For those of you who don't know him, Harlan Ellison is a brilliant science fiction writer who is also one of the more irascible types working in the field. I always loved his work as an author, and he's also written for many of the cooler sci fi series on TV, including the original Star Trek, the New Twilight Zone, Babylon 5, Logan's Run, Tales from the Darkside, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

This clip, from an upcoming documentary on Harlan called Dreams With Sharp Teeth, is an amazing rant against people who want writers to work for nothing, something I heartily sympathize with, even though I myself provide a lot of stuff to my employers and readers for free, including this blog. (Ironically, the clip is on YouTube, which will distribute his comments far and wide without paying him).

Still, it's a great speech about why writer's should get paid for everything they do (fair warning: Harlan has quite the potty mouth). And a welcome explanation for those who wonder why Hollywood writers are striking in the first place. (my fave quote: "I don't take a piss without getting paid.")