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*************************************************** Hal Clement (1922-2003) ***************************************************
Hal published numerous collections and 15 novels. The most recent, Noise, was released by Tor in September of this year. His first story, "Proof", appeared in the June 1942 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, and his first novel, Needle was serialized there in 1949. His best known novel, Mission of Gravity, was first published as a serial in Astounding in 1953. It is one of the seminal works of hard science fiction. It deals with a mission to a space probe that has crashed on Mesklin, a fast-rotating, massive planet where the effective gravity varies from three times that of Earth's, at the equator, to 700gs at the poles. Astounding also published a nonfiction article detailing the process by which Hal had figured out the physics, biology and chemistry of the world of Mesklin. Hal's honors included being Guest of Honor at the 1991 World Science Fiction Convention, a 1996 retro-Hugo award for his 1945 short story "Uncommon Sense," induction in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998, and receiving SFWA's Grand Master Award in 1999. Donations in his memory may be made to Joslin Diabetes Development Office, 1 Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215 or to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 112 Randolph Ave., Milton, MA 02186. Services will be at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Milton, Massachusetts at 10AM on Saturday, November 1. An online guestbook is available at http://www.ccgfuneralhome.com/services/guestbook.asp?id=2075&name=Harry%20C.%20Stubbs. -----
Harry Clement Stubbs published his first story, "Proof," in the June 1942 ASTOUNDING, and as of last week, was telling convention attendees that he was working on a new one after a long hiatus. Hal was a terrific writer, a terrific teacher, and was a convention favorite. He was last year's GoH at SheVaCon in Roanoke, VA, and his panels (as always) were eagerly and heavily attended. At one point, fellow amateur sf historian Paul Dellinger and I were interviewing Hal in a panel, when he began to repeat himself and grow restless. When he realized what was going on, he pulled out a bag of M&Ms, carefully counted out a dozen, and ate them. Within a few minutes, he was as bright and alert as ever. It was my first realization that he was diabetic. He was a common sight in the dealers' rooms, too, poring over books displays and buying seemingly incongruous titles, whistling softly to himself the whole time. There is no way to adequately measure Hal's effect on sf and sf readers and writers, but to some degree, almost every hard-sf writer owes a debt to Hal Clement. He explored concepts and conditions that no one else had, and by doing so encouraged other writers to go even further. He was a man of wit and intellect, of warmth and kindness, and he saw wonder in the world long after others grew jaded and cynical. It's a hideous understatement to say that he'll be missed. Bud Webster
The first time that I met Hal was at Nolacon 2, the World Science Fiction Convention held in New Orleans. It was in a room set aside to allow fans to photograph masquerade entries. Hal was standing there in the cluster of fans photographing the costumes and having every bit as much fun as one of us "ordinary" science fiction and fantasy fans. Since then I've seen him in much the same situation at various conventions. In fact when I picture Hal Clement in my mind, it's with a camera hanging from his neck. He was very active in his retirement. When he attended the Campbell Conference, he was in the middle of a stretch of 6 consecutive weekends of conventions. Most at his own expense. I am sorry the we have lost him, but grateful to have known him. Keith Stokes
I met Hal the first time, lord, maybe 1978? 79? Long time ago. I was just a kid-fan, devouring books and not quite connecting them to the people walking in the hallway beside me. Didn't get a chance until many years later -- during a panel about what we read as kids -- to tell him that it was his writing that brought me back to SFdom. If I remember correctly, he blushed. He was one of the great ones, truly; not just in the SF field but in the annals of humanity. And I only hope, as a friend said this evening, that now he's hanging out in the dealers' rooms and hallways and panel discussions of ForeverCon, having a grand time. Laura Anne Gilman
Hal was not just a great friend he has a tremendous gift for teaching. Both in and out of the class room. He visited St. Louis many times and he was always welcome in our home. It was a real treat to go to his panels be it on SF, astronomy or fossils. Every panel was well attended (packed). When I told my daughter that Hal had passed she replied that he was the first panel that she had really remembered going to and enjoyed. It was a kids fossil panel. Hal is why she loves science so much. Jim, Melissa and I would go out to dinner with Hal and learn about what was new in science he was fascinating to listen to. When Hal would come into St. Louis we would have a routine, I would pick him up at the airport, He would get off of the airplane with his camera around his neck and a bag in each hand I would ask him what I could carry, he would get a twinkle in his eye and say, "You can carry the rocks!" This meant he had brought his fossils. I sure am going to miss carrying those rocks. Hal Clement was a true gentleman and a great friend. God Bless you Hal we really miss you. Jim, Joan and Melissa Knappenberger
This is sad news. I had the opportunity to meet him at Armadillocon a few years ago, and took a picture with him and my daughter Calista. I got to discuss with him at length many of his works, the classic "Mission of Gravity" in particular. I opined that because of that world's radical conditions--the low gravity equator serves as something of an impassable barrier between the northern and southern hemispheres--evolution on the non-Mesklin hemisphere may very well have turned out radically different from what we'd seen in his books thus far, due to the evolutionary isolation. He replied that he did his worldbuilding with the mindset that the non-Mesklin hemisphere was uninhabitable, but that if I wanted to develop that idea and write that story, I had his permission. Permission from a Grand Master to play with his toys, his creation. I was, of course, instantly humbled and terrified. My hard science skills are at best sleight-of-hand, nowhere near what would be necessary to even dream of entertaining such hubris. I thanked him, and politely begged off. I believe the offer was sincere, but could never write a Mesklin story. They are too much a distillation of Hal Clement. But someday, maybe, when I feel I've matured enough as a writer, I might tackle that story after all. There won't be any Mesklins in it, of course, and will probably turn out radically different from anything Clement ever wrote, but the origins will always be there. Clement's loss is a tragedy for science fiction. He was a wonderful, friendly fellow and will be missed. Jayme Lynn Blaschke
