Neil Gaiman has confirmed that Harlan Ellison's famous 'dead gopher' story really happened.In response to a question on Twitter, Gaiman tweeted that Ellison did indeed mail a dead gopher to Ace Books after the company breached their contract by printing cigarette ads alongside Ellison's writing. Gaiman, known to often answer fan questions, says he met the mailroom worker who was fired for leaving the package in the publisher's office over the weekend when the AC was turned off. "They gave Harlan back his rights," Gaiman said.
The original revenge story told by the late Dangerous Visions author includes Ellison trying and failing to reach out to the publishing company through various bizarre means before resorting to mailing the dead rodent he hunted himself.
The 60-year-old American Gods author was friends with the legendary science fiction writer for over 30 years until Ellison's passing in 2018. The pair's friendship began when Gaiman interviewed Ellison for a magazine in 1985. Years later, the eccentric Ellison was known to phone up Gaiman and argue over plot points from his stories. Gaiman even penned the introduction to Ellison's short story collection The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World.
Ellison died at age 84 due to complications from a stroke and heart surgery. The prolific science fiction writer's legacy as a lovable curmudgeon willing to go to any length to defend his work continues to live on through his fans.
Source: Twitter