User blog:EmpyrealInvective/On the passing of Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison passed away recently and I just wanted to send him off as I feel like I can't quite let him go without leaving something to talk about how much he influenced me. He was one of my favorite science-fiction authors. His writing had a visceral feel that hit you on a primal level. His caustic words and cacophonous writing jarred me as a reader and drew my attention to his writing. If you want to get a feel for the vitriol and fervor he wrote with, give a listen to Harlan Ellison reading I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.

Hearing about the passing of Harlan Ellison I keep thinking about my favorite Ellison line:

"God is within you, save yourselves.

Otherwise, why would you have traveled all this way... just to be alone?" ~ Harlan Ellison (Intro- The Waves in Rio)

I read that introduction to his book, "The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World" while in the Peace Corps when I felt like I was thousands of miles away from home (not realizing that Nicaragua would quickly become another place I call home) and helpless. The first few months when the community wasn't interested in my projects and the language barrier separated me from my community, I felt alone. I felt like I was stuck and powerless in that place.

That line always snapped me out of my funk and pushed me forwards. Self-pity and shoulder shrugging at the 'helplessness' of my situation wouldn't do anything. If I wanted to regain some control over my life, I would need to take it myself. I managed to find a place in my community to the point where I consider Nicaragua a home away from home. I have Ellison to thank for that.

Rest in peace, you'll be missed.