Teleidoscope

Fri, May 23, 2008

Robert Asprin, RIP (1946-2008)

Posted at 4:38 pm MDT to Current Events

Besides being a good writer, Robert Asprin was an acquaintance of mine. Though I'm not sure I was an acquaintance of his. I suspect there are a lot of people in that situation.

I remember him more as a filker than an author, and I think he was mostly out of the SCA before I joined it.

I first encountered him at the first WorldCon I attended, Iguanacon in Phoenix in 1978. He was one of a group of filkers singing in the main lobby of the con hotel. (This was before conventions started programming space and time for filkers to perform in.)

I hung out with the filkers at several other cons where Bob held court. He was amazing, able to sing and talk through the night. And he made an excellent de facto master of ceremonies, making sure that anyone who looked like they might have a song got their chance to perform.

He had something to do with setting up the first Filk Con (which I attended), too. I think that was more as instigator than actual organizer. If Bob had real genius, it was in his ability to catalyze communities. Filkers. The SCA Dark Horde. Thieves' World shared fiction. He was one of those people who networks the universe.

The world is smaller with him gone. And quieter.

I learned to drink Irish whisky while hanging around with Bob and his crowd of filkers. I'm glad it's possible to get Tullamore Dew again (half the distillery burned down, and they weren't exporting it for a number of years). Nothing else would be appropriate to toast Bob's passing.

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