The First Lady of Science Fiction
Posted By Kathleen David on March 18, 2005
Andre Norton has passed away. She was 93 so she had a good run but still like Will Eisner and Kelly Freas, it never seems enough. There is a very good obituarary on the SFWA site here
I met her a couple of times during my rambling through southern fandom and conventions. One time that I remember was when a friend had brought some kittens to a con to try to get them good homes with fans. Andre was an old friend of his. She identified the markings on the fur of each of the cats and gave a short talk about each type. She forgot more than I will ever know about cats.
My favorite book of hers was The Jargoon Pard which was one of the first ones I read by her. The cover captured my interest but the story held me and became one that I read over and over again. She had a way with words and characters that you could loose yourself in the pages of her books and find yourself wondering about the fate of fictional characters long after you had finished the book.
She does have one more book coming out this year from TOR which she was very proud of. According to those who knew her, she knew this was her last work and told them so. Rest in Peace Andre, you made the world a better place for many of us.
I am grateful that I did meet Andre Norton and got to talk to her about writing.
I am very sad to hear this news, although as you point out she had lived a long life. I met her at the World Science Fiction Convention in Den Hague, NL. I was brief and told her how much I enjoyed her writing. Her stories and the worlds she created will be missed. I hope her spirit is able to wander those worlds. Rest peacefully.
“Cats Eye” was my first Andre Norton book and I was hooked. After reading most if not all of her books, I finally got to meet her at the Necronomicon in Tampa, Fl., I think in 1984. I stood in line in the hallway outside her hotel room with a great many others waiting to meet her and get her autograph. The smoke alarm went off, but no one moved. Some one decided that a fan with a pipe had been standing near a smoke detector causing the alarm. No one wanted to give up their spot in line and lose the opportunity to meet Andre Norton. Fire trucks arrived. Firemen came to the hall and checked doors and windows. I think we all waited to be told to leave, but it didn’t happen. The hall floor, and the hotel was declared safe. A short while later I found myself meeting my favorite author face to face. I have always thought it spoke volumns that we were all willing to face fire in order to meet Andre Norton.
In case anyone is interested, my interview with Lyn McConchie, whom Andre Norton mentored and worked with, is in the July issue of the writing e-zine, Expressions: http://samsdotpublishing.com/expressions/julyexpressions.htm
Joy V. Smith