RIP Robert Lynn (Bob) Asprin
Posted By Kathleen David on May 23, 2008
I found out this morning that Bob Asprin passed away yesterday. It was of natural causes according to my sources who were pretty close to him.
I met Bob waaaay back in the mists of time when I first started to go to Science Fiction conventions. Myth Adventures was one of the first small press books I bought. It is also the first book I had signed by both the author and the cover artist. Over the years we became waving acquaintances at conventions (we would see each other at a convention and wave). People would try to introduce us to each other and we would start up a conversation where we last left our story. I think the last time I really had a sit down with him was at Shoreleave when he, Jody and I had a long conversation in the bar about some recent shake-ups in publishing. I can’t remember if I saw him at DragonCon last year or not.
Bob Asprin was a fixture at conventions in the south. I can’t even being to count the number of times that I hear him read or sat down with a group of people at a bar or a con suite and just had one of those conversations that started at A then went to G and eventually wound back up at B. He didn’t just sit down, he held court.
I loved the Myth series when I was a teen. I always was eager for the next book. Thieves World showed me a whole new way that world building could be done. My copy of Thieves World is falling apart I have read it so many times. Phule’s Company reminded me why I liked Bob’s work in the first place. The Cold Cash War is hard to find but a really good read. I knew that I could always count on Bob for a good read.
My most sincere sympathies go out to his family and close circle of friends.
I think I am going to be breaking open my Tullamore Dew tonight to drink a toast to him.
I am grateful that I knew Bob for most of my time in fandom.
It’s not going to be the same without him around – this comes as an utter shock, as I’d had no inkling he was in poor health – maybe slightly sloshed, but that seemed to be his normal state whenever I saw him at a con… 🙂
One of my dream projects has always been to do the film adaptation of the MythAdventures, and I actually spoke to Bob about it at DragonCon either last year, or the year before – I’ve always loved that series more than anything else of his, and he was gracious enough to talk to me about it… dámņ… I’ll miss him and his writing – I wish I didn’t have to, tho… 🙁
I’m sorry to hear this sad news. I never met him, but I enjoyed his books when I read them in comic book form.
It’s just been in the last couple of years that Skeeve and company have started visiting us in new stories again. I will sorely miss them.
Bob was a really neat fellow that I had the fortune to meet several times and of course got to sign all my copies of Myth that had come out since the last time I saw him.
May you enjoy the mytheries of the other side Bob.
I’m sorry to hear this. I always enjoyed his work.
A little addition to his legacy.
I was introduced to the Myth books back in high school. One day, while going to class, I saw a student in another classroom writing a false quote on the blackboard ala the quotes in each chapter of the Myth books. We began talking and each day I’d see his new quote (and even sugest a few).
We became good friends and a few years later, I introduced him to some friends I made in college. One of them introduced him to one of her friends from High School. They hit it off, married, and earlier this year gave birth to a baby girl who would not exist if it were not for the books of Robert Asprin.
David