Dammit Harry, I still owe you a drink...

Word on the internet is that Harry Harrison has died.

I adored Harry for a multitude of reasons -- he was kind, he was funny, he was acerbic; he  created Slippery Jim and Angelina, and Bill, the most inept hero in space opera, and gave us a vividly frightening look at what it would be like when there were just too many of us.

The last time I talked to him at length was...in Montreal?  Really?  I guess it was.  He joined us for breakfast, carrying his cup over from his table to ours, and sitting himself down to chat about nothing much, really. 

Harry had charm; people wanted to look out for him.  The staff at the restaurant was no different.  They knew him by name, as he knew their names, and they kept a subtle eye on him.  We went from two foreigners at a corner table, to Mr. Harrison's friends; ​he introduced us, so we knew their names, too.

That drink...I incurred that debt at the Philadelphia Nebulas.  It was a good debt, as so few are, a kind of promise that I'd be talking with Harry again, not once, but many times more.

Damn.

Five Things Make a Post

1.  Free Reading!  "Landed Alien," a Liaden Universe® short story, is now up and waiting for you to read it, right here (scroll down to get to the story).

2.  The ebook edition of Dragon Ship is now available for purchase from Baen Ebooks.  This edition does fix the continuity errors which were present in the eArc and is, to the best of my knowledge, the exact words, in the exact order that they appear in the hardcover edition.

3.  The authors' working notes for Mouse and Dragon are still on auction for the next 23-ish hours.  Current bid is $198.75 $202.50  Will it break $200 $225?  The uncertainty!  The drama!  The pretty green folder -- here, take a look.

4.  The inventory of Things Ruined In the Flood, including books that are still wet, continues.  I am a Virgo, and therefore have a high tolerance for fiddly little details, but, yanno?  Enough is enough, already.

5.  In related news, the painter just phoned to say that she's starting work tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.  The electrician is due at 9:30.  Socks is gonna have some Serious Supervising to do.