Get Well Messages for Harlan

These messages were left by hundreds of Internet surfers after Harlan was hospitalized following a possible heart attack and underwent a quadruple-bypass operation.

Mike Konczewski (MKoncz@aol.com) Mon Apr 29 19:18:50 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison:

Please get well soon; I haven't finished reading everthing you
want to write.

Mike Konczewski
Havertown, PA

Sean Gaffney (gaffney@iconn.net) Mon Apr 29 18:27:10 1996
Hi, Harlan. I hope you're feeling better. I have tried to get Edge in my voice for some time now, so I'm glad to see it's one of the first reprints to go out. I am one of those weirdos who read all your comments in the books before the stories. Give 'em hell, Harlan!

Daevid Machen Mon Apr 29 18:19:54 1996
...just to remind you that I'm still keeping you in mind...and, no, I'm not related to Arthur Machen (at least not last time I checked---and I COULD use the royalties)...
By the way, could someone on your end send me info on the Recording Collection? (My addy is: Daevid Machen, Nordheim House, 2020 Mount Vernon, Oshkosh, WI 54901-2332)...I have the "Last days of the pulp era" tape (got it second-hand) and WANT MORE!!!...

Jim Reynolds (rjames@uakron.edu) Mon Apr 29 15:36:16 1996
Harlan,
I was flipping through the boob tube the other night and came across a rerun of SciFi buzz on a certain channel, and there you were, in all your bastardly glory. T'was the first time I had ever seen or heard of you and I was so flabbergasted I dashed off myself to the nearest library, checked out a buttload of your books, and the rest is history. I'm sure you've heard this before, but my whole world view has just had a new crack punched in the wall. I've always been a distopian, Orwell, Huxley, Zamatyin, and the like, and your stories just grabbed me by the short hairs. Anyways, to curtail my vacant eyed drooling fandom, I'm glad you are recovering nicely. The world needs more bastards.

P.S. If you somehow have the time to write back, don't E-mail me. I hate this bloody machine and would much rather write a letter.
my address is:
4998 Wiltshire Road
North Royalton, Ohio 44133

thanks for being.

Leigh Anne Nicholson (lnichol@ksu.ksu.edu) Mon Apr 29 15:34:11 1996
Wanted to get this in before deadline. Be well, Harlan. You have given us much of your life and I feel guilty asking for more. But you are the light that has led many of us from the darkness. And although we all seem to be burning on our own now, we can't forget the one who took us on so many incredible journeys. Listen to your doctors, but more importantly, listen to your wife. Susan is wise. She'll take care of you. But you have to let her.
Best wishes,
Leigh Anne

Rick Wyatt Mon Apr 29 15:03:16 1996
WARNING: THIS PAGE WILL BE TAKEN DOWN (OR AT LEAST CLOSED TO NEW SUBMISSIONS) TONIGHT AROUND 8:00 PM EST.

Steven Barber (Nimdok@ix.netcom.com) Mon Apr 29 15:01:20 1996
Mr. Ellison,
We've only spoken briefly (regarding 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [new edition] and Tom Clancy), but I've followed your work for years.

A wish: May your recovery be as swift as your wit and your pen, and may the pain in your leg be less than the one(s) in your a**.

Sincerely,
Steven Barber

Mike Czaplinski (mike.czaplinski@washingtondc.attgis.com) Mon Apr 29 13:58:52 1996
Don't worry, boss: I'll stop by the store front & pick up the letters from your informants and clean your twin .45's.....

Jeffrey W. Cisneros (jcisneros@ichange.com) Mon Apr 29 13:09:24 1996
Harlan,

I hope that you get well soon. I look forward to you returning to your usual curmudgeonly self. Please give Susan my best and I will talk to you soon.

Warmest wishes,

Jeff Cisneros
Orlando, Florida

Robert H. Knox (most@lr.net) Mon Apr 29 12:23:41 1996
In the non-name of the Great-That-Which-Is-Not-To-Be-Named: get well or else! Be sure to read some Clark Ashton Smith during your convalescence. He¹s good for what ails you. Caltiki Supremus Est.

Gregg Johnson (Gregg_Johnson/CAM/Lotus.Lotus @ crd.Lotus.com) Mon Apr 29 08:53:46 1996
Get Well Soon.
I have admired your work since Star Trek: City on the Edge of Forever, and I continue to enjoy your ongoing efforts on Babylon 5.
All the best to you and your family,
Gregg

Maxim Savic (msavic@chat.carleton.ca) Mon Apr 29 07:48:08 1996
I won't pretend to be your number one fan, your buddy, or even an avid reader. I have read some of your work and I admire both it and you. I hope you recover. I also hope that you keep making people's eyeballs water.

BelleAugusta Churchill (rambles@wizard.com) Mon Apr 29 03:11:58 1996
Harlan and Susan, Careful, too much excitement is rough on the ticker. Go easy on the typewriter and yourselves. Take time to breathe, smile and say hello. Donate the flowers to a resthome or something!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. Give Susan another hug and stop being a difficult patient!! (Try!)
Live/love/roar, BelleAugusta

Matthew Brewer (brewer@oncology.wisc.edu) Mon Apr 29 00:06:04 1996
I don't write to writers, I know your time is valuable. But if another little ego boost helps you get better, I'll oblige. Get well, get back to work.

Alton Hill (vladx@cris.com) Sun Apr 28 23:52:04 1996
Glad to hear you are out of the hospital and doing well. Without
your gift of writing the Scifi community would not be whole!!

Get well and best wishes to you and your family,

Alton Hill

Chris Marble (Chris_Marble@hmc.edu) Sun Apr 28 19:51:27 1996
Let's just make this early congratulations on a speedy and complete recovery. You better not make a liar out of me.

Diane Kolb (DIANE1701D@aol.com) Sun Apr 28 19:28:31 1996
Wishing you every good thing for a quick recovery. God bless!

Nancy McKay and Michael Chandler (Dallas) (shanti@worldnet.att.net) Sun Apr 28 18:25:33 1996
Glad to hear you are doing better. We were alarmed to hear about the attack and surgery in the first place, but suspected you were too stubborn to die before you are ready. So good to have those suspicions confirmed. Hang in there and keep on ranting. We will be thinking about you (and glad as hell Susan is there to keep you in line!)

Jim Rhoads (ej rhoads @ aol.com) Sun Apr 28 17:18:29 1996
Y'know, every time O.J. breaks wind, it's on the national news, but to find about a medical problem to a major american artist, I had to read a comic website; aren't our priorities grand? Hope you are well as there are still too much of your vision (dangerous and otherwise) you've yet to share with us. Be well.

John Franklin (franklin@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu) Sun Apr 28 15:51:11 1996
Harlan, get well soon. We all love you. And if you don't get better than it will be on boreing damn convention sesean ^_^

Bill Taylor (jazz@qnet.com) Sun Apr 28 13:45:52 1996
Harlan,

Heard about your bypass operation, please get well soon. I know you're feeling odd right now. My father had a triple bypass last October (actually, it was Friday, October 13) and for about three weeks was not really himself. But its now six months later and he's up and doing 2 - 3 miles per day walking. In a way, you're lucky because you'll be able to do your therapy during the warmer months. A nice early morning stroll through the neighborhood, watch the kids go to school, smell the flowers and all of that. Next thing you know, people will point you out as you walk by and say "There goes that Ellison guy. Writer. Always nosing about the neighborhood every morning. Very Odd."

Truly, once you're up and around, and with Susan pushing you, you'll be healthier than you've been in years, feeling great, and telling everyone how they ought to get out and excercise. So next time I see you, at Worldcon most likely, I expect to see you running around in shorts and doing a Arnold Schwartzenegger impersonations (which is just as well, considering the whole Terminator thing).

Anyway, if all the above seems like rambling, just ignore it. get on the recovery road ASAP and you Really - Will - Feel - Better in just a little while. It just SEEMS like forever.

Bill Taylor
(The tall black guy with a beard)

david bohn (bohn@cmp-nxt1.music.uiuc.edu) Sun Apr 28 12:38:50 1996
You have been an inspiration to me, not only in your writings, but also
in how you stuck to your standards in a world that demands compromise
and a lowest-common-denominator attitude. Your example has kept me from giving up on my own work as a composer and musician. Thank you, and I
hope you are feeling well enough to joust at a few windmills in the
immediate future.

David Bohn
composer/musician

Mark Lewin (marklew@wolfenet.com) Sun Apr 28 12:34:23 1996
Harlan,

I'm glad you're doing better. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that your books were the cornerstone of my reading experience as i was growing up. as i type this i look across at my bookshelf and see abt. 25 volumes of your works. only 25. too soon for you to move on: i still have shelf space waiting for more. take (better) care of yourself and realize that lots of people care about you even if their caring takes the shape of geekboy fandom.

Mark

Bob Frazier (raf@nantucket.net) Sun Apr 28 06:34:05 1996
I'm confident that you enter recovery with the single-minded intensity that I have seen you apply to all else.
Bob

(ps. a bit of poetry I came across recently:

A man faced with his own immensity
Wakes all the waves, all their loose wandering fire.
The murmur of the absolute, the why
Of being born fails on his naked ears.
His spirit moves like monumental wind
That gentles on a sunny blue plateau..

Theodore Roethke, "The Far Field")

Lindsey C. Vickers (ag40@cityscape.co.uk) Sun Apr 28 05:56:21 1996
Dear Harlan,
I work in the UK Movie Business and have written and directed my
own musings in the genre we share.
I would never make a comparison between us but I would say that
without the inspiration your work and example has given me over the
years (56) I would never have carried on.
Like so many things in life, the aspiration is often better than the
achievement but, in certain rare and wonderful instances, someone
manages to break through the "aspirational barrier" most of the rest
of us spend our lives staring at.
You, dear Harlan, are one of those rare and wonderful instances.
Please please get well and then try to stay that way.
Sincere and heartfelt best wishes to you and your family.

Lindsey C. Vickers (Mr.)

