Howard Waldrop reading at Armadillocon 2016

It is with great sadness that I write these words. Locus Online is reporting that Howard Waldrop died today, January 15, 2024. The ISFDB has his date of death listed as the 14th. Either way, a legend has passed. Howard was one of my favorite people in science fiction and fantasy. He had a unique voice, both in writing and in speaking, and he will be sorely missed.

Howard Waldrop was born in Houston, Mississippi on September 15, 1946. He lived most of his life in Texas, although he did live int he Pacific Northwest for a few years before returning to Austin. He was an avid fisherman, and that showed in a few of his stoires.

Howard only wrote two novels, Them Bones, and The Texas-Israeli War: 1999, a collaboration with Jake Saunders. Howard was primarily a short story writer. And, oh, what short stories they were. If you haven’t read “The  Ugly Chickens”, you should. If Howard will be remembered for anything, it’s this beautiful, heartbreaking story.

When George R. R. Martin was Guest of Honor at Conestoga, Howard attended because he and George have been friends since they were teenagers. There was a ticketed dinner, and i managed to sit at their table. Not no much because I wanted to sit with George, but because I wanted to be able to listen to Howard and the stories he would tell. “The Ugle Chickens” was one of the things George and Howard talked about. My memory may be a little faulty on this point, but George was sayihng he wanted to film the story for the revised Twilight Zone television show back in the late eighties. For reasons I no longer recall, Howard wanted George to film a different story, the title of which I also don’t recall.

r. to l,, Howard Waldrop, Lou Antonelli, and Your Intrepid Blogger, Aramdillcon, 2017.

But Howard wrote a number of other stories, and all of them were different in tone. If you are of a certain age, you might remember a movie entitled Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Near the end of the movie, Slim Pickens rides a nuclear bomb like it was a bronco in a rodeo. Howard used that as his inspiration for the story “Night of the Cooters.”

Howard was a regular at Armadillcon in Austin. I don’t recall the first time we met. It was too many years ago, but I’m sure it was in the early 1990s. At an Armadillcon, of course. I managed to made a few when I was in graduate school. I remember buying all the collections that were available at the time, I think before the convention, and getting him to sign them.

We crossed paths off and on over the years, mostly but  not enitrely at Armadillcon. Howard was always open and friendly and he always seemed honestly glad to see me.

It was an Armadillcon tradition to end the convention with Howard reading a story. Often it was one he had written at the convention so he would have something to read. I heard someone say once that if you wanted to get a new Howard Waldrop story, have him read one at a convention. He’d probably write it in the elevator on the way down.

Those were always one of the highlights of the convention, and I would stay for it even though I had an hours-long drive home and should have already left by th at point. Howard’s accent made his readings unique. To this day, I can’t read certain of his stories without hearing his voice.

The picture on the right is Howard perparing to read at Armadillcon in 2017. It was the last time I would see Howard.

I haven’t made it back to Armadillcon since then. Too many life issues, such as a son in high school involved in band and robotics. then COVID came along. Since then, I’ve had other commitments and restrictions.

I regret that I wasn’t able to see Howard again after 2017 or hear him read. If anyone has recordings of one or more of Howard’s readings, or knows where some are avialble, I would appreciate your posting that information in the comments.

Rest well, Howard. I hope there’s fishing where you’re at now.