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Myth Adventurer passes quietly in French Quarter home
Posted by Jon Donley May 24, 2008 4:53PM

In the far reaches of Ranke, in the sinister gloom of Sanctuary's Vulgar Unicorn, Hell Hounds, cutpurses and street hustlers raise a flagon to a great mage. Elsewhere, Skeeze and Aahz, feel the passing of the Myth Maker. And worlds away, a Phule and his creator are too soon parted.

On Thursday, May 22, fantasy/science-fiction author and editor Robert Asprin passed away in his French Quarter residence. The 61-year-old writer - known to many by his SCA name of "Yang the Nauseating" - was famous for a ground-breaking series known as "Thieves World," in which a group of top sci-fi/fantasy luminaries contributed short stories in a shared universe, a new model that was part of the genesis of the modern fantasy genre. He co-edited and helped author the early books in this series, with then-wife Lynn Abbey. His career continued through Myth Adventures, a humorous fantasy series, which was still being written with co-author Jodie Lynn Nye. Their latest book, "Myth Chief," was published this year, and "Myth Fortune," which was in progress, will be published at an unspecified date. Asprin also created the humorous adventures of Willard Phule and his space-going company.

According to family spokesman and longtime friend Bill Fawcett, the author was discovered in his New Orleans home on Thursday:

On May 22, 2008, Bob passed away quietly in his home in New Orleans, LA. He had been in good spirits and working on several new projects, and was set to be the Guest of Honor at a major science fiction convention that very weekend. He is survived by his mother, his sister, his daughter and his son, and his cat, Princess, not to mention countless friends and fans and numerous legendary fictional characters. He will be greatly missed. Bob, when this was discussed, requested there not be a formal funeral. A gathering at Fahy's Pub on Dauphine in the Quarter has been organized, which fits Bob's often-expressed desire that he be remembered by a series of great pub crawls. He also stated that should he die, any donations (should go) to the New Orleans Library for the purchase of science fiction books. Alternately Bob was a great cat lover concerned about the animals of New Orleans and donations to no kill animal shelters would also be a fitting memorial.

The gathering at Fahy's will be held Monday, May 26, from 9-11 pm.

Asprin had been scheduled as a keynote guest this weekend at the Multiple Alternative Realities Convention (MARCON) in Columbus, Ohio. According to newsletter mail from a friend from the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA), she discovered Asprin's body when she came to pick him up for a trip to the airport.

I write this with a heavy heart. Today (May 21, 2008), sometime between 2 pm and 5 pm, Yang the Nauseating (Robert Asprin) passed away.

I spoke to him around 2 pm - to confirm that I was to pick him up at 5 pm and take him to the airport. He was to go to a convention in Ohio this weekend - MarCon. At 2 pm, everything was fine. When I arrived at his house, he wasn't outside, didn't answer his cellphone, didn't answer his landline. Of course, as I was trying to figure out what to do, someone came up behind me and I had to drive around the block. (The French Quarter.) I called him again as I made the
block, but still no answer.

I *thought* I had a key to his house, but I wasn't certain I had it with me. I tried to call another one of his close friends (who works in the Quarter), because I knew that he would have a key, but I couldn't get him. So I parked the car and dug through my briefcase and found the key that I thought was for his house. I did get in with the key, but it took some tugging and pushing.

I found Yang lying on his bed, with a book in one hand (a Terry Pratchett book, no less) and his other hand by his side, his glasses just beyond. To all extents and purposes, it looks as though he had decided to take a nap. But I could tell he wasn't breathing and he had no pulse. I called 911.

The paramedics and firemen arrived quickly and were quite nice and very good. They actually worked on him for 30 minutes, which sort of surprised me, because there was no activity on the heart monitor when they hooked him up. It might have been standard protocol. Whatever the case, they tried very hard, but couldn't bring him back.

I have been in touch with his literary agent, who in turn notified his family. Because Yang was also an author, the news is already spreading very quickly. I am very sorry to have to share this news with my SCA family, but I wanted everyone here to hear it from me before you read it on some sfnet board.

To those who knew him "way back when" - Isolda, John the Bearkiller, and many others - he was very pleased with how the SCA has developed since the "bad old days" of freon can helms with women not allowed to fight in the lists.

He would have come and played with us more if he could have.

- Lady Alsinda de Rochabaron

For those in New Orleans, we'll be joining the Hell Hounds, cutpurses and street hustlers in raising a flagon at Fahy's. For tonight, I've pulled out my 25-year-old hardback of "Sanctuary," and am going to revisit one of the worlds Asprin created.

Friends, family and fans are encouraged to post memorials below. You are also encouraged to write memorials or condolences directly to the family or co-author Jodie Lynn Nye, at Jodynye@yahoo.com . A selection of memorials collected by the family will be posted in the futures at the Myth Adventur web site - www.mythadventures.net