SFScope friend Andrew Porter points out a wonderful diptych of science fiction history; one of the truly wonderful things the web can bring us. In this Los Angeles Times article, author Carolyn Kellogg reminds us that “Once upon a time, before A&E had grown into the network that brings us Hoarders and Storage Wars, it was a highbrow cable channel. A&E stood for ‘arts and entertainment’ and showed things like operas and symphonies. In its most nascent form, it was Alpha Repertory Television Service, or ARTS.” Attached to this piece is a 24-minute video recording of the show Nightcap, hosted by Studs Terkel and Calvin Trillin. In this episode, Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, and Gene Wolfe discuss science fiction. It’s wonderful.

The write-up accompanying the video notes that, the day of the filming, Ellison had something else very interesting happen to him. That something else is described in the accompanying piece, “Harlan Ellison recalls the day he assaulted his publisher“.

Thank you, Ms. Kellogg, and thank you, LATimes, for giving us Isaac, Harlan, and Gene from more than 30 years ago.