Harlan Ellison was born in 1934 to a Jewish family living in Cleveland, Ohio. He published his first two short stories in 1949. Later, he served in the US Army from 1957 to 1959, during which time he published his first novel. In 1962, he began writing screenplays and scripts in California. He sold scripts to several shows, including Star Trek, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. While writing for television and movies, he published some of his most popular short stories, including “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktock Man” (1965) and “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967). Additionally, he wrote the critically-acclaimed postapocalyptic story “A Boy and His Dog,” which was made into a film starring Don Johnson in 1975.

Ellison is known as one of the most prolific and influential science fiction writers in American culture, having written more than 1,700 different pieces of literature, including plays, novellas, scripts, screenplays, short stories, novels, comic book scripts, essays, and criticism. Ellison also won many distinguished awards for his science fiction work, including eight Hugo Awards and a record-setting four Nebula Awards.

Ellison was also known for his explosive temperament, often stirring up controversy through his comments on cultural events and his willingness to file lawsuits against anyone he perceived as stealing or corrupting his work.