Mark L. Ricard (I'm using a freenet) Sun Apr 28 04:13:05 1996
Hello Harlan.I am very sorry to hear about your medical condition.I
don't want to go into details about what happend because I know how
painfull it must have been.I know this because I have a grandfather
who has gone thourgh a heart bypass three years ago.In the last year
and a half he has been in and out of hospitals with month between each
vist.He went from a loving man capable of doing such things as driving
a car,to a man who can not even go to the restroom or shave.Last year
around this time he fell and hit he's head.Because he was old and
weak,he had to have had brain surgery.The side affect is that he has
pixs diease.I feel like my soul is gone and that my will to live has
been banished in a desert of obsercity.There was this one saturday when
me and my dad watched him while my mom took Sarah shopping.Sarah is
my grandfathers girlfriend,but to me she will always be my grandmother.
Anyways he was very nervous because of the fact that Sarah left.And
he was walking around sacerd.He then shit in his pants.This is no way
for a human being to live.He is now in the hospital because of falling
again.My mom mother sobs everytime we leave.I have droped down
dramaticly in school and I don't know why.My performance began to drop
around the middle of the thrid quarter.Why I don't know.All I do know
is that I went down in Biology because Sister Anita is a pain in the
ass.I got an 83% in that,and geometry in which I got an 88%.I was so
fucking mad because I had all A's before that and now I had to take the final.I then shut down
in all of my subjects,and still have.I was harrased horribly in that
geometry class.I'm not looking for sympathy because many have had it worse.
Me and My mother fight all the time.I tell her she's a hypocrit and
she tells me I'm a dissapointment.I write this because I want you to
know that 1:My sympathys towards what happend are enormous.2:You are
my hero.3:I honestly belive you are the best short story science fiction writer ever.
Since I don't have a e-mail address please call at home 412-372-6753
You can call collect if you want.I hope you did not find me too insane.If you did,things will make more sense when we talk.I ment everything I said and I wish the best of luck to you.Mark L. Ricard

Andral Johnson (andral1@ro.com) Sun Apr 28 03:41:12 1996
Dear Harlan,

Glad to hear that you're recovering. I enjoy your work and your fierceness. Best Wishes.

AJ

John Larkin (lurker@m-net.arbornet.org) Sun Apr 28 02:56:29 1996
I can't say that I'm a fan as I've never particularly liked anything of yours that I've read, and I frequently disagree with your opinions, but I do look forward to your appearances on Sci-Fi Buzz. Best wishes.

Steve Rosenberg (esore@netcom.com) Sun Apr 28 02:02:52 1996
Get well quickly. We've lost so many greats these last few years and I still miss Mike Hodel. Don't you dare join him yet! God bless.

Tom Stevens (nez@thepoint.net) Sun Apr 28 01:07:05 1996
I have no words and i must type. Lines like this are common in our gaming group. Your work has so much integrated into what we do and say, we scarcely seperate it from any other saying, and get confused when people wonder what the "*0* we are talking about.
Thank you for making comics books more intelliegent, for facing off censors when you could, and for being DAMN entertaining.
I hope you are feeling well soon. I know how frustrating it can be to be 'shut down" for awhile. Thoughts go with you...:)

vicki brown, aka froggy (vsbrown) Sun Apr 28 00:55:56 1996
Harlan - Thank you for Jefty and Maggie and A Boy and Glass Goblins and all the wonderful language and all the introductions to stories and for the excitement every time a new HE book shows up in the store and for the Eidolons and for looking inside and not being afraid to tell what you found.

Angela Gunn Sun Apr 28 00:42:04 1996
Feel better. You were one of my great inspirations growing up,
and I'll be really pissed when this part of my youth bows out. Which
is to say: Get well soon and stay as fierce as possible.

Hoyda Jolly Rutterkin (hoyda@mpcgate.mpc.co.nl) Sat Apr 27 23:23:48 1996
Not to take space, just get well, be well.
hoyda

Joey Walker (joey6@ix.netcom.com) Sat Apr 27 20:52:39 1996
It's great to know that your home and recovering."God be between you and harm in all the empty places you walk."

Carol Porter (carolp@art.sirs.com) Sat Apr 27 20:45:03 1996
My fondest and sincerest wishes for a speedy recovery.

David Stewart (dstewart@hebel.net) Sat Apr 27 18:51:01 1996
Dear Mr Ellison,

Delighted to learn you're on the mend. I look forward to seeing you at a convention on this side of the Atlantic soon.

David Stewart
Brussels, Belgium

Robert L Hensley (rhensley@email.usps.gov) Sat Apr 27 18:44:04 1996
Kick the grim reaper in the balls and keep on writing, we need you!

RAUL.V (GAMBIT@ICANECT.NET) Sat Apr 27 17:52:29 1996
hi, i seen you on the sci-fi buzz show and it's funny what you
say about the world of sci-fi write's and the hard time's
they go throw . i know how that feel's as i,m an artist
trying to get into the world of comic's. but to the point
i hear your a great sci-fi writer and if i had the time
of day to go look for one of you book's like the one call
i don,t have a mouth( i hop i said the name right if not
i,m so sorry )i would get it ...
but i,m sorry to hear that your suck right now, but as a fan
i and all the people that see you on the buzz miss you ..
so i hop that you GET-WELL soon mistar HARLAN Ellison....

Michael Nutt (umcnutt@cc.memphis.edu) Sat Apr 27 17:34:57 1996
Harlan,

Just a quick note to let you know that my prayers are with you. I wanted to also take the opportunity to thank you for the things you've written -- they've helped me in more ways than I can count, from just providing hours of entertainment to making me thiink about who I was, and what I needed to be doing with my life. Heal quickly, and keep taking big bites from life.

Michael

Robert Toombs (rltoombs@ix.netcom.com) Sat Apr 27 15:55:40 1996
Nah, you're not ready for the dustbin yet, you can't fool me no matter _how_ hard you try. You're going to have to live virtuously for a while, but I figure you can bear this cross too when you must. Feel better as fast as you can, I'm off now to find your latest book so I can sit down and enjoy all that lovely, living writing. Take care. - Bob Toombs

Alex & Julie Maddocks (maddocks@hic.net) Sat Apr 27 15:14:31 1996
Harlan, best wishes for your speedy and complete recovery.
Susan, make him stay in bed and don't let him strangle anybody....
just yet, anyway.

regards,

Alex & Julie

Michael Benedetti (micben@dnai.com) Sat Apr 27 14:59:12 1996
Harlan, eat your vegetables!

Ladd Ehlinger Jr ((jaime108@traveller.com) ) Sat Apr 27 14:52:22 1996
Mr. Ellison,

As I understand it, you are a Borges fan.

I happened to have met him years ago in New Orleans when I was a high-school student under the tutelage of Tom Whalen at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

From one Borges fan to another: I hope you shall never achieve in the afterlife any sembleance of immortality. Until such time as you find out what actually is there (which I hope is a very long time fron now), do get well.

- Ladd Ehlinger Jr

Randy Raymer (rraymer@ix.netcom.com) Sat Apr 27 13:43:34 1996
Hi,Harlan.I hope that this finds you doing well and recovering nicely.You are without a doubt my favorite author,and,other than my wife,I can't think of anyone I would rather have dinner with.Our thoughts and prayers are with you.Take care- Randy

Tom Gagnon (tgagnon@vmsvax.simmons.edu) Sat Apr 27 11:06:57 1996
Sorry to hear about this latest painful episode. Ever since I happened upon Strange Wine in 1982, you have been my favorite...so please take care, and get OK soon.

Tim Roberts (tjlmrobs@homeweasel.win.net) Sat Apr 27 09:57:29 1996
Get well, Harlan. You're gonna outlive us all anyway.

Leslie Sat Apr 27 03:33:46 1996
I don't do fan mail. But then again, this isn't costing me anything
either. Please get well soon. Like, if we didn't ask you to get
well soon, you'd just lay around sick, for the fun of it.
Yours,
In Needless Social Remarks,
Leslie

Terry Hodel & Joel Farr (jgallco@earthlink.net) Sat Apr 27 00:17:02 1996
We both wish you well and a quick return to your heart's desire.

Charles S. Harris (csh@ulysses.att.com) Fri Apr 26 23:25:21 1996
Harlan-- Take it easy, get well, and keep on writing.
--Charlie Harris csh@ulysses.att.com
Who am I? I'm the kid who sold you a couple of quires of mimeograph stencils for your fanzine when you were living in NYC in the mid-1950s. (They were crappy stencils, but the price was right.) You contributed an article and a first-contact short short to my fanzine INFINITY. The article argued that there were too many sf prozines. The short story I had the chutzpa to rewrite; you accepted many of my changes, but not the suggestion that you redo the punchline, to make it a bit more subtle.

Karl F. Meyers, for Star Sector : Northeast Florida (kmeyers@ix.netcom.com) Fri Apr 26 23:18:54 1996
On behalf of Star Sector : Northeast Florida, here's hoping that you get well soon!

Those of us out here who have been exposed to your writing, and that unique wit of yours, will be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.

Be seeing you!

Karl Meyers
Star Sector : Northeast Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

Frank Hankins Jr. (frankhjr@jax.jaxnet.com) Fri Apr 26 22:05:11 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison, I am glad to hear the news that you are doing well in your recovery. Keep at it, you are needed to keep the spark going. (sorry about the spark(y) bit, couldn't resist). Best wishes to you and your wife Susan.

Sandy (SHuddle485@aol.com) Fri Apr 26 21:10:05 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison,
I have always been a fan of your writing. Your ideas are amazing. I hope that you are doing well, and will continue to improve. My thoughts and prayers are with you for a speedy recovery.
Best wishes,
Sandy

Kristine Agricola (kagricol@amhs.com) Fri Apr 26 18:02:12 1996
I remember the first time I saw you speak; all teeth and claws, spitting hellfire and venom. I also remember the last time I saw you speak; teeth, claws, hellfire, venom..., but tempered with something joyous and warm (the LAST thing I expected!). You had just recently married Susan.

