Rumors around the internet are true: Harlan Ellison was in a serious auto accident. However, he called me today to assure me that he and Susan are just fine. Achy from whiplash, but fine. The accident occurred at an intersection while he was on his way to a speaking engagement attended by, he estimates, ten thousand would-be writers. He and Susan made it to the talk, somewhat the worse for wear, but his car was totaled.
Anyone have a nice car in good shape they don’t want anymore that they want to give to Harlan Ellison?
PAD
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Can we make that somebody that has 2 cars that are in good shape? Having gone through a rather nasty accident myself on Friday, I can fully appreciate Mr. Ellison’s situation. Thank heaven for seatbelts and airbags. I hope everybody involved in his was wearing their seatbelt. Please send my best wishes for everyone for a speedy recovery, from one car accident survivor to another.
ObeeKris
I must give Harlen Ellis major props. The car was totalled, he’s got whiplash, and he still made it to the speech. That’s what I call a pro.
I can’t make him drive my car; he’s angry enough already.
Still, glad to hear they’re both reasonably okay. I can only imagine the speech.
First Stephen King, now this. Is it possible there’s a conspracy of cars against popular writers?
According to a post from someone at the speech at the Harlan Ellison Webderland Bulletin Board, the speech kicked ášš. Author Owl Goinback was with the Ellisons and is also okay.
Saw Mr. Ellison at MIT with Neil Gaiman and Mr. David last October. The first lecture like that I ever went to. What a great night. Idiot that I was forgot a camera. I also had to leave right after the lecture because I had an hour drive to get back home and needed to work the next morning so I missed the signing. Long live the Three High Verbals!
Bill
Glad to hear that Mr. Ellison and company are all right, but is there any way we can make it 3 cars?
I have been without transportation since October, 2001 when my Plymoth gave up the ghost after 17(!) years of service.
I can tell you from first hand experience:
a.) They were not built to last THAT long. She fought me for practically every mile the last year and a half. And
b.) Especially with the current economy, it’s a lot easier to talk about saving up money for something than to accomplish it!
I can see why cars would have it in for Steven King; he gave them some pretty bad press with Christine, a book which propogated some negative car stereotypes that are still believed by far too many people.
What do cars have against Harlan Ellison, though? To the best of my knowledge, he’s always been a pro-car activist. He must have said something that didn’t go too well at the speech he made at the pro-car rally he made last month.
Did Mr. Ellison or the police say what the car’s motivation was for trying to kill him? It could have been political. The car world has been in turmoil ever since the Popemobile got into a fender-bender last August. I thought the tension would be eased when the remnants of the extremist Nash Motor Company claimed responsibility, but that only made things worse.
Harlan Ellison car stories that could have turned the cars against him: “Corpse,” though it turns cars into gods…”Along the Scenic Route” seems more probable, though it’s the humans who are decidedly bad in the story.
I’m sure there are more.
Bill
Best wishes to HE and Susan… Awful stuff.
Well…I’m not going to give it away, but Harlan (or anyone else who’s interested in it) is welcome to buy my 1993 Saab 9000CSE. Manual Transmission, AM/FM/Cassette/CD Stereo, Climate Control, Anti-Lock Brakes, Moon-Roof, Heated Front Seats and those funky little wipers for the head-lights! Only 96,000 miles. All this for a mere $4000! (Or best offer). Why am I selling? A couple of reasons: 1) My wife can’t drive a stick and in the interest of preserving our marriage I have no plan to teach her; 2) I don’t really need it. I live near where I work and walk to the office; and 3) Don’t need/want to carry the extra car on my insurance any longer.
I live in Philadelphia, if that affects Mr. Ellison’s decision.
Glad to hear Harlan and Susan are doing alright. I was speed-reading from worry and missed the headline. WONDERFUL pun, PAD. Best I’ve read in a while.
– T
Glad to hear everybody’s OK. Harlan has a history of coming through “serious” car crashes relatively unscathed. Check [i]An Edge in my Voice[/i] for the harrowing tale of the demise of his beloved ’67 Camaro and how he risked death and arrest to rescue his manual typewriter from the back seat as gas leaked from the overturned car.
Maybe we can start another fund for him: First there was KICK Internet Piracy (I’ve donated twice), now there can be “GET Harlan A Car…”
well there was that car commercial he did for Geo’s back in the..um..90’s was it? Maybe the car he was in took offence at it?
still..glad to here Harlan and Susan are doing well!
From the Ellison Webderland Forum:
HARLAN ELLISON
– Monday, November 18 2002 9:37:24
TO ONE AND ALL:
Would somebody PUHLEEEEZ let Peter David–one of my 3 or 4 closest and dearest pals–know that he should stop this “send the poor Jew from Ohio a car” pleading. We’re already in process of buying an inexpensive set of wheels. I’ve, heaven knows, begged and mooched massively for the KICK lawsuit. I don’t need to have people thinking I’m destitute and an even bigger schnorer than I am already. If Peter has a flaw (and I’m not certain he does), it’s always going one drumbeat longer than the song requires.
I’m going to be fine, carwise. But anywhichway…it’s MY problem, no one else”s.
Harlan
Man, that guy’s tougher than a two dollar steak.
auto accident?
I thought “Auto” is only the german word for car. Is it used in English or in American too?
Just funny for me how many german words are used in American, like Zeitgeist or Poltergeist or Ubermensch. I found them in several novels.