Legendary science fiction writer Harlan Ellison has died at the age of 64. Deadline reports that the news came through a tweet from long-time family friend Christine Valada.
"Susan Ellison has asked me to announce the passing of writer Harlan Ellison, in his sleep, earlier today. "For a brief time I was here, and for a brief time, I mattered."—HE, 1934-2018. Arrangements for a celebration of his life are pending."
Among Harlan's best-known works are A Boy and His Dog that was published in 1969 and turned into a feature film in 1975. It became a cult classic and starred Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame. He also authored a short story collection titled Shatterday. Published in 1980, the title story in the collection would become the basis for the first episode of the 1985 reboot of the television series The Twilight Zone. He served as consultant on the series. The story "Jeffty is Five" that's part of the Shatterday collection won a Nebula award and a Hugo award as well as an online poll of Locus (a science fiction and fantasy fiction) readers as the best short story of all time.