I wanted to send a personal thank you to Susan for what I am sure she has done and will to to aid your speedy recovery. Eternal gratitude also, to you, the inimitable, irreplacable Harlan Ellison, for pulling through. Stick around a while! I need you to challenge my intellect, EVERYTHING I've ever held sacred, and EVERY aspect of my life that was/remains unexamined. Your pen (typewriter?) is truly one of the mightiest.

Paula Sherman (psher75803@aol.com) Fri Apr 26 17:53:58 1996
I was saddened to hear of your heart attack, but am grateful to find out that you are doing well and mending. I know you don't necessarily enjoy hearing from your fans (yes, I read that infamous essay) but please accept this note as a get well card. I read Dangerous Visions as a 9th grader in 1969, and it changed my vision of science fiction. Through the years I have eagerly read every story, essay, article of yours that I've been able to locate. I heard you read "Whimper of Whipped Dogs" live; it was magnificent. Anyway, save your strength - I ramble on. Thanks for being the best author writing today.

Elyse Rasky-O'Connor and Chuck O'Connor (c-oconnor@nwu.edu) Fri Apr 26 17:27:17 1996
One more 'get well' wish among the thousands -- Feel better soon; be well for many, many years.

John Payne (JonBadger@aol.com) Fri Apr 26 16:08:22 1996
I've always wanted the chance to thank you for a fairly odd thing;
When I was a teenager in the seventies I spent most of my time in
what I later realized was a typical teenage funk. Hate the world,
nobody understands me - the usual. Your stories were the perfect thing
for me back then. They reaffirmed my belief that the world as a whole
was circling the drain, but at least I wasn't alone. They got me through
my teenage funk and into a twenties funk. As I approach my 40s funk, I pull out Deathbird Stories once in a while for a booster shot.
Thanks for everything.
Now, HEAL!

John Payne
Oakland, NJ

John Barnstead (userrusj@is.dal.ca) Fri Apr 26 15:35:31 1996
Get well soon, from a fan since at least "Dangerous Visions" and
"I have no mouth..." and "Repent Harlequin..." to "All the lies
that are my life" and beyond...

Peter Schorn (pschorn@gp808.jsc.nasa.gov) Fri Apr 26 15:28:01 1996
Mr. Ellison,

We met only once, at the 1978 Worldcon. I vividly remember hearing you read from your script for "I, Robot"(and, yes, I did buy the illustrated version just out). I remember you telling a funny story (the moral of which was "Never become a philosopher unless you can swim") to a little girl in the atrium. I remember distinctly how graciously you accepted my effusive fanboy congratulations on winning a Hugo for "Jeffty is Five," which I still believe to be your best story ever. In a brief space you gave a complete stranger a number of wonderful memories, which I think is the best sort of generosity. I appreciate it greatly. May you soon be up and about, casting your bread upon the waters once more (hmm...does that metaphor make this one of the 100 soggy loaves you're supposed to get in return?...)

Sincerely,

Peter Schorn

Noel (noellynn@aol.com) Fri Apr 26 13:13:50 1996
I hope you have a speedy recovery!

Cindy Wells (wells@aries.scs.uiuc.edu) Fri Apr 26 12:47:03 1996
Get well soon. I'm certain there are more stories for you to write.
Cindy Wells

Michael Jason Allred (mjallred@uoknor.edu) Fri Apr 26 12:31:34 1996
I'm just sending this note to say that hope Mr. Ellison the very best and that he recover as soon as possible.

Anne Warner (71513.1177@compuserve.com) Fri Apr 26 10:41:59 1996
There once was a writer named Harlan,
Reknowned for his grouchin' and growlin',
He must have been sicker,
They replumbed his ticker,
That and chicken soup helps him keep snarlin'!

maryruth monahan (maryruth@cris.com) Fri Apr 26 10:31:35 1996
Please get well and stay well. We need you.

Chris French (cfrench1@s-cwis.unomaha.edu) Fri Apr 26 10:10:28 1996
Get well -- the world needs more people with the (insert preferred
slang term for male genitalia here) to tell things like they are.
From one who knows. Chris French

Manny Olds (oldsma@clark.net) Fri Apr 26 09:43:34 1996
You waited 2 days to go to the hospital? Cripes.

Recover with all deliberate speed.

Regards,
Manny Olds

jenny anderson (jennya@tezcat.com) Fri Apr 26 09:38:14 1996
Dear Harlan,

Whadarya doing, competing for the annual April massacre of my favorite science fiction authors?

Selfishly,
jenny anderson
and no you may _not_ go out to play with Isaac yet

Mike McCallister (mmccalli@facstaff.wisc.edu) Fri Apr 26 09:30:46 1996
Harlan:

Let's skip all the "too mean to die" crap; you know this already. You'll undoubtedly get a lot of lecturing about vegetarianism and the like, but the most important thing is that you really HAVE to take better care of yourself! The bastards running the world need as much deflating as possible! I know you don't have the highest opinion of net-heads, but hope this lengthy fax shows that some of us are still literate. I still read books, even! Hang in there, start walking around, find some cleaner air to breathe, KEEP WRITING! Hope to see you at a con near me soon!

Now if only I could get my local channel to put B5 on at a decent hour! Mike McCallister
Madison, WI
"The fundamental obligation of a revolutionary is to tell the truth!"

Jim O'Neill (joneill@middletown.ny.frontiercomm.net) Fri Apr 26 09:16:44 1996
Harlan,

Sincerely wish you a swift & complete recovery.

Not that I don't enjoy "Sci-fi Buzz" (and 90 percent of sci-fi
in general), but your commentary is especially refreshing. It's
heartening to listen to someone that "cuts through the BS", instead
of spreading it. Hope that we can enjoy your works and "words of
wisdom" for many more years to come.

Tom Bromley (ap465@yfn.ysu.edu) Fri Apr 26 07:24:00 1996
Harlan Ellison:
Get well soon -- there are too many damn idiots in the world,
and not enough people like you railing at them to do the world
justice.

Randy Taylor (rtaylor@hightop.nrl.navy.mil) Fri Apr 26 06:42:59 1996
H.E., I swear this is synchronicity. A week ago, my Linux box popped a line from "Repent Harlequin.." as a UNIX "fortune" - I was so taken with it, I've started using it as a .sig (with proper attribution of course!). A day or so later, up pops your Star Trek work on the telly. Today, as I surf past the Babylon 5 page, I hear the news about the surgery and goings on. Look, just get better - relax, enjoy dieting (something my Dad is doing now for much the same reason ;). Breathe some good fresh air, love your wife, and enjoy being here. Write when you feel like it. We'll all still be here when you're ready. Regards, Randy

Bob Besinger (adp53@msu.edu) Fri Apr 26 05:36:07 1996
Get well, the Universe needs you!

Andrew Fuller (af42517@mail.ltec.net) Fri Apr 26 01:45:00 1996
Too many of my stories are about my own regrets. And I continue to regret not saying a few choise words to a few special people I've known. Can't find most of them. Or my silence bred more between us. So, I think now, I gotta make sure I say this, straight and true:

Get better and stays well soon, Harlan.

The limited world is waiting for you.

Charles M. Brown III (Charlie Brown) (c-brown@mindspring.com) Fri Apr 26 00:36:16 1996
Harlan,

I have been reading your works since I read Isaac Asimov's attacks on you and then read yours on him. I loved the "Hatfield and McCoy" battle
that you two put on. I was greatly saddened by his passing and I have
been keeping up with you as much as possible.

I have read your tv show or movie that "never was" and I really enjoyed it.
I also saw an interview with you on Tom Snyder a year or so ago and I
got a real kick about that. So in a friendly way let me ask you to get well soon.

I would like to suggest Graham Kerr's (the British fellow on the Discovery Network)
cooking books since they are designed for folks who have a similar problems as yours.
Some time ago the Gourmet cook Graham Kerr discovered that he had been
slowly poisoning his wife with the food has was cooking so he sold off the Galloping Gourmet and started experimenting with keeping flavor in low fat cooking
while removing most of the fat and other good stuff.

The other thing I would like to suggest is Volksporting. It it walking, biking or swimming
without racing. As I am sure that you are going to have to begin a
walking program then look into this as a way to make it less mundane.

I hope my spelling has not offended you and I hope you get well soon.

Regards,

Charlie Brown

Lenora McCoy (AKA Mary Jo Chrabasz) (LenoraMcoy@aol.com) Thu Apr 25 23:48:01 1996
I first was introduced to Harlan's work with his wonderful Star Trek episode "City On The Edge Of Forever" just last year. I am now trying to get around to reading more of his work. Harlan Ellison is in my prayers as I hope for his expedient recovery.
Lenora McCoy
LenoraMcoy@aol.com

Marv Howard (beowulf@iastate.edu) Thu Apr 25 23:43:33 1996
Harlan,
For some bizarre reason, every time I've ended up taking I-80 to the Bay Area, I've grabbed a handfull of your books as brain fodder to get me through the hinterlands between Omaha and Reno. If death has a landscape, that's what it must look like (only perhaps more exciting). The least I figured I could do when I heard of your recent troubles, after all you've done to entertain, amuse, and enlighten me was to drop you this note wishing you a quick recovery and my best regards. Get better, and get back to the keyboard.

David Satterfield (satro@calbbs.com) Thu Apr 25 23:36:37 1996
HE,
I was forced to read "Repent Harlequin..." in a 7th-grade literature collection and have been a dedicated fan ever since. Your stories have been and continue to be a source of inspiration, amusement, solace, outrage and a bunch of other things that I'm not sure that even you could put into words. When I read that you had gotten your plumbing rerouted I experienced the terror and relief of dropping and then catching on the fly a prized doo-dad. Now, I'll stop gushing and just wish you well. And I'll promise to make my wife read some of your stuff instead of the trash she's fond of. So flip off the doctors, toss the flowers, and get on with living! Remember, you're not alone either.

Charles Nicolosi (nicolosic@gactr.uga.edu) Thu Apr 25 23:25:02 1996
Hang in there Harlan! From what I've seen of you on the sci-fi channel, you've got the grit to get through this and make a perfect recovery. Get well real soon, b/c we're all pulling for you!

