Obits

[Omphalos]

Seems like a lot of the old guard of SF from the thirties through the fifties are starting to pass away. I'd like to keep track of who dies, thus this thread.

First on the list is Charles Brown, who died yesterday. Brown was the editor for years of Locus. Here is a link to an announcement on the Locus site.

The topic is stickied as I have a feeling we will be adding to it quite a bit in the upcoming months and years.

[Eyes High]

Will this be just for those who pass away from here on out or may we mention those who have 'recently' died?

Delete this if you wish it just to be about those who pass away in the future. But if you don't mind I would like to mention three that we spoke of over at Worm's during this last year:

Philip José Farmer passes

Michael Crichton dies

Trek's First Lady Passes Away

Please delete anything (even my whole post if need be) that doesn't fit here.

[Omphalos]

Thanks, Eyes. I was actually gonna go and post about those who have died recently.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Not sure if he's old enough to count, but of course Arthur C. Clarke.

[Omphalos]

Of course. You know, its been a long time since Clarke wrote anything that I wanted to read. But when he was in his prime I thought he was wonderful. A few months ago I started a book that collects all of his short fiction. I got sidelined somewhere along the way, but I was reminded when i saw your post to go back to it.

He and Pohl put out a book called The Last Theorem. I was thinking I should get that one and read it too. Anyone here read it?

[Liege-Killer]

J.G. Ballard was pretty recent -- a couple months ago?

And there was Disch last year.

[Omphalos]

Christopher Anvil dies

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2009/12/ch ... -2009.html

[Omphalos]

The IROSF is dying. I know that SR and I read that once in a while. Here is the Locus article.

[Omphalos]

Kage Baker apparently died this morning of cancer. I did not even know that she was ill.

http://greenmanreview.com/

[Omphalos]

Just heard that William Tenn has died at 89. This posting is from the SFRA listserve, taken from the NYT and was not produced by me.



*William Tenn, Science Fiction Author, Is Dead at 89 *

By GERALD JONAS

Published: February 13, 2010. New York Times, Feb. 14, 2010, page A24 of the
New York edition.

William Tenn, who wrote satirical science fiction at a time when few writers
in the genre displayed a sense of humor, died at his home in Pittsburgh on
Feb. 7. He was 89.

His death was announced by his niece the pediatrician Perri Klass, a
contributor to The New York Times.

Mr. Klass, whose real name was Philip Klass, brought biting wit, restless
intelligence and a supple prose style to classic science-fiction themes like
time travel and alien-human interactions. A contemporary of Robert A.
Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C.
Clarke<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/arthur_c_clarke/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
he helped create modern science fiction in the 1940s and ’50s, when the
genre’s dominant form was the short story, published in monthly magazines
known as pulps, for the poor quality of their paper.

As a Swiftian humorist in a field better known for futuristic speculation,
rousing space adventures and grim cautionary tales, he was admired but never
quite embraced by his contemporaries. He was repeatedly passed over for the
major awards granted by the genre’s fans and writers — an omission somewhat
amended when he was named guest of honor at the 2004 World Science Fiction
Convention, nearly four decades after he had all but abandoned writing
fiction to teach at Pennsylvania State
University<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/p/pennsylvania_state_university/index.html?inline=nyt-org>
.

Philip Klass was born in London on May 9, 1920, and immigrated with his
parents to New York as a baby. Raised in Brooklyn, he served in the Army
during World War II as a combat engineer; after his discharge he began
selling stories to magazines like Astounding Science Fiction. Pen names were
common among magazine writers of the time; Mr. Tenn later said he could not
remember why he chose William Tenn for his science fiction, but once he had
gained a reputation under that name, editors would not let him publish under
his own.

Perhaps his quintessential short story is “Brooklyn Project” (1948), which
in under 10 pages describes a top-secret government experiment in time
travel that goes eerily awry. He wrote it as a political satire, aimed at
anti-Communist witch hunts like those of the House Un-American Activities
Committee. Its depiction of a docile press corps bullied into submission by
the government might have been written in the first decade of the 21st
century. But its real target is the age-old human failing of hubris.

In the plot, a government spokesman repeatedly assures reporters that travel
into the past cannot possibly have any effect on the present — even as the
spokesman and all the reporters morph into “slime-washed” and “bloated
purpled bodies” that have evolved along the new timeline created by the
experiment. Mr. Tenn gives the self-satisfied spokesman the last word.
“ ‘See,’ cried the thing that had been the acting secretary to the executive
assistant on press relations,” the story concludes. “He extended 15 purple
blobs triumphantly: ‘Nothing has changed!’ ”

Mr. Tenn had a lifelong lover’s quarrel with science fiction. In a 1975
interview, he described it as a “peculiarly modern” form of literature,
“fundamentally derived from the industrial and scientific revolutions.” But
he deplored “the idiocies and the bad writing in it, the cliquishness, the
cultishness,” which he said “don’t really belong in an adult form.”

