In Montreal last week we organized two more memorials for Charles Brown—one a private room party for his friends, the other a public panel discussion—and on both occasions people brought up an issue that at first sounded like a little joke, and then sounded less like one the more I talked with people about it.
At the room party, Neil Gaiman mentioned his participation in the Locus Foundation, and wondered if there may be a shadowy Second Foundation, which would secretly steer the future of SF in the direction Charles had wanted. This, of course, led to amusing if slightly creepy visions of Charles-like holograms reappearing at key points over the next few centuries to explain to us all what had gone wrong, and what future crises to expect.
At the room party, Neil Gaiman mentioned his participation in the Locus Foundation, and wondered if there may be a shadowy Second Foundation, which would secretly steer the future of SF in the direction Charles had wanted. This, of course, led to amusing if slightly creepy visions of Charles-like holograms reappearing at key points over the next few centuries to explain to us all what had gone wrong, and what future crises to expect.