James Hunter (MyVerySelf@aol.com) Thu Apr 25 22:28:27 1996
Nothing fancy or memorable - just a heartfelt best wishes and my thoughts will be with you as you mend. Keep it up, sir, and some of us will do our best to do the same.

Jane M. Sillman (Hey, my initals are JMS too!) (jane@netgate.net) Thu Apr 25 21:37:27 1996
Hey Harlan!

I'm a fan of yours from a 'way back! I saw you at some book signing thingie in Berkeley it must have been pre-1977.

Anyway, Bab5 is the *only* thing I can stand to watch on American television, and I suppose your guidence must have
something to do with it. (Not to mention the neat computer graphics)

Sorry you had such dire health problems, but please accept this wish from an obscure, anonymous fan that the
procedure you just underwent will keep you in good shape to continue to delight us with your art and especially for
you yourself to continue to enjoy life to the fullest!

With my sincere best wishes,

JMS (the other one)

Karen Lee (karenlee@ix.netcom.com) Thu Apr 25 20:19:54 1996
Can I recommend a book? Fit for Life. Give it a month and boy will you feel healthy.
Take care and get well now. With love, Karen

Tom Colligan (oracles@mhv.net) Thu Apr 25 19:35:16 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison: I am certain you will recall me from ICON XI at
SUNY Stonybrook, LI, where, at one of the panels, I was introduced
to the rest of the audience (by a fat panel-member) as Weird Al Yankovics.
- - and you cried out "Eat it!" amidst a torrent of laughter. Besides the lifetime scar that
this session inflicted upon my fragile psyche, you have left your indelible stamp upon me both as an aspiring writer, and as a human being trying to figure his way through this world. Without my intending for it to happen, your work has influenced my own.
What more can I say. When I heard the news on the IAFA Listserv, my own heart began to sink. I am so happy to hear that your recovery is well under way, and wish both you and Mrs Susan all the very best. You are already aware of this, I am sure, but let ME say that you are loved by many. Anyway, I am starting to feel silly, so I'd better stop. My friend, Dave Kochler (who was with me at that con) sends his warmest regards. If you ever manage to reply to me, I stand ready. Yours with Great Affection and Sincerity, Thomas F. Colligan aka Weird Al -- 83 Mansion St -- Poughkeepsie, NY-- 12601 (914) 486-0044 email Thanks for all the wonderful worlds you've made. . .

Stephen Bye (steebye@indigo.ie) Thu Apr 25 18:58:47 1996
Hey Mr. Ellison,
I didn't spot any messages from this part of the world so I thought
I'd send you one. I'd just like to say a big GET WELL SOON from
Ireland.
S.

Richard Barrier (rbarrier@deltanet.com) Thu Apr 25 18:11:35 1996
Harlan,
Get well soon.

Mitchell Polley (mitch@chem1.chem.swin.edu.au) Thu Apr 25 15:46:12 1996
Dear Mr Ellison,
Best of luck with the newly re-plumbed heart. I'm sure I speak for all of us B5 fanatics down here in Australia (despite our local stations playing silly buggers) when I say that I wish you a speedy, nay supersonic, recovery; B5 would probably lose its distinctive "feel" without you.
Again, Best Wishes to you and your wife.

Peter Wong (peterw@ncgate.newcollege.edu) Thu Apr 25 14:53:21 1996
HE--

My feelings about you and your work have always whipsawed since I first saw you at a San Francisco Star Trek convention in 1977. I've gone from guilt to having mental volcanic eruptions to annoyance and disappointment at seeing you and hearing your works.

Yet even though Neil Gaiman argues that death is part of the process of life, I'd prefer that Death keeps her hand away from you a little while longer. Because no matter how many times I disagreed with your opinions about favorite things (the virtues of Allen Steele and Peter David come readily to mind), you've more often turned out to be right than I have. So I want to hear your irascible voice and read your newer works.

I do hope you recover fully. Not because I have an inflated belief in the juju of my words. But because it is human and necessary to feel that people, especially professional liars like yourself, deserve to have the blessings of more life granted to them at least a few times.

belinda forman (picasso@sprynet.com) Thu Apr 25 14:04:43 1996
H-DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE WAY TOO MEAN TO DIE, PLEASE GET WELL SOON-THE WORLD WOULD BE EVEN SCARIER WITHOUT YOU! MY THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU--FONDLY, BELINDA P.S.-I WORK AT A GREAT HALF PRICE USED BOOK STORE, WE GET SOME REAL TREASURES(INCLUDING SOME OF YOURS)CONTACT ME WITH ANY REQUESTS--

belinda forman Thu Apr 25 13:53:48 1996

Daryl Davis (ddav3346@acc.fau.edu) Thu Apr 25 13:26:12 1996
Harlan, dude, get well! You've made it past at least five of your 'I will die when...' scenarios, go for ten!!
Saw you at Florida State University in Tallahassee, in 1990, and I swore that you'd live forever.
(Note that YOU have no say in the matter....)

Besides, the world needs someone who'll rub its collective nose in its shit occasionally and say, 'BAD world! BAAAD world!
Now clean it up!!'

Best wishes,
D.

Paul McElligott (archerc1@aol.com) Thu Apr 25 12:59:27 1996
Harlan,

As Hannibal Lecter said, "The world is more interesting with you in it." I'm just writing to express my relief at your quick recovery. But about this, Harlan, obviously you need to stop keeping things bottled up in side of you. Speak your mind. Don't be so shy about expressing your feelings. I know it will be difficult for you, but it's for your health, after all... Best wishes,

Paul McElligott

James Gilmer Thu Apr 25 12:34:52 1996
Dear Harlan,
Best of luck and speedy recovery. Your stories though dark offer better examples of the human condition and of hope than ninety percent of the trash that's out there. Glad to hear White Wolf is republishing your works and myself and several friends look forward to seeing you at the Chicago Comic Con (if your up to attending). Thanks for being such a hard ass and staying true to your beliefs, when I see an Ellison recommendation on a book I know I'm going to be reading something special. From Effinger to Gaiman, and all the other books and movies you've recommended (Sandman, Xombi, Babylon 5, etc.) you've opened my eyes and taught me not to settle for sub-standard shit. Thanks Harlan for everything! Get well soon.

Jim Olsen (jolsen@pond.net) Thu Apr 25 12:22:12 1996
Mr. Ellison: Please accept my best wishes for a speedy recovery from your recent illness. We met just once, many years ago,through percussionist Steve Rehbein, but your works have been a major influence on my music.

Steve and I have managed to drift apart in recent years, but I'm sure that he would also want to extend a hearty "get well!" or two. Take care, and best wishes from here in Oregon.

Jim Olsen

Joseph Trela Thu Apr 25 12:18:01 1996
Get well soon, and keep showing up in dem Saturday morning cartoons!

Michael G. Thompson (miket42@clark.net) Thu Apr 25 11:53:44 1996
Gay gezint a haysh, Mr. Ellison. Even though I despise my current Rabbi, I will ask for a misha berach in your name. Sincerely, Michael, Maria, and Leona Thompson.

Linda Kuczwanski (kuczwans@wsp1.wspice.com) Thu Apr 25 11:53:20 1996
Nine out of ten doctors hope you get well soon!
The other one thinks you may still have some money left....

Tim Hagman (hagmanti@cps.msu.edu) Thu Apr 25 11:50:54 1996
Thank you for the stories. I have no higher sentiments.

Jo Carter (jocarter@badlands.nodak.edu) Thu Apr 25 10:37:59 1996
I'll add my best wishes to the murmuring throng. One question though: can we expect a Harlan Ellison diet and exericse book now?

Elizabeth Bartosz (Bartosz@fslcd2.physics.fsu.edu) Thu Apr 25 08:34:39 1996
Mr. Ellison,
I never took the time to write to Dr. Asimov, and profoundly regretted it. I'm writing to wish you well after your heart surgery. I'm a nuclear physics PhD candidate and owe my following of scientific urges to Isaac; I owe any irascibility I have to you! My father recovered from a 6-ply bypass to have many wonderful years with his family, and I hope the same for you.
A fan.

Jane Spaulding-Xenakis (xenakis@cris.com) Thu Apr 25 08:07:43 1996
It's a good thing you are so darned "onery" isn't it.
Otherwise, I might not be able to type this to you.

Jane and Al Spaulding
Atlanta Ga.

Christopher Page (pagec5@cs.man.ac.uk) Thu Apr 25 05:41:49 1996
I am very happy to hear that you are recovering well.

QUADRUPLE BYPASS! man that is one hell of a heart job!

Get well soon; the whole of the B5 community (at least the ones that
I know) were on the edge of their seats when the news broke.

GOOD LUCK!

Chris Page, Team AMIGA and avid B5 fan.

Warren W. James (wwjames@earthlink.net) Thu Apr 25 03:30:32 1996
Harlan,

I want you to know that you have always been an inspiration to me because you're willing to speak your mind and not worry about what other people are going to think. You speak your truth clearly and passionately and I have always admired that. And more than that, you're willing to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

The world is a richer place because you are in it.

Best wishes and my hope for a full and speedy recovery,

Warren W. James

mcham1701@aol.com Thu Apr 25 03:15:41 1996
Congratulations on your steadily improving condition. You are in the thoughts of millions, may you grow extremely old and cantankerous as any crafty old writer should.

Thomas E. Reed (tomreed@sundial.net) Thu Apr 25 03:02:31 1996
Mr. Ellison: You were the first science fiction author I ever bothered to wait in line for, at the last Dragon*Con. You are worth it. And you proved it when, bothered by the long line still waiting, you leaped out of the signing room and ran down the queue, signing books for people at random. (I couldn't help but hum the Wicked Witch's theme from "Wizard Of Oz" as you dashed past.) I'm cheered by your recovery. You can't leave us here with Rush Limbaugh, The Big Fat Idiot, still alive and stinking up the mental landscape. Welcome back!

