Above all else, Harlan Ellison is a writer that confronted reality, he never hid from it. Rather, he took great pains to wrestle it to the ground. Short story after short story, from ticktock man slamming a Harlequin, to babies being attacked by mutant crocodiles, to a boy and his dog in a radioactive wasteland; his words showed a cracked mirror to our society, like all great science fiction writers.
If you are not convinced or unaware, check out his works and the documentary Dreams With Sharp Teeth immeditely.
