X-Message-Number: 19055
Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 21:37:58 -0700
From: "John Grigg" <>
Subject: Decisions and attitudes...

Mike Donahue wrote:
Tomorrow I'm going 
to visit Forrest J. Ackerman(the #1 SF fan in the world), at Kaiser Hospital 
in Los Angeles... he's in intensive care, not expected to recover... and as 
far as I know, has chosen not to be cryopreserved.  And he's unable to 
communicate, I think he's had a stroke. 
(end)


For years I have seen Forrest J. Ackerman on various tv shows sharing his love 
of campy science fiction and horror.  I loved seeing him give tours to news 
crews of his house/museum!  News of his current condition is very tragic to me.
Much like the creator of Mad magazine, the world will not be the same after he
is gone.  


My own twenty-seven year-old computer savvy brother, who claims to be an 
atheist(I am the believer.. lol ), is disinterested almost to the point of 
revulsion.  I have not gotten a clear answer from him about why he is this way, 
but I tend to think his view is that it is simply unnatural.  I bet this is in 
part due to the musician/environmentalist crowd he likes to hang with.


I am amazed how major science fiction authors do not flock to cryonics.  But as 
has been already said, they are living in the same culture as the rest of us, 
with it's many pressures and taboos.  And being a master speculative fiction 
storyteller does not mean a person wants to actually live in the future we yearn
for.  I think a combination of an aging and depressed body, along with a fear 
of being alone, are the major factors.

And I have my own challenges and concerns...

best wishes,

John  

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