Locus Online News: Neal Barrett, Jr., 84, author of acclaimed fantasy The Hereafter Gang (1991) and a number of celebrated short stories, among other works, died January 12, 2014.
Barrett began publishing SF with “To Tell the Truth” in Galaxy (1960). His notable short fiction includes “Perpetuity Blues” (1987), Hugo and Nebula Award finalist “Ginny Sweethips’ Flying Circus” (1989), Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award finalist “Stairs” (1989), “Cush” (1994), and “Radio Station St. Jack” (2008). His short work has been collected in Slightly Off Center: Eleven Extraordinarily Exhilarating Tales (1992), World Fantasy Award finalist Perpetuity Blues and Other Stories (2000), A Different Vintage (2001), Way Out There (2004), and retrospective Other Seasons: The Best of Neal Barrett, Jr. (2013).
Personal note: No question about it in my mind: Neal was one of the greats. The Hereafter Gang has been one of my favorite books since its first appearance, and Through Darkest America is amazing. As are many of his other novels. I count myself extremely lucky to have known Neal and to have sat with him and Joe Lansdale and Scott Cupp and others on uncomfortable couches in the A&M Memorial Student Center into the small hours of many AggieCon mornings, laughing and gabbing and listening. Ave atque vale, Neal.
9 comments:
A true and terrible loss.
He'll be missed. Sorely underrated. Through Darkest America is one of my favorite books. Have recently reread his Aldair novels and Stress Pattern and his best of collection Other Seasons.
All great stuff, Steve. The Aldair books are amazing. Stress Pattern was the first of his that I read, at the urging of Joe Lansdale.
Sorry, guys. I've enjoyed everything I've read by him, and heard nothing but good about his company.
Well that's a real shame. I first read THE HEREAFTER GANG in 1994 at Bill's recommendation. Great stuff.
Jeff
I've been a fan of Neal Barrett, Jr.'s work for decades. You're right: the Aldair books are amazing.
I never met Neal, only corresponded with him now and again as I bought some of his books. (I think I have almost all of 'em--well, all the ones he wrote under his own name, anyhow--starting with KELWIN the year it came out.) He was a gentleman and one HELL of a fine writer, and though I hardly knew him, I will really miss him.
Very sorry to hear this. I'm grateful that I was able to see and hear him at several cons His books are extraordinary and will be "re-discovered" for many generations. His stuff, like Ray Lafferty's, is original and not pigeonhole-able!
His name is on the mental list of authors I look for when I wander through used book stores (and having gotten lucky I have been able to hand second copies off to other folks)... and finding one of his books was the same level of personal excitement as digging up a treasure... The Hereafter Gang is a great novel but I have a soft spot for Dead Dog Blues... I have The Prophecy Machine sitting in a stack of to-be-read novels (under a copy Ed Gorman's Ghost town) and will have to move it up the stack and allow it to talk to me before the end of January rolls over me...
I am saddened by this news...
-david middleton
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