SF Crow’s Nest reports that fantasy author Robert Asprin passed away yesterday in his home in New Orleans.
He’s probably best known for his MythAdventures series of novels, which featured the adventures of a young human magician named Skeeve and his mentor, the reptilian Aahz. Phil Foglio drew the covers and illustrations for many of the novels, and also adapted the first one into comic series for WARP back in the 1980s. Asprin also worked with Jim Valentino on a comic that took place before the first and second novels.
In addition, Asprin edited the Thieves’ World anthologies, which took place in a shared world.
According to the MythAdventures website, he was working on several new projects and was set to be a guest at this weekend’s Marcon convention.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
He was also an active SCAdian and one of the first members of the Filk Hall of Fame, and his death has been a shock to the SCA and filk communities, as well as to his fans and to those who were looking forward to seeing him at Marcon. It and the other big cons this weekend (Balticon and Baycon) now take place in the shadow of his sudden passing.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Holy shit. I loved his Myth series as a kid and was distressed when he had that years-long writers block incident (though the more recent novels had not been up to snuff).
Damn.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
He also wrote three graphic novels in the Duncan & Mallory series, illustrated by Mel White. Much like the MYTH GNs, with outlandish plots and characters!
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
His Thieve’s World anthologies are highly recommended. His Mythadventures books worked best as comics as I read the comics first and when I read one of the novels found them a bit slow-paced for a humor book. The Phil Foglio adaptations were perfect, though as the artist brought a lot to the stories.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:41 am
My husband’s favorite sf novel is Asprin’s Bug Wars. He loves that book. He’s in shock that Asprin is now gone. I started buying the Myth Adventures books when they were first published by Donning Starblaze, with covers and interior illustrations by Phil Foglio. This is sad news. We’re losing too many good people at much-too-young ages.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I am still in shock, as I just heard this morning (Saturday).
I met Bob Asprin nearly 20 years ago at the Dallas Fantasy Fairs in Texas where he, Richard Pini, and John Steakley RULED. We filked together several times (& he’s mentioned in at least one of my songs…) and he showed me around New Orleans a few years back.
We were never real close, nor in close contact, but I considered him my friend, as did so many others. My sympathies to his family and to folk like Jody Nye, Mel White and Teresa Patterson who’ve lost a great friend.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Met him a few years ago, he was a really pleasant gentleman. R.I.P.