Now that the New York Times has finally bestirred itself to publish a David Hartwell obituary, it offers me a chance to throw up a few more Hartwell-related links from:
I would have had this up earlier, but I was distracted by shiny objects. But Dwight’s post jogged my memory…
I’ve been holding off on this until I received final word that David Hartwell had indeed died, but Kathryn Cramer has now confirmed his death. He was reported as being at death’s door following a serious brain injury (whether from an aneurysm first, then a fall down stairs, or vice versa) Tuesday, but only passed yesterday.
David was a friend, albeit one I only saw at science fiction conventions. He came to one of the pre-Armadillocon pizza lunches I used to throw, and we dined together at more than one Worldcon (where he usually picked up the bill, because That’s What Editors With Expense Accounts Do). I’ll miss his irreplaceable deep insights into the field.
There’s plenty of testament to what a fine editor David Hartwell is (Gene Wolfe said he was the best editor he ever worked with), and he won (and deserved) his Hugo for Best Editor. Chris Brown’s Tropic of Kansas was one of the last novels he bought for Tor before his untimely death.
His indefatigable work as Editor and Publisher of The New York Review of Science Fiction is well known, and he was very appreciative of what we were trying to do at Nova Express back in the day. He also ran Dragon Press and was editor of the Gregg Press science fiction line.
David was a great creator of science fiction institutions: He had a hand in creating not just NYRSF, but also the World Fantasy Convention, Sercon, the Philip K. Dick Award, etc. Anyone could have come up with those ideas, but it took David Hartwell to actually create them and make them stick.
David was also one of the field’s greatest science fiction first edition collectors, and we often talked about collecting first editions over dinner. He said the pride of his collection was the first American edition of Frankenstein (in two volumes), and he also owned a first of Symzonia. He also owned a bookstore in Westport, NY.
David was deeply involved in just about every facet of literary science fiction except writing fiction. He was, more than anyone else, Mr. Science Fiction, and his death is a terrible blow to the field.
So this year’s Worldcon is this week, and you’re posting photos from last year’s Worldcon?
Yep.
And didn’t you already post some of these photos?
Yep.
So why do it again?
Last year at Worldcon, I uploaded these photos in a big bunch to Facebook, then linked to the Facebook photos from this blog. However, Facebook, evidently hating the idea that people outside their walled garden of changing preferences and sunglasses spam might see said photos, keeps changing their URLs, thus breaking links to them. So the photos themselves disappeared from the old post. These I’m uploading directly to my blog.
Also, I didn’t blog all the images I meant to, so there will be some new ones in Part 2.
So without further adieu…
Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with, along with Nick Austin, the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…
In profile.
Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…
…and with an actual top to his head.
John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.
Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire. Wear this in Texas in August and you’re asking for heatstroke.
Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.
Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.
Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.
Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”
Connie Willis.
Liz Hand.
And looking slightly less crazed.
Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.
Elle Datlow solo.
Guest of honor John Clute.
Adam Roberts.
Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.
Gary K. Wolfe.
Andy Duncan.
Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.
Kim Stanley Robinson.
John Gibbons.
Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.
Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.
Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…
…George R. R. Martin.
George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.
Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.
Parris McBride Martin.
Alastair Reynolds.
Pat Cadigan.
Pat Cadigan in green.
Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.
Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.
The elusive Richard Calder.
Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”
Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)
Yes, more Worldcon photos. I’ve broken them up across multiple posts so the page didn’t load so slowly readers would think they were back in the Geocities era.
Dantzel Cherry and her friends charge up their eye lasers.
Legendary fan David Kyle, who attended the first Worldcon in New York City in 1939!
How many legends can you spot in this photo? David Hartwell, Robert Silverberg, and Joe and Gay Haldeman all talk to David Kyle.
Connie Willis, enjoying the first Worldcon where she wasn’t required to present an award since she was six years old.
With Mary Robinette Kowal, who survived the ordeal of being a SFWA officer.
Michael Cassutt, just minutes before he was tragically bored to death at the Robert A. Heinlein Society annual meeting.
Adam-Troy Castro. “I said sell Greek bonds! SELL!”
Steve Jackson, who was there with his Chaos Machine setup. “What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of all that money my Ogre Kickstarter made.”
Not-so-secret master of Fandom Ben Yalow.
John Picacio, in the last known photo of him before he won the freaking Hugo Award.
James Patrick Kelly and Robert Silverberg.
Saturday night I dined with Scott Bobo, Kurt Baty, Sarah Felix, Ed Scarborough, and Spike and Tom at Everest, a 7 course meal that took three and a half hours and cost $200. Sunday, before the Hugos? I ate at Chipolte with Dantzel and some of her friends.
Remember, pictures of attractive women are your best blog-visit drivers!
David Brin is the Belle of the Ball:
Molly Nixon, ready for the Hugos.
As is Mary Robinette Kowal.
Jim Minz and Mike Resnick at the door of the Baen party.
Scott Edelman and Robert Reed, in a diagonally framed shot to get both of them in.
Jay Lake, embossed by rocketship.
You go, I go, for podcasting Hugos:
Neil Gaiman, after the Hugos.
John Scalzi in Murder by Hugo (Neil’s, as it happens).
Scott Edelman’s fashion approaches David Hartwell levels of taste.
And now, for the full effect: With the shoes.
A better picture of Sue Burke, with 85% less “about to be eaten by zombies” grimness.
Texas Worldcon Chairman Bill Parker looking sharp.
Jim Mann, proving that some moose ties kan be pretty nasti.
Another crappy picture of Charlie Stross, this one wearing his “Christopher Priest yells at a cloud” inspired t-shirt.
It’s not my fault! She kept changing her outfit!
