Tonight, Harlan Ellison, the author of works of science fantasy and sociopolitical fact, presents “The Glass Teat: Harlan Ellison on Television,” a version of his column of the same name written about the effects of television on society for the Los Angeles Free Press every week for two years. He'll discuss his old column, demonstrating examples of what he was talking about with film and video clips. Yes, he's sued people who fiddled with his work — his latest, a pending plagiarism suit against the film In Time, is at both an attorney's office and a theater near you. And yes, he's stood steadfast in favor of his rights as an artist. This is the author of stories like “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream,” “A Boy and His Dog” and “Demon With a Glass Hand,” some of the finest dystopian visions of the future that the world has had the pleasure of being unable to unsee. Ellison the realist — his more underrated occupation — exists in the world for everyone who thinks that windows on the past should be beautiful and clear, while he, on the other hand, tells you how shoddy the glasswork is, or how bad a head cold you'll get if you keep them open too long. Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.; Tues., Nov. 15, 8 p.m.; $10. (323) 655-2510, cinefamily.org.

Tue., Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m., 2011

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