LETTERS FROM PICKMAN
by Richard Upton Pickman
California Sorcerers
Jan. 5, 2005
Dr Armitage and all --
Apologies for my absence. I’ve been hovering and observing, but haven’t had much to input. But this topic of Star Trek and the episode written by Robert Bloch I found intriguing.
Hee-Hoo writes with surprise that a writer of Bloch’s calibre would have associated himself with Star Trek (unless I’m mistaken of the tone), but in fact, Bloch was also a member of the so-called "California Sorcerers" -- a circle of writers also known in literary circles as "The Group" who all happened to live in California -- which consisted of Richard Matheson (Hell House), Harlan Ellison (A Boy and His Dog), Ray Bradbury (Martian Chronicles), William F. Nolan (Logan’s Run), and Charles Beaumont and George Clayton Johnson (many Twilight Zone scripts). These writers were mostly known for writing most of the screenplays for probably 85% of the original Twilight Zone television series of the 60s.
Writing being what it is -- that is, low-paying -- many writers will take any project that promises a check and whose literary quality is (at least) somewhat dignified. Of all these writers, only Harlan Ellison (famously) eventually refused to write anymore for Star Trek.
These folk are all Lovecraft enthusiasts as well, if not actual parties to the Lovecraft Circle like Bloch. I was fortunate enough to meet all of these gentleman (except for Bloch, who had died) at a gathering celebrating the publication of a book of their writings called "California Sorcery" and of course they all signed it. I named my son after Harlan Ellison, by the way, which is how wild I was about him for a time (and still am).
Anyway, although I can’t shed any light on this particular Star Trek episode (I did see it, of course), I thought some might find the history of Bloch and other Star Trek writers interesting.
Richard Upton Pickman
Copyright © 2005
