Muster the Goombahs

SF author Harlan Ellison has a quiet word about Isaac Asimov's death and an egregious misreading of history.

Muster the Goombahs! Loose the dogs of war! A call to arms!

A few minutes ago I received a phone call from Isaac Asimov's widow, Dr. Janet Jeppson.

She was more distraught than I've heard her manifest at any time since Isaac's passing.

She was calling from New York City to report that in the current issue of LOCUS, Charlie Brown (or whoever) has published a belated article reprising the epilogue of Isaac's memoir (as edited by Janet), IT'S BEEN A GOOD LIFE, in which it was revealed -- by Janet -- that at the time of his death, Isaac had developed AIDS from a tainted blood transfusion during his heart surgery in the '80s.

But Charlie -- or whoever wrote the piece -- clearly had not READ the epilogue, and proceeds to state that (I'm paraphrasing, from Janet's precis; I don't get LOCUS) Isaac wanted to reveal his malaise, but was "talked out of it by his wife, Janet Jeppson."

From Janet's lips to my ear to you: "That is clearly, absolutely, hurtfully UNTRUE!"

Janet is TERRIBLY UPSET at this egregious misreading of history, and she called Charlie Brown, who said he'd run a correction . . . next issue.

A month from now.

Janet does not want this to stand unchallenged for a month.

She has asked me to help her spread the word.

So I ASK YOU to go everywhere you post, in every nook and cranny of the web, on every site you can contact, and CORRECT this slovenly fan-babble error before it gains any coin.

LOCUS is hardly The New York Times, and the level of its checking and vetting is somewhere close to nonexistent.

A "correction" will probably appear in a small box on the indicia page: Charlie doesn't like to have to recant.

So fly, my blue monkeys; fly fly fly!!!

Every village and hamlet and waystation . . . let the voice of TRUTH ring out.

If you loved Isaac, and if you loved him one-fifth as much as he loved Janet . . . honor his memory by serving this tiny favor she has asked of me, and you by extension.

Thank you.

Your pal, Harlan

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