Goodbye Harlan

I was not able to get onto social media until tonight. When I got on Twitter, the first one I read was by Joe Lansdale saying that Harlan Ellison had passed over in his sleep. Harlan was 84 and although he had been sick, I would have expected him to go out giving the Grim Reaper a critique on his style.

It has been said that just about everyone in fandom has a "Harlan story". I have heard a lot of them. Many from Harlan himself. I can think of the letters I received over the course of Baryons life span. All of them marked "not for publication". One of the reasons was that it ruin his reputation as an angry, hard to get along with curmudgeon.

When we finally met in person, he yelled across the DragonCon Auditorium "Hey Susan, It's Barry". I was surprised that Susan had any idea who I was. All of our times together were too short, but at least they happened.

All my memories of Harlan are good ones. I cherish them, I am amazed at some of them, and tonight, I feel them in my heart and it is hurting.

My sympathy to Susan, I share your pain.

Goodbye Harlan, my friend.