His disaffection with the field led him to accept a one-year appointment to
teach at Penn State in 1966, despite having no college degree. He remained
on the faculty for 23 years, offering popular courses in writing and on
science fiction as literature.

Beginning in 2001, Nesfa Press, the publishing arm of the New England
Science Fiction Association, reprinted his complete works in three volumes.
His stories have been translated into French, German, Russian, Japanese and
other languages.

He is survived by his wife, Fruma Klass, a writer whom he married in 1957; a
daughter, Adina Klass Lamana; and a sister, Frances Goldman-Levy.

He wrote little fiction after becoming a teacher, a major exception being
“On Venus, Have We Got a Rabbi,” published in 1974 in a Jewish-themed
anthology called “Wandering Stars,” which tackles the question of whether a
Hebrew-speaking alien that looks like a “wrinkled and twisted” brown pillow
with short gray tentacles can be considered a Jew.
As for his own identity, he declared in an interview in 1975: “I’m a mystic.
A very rational Jewish orthodox
atheist<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/a/atheism/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier>mystic.”

[Omphalos]

Corey Haim, Dead at 38

http://io9.com/5490319/lost-boy-corey-haim-dead-at-38

Surprised? Not me. I saw an episode or two of that Coreys show. That poor guy was a tweaker.

[inhuien]

That poor guy was a tweaker.

As in speedfreak?

[Omphalos]

That poor guy was a tweaker.

As in speedfreak?

Yea. The kind of guy who just shakes constantly in front of you, and can't keep his mind on track. We call'em tweakers.

[inhuien]

Ah, he ODed. Ach well, it's not like he'll be the last.

[Omphalos]

On the local news here last night the LA DA said that he is going to have an autopsy performed so that they can use this guy's death in a case against a ring of theives who had stolen perscription pads from doctors. So look for someone to be "blamed" for Corey Haim's death other than Corey Haim.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Blame can be spread. Someone kills themselves with drugs, they're to blame (exceptions occur obviously), but the person handing them the "weapon" to do so shares the blame.

[Omphalos]

Wiki notes that Everett Bleiler died a few days ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Bleiler

He was one of the early ones in the effort to bring a scholarly, analytical approach to SF.

[Freakzilla]

Michael Crichton dies of cancer:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... df15d2dd14

[Omphalos]

Man, was it really 2008 that he died? Doesn't seem like it happened that long ago to me.

[Freakzilla]

Sorry if that was too long ago but I didn't see him on here and he's written some classics.

[Omphalos]

That's OK, Freak. I think I heard about that when it happened, and it really seems to me like that was just a few months ago. I just had one of those weird "time flies" moments.

[Omphalos]

EC Tubb has gone to his great reward:

http://www.sfwa.org/2010/09/in-memoriam ... -e-c-tubb/

Ive only read a few things by this author. One I remember liking a great deal (though I cannot remember the title). The rest were fair to midlin' as I recall.

[Omphalos]

Joanna Russ has died:

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/04/jo ... um=twitter

She was at the center of SF's abrup turn towards feminism in he 70's.

[Omphalos]

Martin H. Greenberg has passed:

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2011/06/martin-greenberg/

There is probably nobody here who has not at leat seen a Greenberg SF anthology. He did over 2000 of them over his lifetime.

[Eyes High]

Peter Falk passes away.
I thought he was a good actor. Loved him a Columbo. And laughed at what they quoted him saying about art at the end of the obit.

Here's a link to his full obit.
http://www.tributes.com/show/91769156

below is a brief excerpt.

Peter Falk
TV's Columbo has died
by:FRAZIER MOORE, The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The best way to celebrate Peter Falk's life is to savor how Columbo, his signature character, fortified our lives.

Thanks to Falk's affectionately genuine portrayal, Lt. Columbo established himself for all time as a champion of any viewer who ever felt less than graceful, elegant or well-spoken.

Falk died Thursday [June 23, 2011] at age 83 in his Beverly Hills, Calif., home, according to a statement released Friday by family friend Larry Larson. In a court document filed in December 2008, Falk's daughter Catherine Falk said her father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

But Columbo lives on as the ideal of anyone with a smudge on his tie, whose car isn't the sportiest, who typically seems clueless, who gets dissed by fancy people.

