Good Thoughts Needed...

[seawasp]

... for Jim Baen. As is already being reported around the Net, Jim suffered a stroke earlier in the week and is in very serious condition.

Besides being the man who decided to publish me, Jim is one of the most, if not THE most, important figures in SF publishing/editing since John W. Campbell Jr. He is responsible for starting or promoting the careers of authors such as David Weber, Eric Flint, Lois McMaster Bujold, David Drake, and many others. He was the first SF publisher to recognize the positive power of the Internet and take advantage of it. Let's hope that he can recover and continue onward.

Comments

[julesjones]

Thanks for confirming. I saw the post james_nicoll put up this morning, but hadn't seen any corroboration until you posted.

It is far from impossible that he will make a full recovery. I hope he makes it through this.

[shana.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Oy, I hadn't heard.

Good thoughts for a quick and complete recovery.

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

Yeesh. I remember going through this back in 1985, with Judy Lynn.

No one deserves this, but least of all Jim Baen, one of the best editors in the 'biz. I'll be thinking about him and hope he recovers.

[k-kinnison.livejournal.com]

prayers and best wishes... truely a giant amoung giants

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

I was waiting for confirmation before posting... I was hoping it was wrong. Dammit .

-- Steve's wishing Jim a speedy and full recovery.

[katestine.livejournal.com]

I will be praying for him.

[lochnoir1.livejournal.com]

My thoughts and prayers are with him.

[rugor.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are with him too.

May all the gods go with him.

[groblek.livejournal.com]

Yipe! I hadn't heard - I'll keep him in my prayers.

[corvidophile.livejournal.com]

send wishes for a very speedy recovery for me! the Baen library is one of my favourite sites and i thought it was a wonderful way to get some fantastic books out there.

JIm's forethought

[bigbananaslug.livejournal.com]

As Toni Weisskopf posted last night at Baen's Bar, Baen Publishing Enterprises, LLC., Webscriptions, Baen's Bar, and Jim Baen's Universe are operating normally under very specific contingency plans, both personal and business-related, that Jim set up several years ago. Everything is "Situation Normal" just as if the GE were sitting in his office, bellowing orders.

Waiting is.

Bananaslug.
Lowly Baen Minion
Associate Editor--Jim Baen's Universe

Re: JIm's forethought

[seawasp]

I wish EVERYONE thought ahead like that. My (business) concerns weren't for the short-term but for the long; if Jim does not recover, is there someone with appropriate vision and energy to take his place? There aren't many potential candidates I can think of.

My PERSONAL concerns are much more direct. I've never had the honor of actually MEETING Mr. Baen and I would like to have the chance to thank him -- both for publishing me, and for providing me with many hours of wonderful reading material -- personally.

Re: JIm's forethought

[waltboyes.livejournal.com]

I have met Jim, and spoken to him several times on the phone, as well as lots of email. I found him to be a great gentleman, when he wasn't doing his Jubal Harshaw imitation. One of the things I am most pleased about is that my daughter Andrea got to meet him several years ago, and to thank him for her ability to read. It wasn't until she got hooked on ebooks that can be read aloud that she started to show just how bright she is.

We got her ACT test scores yesterday, and her overall score was a quite respectable 23 out of 36...but her best score was...


wait for it...



...reading.

I can't thank Jim Baen and Arnold Bailey enough for this.

And, to your question, Ryk, I haven't been privy to what the business plans include for his succession, if that becomes necessary. Eric and Dave Drake know, and they'll let us all know when or if it becomes an issue. I do know that there is a succession plan in place.

Bananaslug.

[callahanshappy.livejournal.com]

I'll keep him in my prayers.