Hatton Influences: Part IV: Spider Robinson
“Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased—thus do we refute entropy.” – Spider Robinson
In High School you have to discover yourself. The sporty types are moving into sports. The well developed girls are heading towards the sporty types. The dramatic are heading to the stage. I don’t think it’s a far off mark to say that I was a big huge frakking geek in high school.
Have I shocked you? Have I surprised you? I didn’t think so.
I read science fiction and fantasy and played dungeons and dragons and acted in a rennasaince festival. I’m not shooting these things down. I still do most of them. You figure out which ones I don’t… but, the fact is I was exposed to a lot of things and people. Hell, I was probably exposed to more than most, if only because I’m kind of charming so I slip into a crowd easily.
During these strange eclectic and wonderful times of my life I was introduced to Spider Robinson. He’s the sci-fi writer you’ve never heard about. Part Robert Heinlein and part Piers Anthony, the majority of his stories take place in Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon, a bar hidden on Long Island where people go to find out what they need. Some of the regulars are time travelers and aliens, Nikolai Tesla, and Pixel, the cat who walks through walls, but each of them has a story to tell eventually.. and they will.. eventually.
I won’t ruin how fun and silly and sarcastic and punny these stories are, because there are some mind-bending groany puns in there – but, the attitude of the book always felt right with me. If you need help, we’ll listen when you are ready to talk about it and share a drink to commiserate. If your life is overflowing with good, we’ll listen and drink with you to commend your good fortune. It’s a thought process that would make the world a better place. It’s a set of books that helped define who I am as a person, and inspired me to want to write.
So for those of you that are familiar with Callahan’s, please watch as I step up to the line and raise a toast to Spider Robinson for trying to refute entropy… somebody’s gotta do it.
‘…and the tumultous crash of shattered glass shook the God & Devil from their panel.’
To Spider!
*toss*
*smash*
I still reread all of the books, they bring me joy! And I so wanted to work at Lady Sally’s (still do.)
I still have your copy of ‘On the Walls at Callhan’s’, you know. 🙂 It’s one of the few things that has survived everyone of my moves, because it makes me happy to reread every few years.