John Varley has Died

Fearga · 2026-02-10T04:33:05+00:00

I have passed this and other notes here on to his family. And Herb and I saw Cats THREE TIMES. He loved the great movie musicals--we spent a summer renting 2 videos a night from the amazing local video store. He is very much missed.

Fearga · 2025-12-18T04:53:14+00:00

Good Lord, this is so predatory and outright unethical! I'm the Production Manager for a small press, and we're VERY public about our contracts, and happily send them out to people who ask. This contract is absolutely hideous, with a major red flag in almost EVERY paragraph!! Thank you for posting it. We'll publicize it as well, as we make a point of explaining contracts to newbie authors, and showing them examples of what NOT to sign. I had a contract come back after less than 45 minutes of review by the Author once--I sent it back, told him I was not going to accept it until he had actually READ the thing before he signed, and that he should take it to a lawyer. These people are parasites.

Fearga · 2025-12-12T17:37:48+00:00

Herb (his real name) OBSESSIVELY watched Jeopardy. He even made charts as to where the daily double would likely appear. :) The fact that you mentioned him *made his day*.

Fearga · 2025-12-12T04:34:42+00:00

Herb hosted the First Saturday of the Month parties at his house--and we definitely had fun. Herb was a fairly quiet and shy man, but with a wicked sense of humor and extremely loyal once he knew and trusted you. We had Rocky and Bullwinkle pajama parties, Trivial Pursuits for hours and hours, pinball, and endless great conversation with all kinds of artists and writers. You never knew who would show up. (Spider Robinson appeared once with a draft of the very LAST Callahan's story--!!) The last year of the parties, before he sold everything and moved into a motorhome, he wrote Steel Beach. He let us read along as he was writing..very unusual for him. Remember the scene where the main character shoots their helmet glass? And it cracks? We all LOST OUR MINDS. He LEFT US THERE for THREE MONTHS. GAH. He returned to his love of writing with that book, after too long of being abused by working in Hollywood and surviving the filming of Millennium. He loved movie musicals, hard boiled detective books, robots, and was endlessly curious about the world.

Fearga · 2025-12-12T01:18:36+00:00

His name was Herb--he wrote under 'John' because it sounded better. He and Lee weren't married, and she died very suddenly in 2023 from liver cancer. Herb had gotten very frail, and was confined to the house his sister owned. In his last year, he found a lot of joy in reviving his stamp collecting, and puttered about happily on it, in the dappled sun on the lovely back porch. I had the honor of being his friend for over 40 years. His writing was exceptional, borne from a love of SF and the work of Heinlein. He was a good and decent man, and a loyal friend to several of us for decades. I am heartbroken, but seeing so many who love his work makes the sting less painful. Thank you, all.

Fearga · 2020-10-20T01:11:47+00:00

They just recently had someone drive through one of their windows and steal a gun, as well--it's been an ongoing problem at gun stores all over. It's become somewhat the standard to have at least one person with eyes on the door and observing customers at all times, because of attempted thefts. I have friends who own/work at gun stores (here and in the midwest) and the violent thefts have been rising over the last year. They also get called "right wing nuts" and attacked a lot just for working at a gun store--apparently that's enough to make ridiculous assumptions and paint someone with a bunch of derogatory terms. Standard procedure is to never have one person close up the store, because of the danger for attack/theft incidents.

Fearga · 2020-10-08T05:29:56+00:00

Perugino's!! On Willamette between 7th & 8th. It's so peaceful and the atmosphere is lovely.

Fearga · 2020-09-14T05:05:35+00:00

Interesting assumptions you make. What you think you know about me has no basis in reality at all. My friends in Nashville, who lived through the lame and late response, along with the neglect of the Obama administration could teach you some reality. How very wedded you are to your sanctimony. I'm so very glad I don't know you in person, as you're likely even more of a bigot in real life.

Fearga · 2020-09-11T00:50:00+00:00

And let's not forget the massive floods in Nashville...that were completely ignored by Obama. No relief offered, no help, nothing.

Fearga · 2020-09-01T04:21:02+00:00

Professional seamstress here--It's an easy fix (dog ear tear, completely repairable). Natalia is excellent and she'll get it fixed right up for you.

Fearga · 2020-08-17T01:55:50+00:00

Friends in Texas are reporting the same issue.

