Gardner’s annual Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies were my crash course in modern science fiction, writing, and storytelling. Gardner told stories from his days in the army, and the refrain across the convention the following day went something like: “IF YOU DO (X) YOU WILL DIE.” You had to be there. It was standing-room only, and I stood near the back for two hours, laughing harder than I’d laughed in years. I was present for an amazing “panel” discussion that included Gardner, and George R. I was sitting in the SFWA suite, and Allen Steele pulled me out of a conversation I was having-literally took my arm and said, “You need to come with me right now.” I followed him into the back rooms of the suite, and Allen introduced me to Gardner, saying, “This is the guy I was telling you about.” I spent the next hour our so sitting in a room with Gardner, and Mike Resnick, and others, listening to them talk, just listening, and it was wonderful. I was forced to overcome this shyness one evening at Worldcon in Chicago a few years back. His was a Big Name and I was virtually unknown. Many of the online tributes to Gardner speak of his shyness, but I was always wary of introducing myself to him.
I’d seen him on several occasions, at various conventions, but only ever spoke to him once. I was saddened to learn that Gardner Dozois died over the weekend.
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