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 THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 579, July 18, 2010 "I eventually came to the conclusion that the police didn't actually know anything about the laws they were enforcing."
Farewell to James P. Hogan, writer and friend
Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise I first met Jim Hogan back in the mid-nineties at the Doctors for Disaster Preparedness convention, an annual get-together for skeptics of environmentalist doom. That probably sounds strange, but the disasters they talked about were of the government-caused variety. My husband Kent and I, pleasantly surprised to find one of our favorite science-fiction writers in attendance, were stunned to find ourselves hanging out with Jim for nearly the entire weekend. An easy-going man with an Irish brogue, he regaled us with way-out scientific theories, enjoyed jokes, and loved to stay up late with a beer while talking libertarian politics. I saw him again at Chicago's Capricon in 2005. We had a drink in the bar, and he asked for my autograph on a story I'd had published in the magazine "Analog Science Fiction and Fact." He was also kind enough to read a draft of my novel in progress, and send me a three-page email with detailed and thoughtful comments. The last time I saw Jim was at the Los Angeles Worldcon in August 2006. Due to the political situation in the U.S., he'd sold his house in Florida and moved to Ireland. He and Sheryl had just been married in Las Vegas—without any Elvis impersonators present—and were having a fine time touring the western U.S. Kent and I had a lovely dinner with him and Sheryl. True to form, Jim didn't mention the Austin sf convention where he would be guest of honor, and instead talked of politics, Ireland, and family, with plenty of jokes and much kicking of sacred-cow scientific theories. A hard sf writer, Jim was known for stories with libertarian points of view, particularly notable in his 1982 novel, Voyage from Yesteryear. He became a full-time writer in 1979, employing fascinating but underappreciated scientific theories in his Giant's series, Entoverse, and Realtime Interrupt. He won two Prometheus Awards and three Japanese Nebulas, and was absolutely fearless when it came to bucking the establishment view on anything from global warming to big bang theory. Check out the Heretic's Catalog at his website, jamesphogan.com. Jim passed away suddenly at home on Tuesday, Jul 13. He is survived by his wife Sheryl and six children. We will miss him.
TLE AFFILIATE
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