My Own Small Tribute to the Late Great Harlan Ellison: and Clark Ashton Smith Too

From March 14, 1986, until his final turn at the microphone on June 19, 1987, Harlan Ellison could be heard most Friday nights on “Hour 25” (renamed “Mike Hodel’s Hour 25” after Mike’s death was announced by Harlan on May 9, 1986), a weekly radio program focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and science.

“Hour 25” was broadcast on Pacifica radio station KPFK in Southern California from 1972 to 2000.

I made over 400 hours of recordings of “Hour 25” broadcasts between 1977 and 1990; with about 100 of those hours including Harlan Ellison as a Guest, Co-Host, or Host; and I am still working to get all of the broadcasts I have cleaned up as much as possible for release as a free MP3 set for Science Fiction Clubs, Libraries, and other related repositories.

Harlan’s recent death on June 28, 2018, has inspired me to share with all of his, and Clark Ashton Smith’s fans, a set of recordings I made from “Hour 25” thirty-two years ago on May 30, 1986, June 13, 1986, and on June 20, 1986, with Harlan Ellison reading Clark Ashton Smith’s, “The City of the Singing Flame“.

This story, and its impact on Harlan’s writing career were beautifully documented in a letter that Harlan wrote, and contributed to Emperor of Dreams: A Clark Ashton Smith Bibliography, by Donald Sidney-Fryer. Published by Donald M. Grant, 1978.

The letter, in its entirety, may also be read on the Clark Ashton Smith, website, The Eldritch Dark: The Sanctum of Clark Ashton Smith at:

Letter on Clark Ashton Smith by Harlan Ellison

And now, for the first time in over thirty-two years, you may finally hear Harlan’s wonderful reading of Clark Ashton Smith’s, “The City of the Singing Flame!”

Clark Ashton Smith’s, The City of the Singing Flame, read by Harlan Ellison

I miss you already Harlan…

Will Hart

08-July-2018

Photo Credits:

Clark Ashton Smith – Public Domain

Harlan Ellison at the Harlan Ellison Roast.

L.A. Press Club July 12, 1986.

Los Angeles, California.

Pip R. Lagenta from San Mateo

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