Jerry Gilio (gilioj@interaccess.com) Thu Apr 25 01:32:03 1996
Dear Harlan,

It was my pleasure to work with you, Suzan, and Joe Strazynski at the 1994 Chicago ComiCon. (I was one of the grunts who looked after you.) It has been my greater pleasure to read your work for years.

I want to add my wishes for your speedy recovery. My mother underwent a sextuple bipass in December and is looking better than she has in
years. I'm sure Suzan will take excellent care of you. So, relax for
a while. Evsise is not ready to gather a minyan to sit shivah for you yet.

Jerry Gilio

Charles Nuetzel (can@ix.netcom.com) Thu Apr 25 00:50:02 1996
Harlan,
Sorry to hear about your unlucky attack of the heart. Hope things are well with you by now. You might not remember me, but I put the second edition of your MEMOS for Powell Publications out.
Best,
Charles Nuetzel

David Dahlbacka (ddahlbac@ix.netcom.com) Thu Apr 25 00:29:02 1996

You don't know me, and I don't know you except through your writings. However, I am moved to say one thing to you, as one human being to another: You have done a good job thus far of living the myth of the Angry Prophet who speaks harsh truths.

If you ever want to do something really obnoxious, here's a suggestion: Quit the prophet business. Do something else. Take up a contemplative religion, one that does not entertain its followers with moral outrage.

Your devoted fans will feel betrayed, but hey -- you're the one who just had quadruple bypass surgery. You've paid your dues.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

David Dahlbacka, Somerville MA

Michael Curtis (mlrcurtis@aol.com) Wed Apr 24 23:22:00 1996
Glad to hear that you're feeling well and on the road to recovery. I'm sure that your fandom would prefer to have you back behind your trusty Olivetti, but personally I hope that you slow down to smell the flowers, coffee, or whatever it is that turns you on. My best, as always, to you and Susan.
Michael Curtis

Tanya Jones (jonest@ziavms.enmu.edu) Wed Apr 24 23:10:56 1996
Hi! I'm sorry you're laid up. I have enjoyed you writings for a long time now. I was in the AF when an acquaintance turned me onto your books and short stories. I miss your segment on the Sci-Fi Buzz show. I'm currently taking a sci-fi class co-taught by Jack Williamson. I regret I wasn't in attendance when you were a guest speaker at the lectureship a few years back.

Well, take it easy. Get well soon Give the medical staff hell! :-)

TMJ

Maria Pranzo (mpranzo@mhv.net) Wed Apr 24 22:17:32 1996
Is it POSSIBLE to kill you Harlan? I don't think the hereafter is ready...glad to hear you're recovering well. This world isn't done with you yet (and I, your adoring fan, would miss you terribly). Be well and be ornery.

Mat MacKenzie (matm@va.pubnix.com) Wed Apr 24 22:06:36 1996
I'm 27 years old and have been reading your stories for half my life. I consider myself a better person for the experience, and until now have never stopped to thank you. Your World Wide Web site says your house "smells like an Algerian whorehouse" from all the flowers--good for you, even if they're unwelcome. If everyone could earn that many admirers the world would be at peace. I've never been to an Algerian whorehouse but I'll settle for sending this message.
As a lifelong heart patient I've got a small idea what your last few weeks have been like. Every operation leaves a note of fear and something that itches, and those tiled hospital halls always echo too much. But the ONLY secret to survival is finding something low-sodium-fat-free-only-good-cholesterol that still qualifies as food. If you can manage that, based on my experience, you've got a good 27 years ahead of you. :-) I look forward to reading and hearing and watching your ever-running commentary on those years. So, thank you, and best of luck!

Christian Wagner (cwagner@io.com) Wed Apr 24 21:43:10 1996
Get well, you bastard. We can't afford to lose you.

Carol Thatcher Hall (jimncarol@earthlink.net) Wed Apr 24 20:21:52 1996
Heard you were sick through the politics mailing list of all things! Just a little note to tell you that we really want you better and writing for a long time. Remember Diana Adkins (now St. Onge) from Merced, CA? She's my best friend. She sends her wishes, too.

Take care, Harlan.

Adam (Bera@grx1.bio.bnl.gov) Wed Apr 24 20:17:29 1996
Harlan,
I'm delighted to hear that you're feeling better, for the world would definitely be a poorer place without you. However, LEARN TO RELAX! Try burning just a little less brightly; your passion and brilliance will always be recognized, but there's much to be said for longevity.
My very best wishes to you and Susan.
- A Fan

George (graposo@tor.hookup.net) Wed Apr 24 19:24:04 1996
To the Don Cherry of science fiction, wishing you a smooth recovery.

Zack Smith (whoami) Wed Apr 24 18:22:52 1996
Glad you're alive, Harlan. With so many great writers like Zelazny and
Bloch dying lately, it's nice to know you'll still be with us for a
long time. The world would be a for worse place without you around.

Sincerly,
Zack Smith

Mark T. Vantaggi (mtv@en.com) Wed Apr 24 17:23:57 1996
All I can say is Get Well Soon. : )

Donald Palumbo (enpalumb@ecuvm.cis.ecu.edu) Wed Apr 24 16:15:18 1996
Hi, Harlan!

I first heard of your quadruple-bypass surgery on the IAFA list, but almost immediately afterward learned (from the same hi-tech source--and more specifically from Bill senior) that you were in fine shape afterwards and that you ground his ass to hamburger--over the phone, I guess so that you could get it through those little, tiny holes--for calling you and adversely affecting your recovery by preventing you from getting much needed rest. So here is an e-note that you'll get at the end of April, wishing you the best--and most specifically a very quick and trouble-free recovery. Your own home page claims that you are as irrascible as ever, and I certainly believe (although I thought Bugs Bunny was irrascible, and believe a stronger adjective is required in your case)!

--Don Palumbo

Tim Richmond (I am not a real webperson) Wed Apr 24 15:07:36 1996
Dear Harlan & Susan,
I remember speaking to you after you're GoH speech at the I-Con a few years back, and wishing you a better year in the aftermath of the quake, the VoE etc. And now this. However, although you've probably been avoiding this kind of surgery, it usually delivers a new vitality. Look what it did for Jerry Lewis. Seriously, do everything they tell you (I'm sure Susan will leave you no choice). I have been enjoying what seems to be a multimedia rebirth for you. Apparently this is a shot at a physical rebirth. Take some time, get weller than you were, and run with it.
We love you, take care
Tim & Lisa Richmond

Megan Miglionico (mmiglio3@immaculata.edu) Wed Apr 24 14:29:32 1996
One more thing tell death to "GET STUFFED"

come on Harlequinn don't be turned off

Megan Miglionico

John Fluke Wed Apr 24 14:27:23 1996
Since I was a wee tike I have admired your command of the language and obvious yearning for the minnimalistic viewpoint of bull**** and the way that you strip the harmful illusions away from our eyes. Please recover quickly,Harlan. Sometimes a good RANT can be better for society than all of the honeyed words of a poet...

Megan Miglionico (mmiglio3@immaculata.edu) Wed Apr 24 14:25:04 1996
Mr. Ellison,
Hi my name is Megan Miglionico and I'm a freshman at Immaculata College. In my themes in Literature Class we just read your "Repent Harleyquinn..Said the ticktock man" and I loved it. I enjoyed the jellybeans the most. I wish I knew where you were so I could send you a bunch of Jelly beans to get you to laugh. I prefer the black licorice ones. I hope you get better and I am praying for you . Get well soon. I hope to hear from you.

Love and best wishes Megan Miglionico
mmiglio3@immaculata.edu

Mark C. Dooley (mdool00@mail.cpbx.net) Wed Apr 24 13:39:38 1996
Yeah, like a heart attack could kill a guy like you. Not in a century of Sundays, Sparky! Rest, get well, and I hope to see you at Chicago Con ripping #$#$%% out of somebody (with my luck, it'll probably be me). Deena's and my best to both you and Susan.
Mark C. Dooley
De Boss of the Whoosier Network
Indiana's Doctor Who, Babylon 5,
and Sci-Fi Connection

Al Ortiz (al.ortiz@segaoa.com) Wed Apr 24 12:53:26 1996
Harlan... Dammit, hang in and get better! We need you to shake us up and open our eyes. And much, much thanks for your wonderful stories and essays. Keep 'em coming. They've helped me become a sonofabitch in my own right!

Novelist@concentric.net Wed Apr 24 12:36:28 1996
Once again, those obnoxious spirits of the netherworlds, who have brought us Hitler, Vlad Tapes and Newt Gingrich, have made all their sacrifices in vain. They had boiled the goats blood for fourteen days under the new moon; they had taken the hopes of young girls(using ancient arts, extracted each dream through the heel of their foot using a gold-tipped needle dipped in alabaster) They mixed this unholy brew at the darkest hour of the night and prayed to those unamed demons and devils that H.P Lovecraft warned us all about, and they asked to be delivered from "He Who Speaks His Mind."
Although, the power they had weilded was great, enough to have toppled any man, they had neglected to take into consideration the outcome of such a manuever. Harlan realised that he must really be getting to some of these whackos, I mean the time involved in the ritual alone means he had become more then just a pain in the ass, he had made thousands upon thousands of those miserable old men angry and upset. Harlan would not miss that for the world and the opportunity to get to them all, well....let's just say Harlan will be around a lot longer then even he anticipated at first. And believe me Hell will have frozen and melted into a small puddle of grease by that time.

Good to have you with us still Harlan, please keep writing, I promise to send you all my hard earned cash.

Brian Kornfeld (75703.1340@compuserve.com) Wed Apr 24 12:26:46 1996
Get well, you Angry Bastard, it's people like you that keep the rest of us honest.
Brian Kornfeld, a lifelong fan

Peter Rosengarten (advcomix@pop.erols.com) Wed Apr 24 12:06:44 1996
Mr. Ellison;
My family and I hope for your speedy recovery. We wish you well in these trying times and look forwards to your next project.

john t. gonzales (hellboy@mail.utexas.edu) Wed Apr 24 12:04:33 1996
i love you! i love the show! get well soon, dude! need i say more? bye!

