科幻大師埃利森去世,這五部作品最出色
科幻小說黃金時(shí)代的接班人哈倫·埃利森辭世,享年84歲。 埃利森在創(chuàng)作中往往不拘于人物刻畫,也時(shí)而不顧情節(jié)連貫,卻又斥責(zé)出版社和媒體公司看不到他本人及其他人作品的價(jià)值。 他一生著作等身,包括長(zhǎng)篇小說、短篇故事、影視劇,還有出版但未上映的劇本,也留下了不少官司。他最著名的作品是為《星際迷航:原初系列》所寫的《永恒邊緣的城市》(“The City on the Edge of Forever”)原稿。編劇吉恩·羅登貝瑞和其他人大量改寫了該作品,埃利森大怒,后來終于將原稿出版,并附上羅登貝瑞的書面評(píng)述。 2009年,埃利森起訴哥倫比亞派拉蒙網(wǎng)絡(luò)電視(CBS Paramount Television),就一切與該集作品相關(guān)的產(chǎn)品(包括一種會(huì)說話的圣誕飾物)索求25%的利潤(rùn)。此案據(jù)說于同年私下了結(jié)。中篇小說《孩子與狗》(A Boy and His Dog,1969)是他另一部廣為人知的作品,講述一個(gè)野性的男孩、性暴力,和一只有心靈感應(yīng)能力的狗。 埃利森有學(xué)識(shí),又健談,出席訪談節(jié)目和科幻作品大會(huì),為視頻做解說,甚至——作為現(xiàn)場(chǎng)活動(dòng)——在從事新作品創(chuàng)作的各家書店埋頭敲打字機(jī)。他的脾氣是出了名的,廣受贊譽(yù)又臭名昭著,即使在朋友中。最著名的莫過于他在自傳電影《遨游科幻》(Dreams with Sharp Teeth)中的聲討——他闡述了媒體公司在制片過程中如何厚待每一位工作人員,唯獨(dú)希望原作者無私奉獻(xiàn)。 以下列舉埃利森最著名的作品。 《危險(xiǎn)影像》(1967) 這部文集收錄并編輯了當(dāng)時(shí)獲獎(jiǎng)或即將獲獎(jiǎng)的作者的33篇故事,成就了科幻小說全新的面貌。作品引入了更嚴(yán)苛的主題,以及性,并撼動(dòng)了此前一度盛行的太空探險(xiǎn)?。╯pace operas)。 《永恒邊緣的城市》(1967) 該作品被廣泛譽(yù)為其所屬《星際迷航》系列中最好的一集。該集中,成員們登陸一顆星球,遇上一條由滅亡已久的種族所建的時(shí)間通道。麥考伊醫(yī)生錯(cuò)為自己注射一劑藥物,導(dǎo)致暫時(shí)癲狂,穿越到1930年的地球,更改了歷史進(jìn)程并抹除了“進(jìn)取號(hào)”星艦。艦長(zhǎng)寇克和大副史波克借時(shí)間通道穿越以修正時(shí)間軸,導(dǎo)致由瓊·科林斯飾演的一名關(guān)鍵(虛構(gòu))歷史人物的死亡。 《杰弗迪五歲》(1977) 該短篇小說講述了一名年齡無法超過五歲的男孩杰弗迪。作品內(nèi)容怪誕,不解釋男孩的年齡為何止于五歲,或他的收音機(jī)為何只接收他第一次成長(zhǎng)至五歲時(shí)的節(jié)目。杰弗迪的角色部分基于約書亞·安得魯·凱尼格——《星際迷航》演員沃爾特·凱尼格之子,生于1968年,2010年逝世,死相看似自殺。 《我沒有嘴但我要吶喊》(1967) 該短篇作品集中的同名小說講述未來一臺(tái)計(jì)算機(jī)消滅了幾乎全部人類,使幸存者得以永生,并將他們無盡地折磨。故事內(nèi)容之怪異令人聯(lián)想到永不停歇的新聞周期。 《死鳥故事集》(1975) 該短篇作品集講述古老眾神的死亡。其中的同名小說中,世界由一位憤怒而狂暴的神主宰?,F(xiàn)在,人類要奪回世界,并將其自身毀滅。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)) 譯者:沈昕宇 |
Harlan Ellison, a scion of the Golden Age of science fiction, has died at age 84. Ellison’s work often challenged characterization—and sometimes coherency—even as the author also railed against publishers and media companies that devalued his and others’ contributions. He leaves behind an astonishingly large oeuvre of books, short stories, TV episodes, published but unproduced screenplays, and lawsuits. His best known work is the original script for “The City on the Edge of Forever” for the original Star Trek series. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, and others substantially rewrote it, angering Ellison, who later published a version of his original with Roddenberry’s written comments. In 2009, Ellison sued CBS Paramount Television for 25% of profits from everything related to the episode since 1967, which included a talking Christmas-tree ornament. It was reportedly settled out of court later that year. One of his best-known works, the novella A Boy in His Dog (1969), later made into a movie, features a feral teenager, sexual violence, and a telepathic dog. An erudite and voluble man, Ellison appeared on talk shows, sci-fi convention panels, in DVD commentary, and even pounding away on a typewriter as part of live events at bookstores, where he wrote new stories on the spot. He was known for a temper, and perhaps as widely disliked as liked, even among his friends. One of his best-known rants appears as part of his biographical film Dreams with Sharp Teeth, in which he explains how media companies pay every professional in the chain of production, but expect free services from writers. Here are a few of his best-known works. Dangerous Visions (1967) This edited anthology, which included 33 stories by past and future award winners, changed the face of science fiction. It introduced grittier themes and sex, and pushed back on the space operas that defined the previous age. “The City on the Edge of Forever” (1967) This Star Trek episode is widely credited with being the best in any of its series. In this episode, the crew lands on a planet with a portal through time created by a long-gone race. Dr. McCoy has accidentally injected himself with a drug that causes temporary madness, leaps through to Earth in 1930, and changes the course of history, eliminating the starship Enterprise. Captain Kirk and second-in-command Spock journey through the gateway to reset the previous timeline, which leads to the death of a critical (but fictional) historical figure played by Joan Collins. “Jeffty Is Five” (1977) This short story is about a boy, Jeffty, who never ages beyond five. The story evinces a kind of horror out of the lack of reason or inquiry into why he remains stuck, and why his radio only picks up programs from when he first turned five. Jeffty was based in part on Joshua Andrew Koenig, the son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, born in 1968 and who died in 2010 of apparent suicide. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream (1967) The title of this short-story collection story tells of a future in which a computer has managed to kill off all but a few humans, keep them immortal, and torture them eternally. The story has an eerie familiarity to the endless news cycle. Deathbird Stories (1975) The title tale from this collection of short stories about the death of old deities reveals that Earth was given over to an angry, insane god. And now, the time has come for humanity to reclaim it and bring itself to an end. |