Carrie Fisher, 1956–2016

2016 ends as it began...

Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60

Long ago, but not so far away: I remember watching the first (and best) Star Wars (well before it was episode IV) back when I was a student.  Mind blowing then: yes, for the special effects, but especially for a heroine who did (some of) the rescuing.

60 is way too young to go, nowadays.

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the power of the hash tag

People In Toronto Created A Memorial To A Dead Raccoon After The City Forgot To Pick It Up

#deadraccoonto 

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For all my social networking posts, see my Google+ page

Terry Pratchett, 1948-2015

Too many obituaries lately.

Terry Pratchett

Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015

Live long, and prosper.

From the sublime...

... to the ridiculous.

Iain M. Banks, 1954-2013

Iain Menzies Banks

I remember during the 1987 Worldcon hearing the rumour that Iain M. Banks had climbed up the outside of the Brighton Metropole hotel the previous night, to get to his room.  He told the story himself at the 1990 Eastercon in Liverpool, during his Guest of Honour talk.  At the 1998 Eastercon, Iain M Banks and his alter ego Iain Banks took to the stage to discuss SF versus mainstream writing.  He told wonderful stories, both in person and in print.

In early April this year, he announced he had terminal cancer, and was unlikely to live beyond a year.  Just two months later, he has died.

Dammit.

Sir Patrick Moore, 1923 - 2012

Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer, presenter of The Sky At Night since 1957, author of many popular astronomy books, inspiration to several generations of astronomers, myself included, has died. Still sitting on our TV's hard disc recorder is last Monday's episode of The Sky At Night, not yet watched.  Goodbye, Patrick.

Patrick Moore

The Sky At Night, "A Night to Remember".
 The BBC's 1969 moon landing team: Patrick Moore, Cliff Michelmore, James Burke
(but why is this picture reversed?)

Patrick Moore (photo credit: Paul Grover, from Telegraph article in 2010)

• Telegraph obituary
• BBC News

Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012

Neil Armstrong

20 July 1969.  I remember watching the first moon landing on TV.  Just fuzzy, blurred images and crackling audio, but one of the most amazing, exciting, mind-blowing, uplifting experiences ever. The whole world watched and accompanied Neil Armstrong as he became the first human being to set foot on another planet.

The audio and visuals have improved over the ensuing 40 years.  We now get fantastic pictures from the surface of Mars.

Curiosity leaves tracks on Mars, 22 Aug 2012

Also exciting and mind-blowing.  But these are the tracks I want to see on Mars, and further afield:

Apollo 11 : one of the first footprints on the Moon

And today, in this 40th anniversary year of the last man on the moon, Randall Munroe can update his sobering graphic:

Sally Ride, 1951 - 2012

An inspiration

Elisabeth Sladen, 1948-2011

I was wondering what to say. Then I saw this on Dork Towers, which captures the mood precisely.

I grew up traumatised by Doctor Who (in the best possible way).

Well, I never really grew up, of course. I was a fan of the spin off Sarah Jane Adventures, too.

Goodbye. You are missed.