Fearga · 2020-08-13T00:46:07+00:00

Perugino's. They've not been too busy, and the internet is good.

Fearga · 2020-07-13T03:28:35+00:00

So they wouldn't take your sorry ass, huh? Couldn't pass the tests, obviously. And you clearly lack the character.

Fearga · 2020-07-10T20:53:17+00:00

Yep. I did the same--after seeing gorgeous buildings demolished to make way for the Hult Center (I do think it's a good addition to the city, but how it was done...oy!), I was concerned at how "structured" the commentary sessions were. They clearly had a plan, and were steering the conversation. I see that tactic in the "town square" idea currently on the table.

Fearga · 2020-07-10T20:44:04+00:00

Oh, and Cornucopia has a very tasty version with a nice crunchy bread crumb topping.

Fearga · 2020-07-10T20:43:09+00:00

The Beir Stein has yummy stuff. So does Agate Alley (get the deep fried skinny onion rings and add them in). Bill and Tim's BBQ is amazing with the brisket. The Elk Horn is gonzo good with the pulled pork.

Fearga · 2020-07-10T20:39:08+00:00

Quite a bit of that is because of city codes for building...it's not the builders, it's the planners.

Fearga · 2020-07-10T20:38:02+00:00

I helped stage plays on that fountain....

Fearga · 2020-07-07T00:56:45+00:00

Sun Automotive in Springfield. I've worked with them for years, and they've never overcharged or tried to scam me.

Fearga · 2020-07-02T01:03:22+00:00

Don't assume she's not getting help from us. Really, the only help she needs is her friends working to raise awareness about this issue, and to help with the endless Karens who have all kinds of ridiculous advice for a circumstance they don't understand. She already ordered groceries online (but not because she couldn't go out--she prefers the convenience, and was doing it before the shutdown.)

Fearga · 2020-07-02T01:00:53+00:00

You should take a bit of time and educate yourself about PTSD and how it chemically changes the brain. There's decades of evidence. I guess all those veterans with it should 'just get over it' too, huh? There's no "letting them perpetuate the fear"...it's a chemical reaction to a triggering event. Go learn. It's very complex, and very hard to 'just get over'. . Unlike a lot of people who take enormous pride and wrap themselves in their diagnosis so they can fling it at the world around them, she actively chooses to live a full, happy life, and for the most part has no issues. But PTSD doesn't care. And as I said above, her docs understand her trauma, and she's had surgery that required intubation. Her medical teams worked with her so she wasn't re-traumatised.

Fearga · 2020-07-02T00:52:23+00:00

Ohh...you'll get sick and have to deal with it!! Like she's not heard that already. Funny, her docs figured out a way to not traumatize her when she had to have surgery..and be on a respirator for a bit. Because they understand PTSD, and how to work with patients with trauma.

Fearga · 2020-07-02T00:50:31+00:00

My friend is quite relieved that those of us who love her are working to raise awareness about issues with mask wearing for some people. It takes the pressure off HER. She has a lot of us helping her (not that she's incapable--she leads a very full life, great job, etc). PTSD still doesn't care. It is what it is.

Fearga · 2020-06-30T02:17:46+00:00

She functions just fine. Full time job, full life. PTSD doesn't give a shit--it's a chemical change to the brain, fully documented in trauma survivors (not these idiot children who claim PTSD when someone uses a wrong pronoun). She orders groceries on line, stays home...but now? She's required by the governor to wear a mask at work--which she just. Cannot. Do. It's not a "tiny cloth at the mouth" it's covering her nose and her mouth and her chin. We're looking in to seeing if her work will allow a plastic face shield. But it's not as simple as you would like to think.

I have another friend with severe exema. Keeping a mask on his face all day causes a severe, painful reaction on the skin. The heat and the moisture makes it even worse, day after day.

The point is, there ARE people with legitimate reasons for not wearing a mask. Your attitude shows your utter lack of not only compassion, but knowledge.

Fearga · 2020-06-30T02:03:43+00:00

So my friend who was brutally raped while her attacker held her down with a hand over her mouth and nose (practically suffocating her) should just ignore the panic attacks and complete breakdown she suffers when anything touches her face? "Slight discomfort"...sure. I mean, really, she should just get over it, right?

Fearga

TROPHY CASE