The news of Harry Clement Stubbs' passing came by email this morning and I burst into tears. We'd been friends and colleagues since the early 1970's, often doing panels together. He helped me sell my first novel, HOUSE OF ZEOR in the mid-1970's. In Sept. 2003 at TorCon, the World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto I got to show him the current reprint of that novel in SIME~GEN: THE UNITY TRILOGY and we celebrated that triumph of his judgement. That was the last hug I got from him. At conventions, we had developed a tradition of waving or shaking hands on the escalators - one of us going up, the other going down, hardly ever going in the same direction! But others saw him just this week at another convention, vigorous, happy, active. He passed away in his sleep, having lived-lived-LIVED until he died. You've all seen the reviews of his latest novel NOISE or maybe read it. Writers never retire! No doubt you'll be seeing full Memorial posts everywhere for a while so I won't repeat his prodigious bibliography and list of achievements. If you don't know "who" Hal Clement is or what he's written -- google on "Hal Clement" for a list of sites providing enormous amounts of information. Locus already has a post up at http://www.locusmag.com/ and will no doubt do a big feature with precious photos from their archives. If you've somehow managed to miss reading his classic novels, grab them for your children and grandchildren in acid-free paper editions. You won't regret it. Yes, science will go stale as it does - but beyond the science his books had true entertainment value. With Robert A. Heinlein & Isaac Asimov, Andre Norton, Edward E. Smith and a handful of others Hal Clement was (I hate that word) the most profound influence on my own development as a writer. I was an abject fan of his work long before I met him -- and one of the highest high-points of my life was being accepted by him as a colleague despite that fannish adulation. It was only later - in the mid-1950's that I encountered Marion Zimmer Bradley and the next generation of writers. The first book I ever special-ordered through a bookstore was Cycle of Fire by Hal Clement - then I went in every single day begging for copies to have arrived. When finally I got a copy, I didn't do my homework. I READ! And never regretted it. Hal Clement was a fan first, and a professional writer (and fan-artist) second. He was often FAN ARTIST GUEST OF HONOR at conventions, exhibiting his space-scapes. The kinship I feel with him is based in that sense of profession melding seamlessly into hobby and expressing itself in fan activity (fanac). He was a professional scientist and teacher BECAUSE he was a fan of science -- but to him the value of science lay in how it affects people on the deepest psychological levels. I loved that man. Live Long and Prosper, Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Tina and I and our daughter just returned from the memorial service for Hal Clement in Milton, MA. It was a fine service. Lots of New England writers and fans were there. We were sitting behing Allen Steele and Tom Easton, and next to Tony Lewis. I recalled the first time I had seen Hal's name, on a library shelf in the Fall of 1959. Mission of Gravity was instantly one of my favorite books. A trip to the library was never in vain, if one of Hal's stories that I had not yet read was in waiting... Decades later, in the 1990s when I started writing science fiction, I realized that Hal had the same effect on me at cons: no matter how bad a con otherwise was, if Hal was there, being there was worthwhile. There was a reassurance that all was ok, at least in the science fiction section of the universe, if Hal Clement was walking in or out of a dealer's room, whistling. Rob Sawyer, my predecessor as SFWA President, called me one evening in the Fall of 1998 (I was Vice President then). He asked me what I thought of giving the Grand Master Award to Hal. Former Presidents and the rest of the Board had to be polled, but Rob was keen on the idea, and wanted to know what I thought. I told him it was a terrific idea. I was just the first of many with the same reaction... I presided over the Nebula Banquet in Pittsburgh the following Spring, and what a thrill it was to see Hal up there on the stage, graciously accepting the honor he so eminently deserved. Dave Truesdale, editor of the SFWA Bulletin then, said he wanted to go all out with a display in the Bulletin for Hal. He came up with a superb picture of all the Grand Masters, with Hal, as the newest one, in the center. Dave presented a poster of the picture to Hal. I still have a copy on my wall. Another of my favorite recollections of Hal is also from a Pittsburgh convention, Confluence, where Hal was GoH a few years ago. Phil Klass was giving a reading. The crowd enthusiastically applauded when it was over, and slowly left the room. I was talking with someone in the back, and when I looked at the front of the room, only one person was left, other than Phil. It was Hal, animatedly making some point to Phil, gesturing, with Phil responding with equal zeal. What a moment. Two titans of science fiction, whom I had been reading for half a century, talking as if they were kids. The eternal golden age of science fiction. But my fondest recollection of Hal comes from a Boskone. This was held in the hotel in Framingham. I brought along my daughter, then about 11 years old. I was downstairs on the first floor, and she was in our room, on the eighth floor, when fire alarms sounded. The elevators were frozen. I rushed up eight flights of stairs, to our room, but it was empty. We were not yet quite in the age of cellphones, and we had no way of reaching each other. I ran back down to the stairs, and looked around on the ground floors, frantically. An announcement said the alarm was due to a malfunction -- there was no fire -- but I still needed to find my daughter.... At last I saw her, in a corner, happily chatting with Hal. I thanked him for reassuring her, and he was on his way (probably whistling). I asked her if she had been scared. "I didn't know where you were," she said, "and I was looking for you, and I was worried. Hal came over to me and said 'Are you looking for your father?' I said yes. He said he wasn't sure where you were, but not to worry, because 'knowing your father, he's probably somewhere talking to someone about his books...'" And they both laughed, and Hal stayed with her until I arrived. Well, knowing Hal, he's probably somewhere talking to someone about everything that's interesting in science and science fiction. And we'll be talking about Hal, and his gentle soul and sharp intellect, for a long, long time. Paul Levinson
Updated November 9, 2003 |
