Explain Harlan Ellison’s “Goodbye To All That” ending

Cafe Society
1

Spoilers for the (Nebula-nominated) story in McSweeney’s

I don’t get it.
Do I have this right: Colman (undoubtedly named for Ronald Colman, star of LOST HORIZON) makes it to the Eternal McDonalds (or whatever). There he needs to ask speak The Right Phrase

  1. I thought it had to be one of the ones on the “menu.” Guess not because he doesn’t use any of them.
  2. Why does he say, “Let Me Talk to the Head Jew”? What leads him to that? Is it that none of the ball players are Jewish, so they obviously said The Wrong Thing. QED: The Right Thing must be something Jewish?
  3. The McD’s appears to be a purgatory. “Do you see mine up there?” asks Paige. Is it “up there” because he made it to the McD and said the Wrong Thing? Is the menu made up of wrong guesses at the Right Phrase?
  4. “May I super-size that…” Does that mean Colman said the Right Thing or the Wrong Thing.
2

I assumed it meant that God/Jesus was supposed to be the “head” of the Jewish people. The last line does indicate that it was the right thing to say.

BTW, I’d be surprised if it won the Nebula. Some behind-the-scenes issues have really hurt its chances.

3

Also, it’s a truly terrible story that reads like a parody of someone overwritting Ellison.

FWIW, I thought the Head Jew indicated that the Old Testament is the correct version and that God is/was/and will always be Jewish.

Assuming it has any meaning at all outside Harlan’s head. You should never trust a Jewish atheist. :smiley:

4

You can’t explain Harlan Ellison.

He’s the wind, baby.

5

You mean he goes on endlessly and is full of hot air? :smiley:

Harlan Ellison’s favorite author is Harlan Ellison. Hell, Harlan Ellison’s favorite human being is Harlan Ellison.

He’s written some excellent stuff, including non-fiction analysis of various aspects of sci-fi and society in general. But you get the feeling more and more as time passes that he’s writing more and more just to see his “voice” on paper.

6

Oh, do tell. I’m really interested in hearing this.

7

Heh. There are always behind-the-scenes issues with Ellison. The man is the sandpaper of social interaction, mostly because he has absolutely no “inner voice” editing function and sees very little value in soft-serving his observations.

8

I assume you’ve met the man and are speaking from experience… but let’s not turn this into a Pit thread, shall we? Just the facts, ma’am, that’s all I want, not extensive, ambiguous dissing of Mr. Ellison. Thanks.

9

Peter David endorses Harlan Ellison. That’s good enough for me. :slight_smile:

You say that like it’s a bad thing! :eek: :wink:

10

Harlan Ellison is the World’s Greatest Science Fiction Editor.

He wrote a few decent short stories, but his abnormaly enlarged ego gets in the way of everything else.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream? Great story.

A Boy and His Dog? Great Story.

Silent in Gehenna? Great Story.

Shatterday? Great story.

What have you done for me lately, you egotistical hack? I am forever in your debt for Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions, but, seriously, Harlan, I would cut off my own thumbs to avoid being in the same room with you, you fucking big-headed, has-been, no-talent, hack. Die in obscurity.

11

Actually, I’m speaking from other people’s well-recorded experiences. And the man’s own writings.

Hell, I like Ellison’s work. It doesn’t keep him from being the most abrasive semi-famous sci-fi author alive today.

12

Well, I HAVE met Harlan Ellison, so I feel confident when I say that you’ve been duped by second hand stories about him. He does have a persona that is brash and curmudgeonly, but in reality he’s quite a mensch, IMO, which is based on personal experience, not gossip.

I’ll ask again to keep the venom in the Pit. We were talking about “Goodbye to All That” and the controversy behind its nomination for the Nebula. Can we get back to that?

13

I’ve met Harlan, too. He can be a really decent guy, charming and thoughtful.

He can also be somewhat of a bully. I remember him bragging at a con about how he reduced some poor secretary to tears because there was something her boss did to one of his stories (I don’t recall what the issue was, but rather how gleeful he was in telling how he browbeat this woman).

I like a lot of Harlan’s work (though not this story particularly) and think he’s one of the top writers in the field. But a lot of people find him abrasive and grandstanding.

14

I agree that there is a public Harlan and a private Harlan. In my dealings with him, the private Harlan is indeed a mensch. He is known throughout the field for the many good things he has done, usually out of his own pocket and time and trouble.

A full picture of the man has to include his nastier side, true. I don’t know where the overall balance falls. He lives large and the public side is all that most people know. And the debacle over The Last Dangerous Visions is simply inexcusable.

Of course, he’s now over 70 and no longer a Young Turk or enfant terrible. He’s mellowed a lot. I think he’s been good for the field.

No matter what his personality is like, however, every story has to be considered individually. This particular story does not work for me. The vast majority of stories in that anthology are better, and some of the best are by Eggars, Moody, Link, and Leonard.