Robert Asprin, R.I.P.

[wilthoughts]

It saddened me greatly to hear about the passing of Robert Asprin earlier today. Not only were his books an integral part of my childhood, but the man himself was a joy to be around. I had the honor of sitting on a panel with him at a sci-fi convention in Texas just a couple of years ago, and it was one of the biggest thrills of my professional career. That was not the first time I'd spoken with him at a convention. One of my earliest convention memories is of being about 13 years old and walking up to him to ask him a question about writing. He spoke to me as if we were good friends, and I never lost that feeling. Years in which I didn't see him at a convention, I felt it. Years when I did get to see him, or sing with him, tied me more strongly to the fan community than anything other than my Gygaxian education. So many greats have died this year--Robert, Gary, Bob--that I feel like it's the end of an era.

I re-read most of Thieves' World just last year and found that it held up to my memory of it, which is not something I can say about many of the books I read as a child.

I'm not able to write any more. I feel this loss hard because I'm a fan, and fandom should not have to lose its giants.