R.I.P. Robert Asprin

[cynlee]

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=47897&cat=14


Robert Asprin has left the dimension.

The Myth Adventure series (as it became known as) was the best thing I ever read, and "Myth Directions" is my most favorite book in the series.  I even had a chance back in 1988 to meet Mr. A. and tell him so, as well as ask him questions (just him and me) at San Diego Comic-Con between panels with no one around.  Try chatting to authors like that nowadays-- so many people and security guards...

He said that you must never let any character be TOO powerful-- I had asked why, in "Myth Directions", he had Skeeve cast the illusion that he and Gleep were too small to be seen instead of having Skeeve merely "imagine" (if you've read the books, Skeeve casts disguise illusions by imagining it in his mind, building up or taking off, stuff like that) that he had merely "erased" his and Gleep's images.  He said that you can't have your characters be too powerful, or there's no story.  Which made sense.

Farewell, Robert Asprin.  I shall myth you.
 

[Aignatius]

Hadn't heard of him before this, but his books sound intriguing.

And he was right about having too-powerful characters, just like those heroes who are too perfect, they aren't terribly exciting because of the lack of conflict, and one-sidedness of the story.

I'll have to look that book up.

Sorry to hear he's gone, though. 61 is not very old.

[cynlee]

It is 8 years older than me...


Chapter one of "Another Fine Myth"

"One of the few redeeming facets of instructors, I thought, is that occasionally they can be fooled."

Skeeve, “Another Fine Myth”

I swear, that sentence set me up for the future, as well as made me laugh about the past.

[Raphael]

I read about his passing yesterday and was more than a little saddened. I've read most of the Myth books, as well as some of his Phule series and the Thieves World stories that he was editor for.  I also have a board game based on the Myth series.

He will be myth-ed.