Another Influence Passes

I was sad to learn John Varley passed away last week. The first book his I read was Titan. I can't remember if it was in junior high or high school. I only remember I borrowed it through our county library's Books Through Mail program for those of us who didn't have regular access to the system.

(This was in the late 70's and early eighties when money was tight because of the Energy Crisis, electronic borrowing hadn't become a thing yet, and before I had a driver's license, much less a job.)

John wrote strong female characters long before it was acceptable. He'd definitely get slammed by both sides if he wrote the Gaea Trilogy today. But this was one of the first books I read where a woman was the spaceship's captain. Needless to say, John had a huge influence on my own development as a writer.

I'd re-read John's trilogy every few years until life got in the way. One of my goals for 2026 is to re-shelve all my books in my new library in our house.

It's funny how something you read nearly fifty years ago can stay with you. That a woman can be in charge and not disparaged because of it. Maybe that's why I love sci-fi writers like John. He could see the changes coming and said so long before the reality hit.

Thanks, John. And I hope you are pain-free and at peace in the next world.