Sherry Kenney (skenney@wrsystems.com) Wed Apr 24 11:46:27 1996
I wish you a speedy recovery so that you can get back to all the things you love to do (and all those things we love to read of yours).

Ken Houghton (klh@panix.com) Wed Apr 24 11:40:17 1996
Best wishes for a strong and healthy recovery and future. Most
especially best wishes and kudos to your wife for her tea and
sympathy, care and support.

Claire Schwartz (HERC member) Wed Apr 24 11:14:55 1996
Dear Harlan,
Nu? So how you feeling? Cracked like a walnut, eh? Oy! Such a thing! My father just had the same operation in February and he is doing better than ever. So kvetch all you want, you have earned it. It will take a while till you feel up to snuff, so relax, work on your breathing, and enough with the blintzes already!
I was getting ready to write you and Susan anyway to thank you for sending the Kadak tape! A mitzvah you've done, I'm telling you. I laughed till I plotzed! Such a pleasure to read Yiddishe stuff.
Anyway, take care of yourself and listen to your menchike wife. You are in my prayers.

David Powell (david.powell@wash.coll.edu) Wed Apr 24 11:06:22 1996
Hey Harlan:

I know you asked us all to stop sending get well messages, but I decided I had to be an asshole and
send you one anyway. (At least I didn't FTD out some flowers to add to that 'Algerian'
Ambience.)

I've been a fan of your stuff for awhile, starting in its most strong form in my High School
years when one night when I watched an Outer Limits Marathon on TNT, catching "Demon
With a Glass Hand" and "Soldier." I had seen your name on stuff before (City, etc)
but never seen your real work. "Demon" wastruly awesome and the next day I suddested it
to my teacher of a film course that itshould be shown to students as an
example of how to really kick some ass writing.

Anyhow, I am a B5 fan too, and think you did a bang up job of it on the computer.
(Believe me, that is the way I think a real computer _would_ talk if it could)
Anyhow, I look forward to your continued influence on this show, which is truly great
Science Fiction and a hell of a story... not to mention your continued works
(Your autobiography.. for instance...! ;+)

Anyhow, I'll stop rambling now... I got a Term paper to finish editing that is
due in an hour.. I look forward to the summer, when I'll pick up the
original version "City" script and take anotherlesson in your school of kick ass sci fi.

Get well quick, Harlan... And God bless.

-David Powell

John Ellison (JEdo217@aol.com) Wed Apr 24 10:44:47 1996
Dear Harlan:
Our thoughts and prayers go out to you from here in Ohio. We're glad that you doing so well. I'll keep this short since you have so many other well wishers. Relax and heal.
John

George McGregor (mcgregor@ncifcrf.gov) Wed Apr 24 10:39:27 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison: I won't pretend to know you or presume familiarity. I do want to wish you a VERY speedy recovery and to thank you for all the enjoyment your works have given me. Best wishes to your family and friends, as I know how stressing this time may be for them. Sincerely, George McGregor

hoop (hoop@cdc.noaa.gov) Wed Apr 24 10:13:50 1996
I've enjoyed your works for most of my lifetime, and for that I am grateful. I don't know you, of course, but I strongly suspect you're just too hard-nosed to let this health setback keep you down for long. Best wishes to you both.
-hoop

Dan Recchia (@MamaroneckNY.com) Wed Apr 24 10:13:45 1996
Ellison, you nut...you've made my life infinitely more enjoyable (especially when my illustration for "Prince Myshkin, and Hold the Relish" appeared in the Record Collection newsletter). My one wish before you kick the bucket is that you write a review of "Once Upon A Time In America". Take care!

VIc Radin (vradin@ibm.net) Wed Apr 24 07:59:12 1996
Dammit all. Then double dammit again. The world is filled with folks who have tact, but not enough who are honest. I missed my chance with Ted Sturgeon and Asimov, but not this time. It was writings from you three guys that got me through some really bad times, so thanks. Now I'm slowly giving them to my son. BOY is he in for a surprise. Best wishes, speedy recovery, all that stuff.

Hugh Blair (hblair@interaccess.com) Wed Apr 24 07:53:19 1996
Harlan, I just can't bear the thought of a world without your fresh writing. Catch your breath, relax for a few, then come back strong. You are in our prayers.

Amy Kostyn (toyboat@qed.net) Wed Apr 24 07:48:52 1996
Dear Harlan,
Good god, you're a tough sonofabitch! And I'm glad that you are.
with undying affection (even though you picked on me last year),
Amy

Rick Setchell (rsetchel@monarch.papillion.ne.us) Wed Apr 24 07:40:25 1996
Not that I'm the suspicious type, but I find it curious that the same week Sparky is done away with, (at least that's when it aired around here) you go down with heart problems. Coincidence? I'm not so sure. Perhaps the next time JMS asks you to take an active part in B5, you might want to take a pass.

Rick Setchell

Sherry Hopper (sherry.hopper@uc.edu) Wed Apr 24 07:39:05 1996
So sorry to hear of your troubled health. But in this golden age of Medicine (?), anything is possible these days. I hold all good hopes that you'll recover quickly and completely ... ah, but the stress of the world will still be lurking out there, so don't take it so seriously! Best wishes for your speedy recovery. --Sherry Hopper, Cincinnati, Ohio (a long-time fan of your work)

Miriam Pittenger (sigillum@interramp.com) Wed Apr 24 07:38:27 1996
Just another loyal B5 fan with a get well and stay healthy wish. The show needs you. The fans need the show. From this there can be only one logical conclusion... After all, what would we all do without Sparky?

Miriam Nathan (jamie1990@aol.com) Wed Apr 24 06:11:11 1996
Harlan, You know, it doesn't matter how bad you think what you say is, because no matter what, you come out looking so right in the end. From the one who was from the "BBS," not the "BBC" at WorldCon in SF (perhaps you remember): your commentaries have always fallen on deeply appreciative ears and eyes -- right through the abrasiveness shines the truth of the person inside. That person is extremely special, Harlan, so treat him right, make him heal, please. We need him around as long as we can possibly ge

Tim Caldwell (irish17@ix.netcom.com) Wed Apr 24 05:19:44 1996
Dear Harlan,

We've never met, but you are a great inspiration to me. I am a writer (yet to be deemed publishable by the Gods of Fiction) and strive to meet the example you have set. Geez...if I'd never picked up that copy of "The Essential Ellison" my life might have turned down the path marked "Banal", and I'd have never known the worlds you weave.
Thank you for your uncompromising wit, your provocative insight and your exacting craftmanship.
Get better...we still have to meet.
The Gray Man hasn't come for you yet.
Best Wishes,
Tim Caldwell

Sam Longoria (sam@thewildside.org) Wed Apr 24 04:50:30 1996
Mr. Harlan Ellison
Lying on his bed of pain.

Dear Harlan,

I don't know if you'll remember, but we communicated a couple of times, originally when I found your garbage in my theatre dumpster, and when
Columbia Pictures used your magazine article "In The Heart Of The
Darkness," as an excuse for a memo to tell Col writers to dumb down
their scripts.

You gave me kindly misogynistic advice that carried me through my
unhappy divorce, right when a man needs to hear that kind of thing.
(As I recall, you said that the first divorce is difficult, but
subsequent ones get easier and easier. Excellent advice, as it
turns out. Thank you.)

Yep, it's me, Sam from The WILD SIDE Theatre. We've been doing wacky
improv shows, most notably "SIMUL TREK," a lip-sync parody of
you-know-what, with us simulcasting on a LA radio station. A great
deal of fun, and I think you'd like it, even though it is a travesty,
a mockery, and a sham, of everything you hold dear.

(I'd like to say we never dubbed "City On The Edge Of Forever," out of respect for you, and that it's my favorite episode. Well, it IS my
favorite episode, but we've never been on the same night they've
telecast it, so it hasn't been an issue. Gesundheit.)

And now I'm doing little funny feature movies. I've recently turned
forty, against my better judgement, and am doing what I should have
done in high school. Dating teen-age girls.

But enough about me, and what I've been doing.
What have YOU been doing?

You have had a heart attack, and a quadruple-bypass surgery.

Do you think this was wise?

I don't know much about these things, but it seems kind of extreme to
me. I hear that it caused you no end of distress. Perhaps you should
have started with a smaller ailment, a sprain or small broken bone,
and worked your way up, gradually.

Please reconsider, and try to avoid this in the future. You are one
of the most talented men alive, so please stay that way. I would hate
to hear that you had carried this thing too far, and died.

You might consider healthier activities. I can recommend
vegetarianism, as you would be the one doing it, and I'm just doing
the recommending.

Actually, I've been a vegetarian for quite a while now, and feel
terribly healthy. Everything tastes better, including me (according
to the teenage girls.)

I know that you are famous for being so angry. But anger causes heart attacks, and you have had enough of those, and should STOP BEING
ANGRY! AT ONCE, DO YOU HEAR?

(Besides, you are quite successful now, you don't REALLY have to be
angry anymore, you're set, boyo.)

Perhaps you could just pretend to be angry, and only when people are
around. When the coast is clear, you could relax, and smile. Whistle
a little tune, or do a little dance, if you like. No one will know.

Learn to ignore the stupidity of others, even though they surround you and your genius. I have learned to do so, and it has changed my life. Get better!

Sam Longoria

sam@thewildside.org
http://thewildside.org/tws/

Moshe Feder (moshe@dorsai.org) Wed Apr 24 04:24:49 1996
OK, we didn't send flowers, or even a card, but we feel compelled to at least send our good wishes for a quick, comfortable and complete recovery. There's still stuff we have to talk about. Love - Moshe Feder & Lise Eisenberg (Hang in there, Susan!)

Jonathan Stover (jstover@bosshog.arts.uwo.ca) Wed Apr 24 00:26:03 1996
To quote the Simpsons, "Brevity is...wit," so I'll keep it short and try to avoid the testimonials. Get well, keep causing trouble, the best to Susan, and if you get the chance (and haven't already checked them out), take a look at Alejandro Carpentier's The Kingdom of this World, Timothy Findley's Headhunter, Paul Quarrington's Whale Music, and a quartet of Canadian films: Perfectly Normal; Highway 61; Whale Music and Jesus de Montreal. And thanks for all the writing so far.

