THE HARLAN THING

> Date: Thu, 14 Jul 1994 23:18:05 -0400
> From: Christopher Camfield (ccamfiel[at]-remove-undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca)
> Subject: Harlan
> I just wanted to mention that I recently started reading Harlan
> Ellison's stories, and got a complete blast (and a bit of a chill)
> when I recognized what the lines in the song about Jeffy are about
> ("Jeffy is 5... the same as he was in 1959..." I think it goes) -
> one of Harlan's stories is called Jeffy, and it's a classic.
> Quite spooky.
> The other thing that flipped in my mind was what "We're not alone"
> meant. I figured, before reading any of the stories, that it meant
> there were aliens out there or something.

Yes, indeed, Chris. You got it. "Jefy Is Five" is one of a number of Harlan Ellison story-titles that litter the lyrics to the song that bears his name. Like:

"Time's A-Wastin'"
"I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream"
"A Boy And His Dog"
"Alone Against Tomorrow"

It's what I call a T-Rex Letter. You know, where fans of a group write a letter about that group, quoting all their song titles? One of those. In an introduction to one of his collections, Mr. Ellison writes that he tells these stories to tell people that "You Are Not Alone"... because we're ALL IN THE SHIT TOGETHER!

What a dude!

(He does, incidentally, keep his number in the L.A. phone book. That line is true. So, I should warn you, is the one about his not suffering fools. He is an impatient man, and should not be approached for quotable quotes on the subject of the JBC by those who could do without being told to... uh... go someplace else.