Harlan is one of the greatest writers of his generation, but sometimes I wish he would just STFU.

He is a Grade A jackass. But I do have to give a begrudging respect for coming right out and admitting it is about the money.

Go Harlan! I can't belive this dispute is still going on.

I though he removed his name from the teleplay because he didn't like the changes made? Can one remove themselves from taking credit for a script and then expect payment for merchandizing?

Lord, he must be desparate. He condemns the original as schlock. Now he wants his money? He's one broke hebe.

How is this news? Doesn't he sue over this every 15 years?

I used to be such a fan of his stuff, when I was younger and impressionable. Had every single thing he's ever written, some editions were autographed. This past winter I boxed the lot and left them all at the curb. History will remember him for being difficult and dysfunctional far more than for his work. Sad.

The man is simply asking for something he is CONTRACTUALLY ENTITLED to. If CBS Paramount refuses to pay him what he is legally owed, then he has every right to sue them. I think anyone in his position would do the same thing.

If it's all about the money, why does he only want $1? That is a waste of the taxpayers' money and a waste of the courts' time.

Read carefully. The $1 is for his suit against the Writers Guild, not the one against CBS Paramount. The Writers Guild is essentially his labor union; he's not out to make money off of them, he just wants to make sure they carry out their obligations in the future.

FarScapeFan, that's like saying Alan Moore shouldn't be able to collect any more 'Watchmen' revenue because he wants nothing to do with the film. He wrote the original story and is entitled to collect what he's owed for the job.

I highly recommend anyone who is unfamiliar with - or even those who are - Harlan Ellison to check out the excellent documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth, which I was fortunate enough to see at the Edinburgh Film Festival last year.

While I would never be presumptuous enough to dare to offer my own opinions in place of Mr Ellison, and I doubt he would thank me for it, he has long enjoyed (and why not?) being a little man who is the thorn in the side of the big industry, someone who should long ago have been crushed, but absolutely refuses to bow to their supposed might or authority. We have always needed people like that, and he is one of the best we have, and he deserves our respect and affection and admiration.

My personal feeling on this action is that it is not for personal gain, it is to draw attention to the way the studios have long abused the writers in their employ - Mr Ellison may gain nothing more than his token dollar and costs, but if he wins, all writers will be in a better position to reclaim what they are entitled to.

>>That is a waste of the taxpayers' money and a waste of the courts' time.

Taxpayer's money? The whole point of court costs is to recoup those fees. If this goes to court and Ellison loses, he'll pay court costs. If he wins, the other side will pay court costs. I don't see where any taxpayer money is used. And, pretrial is billed directly by the attorneys involved and has nothing to do with taxpayers (other than generating more income tax for the government).

This is a publicity stunt. Ellison has some material to be released soon (DVD at least) and he is taking advantage of the soon to be released movies advertising by piggy-backing. The lawsuit's age begs the question of 'Why now?' and the answer is publicity. He has been honored for the episode enough even if it wasn't in cash. This is a frivolity that a man of his intellect should be above; that said - it is not out of character for him, and it is character acting for him.

I'd give him $2 if he'd shut up and never speak in public agian.

He's a Hugo and Nebula winning writer, but as a person he's an ass. He threatened to sue James Cameron after Cameron admitted to stealing the idea for the Terminator from the Demon With A Glass Hand. The studio had to give Ellison a credit on the film to get him to shut up. On the other hand, it's his hatred and anger that keeps him alive.

As to Star Trek, I re-watched his episode recently and his name is on it. If Paramount is still making money off of it, Ellison should get some money. It's one of the greatest Star Trek episodes from their 3 year run.

I'd respect Harlan a lot more if he had written more than a small handful of interesting pieces.

He has not earned the right to be a universal blowhard.

I'd respect people if they actually KNEW what they were talking about. I've read many of Mr. Ellison's books individually, but "The Essential Ellison - A 50 Year Retrospective, Revised and Expanded" is 1,250 pages in paperback, weighs 3.5 pounds, in PAPERBACK, it's more than a small handful of interesting pieces, it's Mr. Ellison's life's work, I own it, I've read it, I love it.