Curtis Turner II (cturner@hubcap.clemson.edu) Wed Apr 24 00:25:11 1996
Glad to hear you're recovering, hope your back to top shape and keeping the B5 crew on track soon. I'd suggest eating healthier, but I'm not that much of a hypocrite, so eat the good stuff and leave the grass to the rabbits. :) Caio!

Eric T.Gilreath (zerath@aol.com) Wed Apr 24 00:15:20 1996
Mr. Ellison you probably don't remember me, but you signed the last book my father ever read.
Your work was a great comfort to him as he was dying of cancer. There is no way to repay what you gave to him,
but you have my best wishes. I hope your recovery is speedy, and my mother (who had a double bypass in September) wishes you well.
Thank you.

Tom McCarthy (tdmmc@ix.netcom.com) Tue Apr 23 23:10:40 1996
You are way to stubborn to let a little thing like this slow you down. Get well soon.

Bill Seligman (seligman@nevis1.columbia.edu) Tue Apr 23 22:05:58 1996
Get healthy, stay smart, and keep angry! The world needs you.

Patrick Nobles, MD (pnobles@txdirect.net) Tue Apr 23 21:50:47 1996
Dear Harlan:
I just wanted to pass on my best wishes on a speedy and full recovery. I appreciate your dedication to your craft, and hope that you continue to live long an happy. (and enjoy writing) Gee, I still remember _When_Harlie_Was_One_...
Patrick

Mark Maxham (max@apple.com) Tue Apr 23 20:49:20 1996
I'm not much into Fandom, but I have greatly enjoyed your work.
The only reason I kept watching B5 was because I knew you wouldn't
put your name on something that wasn't worthwhile. Now I'm hooked.

Looking forward to the next guest appearance of Sparky the Computer,
max

Michael Rodifer (rdfr@sirius.com) Tue Apr 23 20:32:21 1996
Harlan:

Hey, stick around, willya???? I've been an avid reader for over 20 years, and your example, your wit and your absolute refusal to suffer bullshit have encouraged and instructed me throughout. You're no god, mind you (well, DUH!) - but I'd miss you more than I could ever describe. I finally met you, saw you, experienced your LIVE in-personnness at the Cartoon Art Museum (you won't remember, I'm sure, but I'm the ponytailed smartass who asked you exactly what WAS the best way to stimulate a chicken, to which you replied with the Hawaiian Good Luck sign - yes, I remember the Pueblo, dammit) -- my beautiful wife (whose hardcover "Love Ain't...." you graciously signed and remarked upon - were it another man, you'd be spittin' bloody Chiclets) and I were thoroughly delighted. Selfish shits we are, admittedly, but we would love to have another chance.

Thanks for many years of kicking my intellect and critical-thinking mode out of stasis. I can do it without you around, but I'd rather not have to. Besides, who would stimulate all those chickens?

Get well, Harlan. Our love, support and thoughts are with you.

Thanks.
Michael and Valerie Rodifer

Bomoon (ron@rniquett.mv.com) Tue Apr 23 20:24:25 1996
I'll be dipped. The short guys really DO have the longest veins!

Martin Novak (mnovak@erols.com) Tue Apr 23 20:13:53 1996
"Recover, Harlequin."

Best regards,

Ticky

Suzu (renauds@pathcom.com) Tue Apr 23 19:33:05 1996
The world is a more joyous place with you in it. Recover. Rest. Eat chick peas. Watch "Double Indemnity". Carry on kicking ass.

Get well.

--Suzu

John Herbert (jherbert@direct.ca) Tue Apr 23 19:19:20 1996
Harlan:
Get well, get up, and get healthy.
And keep fighting the good fight.

Yours,
John

John A. Nemesh, Jr. (jnemesh@lascruces.com) Tue Apr 23 18:53:09 1996
Wow! The news that you had a heart attack really stunned me. I guess I still think of you as being the young upstart sci-fi writer. Blame that image on Larry Niven, Dr. Asimov and a couple of others who have written about you in the past! :) I wanted you to know how relieved I am that you are well...or at least getting there. You have done something wonderful for me and millions of others...you have made us think. You have given us, time and again, the spark that fuels the fire of our imagination. This is something I can never repay you for (except for the royalties!:). Please accept my thanks, and my prayers for your swift recovery.

Jay Hinkelman (lord_julius@iquest.net) Tue Apr 23 18:49:56 1996
Mr. Ellison:

Your short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" was required reading in one of my college English classes (Hail, Hail, to Old Purdue). I was struck by how dark it was, but also by how clear and complete it was.

But the first time I came across your name was as a preface to one of the horrible American re-prints of the "Doctor Who" TV-episode novelettes, and I will always be indebted to you for so eloquently defending the show. To this day, I'm not sure whether or not you were serious. Don't care, either. Thanks.

God's Blessings for a speedy recovery (yeah, I'm one of those Jesus Freaks, what're you gonna do about it, throw your IV at me?)

P.S. The BBC and the FOX network have collaborated on a new Doctor Who TV-movie, to be aired May 14th. You probably already knew this. It will probably only be a shadow of the original, but we TARDIS-junkies are aching for a fix.

MIchael Lipman (lips11@Aol.com) Tue Apr 23 18:24:33 1996
Hello Harlan.
I wish you a speedy and complete recovery. I saw yu speak at a booksigning i L.A. back n the mid-80's and was terribly impressed with your quick wit, and fearless denouncements of most things stupid.
Great to see you still crankin' and cranky!

P.S. I also liked your brief interview in "Blender" magazine.

-- Michael Lipman

Mark Silverstein (silverst@erols.com) Tue Apr 23 17:38:47 1996
Sir-
Most of the time we fans do not let the folks who entertain us know that we care about them. This is to wish you a speedy recovery, or as some of us say in synagogue, "a rafuah shlemah."

Stig Olsen (solsen@arcadis.be) Tue Apr 23 16:51:30 1996
Dear Mr. Ellison,

I was very sorry indeed to hear about your heart attack. Take care and get well soon.

Best wishes
Stig Olsen

Jason Kuroshima (105B Pendragon ave. Avalon) Tue Apr 23 16:39:04 1996
Mr. Ellison, glad to hear you're doing better. Why does it have to be the good guys who get sick, and not one of those Jesus Freaks who pass out flyers saying that the U.N. and the feminist movement are parts of a communist plot to take over the world. (It's a true story! I'll tell it to you when I see you at a convention soon)

Jason Kuroshima

Silvio Sosio (silvio.sosio@pobox.com) Tue Apr 23 16:15:29 1996
I migliori auguri ad Harlan da parte mia e di tutta la redazione di "Delos Science Fiction"!
Get well, Harlan! Best wishes from the editors of Delos Science Fiction!

Ken Offer (koffer@io.com) Tue Apr 23 15:38:36 1996
Hang in there! Thanks for plenty of honest writing.

keegan Tue Apr 23 15:34:28 1996
Glad you're hanging in there and giving Wyatt whatfor on the phone! The news of your homecoming and progressive recovery was most welcome. I plan to buy many, many more of your works now that I've settled up with the Feds and I want you around to reap the residuals. Greetings to Susan (try not to give her too much trouble).

Okay, I'm on the verge of "overstepping" here, so I'll just absquatulate. Gone, man (but SOOOO glad *you're* not)!

lauri

Jean Lamb (tlambs@gp.magick.net) Tue Apr 23 15:27:20 1996
Hang in there--have lots of lowfat and fatfree recipes lying about, holler if
you want them!

Russell K. Watkins (rkw1@gate.net) Tue Apr 23 15:27:07 1996
Hi Harlan: How's the old memory box working? I'm an old time fan/friend from your early days of Dimensions. You were about 14 then, I believe. You bragged a lot but you accomplished everything you said you would. Your fanzine becames the biggest. And your life of writing, etc. also. Bob Silverberg, a close friend of yours, I know, was a correspondent at the same time.My fanzine, along with fan Lester Fried (who died young) was entitled "Dawn and the Imaginative Collector" to refresh your memory possibly. A lot of water went under the bridge since then. I became a structural Engineer and am now retired. I worked at NASA some, one of my dreams, and kicked the tire of one of the space shuttles.

I wish you the best of all world, and may my God bless you real good. Take care, Russ

Martin Geissler (geissman@aol.com) Tue Apr 23 15:25:49 1996
Best wishes and a quick recovery

Robert Darlington (oakiev@slip.net) Tue Apr 23 14:52:38 1996
I hope your recent illness doesn't mean that you'll have to give up your pipes! It's hard to imagine you without one. I must admit that I took up the briar after you spoke to my high school class in 1969. (I'm from the San Fernando Valley.) I'm lighting a bowl at this moment, letting the smoke lift my prayers to the gods for your quick and complete recovery. Thanks for twenty-seven years (and many more!) of great reading.

Mark Stapleton (mstaple@insync.net) Tue Apr 23 14:42:05 1996
Jeez, couldn't you find an easier way to blow off the book-signings?

Be sure to have your specialist look after the work on your leg. From
bitter experience, I know that it'll need looking after, too.

Just read your _I, Robot_ screenplay. It's nice of you to show a new
aspect of an old friend.

Take care---and get some rest, huh?

Tammy (tmetz@lan.tjhsst.edu) Tue Apr 23 14:23:19 1996
Get well real soon, but stay there! Best wishes for the rest of your days.

Janis Cortese (cortese@netcom.com) Tue Apr 23 14:20:02 1996
Hope your up and putting sand in the machinery soon, dude. Oh, god, I said dude. Heaven help me, I'm turning into a California.

Susanne Luesse (jaluesse@htonline.com) Tue Apr 23 13:53:07 1996

You still don't know me. It's still O.K. I already sent support. Now I nag.