As a police detective, Columbo's interview technique was famously disjointed, with his inevitable awkward after-thought ("Ahhh, there's just one more thing...") trying the patience of his suspect when he was already halfway out the door.

Columbo was underestimated, patronized or simply overlooked by nearly everyone he met — especially the culprit.

And yet Columbo, drawing on inner pluck for only he (and an actor as skilled as Falk) could have accounted, always prevailed. Contrary to all evidence (that is, until he nailed the bad guy), Columbo always knew what he was doing.

Even more inspiring for viewers, he was unconcerned with how other people saw him. He seemed to be perfectly happy with himself, his life, his pet bassett, Dog, his wheezing Peugeot, and his never-seen wife. A squat man chewing cigars in a rumpled trench coat, he stands tall among TV's most self-assured heroes.

What viewer won't take solace forever from the lessons that Columbo taught by his enduring example?

....

[Freakzilla]

To me, he's Grandpa from The Princess Bride. I'm not old enough to remember Columbo.

[Eyes High]

To me, he's Grandpa from The Princess Bride. I'm not old enough to remember Columbo.

Re-runs...

[Omphalos]

Here are some great articles about Greenberg. Never knew he did this much

http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/insid ... 05feb3.htm

http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/124629288.html

[Serkanner]

To me, he's Grandpa from The Princess Bride. I'm not old enough to remember Columbo.

When I was a young boy I had nightmares. One of the recurring ones was that I was chased by Columbo in his raincoat and whatever I did trying to hide, he always found me ...

[SandChigger]

He had his glass eye upon you...

[Robspierre]

Anne McCaffrey passed away.

Rob

[Eyes High]

Anne McCaffrey passed away.

Rob

Noooo!! Oh no. Thanks for letting us know. Dang!

[A Thing of Eternity]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Hunchback Jack]

Wow, that's a real shame. She was one of the good ones.

Thanks for letting us know.

HBJ

[A Thing of Eternity]

A guy I know was actually fairly close friends with her and her family (he did technical consulting on one book and him and his family became characters in another), I was holding out a slim hope that I might one day meet her through him.

[Omphalos]

Russell Hoban died.

[Hunchback Jack]

Christopher Hitchens lost his battle with cancer.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/ ... s-19492011

HBJ

[Eyes High]

Just heard that Cheetah from the original Tarzan movie died on Christmas Eve. He was 80. I admit, I didn't know he was still alive. A long life for a chimp.

Edited to add:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/28/cheetah-the-chimpanzee-obituary_n_1172283.html?ref=entertainment&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D123407

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — A Florida animal sanctuary says Cheetah the chimpanzee sidekick in the Tarzan movies of the early 1930s has died at age 80.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced that Cheetah died Dec. 24 of kidney failure.

Sanctuary outreach director Debbie Cobb on Wednesday told The Tampa Tribune ( ) that Cheetah was outgoing, loved finger painting and liked to see people laugh. She says he seemed to be tuned into human feelings. http://bit.ly/rRuTeJ

Based on the works of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Tarzan stories, which have spawned scores of books and films over the years, chronicle the adventures of a man who was raised by apes in Africa.

Cheetah was the comic relief in the Tarzan films that starred American Olympic gold medal swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Cobb says Cheetah came to the sanctuary from Weissmuller's estate sometime around 1960.

Cobb says Cheetah wasn't a troublemaker. Still, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest says that when the chimp didn't like what was going on, he would throw feces.

[Serkanner]

I just read the news as well. As a kid I loved watching the old Tarzan movies with Weissmuller. he was the only one who do a real Tarzan yell. R.i.p. Cheetah.

[Omphalos]

Still, sanctuary volunteer Ron Priest says that when the chimp didn't like what was going on, he would throw feces.

Ive seen that happen at DN before too.

[Freakzilla]

Ray Bradbury

[Eyes High]

Ray Bradbury

OH No!!!

[Hunchback Jack]

Yeah, that's a real shame. One of the greats. Lived to be 92, though, which isn't a bad run.

Not to be morbid, but which Grand Masters of SF are still with us? I know Fred Pohl is. Larry Niven, although he's quite a bit younger (70s?). Anyone else?

HBJ

[Serkanner]

Yeah, that's a real shame. One of the greats. Lived to be 92, though, which isn't a bad run.

Not to be morbid, but which Grand Masters of SF are still with us? I know Fred Pohl is. Larry Niven, although he's quite a bit younger (70s?). Anyone else?

HBJ

Jack Vance is still alive.

[ULFsurfer]

Yeah, that's a real shame. One of the greats. Lived to be 92, though, which isn't a bad run.

