

Both parts will be available via the Listen Again service for six days after each broadcast.

posted by Jesse Willis

Labels: BBC, Harlan Ellison, science fiction, time travel

12:11 PM -- (0) comments

 


In early 2002 a limited run series of chilling Science Fiction tales aired on BBC Radio 4. The series was entitled Chillers (or Chillers - Four Tales of Terror). The scripts were by Gold Sony award winning dramatist Mike Walker, the original stories were by top SF authors. Before today I'd recommended to everyone who'd listen, the first of these, Who Goes There?. It is the finest half-hour of Science Fiction Audio Drama I've ever experienced. But now the entire four episode series is available in the Zombie Astronaut's latest issue. I'm going to be savoring the rest thanks to ZA!

Chillers - Four Tales of Terror
Dramatized by Mike Walker; Performed by full casts
4 x 30 Minute Programs - Approx. 2 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Jan. - Feb. 2002

"Who Goes There?"
Based on story by John W. Campbell; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| - Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
Penned under the name Don A. Stuart, the novelette that this play was based on was first published in the August 1938 issue of Astounding Stories.
An alien being is found frozen in the ice of Antarctica. When it is thawed, it awakens, to become a threat to the small base camp. In fact, it's a threat to all life on earth, as it can change shape and absorb the life and bodies of every living thing it comes in contact with.

"I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream"
Based on story by Harlan Ellison; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| - Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
The Hugo Award winning short story this play was based on first appeared in the March 1968 issue of Worlds Of If.
This is a tale of five people kept alive by AM, a computer that came alive, waged war and won against mankind. It's hatred of mankind is so profound, that it kept these five alive only to torture them.

"Delta Sly Honey"
Based on story by Lucius Shepard; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| - Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First appeared in a 1987 anthology entitled In the Field of Fire, which was a collection of SF and Fantasy stories dealing with Vietnam.
Taking place in the Vietnam War era, this is the story of a Southern country boy who exorcises his demons making late night broadcasts to phantom military units. Then, one answers.

"Corona"
Based on story by Samuel R. Delaney; Performed by a full cast
1 |MP3| - Approx. 28 Minutes [RADIO DRAMA]
First published in Fantasy And Science Fiction Magazine's October, 1967 issue.
This is the story of an injured man and a girl who seeks death to free her from the pain that comes from her telepathic ability. Their common bond is a pop musician who offers peace to both.

posted by Jesse Willis

Labels: alien invasion, aliens, artificial intelligence, BBC, ghosts, Harlan Ellison, horror, John W. Campbell, Lucius Shepard, radio drama, Samuel R. Delaney, science fiction, telepathy

11:08 AM -- (0) comments

 


The Voice from the Edge Vol 1: I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
By Harlan Ellison; Read by Harlan Ellison
5 CD's - 6 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Fantastic Audio
Published: 2002
Themes: / Science Fiction / Fantasy / Short Stories / Artificial Intelligence / Time / Demons /

This is a collection of Harlan Ellison's best (well... most popular) stories. The most oft-reprinted tales are here, among them: "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream", "'Repent, Harlequin,' Said the Ticktockman", "Paladin of the Lost Hour", and "A Boy and His Dog". The stories are read by the author, who himself is a first-rate reader, lending an infectious energy to every story in the collection.

I personally know of no other author's stories with which to compare Harlan Ellison's. He's arguably the finest writer of short fiction on the planet, building stories of great impact in such a short space. In "'Repent, Harlequin'", he gives us a parable of society's dependence on the clock, making schedules look ridiculous enough to make one wonder what the heck we're all doing. And this was written in the 1960's! In "Paladin of the Lost Hour", a man is given responsibility over the world's last hour. The characters in "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" are trapped by a malevolent computer. These are great stories, every one. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection.

Stories included in the collection: "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream", "Laugh Track", "Grail", "'Repent, Harlequin,' Said the Ticktockman", The Very Last Day of a Good Woman", "Paladin of the Lost Hour", "The Time of the Eye", "The Lingering Scent of Woodsmoke", and "A Boy and His Dog".

Labels: artificial intelligence, collection, demons, fantasy, Harlan Ellison, science fiction, time travel

9:05 AM --

 
Another for my list of favorites... almost done!



2000X: Tales of the Next Millennia
Hollywood Theater of the Ear
Executive Producers - Andy Trudeau and Stefan Rudnicki
Project Director / Producer-Director - Yuri Rasovsky
Hosted by Harlan Ellison

2000X aired on National Public Radio in 1999 and 2000. It's a diverse series of 46 dramatized science fiction stories from authors like Robert A. Heinlein, Harlan Ellison, C.L. Moore, Robert Sheckley, Connie Willis, and Octavia Butler, just to name a few. This is audio drama at it's highest quality - both the scripts and the performances are as good as I've heard.

I've got two favorites in the series:

By His Bootstraps
From a story by Robert A. Heinlein
Adapted, Produced, and Directed by Yuri Rasovsky
Mixed by Richard Fairbanks
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Cordis Heard, Kascia Marciniak, and Ira Burton
Themes: / Time Travel / Paradox / Far Future /

This production won the Ohio State Award in 1982, and was included later in the 2000x series. It's a fine dramatization of the story of time travel from one of the masters of the genre, performed by Richard Dreyfuss. It twists and turns back on itself in a brilliantly paradoxical manner. The production is fascinating to hear, as the stereo levels are managed to provide separation between the characters, which gets pretty complicated during the story. This one is best in stereo, while wearing headphones.

"Repent, Harlequin," said the Ticktockman
Based on the story by Harlan Ellison
Dramatized, Produced, and Directed by Yuri Rasovsky
Recorded and Mixed by Warren Dewey
Starring Robin Williams, Harlan Ellison, Stefan Rudnicki, Arte Johnson, James Otis, Scott Brick, Hamilton Camp, Laura Kellogg, Melinda Peterson, and Phil Proctor

This is a fine way to experience Harlan Ellison's classic story. It's introduced and narrated by an enthusiastic Harlan Ellison. Robin Williams is perfect as the Harlequin, and Stefan Rudnicki's voice makes the Ticktockman positively ominous. It's an audio treat, full of sound, energy, and humor.

For a play list of all the productions in the series, click here. The 2000X homepage is here. And don't forget to support your local public radio station!

2000X is currently available is two ways. First, Fantasic Audio has published a collection of some of the shows on cassette. It includes Repent, Harlequin and By His Bootstraps along with several others.

Second, the shows are available individually from Audible.com.

posted by Scott D. Danielson

Labels: civil disobedience, Harlan Ellison, Robert A. Heinlein, time travel

7:49 PM -- (0) comments