Susan - be sure that leg surgery is seen to by a specialist. At my age we trade treatments with recipes. The most common complication of Bypass is the body concentrating on chest repair at the expense of the leg.

Can't let such a lame excuse for sitting around develop.

Sean Eric Fagan (sef@kithrup.com) Tue Apr 23 13:34:45 1996
You have to get well, Harlan -- who else is going to keep the yokels on their toes?

Jen Raffensperger (meercat@Glue.umd.edu) Tue Apr 23 13:34:04 1996
Wishes for you are coming from all over the world, and my corner as well. Take care of yourself, dodge the mistletoe next time, willya?
thanks,
Jen

Manzieri Maurizio (mazier194@ns.sinet.it) Tue Apr 23 13:18:22 1996
Dear Harlan, I am an Italian cover artist and I have just published
a couple of artworks on Interzone, England.
While I was reading and dreaming about your introduction to the recent
Barclay Shaw artbook, I received a bulletin from Ansible announcing
bad news.Pls Harlan...perhaps in a few years I'll need an introduction
to my own artbook...I wish you luck and long life

Bye
Maurizio

Lou (Moore) Edgar (edgarml@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu) Tue Apr 23 13:16:09 1996
Wishing you a speedy recovery. Take care.

Susan Neighbors (sneighbors@grci.com) Tue Apr 23 13:06:53 1996
Harlan,
Speedy recovery. Did you have to go to such a length to take a 'break'?

Kay Albright (albright@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu) Tue Apr 23 12:57:05 1996
Harlan - you were the only thing that kept me from dying of a hangover after a graduated from high school 20 years ago...Love ain't nothing but sex misspelled was a graduation present and you have been one of my favorite writers ever since (although I've often wondered what you did to the book store chains in the Midwest -- almost none of them seem to carry your books.) And thanks for keeping B5 as good as it is. Cheers, Kay Albright

Sid Tue Apr 23 12:50:35 1996
You will live forever!

TRUTH WILLIAMS Tue Apr 23 12:49:07 1996
Harlan, you are my favorite writer, and if you die my world will never
quite be the same. Get well little but large man, get well....

Biff Henson Tue Apr 23 12:47:01 1996
I HAVE NO HEART AND IT MUST BEAT

George Hupka (downstream@sasknet.sk.ca) Tue Apr 23 12:46:28 1996
Harlan,
Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
(It ain't poetic, but it IS short, which should be appreciated right about not.....)

Lee Reamans Tue Apr 23 12:45:13 1996
Harlan, I love you man.

Lee Beamans Tue Apr 23 12:42:57 1996
Please Harlan, don't die. I beg of you please don't die. When is the next dangerous visions coming out. Please Harlan don't die....

Lee Leamans Tue Apr 23 12:38:08 1996
Harlan, get well bro.

Keith Kanik (kkanik@com1.med.usf.edu) Tue Apr 23 12:18:51 1996
Well at least you're not stuck in Middletown CT. Hope you tolerated the CABG, and are doing well. I'd offer unsolicited medical advice, but I'm a little smarter than I used to be. Anyhow, I do hope you have an uncomplicated recovery. Regards to Susan.
BTW, Babylon 5 is just too good for words. Take Care & Zei Gesund.

Dave Konkel (Galveston TX) Tue Apr 23 11:43:18 1996
I've long admired your work, both in print and on-screen. Glad to hear you're doing well. I'm not including my e-mail address so that you won't feel any need to respond. Continued good health and creativity!
-- Dave K.

Larry Johnson (Maltster@ix.netcom.com) Tue Apr 23 11:40:28 1996
I just want to wish you a speedy recovery, Mr. Ellison, and to take this opportunity to thank you for the many ours of pleasure that your work has afforded me. Your works have always been so much more than "reading entertainment" (although, they were that also). I know that you have many of these messages to read, so I'll not keep you. Again, thank you and good luck.

Christopher J. Hoover (choover@usd.edu) Tue Apr 23 11:23:27 1996
Mr. Ellison:

It is with your words and ideas that you have moved, inspired,
and amazed us, and, when we've needed it (which has been quite
often), made us damned uncomfortable. From "Repent, Harlequin" to
"Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral" (which I read just two days ago),
from "I Have No Mouth" to "Paladin of the Lost Hour," from the late,
lamented _New Twilight Zone_ to the wonderful bits of chaos you
contribute to Mr. Straczynski's masterwork, you shall continue
to touch another new life daily well into the next century, without
even knowing it, even if you should never write another word and
instead set out on the Quixotic quest for the fat-free doughnut.

For it matters far less to many of us that you stick around to write
more for us than it does that you simply continue to live and be
happy.

My own passable facility with the language seems inadequate to
express the gratitude you richly deserve from every thinking reader
for your remarkable body of work to date, or the warm feeling of the
many of us who are _not_ candidates for mention in "Xenogenesis II,"
who wish to simply and sincerely wish you and your wife the best of
health, happiness, and long life.

But I can try.

Warmest wishes,

Chris

Mike Worth Tue Apr 23 11:01:02 1996

Boy, it must be strange reading all of these messages! In a way, it's like an audience that couldn't be heard now applauding, even giving a thunderous standing ovation. As for me, if I were forced to list a hundred reasons why it's good to be alive, one of them would have to be "Getting to reread a Harlan Ellison story." (I can hardly wait to read the story that comes out of this.)

Jeff Prince (prince@lc.lindenwood.edu) Tue Apr 23 10:25:36 1996
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. . .for purely selfish reasons.

Any favorite charity you'd like to see get the cash, unless you get kickbacks from floral delivery companies? ;-)

Robert Devereaux (bobdev@fc.hp.com) Tue Apr 23 09:38:01 1996
Harlan, I just read the update about your coming home. My very best wishes to you and Susan, and my appreciation for all your kindnesses. Recover well, be well. May your psyche continue to explode with creativity and your cup runneth over. Yours in love and gratitude, Robert

Andrew Fuller (af42517@mail.ltec.net) Tue Apr 23 08:45:29 1996
Harlan Ellison was wrong once. I saw it! In his last book, I spent more time pondering the dedication page than the story meat‹because the story was a very efficient "toad strangler"‹I didn't breath at all through the furious reading of the novella.
The dedication to Mefisto In Onyx is for Dean Koontz, "a true mensch," Harlan says, and I'll have you know I'm absolutely nobody (all agreemeents scream in here!) and you, Harlan, are now officially wrong for the first time in your life.
Because the cosmos has a few singularities, totally unique pieces among all the empty gods and random structures and wailing entities. The word for it in one immature language, cheaply put, is rule‹­and here's one atcha, so get on it nowŠ
There is only one mensch.
And it's Harlan Ellison.
I was reading the intro to Harlan's Living In Oblivion by a guy named Stephen K. (no relation to Joseph, killed for a crime he was never told what) and Stephen stated that if he was on the verge of death it would be Harlan Ellison he would want with him rallying the doctors and carrying his body through the hospital. Not Stephen's wife, not Stephen's agent--but Harlan Ellison. And all I could think was, "That's the man." That's what he is.
I just confirmed by travel plans to get to the 96 World Horror Con, because I heard a rumor Harlan Ellison might make an appearance. And I chose my fate (oxymoron) for a weekend. I've been thinking about this trip for a few months now, and thinking little more than what would I say to Harlan Ellison if I met him, and even more furiously how it gets hard for me to touch a story in progress because I worry "What would Harlan do to me, even in harmless words, if i did that in this piece?" (I worry this daily). And Stephen lent me an idea­­I'd tell Harlan to his face that he had a friend. Nothing magificent, nothing cosmic--if i could be there for him 35 Levendis days of October I would. If I could carry his body through a hospital--I would with my teeth and fingernails against merciless sterile tiles. If I could keep the griffin bird away from his liver for all eternity, I would (cuz he brought me fire, it goes without saying & I say it anyhoo). But i can't really get out of the sixty terrestrial human years i've got, and all i have to offer him is friendship. There's probably a better word for it. Sertsa or something. Only a few people know the real meanings of words. Harlan certainly knows mensch, among others. And that's all the pigeonholing I'll do of him.
He's got a friend, and all the power that comes with it. And I'd tell him to his face, and walk away.
Now I found this webpage, and latest news--so i'll add "get well soon."

Alyx Dellamonica (alyx_dellamonica@mindlink.bc.ca) Tue Apr 23 08:41:06 1996
Harlan, we haven't met, (although I'm hopeful our paths will cross someday, perhaps this summer at Worldcon?), but I wanted to let you know your writing has been one of the biggest influences on my life and my writing. So I'm taking the chance to say thank you now. I hope you're on your feet and feeling absolutely terrific soon. - alyx dellamonica

Kathleen Coleman (coleman@cnp.cldx.com) Tue Apr 23 08:04:34 1996

Harlan,

Best wishes for a full recovery from a long-time fan. Ain't
middle age hell?!!? All those years of jumping off cliffs and
worrying about the bottom on the trip down come back to haunt
you (and me!). Truly hope you are feeling much better by now!
To quote Hannibal Lector (paraphrased): the world's a much
better place with you in it.

K. Coleman

Nick Pedicini (jnybny@ix.netcom.com) Tue Apr 23 07:14:33 1996
I suppose in some way, the news of your illness hit me like Lennon's assassination hit people a few years older. Though I haven't kept up with your writing the last decade or so, you are definitely a shaper, in some fashion, of who I am. I'm very happy that you came through this in good shape. The world is definitely a more interesting place for having you in it. NJP

Lisa Beglinger (lisab@bdt.com) Mon Apr 22 23:11:32 1996
_Angry Candy_ helped me to get through a particularly nasty and loss-filled time in my life. Thank you, please be as well as human frailty will permit. Eat the damn rice cakes. (I'm hypothyroid and get that kind of nagging All The Time.) Write a script for Babylon 5 ferchrissake! (It's been too long since I've seen your work traslated to *any* screen.) From a reader, mommy & PC slave in Walnut Creek, CA

Keith Allen Daniels (kdaniels@ix.netcom.com) Mon Apr 22 22:57:58 1996
Hi, Harlan --