The Aerie

Way Too Soon

Logged on this morning to the dismaying news that we have lost one of the finest writers of speculative fiction as well as several other notable people in one depressing weekend.

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking and excellent author, the first black female author to rise to the top of the science fiction craft. Her writing was creative and insightful, exploring realms of science fiction that the rest of the trade only glosses over. We have all lost years and years and years of brilliant writing.

Other losses this weekend include Rachel MacAulay, whose promising future as an entertainer was cut short by that most loathesome of cancers, brain cancer. I hate brain cancer so much.

Less untimely but no less a loss, both Darrin McGavin, the dad from 'A Christmas Story,' and of course Don Knotts, the Professor Emeritus of Stylin' Nerds, have passed away, both were in their early eighties.

This totally sucks.