Soldier

by Harlan Ellison

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Harlan Jay Ellison (1934-2018) was a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism.

His literary and television work has received many awards. He wrote for the original series of both The Outer Limits and Star Trek as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; edited the multiple-award-winning short story anthology series Dangerous Visions; and served as creative consultant/writer to the science fiction TV series The New Twilight Zone and Babylon 5.

Several of his short fiction pieces have been made into movies, such as the classic "The Boy and His Dog".

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I read this story from an anthology, didn't listen to the audiobook, but this is the only edition to choose thus far. The story was okay, highly ambiguous at the end. The main reason I read it is was because it was so highly touted as inspiring The Terminator films, enough so that Harlan Ellison sued the producers over plagiarism. To be honest, I nearly gave this story 2 stars out of protest. To say that any aspect of The Terminator is close enough to this story to warrant a plagiarism charge is both irresponsible and egotistical. Sorry, but the story of a soldier fighting a war in the future and ending up in the past is not enough, and that absolutely is the only similarity. The reasons for time travel and missions are completely different, as is the whole essential part of the story. It's a problem I've always had with Ellison. He has some quality work here and there, but he's not nearly as big of a deal as he seems to think he is. His most lasting work was a quintessential Star Trek episode from the original series, and the influence on much more complete authors who followed him.

[Kristoph Kosicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many, I came here to draw comparisons to the terminator films. I believe conceptually this short story is more similar to terminator than the outer limits version. Especially towards the end where the soldier's testimony is used to try and prevent this future war, but being left to wonder if fate can really be altered (no fate but what we make). I would say there was certainly a chance that James Cameron was inspired by this, but terminator reigns supreme. Although this short story was very good, and much better than it's outer limits counterpart overall.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. Not Harlan's best but a fun read. I had always wanted to read it to see the similarities to Terminator or lack of. It was pretty much lack of. I'm glad I read it but you can't help but feel terrible for James Cameron after reading it.

[Mak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letto in italiano in un antologia, interessante riflessione sulla guerra.
Ha dato alcuni spunti alla trama di Terminator.

[Tinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, yeah, great story and all, but why are the enemies called that...

[WAYNE A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellison’s short story that provided the basis for,”The Outer Limits” was, along with Anthony Lawrence’s “The Man Who Was Never Born”, an inspiration for “The Terminator” (“Demon with a Glass Hand”, behind the time travel element, has little to with “The Terminator”) remains a pretty good story nearly sixty years later.

It’s a bit dated but, as with all of Ellison’s work, the concept is what sells it. A soldier from the future is thrown back in time to 20th century Earth where conte party humans try to figure out who he is and why he’s here.

[Chad Schimke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soldier from Tomorrow Harlan Ellison 1957
A soldier from a distant future – conditioned, from birth, by the state to be an assassin - accidentally time travels to the present.
https://www.chadschimke.com/2018/08/s...

[Muhammad Gibran Alfaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting story, with awesome futuristic tech and aesthetics, reminds me of current affairs and geopolitics.

[Aleksandr Mikheev · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seemed to me as if the author came up with a great idea, but didn’t know what to do with it

The Terminator movies has nothing to do with this short story