"Repent, Harlequin," Said the What?

“’Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” was the contribution of Harlan Ellison.

Ugh. I’m sorry, but this was the only story that I really could not find any liking for at all. Or, rather, I found a great deal to dislike. The pretentious Thoreau quote at the beginning. The affectedness of the names: Harlequin? “Ticktockman”? The offhand remark that no one’s made jellybeans in centuries (then where did he get them? And how did everyone know what they were?)

I got the odd impression, after reading it, that Ellison first came up with the title and then tried very hard to write a story to fit it. And the story just isn’t that good.