Mr. Ellison has earned the right to do as he likes. The rest of you haven't earned the right to speak his name, including me.

OH for the love of shit!!!! Will Harlan Ellison ever shut up!!!! He has done nothing but bitch about how he was screwed over for the last thirty years by everyone except the easter bunny!!! It is the only thing noteworthy he has ever done and it is mildly excellent at best. I wish he would grow up and get over it.

McCoy and others:
Obviously you've never met the man. Obviously you don't understand WGA contracts and obligations. Clearly you know little about any of the items contained within the lawsuit.

If you condemn Ellison for character faults you've never actually experienced for yourself (preferring, what? Wikipedia as your source???), you should at least admit your own lack of credentials to comment upon the suit and leave it at that.

(You know what they say about "Opening your mouth and removing all doubt", yes?)

The gist of it is Ellison suffers no fools. If you are a fool in his sight, then beware. That said this is a long standing ordeal that not only rent his soul as a writer trying to be a screenwriter but having the studio second guess his writing prowess and try to pal him up with Shatner over drinks. I would be pissed and want every jot and tittle of monies from my work as sold to them too.

I think Harlan is addressing an even bigger issue than most here will give him credit. These so-called "restorations" have more in common with FRACTURED FLICKERS (even more so if you throw-in how they chopped ToS up and time compressed them for 21st century re-syndication.) than anything to do with restoring a 1960s' work of art to the maximum that it could have been experienced in the decade of its creation.

How do you "restore" a mono soundtrack to 5.1 nay 7.1 Dolby Digital surround?

How do you "restore" 1960s' sfx to 21st century CGI?

Face it. These are new works of art and the original 1960s' 16mm contracts can't and don't apply to these 21st century doodads..

And this goes for Disney's PINOCHIO, SLEEPING BEAUTY and all of this so-called "restored" ilk from the other studios.

I'm not saying what's being produced isn't interesting or without merit - just that it isn't art restoration by any stretch of the imagination, but rather, new works of art built on a canvass of the old for a new age.

Pay the pipers.

P.S. I know putting the apostrophe after 1960s
is questionable at best, but I did it to make a point about where things "belonged" in the context of their creation.

I would respect his opinion more if he'd finally publish and pay the contributors (or the estates of his contributors) to LAST DANGEROUS VISIONS.
Harlan Hint: Squeaky wheels get the grease, but you attract more flies with honey than vinegar.

All the contributors to Last Dangewous Visions have been paid or had their work returned to them or their estates. Other than that, there is nothing about Last Dangerous Visions that is any of anyone else's business.

Trebukan, please learn the correct meaning of the phrase "beg the question." Thanks in advance.

mr. Ellison needs to just shut his mouth and quit acting like a baby. He considers everyone else to be inferior to himself, and doesn't mind saying so, yet still expects people to like him & pay him for something that was settled years ago. And to Captain Jack Harkness, Harlan Ellison is just a man like you and me. he puts his pants on the same way the rest of mankind does, so he's nothing special. Just because he wrote some good stories doesn't make him a god of whom we can't speak the name of HARLAN ELLISON ! (I'm saying his name as I type this.)

Yo, rpsj2, what I meant by not speaking his name, was people were calling him "Harlan" or "Ellison" or "Grade A Jackass" like they were close, personal friends of his. I was calling him "Mr. Ellison" because I've never met the man and I was trying to show some respect, and I was trying to suggest others do the same, because I am fucking tired of seeing people dump on that man over the last 40 some years, all right? That was the point I was trying to make, and that's all I meant by it.

The astounding thing is that people seem to feel it's okay for the big corporation to screw the artists, but heaven forbid the artist stand up for himself. That's a logic I can't fathom for the life of me.

Again, folks: Paramount signed the contract guaranteeing Harlan certain rights. THEY are the ones who violated the contract. Why do you suggest that Harlan -- and I CAN call him that -- should just walk away and let Paramount/Viacom/CBS make free money from his creations??? He's not asking them NOT to publish the books and make the movies, but just to kick him in on his legitimate share of the profits.