Both stories feature two soldiers from a post-apocalyptic future war caught in a time displacement.
In 1964, Ellison adapted his own short story into a teleplay for the acclaimed science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits . Renamed the episode aired as the premiere of the show's second season on September 19, 1964.
To study Ellison’s unique prose style. He was a master of the New Wave science fiction movement, prioritizing psychological depth and social commentary over hard science.
"Acknowledgement: The producers wish to thank Harlan Ellison for his contribution to the making of this motion picture."
Ellison adapted the story into a teleplay for the second-season premiere of The Outer Limits . It starred Michael Ansara as Qarlo and is considered one of the series' highlights.
Harlan Ellison, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 84, was famously Luddite in his later years. He raged against the internet, against e-books, and against the very concept of the PDF. He famously said, “The computer is a typewriter. It has no soul.” He refused to allow his work to be sold as e-books for decades.
Ellison noted striking similarities between his Outer Limits episodes (specifically "Soldier" and another episode titled "Demon with a Glass Hand") and Cameron's film. Ellison filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Orion Pictures and Hemdale Film Corporation.
Ellison's tale is a powerhouse of ideas that extend far beyond its pulp magazine origins. This early story showcases the thematic concerns that would define his entire career, from the dehumanizing effects of the State to his acerbic social commentary.
The 1964 episode itself is widely available on Blu-ray and DVD. Watching the episode allows you to hear Ellison's dialogue verbatim and analyze the structural beats that influenced modern sci-fi filmmaking. The Legacy of the Work
"Soldier" remains a masterclass in economic storytelling. With limited television budgets, Ellison relied on psychological tension, stark dialogue, and intense character development rather than costly special effects.
Harlan Ellison's (1957), later retitled simply "Soldier" , is a landmark science fiction story about the dehumanizing nature of war. It follows Qarlo Clobregnny, a soldier from a dystopian 38th-century future where humans are bred and conditioned from birth solely to kill "the enemy". Plot Summary