Photo: The Verge
“Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.”
These words of wisdom from Star Trek: The Next Generation are all that can get us through the devastating news that iconic Star Trek writer Harlan Ellison died in his sleep at age 84. Ellison was one of the shows most well-known writers; he was there from the very first season and dreamed up one of Star Trek’s most beloved episodes, “The City on the Edge of Forever.”
The episode is the one and only episode he wrote for the show, but its impact has rippled across the Star Trek universe and became a defining outline for future episodes. Without this episode, he show wouldn’t have introduced characters such as Edith Keeler and the Guardian of Forever.
Beyond Star Trek, Ellison wrote over 1,000 works including short stories, screenplays, and essays on top of audiobook narration. He also served as a consultant for TV shows including Babylon 5 and The Twilight Zone.
Ellison took home eight Hugo Awards (one of the highest honors for sci-fi) and he also holds the Nebula Awards record for both nominations and wins—eight and three, respectively. His vast achievements were chronicled in a biography titled A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison.
Go boldly forth, friend.
h/t Trek News
