[Spotlight Post] Aaron Allston – Goodbye My Friend
I was struggling with what today’s spotlight post was going to be about, and if maybe it was time to find something new to do with Friday’s. I started scrolling through Facebook and saw random pictures with Aaron Allston in them, but didn’t make the connection until I got an IM from Jimmy: Did you see the news agout [sic] Aaron Allston? with the link to The Force.Net. We lost Aaron on February 27th while he was attending VisionCon. Though not confirmed, it appears to be the result of massive heart failure. And now I’m trying to keep it together at work – I can do it, I’ve done it before.
Aaron Allston, Juan Perez, and myself at ArmadilloCon 32 – from Facebook.
I’ve known Aaron for years. He was one of the first pros I remember hanging out with at ConDFW back in the day when I was starting out. We’d talk in the atrium. For years I would put him on the list of “People You Want to Be On Panelists With” – which generally meant we’d be scheduled opposite each other at every turn. The first time I remember we were scheduled together was an ArmadilloCon autographing. We were able to be on a couple of panels over the years, and I’ve always enjoyed his company.
We had one of those autographings where it was just us for a chunk of time. But it allowed us to catch up, talking about our current projects. He was putting out some stuff on his own. I was putting out stuff on my own. And I think it was that show that Rachel Caine came up and bought something from the both of us – which was a bit surreal (even though she’s been a friend for years as well). He was just fun to talk with.
Aaron was also good at encouragement. At one ConDFW, I’d just found out my story (then called “Hell’s Housekeepers”) hadn’t made Julia Mandala’s Hell of Anthology – it had made it all the way to the final cut, then Mike Resnick sent in a story. Yeah… darn it, and also it was gay minor Greek gods, not your normal hell. I didn’t like the title (I suck at titles), and I was talking to Aaron about it, he suggested “Queer Eye for the Dead Guy”. I ran with that. It took a very long time to sell that story, but 4 Star Stories bought and published it just last month. I always give Aaron credit for that title – and still owed him a drink for it, I’m just glad he stuck around long enough to have (maybe) seen the story.
A few years ago Aaron’s health issues caught up with him. He had a heart attack, also while traveling. I was proud to be part of the fandom that rallied to help him pay for his medical expenses that year. I talked with the other Redheads and we agreed to put up a pre-publication draft of one of the Redheads books – we’ve only done that twice. I don’t recall how much money it raised, but it was pre-Indigogo/GoFundMe, so it was a big deal to come together to help that. There are so many writers struggling with health issues and lack of insurance, we try to help our own. I’m sorry we couldn’t help him on a more permanent level – which made seeing him at conventions since a treat.
Last month, I asked Aaron to write a bio for one of FenCon‘s 2014 Guests of Honor. I hadn’t heard from him in a while, and was about to move one when…on my birthday last week…I got an email from him apologizing for the delay. He’d been struggling with health issues in January. But if I hadn’t found someone else, he’d be happy to write the bio for me. It was his… and now… now, I’m writing this.
I read some of his media tie-in stuff. Star Wars isn’t my fandom. I like it a lot (at least the original movies), but I grew up a Star Trek girl. Aaron was an excellent writer – on of the media tie-in guys who got it right. The writing world – and media tie-in particularly – will never be the same without Aaron in it. Conventions and fandom won’t be the same without Aaron in it. And I, personally, won’t be the same in a world without Aaron Allston in it. So this ArmadilloCon we will raise a glass to Aaron and Neal Barrett, Jr. – faces and personalities we will mourn for their absence and rejoice that they were in our lives at all.
1 Comment
Thank you for writing this. He was a great person, a good friend, and will be long remembered, and I trust he has gone on to a wonderful place.