Not to be morbid, but which Grand Masters of SF are still with us? I know Fred Pohl is. Larry Niven, although he's quite a bit younger (70s?). Anyone else?

HBJ

Robert Silverberg

[Omphalos]

Boris Sturgatsky has walked to the clearing in the woods.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/no ... -fi-writer

[Omphalos]

Jack Vance has walked to the clearing in the woods.

http://news.msn.com/obits/jack-vance-aw ... =ansnews11

[A Thing of Eternity]

Iain M Banks is dead I just found out from Omphalos.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! No NO NO and NO again! Bahhhhhhhhhh I was looking forward to so many more years of novels from him, easily in my top 3 favourite modern SF authors, easily one of the greats. BAHUMBUG.

[lotek]

Saw that in the morning papers, I only read a few books from him yet, but there were all very interesting and great reads.
That's sad news for everyone who likes good stories.

[Freakzilla]

[Hunchback Jack]

I can only agree, Thing. We've lost one of the great SF writers of our generation, and he was still at the top of his game, too.

And not to get too emotional, but it's not just the loss of future novels. If Banks had retired from writing to live in Scotland in peaceful - or, more likely, noisy - enjoyment, that would have been disappointing, but not tragic. But the world has lost a man of rare talent.

HBJ

[A Thing of Eternity]

Couldn't have put it better.

[Liege-Killer]

I heard about Banks a couple of days ago, sad news there. He was still fairly young, wasn't he? I've only read a few of his books, and apparently not any of his best ones (going by previous conversations hereabouts), but he's in that category of authors whose work I've always meant to read more of. The blog where I heard the news offered this link discussing Banks' writing style:

http://io9.com/11-rules-of-good-writing ... -512191076

[Hunchback Jack]

He was 59, and by all accounts, still full of life. As recently as last year, he said he still had a double-handful of Culture novels left in him.

It's worth reading the last few posts on Banksophilia by him and his wife. They are fascinating and very heart-felt.

Over a week since he passed and I'm still bummed. Dammit.

HBJ

[Freakzilla]

I'm glad I still have several of his books left to read.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Thankfully it looks like I have around 4 more of his Culture novels to read still, I bought his latest one in hardcover the other week but haven't had time to crack it.

[SandChigger]

A friend from FB/Amazon alerted me to this when Banks announced his illness.

Very, very sad, in a very, very selfish way: No more Culture books. I really enjoyed the last one, too.

Ah well, I still have all his non-M non-scifi things to read...

[A Thing of Eternity]

Glad to see you around chig! I'm just working my way through his last one right now, savouring it.

[SandChigger]

Yep...

[Trang]

Richard Matheson Dead: Prolific Science Fiction And Fantasy Author Dies At 87

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/2 ... 93807.html

[Trang]

MADELEINE L'ENGLE 2007


http://www.legacy.com/memorial-sites/sc ... SUdQ%3d%3d

[Serkanner]

rest in peace Frederik Pohl, one of the greatest. 1919-2013

http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/

[lotek]

rest in peace Frederik Pohl, one of the greatest. 1919-2013

http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/

Damn!!

[A Thing of Eternity]

Damn.

[Omphalos]

I really enjoyed the blog he kept, after he retired. He will be missed.


Anyone ever read his books? Gateway is one of my favorite novels of all time. I kind of liked Man Plus. It was a really wierd super-man book.

[Serkanner]

I really enjoyed the blog he kept, after he retired. He will be missed.


Anyone ever read his books? Gateway is one of my favorite novels of all time. I kind of liked Man Plus. It was a really wierd super-man book.

Gateway is in my top 5 novels as well. I have read Man Plus about thirty years ago. Really need to read it again ... and I have an English version now.

[Omphalos]

David Hartwell had gone to the clearing in the woods.

https://www.facebook.com/michael.swanwi ... 5824115713

[Omphalos]

Did we know that Harriet Klausner bit the big one last year:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... d-at-63-2/

The fraud is dead. Long live the fraud.

[Omphalos]

Kenny Baker, or R2-D2, has rolled to the clearing in the woods.

[ᴶᵛᵀᴬ]

Ursula K. Le Guin, the groundbreaking, highly-acclaimed, and prolific author of science fiction and fantasy works—including The Left Hand of Darkness and the Earthsea series—passed away yesterday at the age of 88 in Portland, Oregon.

[Omphalos]

A great loss to letters. le Guin transcended the ghetto, as it were.

[SadisticCynic]

This was definitely a sad passing, but 88 is a great age to get to.

I guess when I get on to a Le Guin this year it'll be in tribute.