Passing of a lady

Andre Norton is dead.

At least she died as one should, in peace, surronded by love ones.

She was the first women science fiction author I ever read. I got hooked on fantasy and science fiction at a very early age (I was given the hobbit when I was 6 or 7 and my mother regreted for many years after) and most of the authors that wrote what I wanted to read were male. There just weren't many SF or fantasy books that the adults thought were "suitable" for me. But Andre Norton wrote for 'young adults' and was considered acceptable reading to the adults. I considered her acceptable because her stories were _good_.

I didn't even know she was female until I saw her picture on a book. Andre seemed a male name to me.

Breed to Come was one of my earlier read and it is on my short list of 'if in used bookstore, no matter how short a time, must search for'.

I read through every book my school had, the local library had, and that I could I buy. Web of the Witch world was the first book I bought by skipping lunch - my mother had given me lunch money for the week and the sale price was less than what I had left.

That was the start of me skipping lunch and buying books.

First Marion Zimmer Bradley and now Andre Norton.

I kept thinking they would live forever. After all, they were the greatest of the great, how could something as mundane as death stop them?

She will be missed.