In Memoriam: Robert Lynn Asprin, 1946-2008

[thatcrazycajun]

It is with an exceedingly heavy heart that I learn from several on my friends list that a talented author, singer and filker, and a fellow New Orleanian has died. Bob Asprin (known in fannish circles by his Society for Creative Anachronism handle, "Yang the Nauseating") was found dead by a SCAdian friend in his French Quarter apartment yesterday of what is being reported as "natural causes," ironically as the friend was picking him up to go to Marcon this weekend and be their Guest of Honor.

He was just a few weeks shy of what would have been his 62nd birthday. If all he had ever done was create the wonderful Myth Adventures series (of which my favorite version is still the graphical one illustrated by philfoglio ), he would live forever in the annals of SF/fantasy. But he was just as skilled on the SF side of the line, could twang a six-string or turn a lyric with the best of filkers, founded at least a couple of long-standing fannish organizations, and was also a damned fun and nice guy. Wikipedia's page on him has a reasonably complete bibliography and describes more of his many accomplishments.

I had the pleasure of singing my filk "I Don't Have A (FITB) Song" at Dragon*Con in the open filk one night a couple years ago, with Bob kindly accompanying me on his guitar—even after the line "I don't have a Dorsai song / Asprin's sung them all too long..." escaped my lips. Both he and John Schneeler (AKA "Sir John of Denver" in the Boogie Knights) both utterly lost it, to my immense pleasure. (As Bob himself often noted, sometimes you do a song solely for one line, and that was it.) But it's only one of many memories of seeing him around cons, most often late at night with a drink on one side of him and at least a couple of admiring young ladies on the other. And now to know that we won't see him at D*C this Labor Day weekend, or at GAFilk next January, or any more cons at all, breaks my heart.

Goodbye, Bob, and thanks. Say hi to Wilson "Bob" Tucker and Frank Kelly Freas when you get up there...and know that we miss you already.

Comments

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

Tho it's good-bye Robert Asprin, your Dorsai are still hasslin'.
They closed down all the parties, and drank up all the booze.
They kidnapped the filk singers, and substituted ringers,
And concom it is counting all the money it will lose.
Yes, he DID hear it, and yes, he did like it.
Say "Hi!" to Gordy for me.

[tokyosteven.livejournal.com]

Oh my, this is sad news indeed. I had just met Bob for the first time last year at DragonCon and I was already looking forward to seeing him there again this year. He will be missed and remembered well.