Robert Sheckley ill in Kiev

[Michael Moorcock]

Could you spare some thoughts for one of my good friends, Bob Sheckley, one of the finest sf writers of his generation...


The MosNews story follows:

Sci-Fi Writer Robert Sheckley on Artificial Respiration in
Ukrainian Hospital

Created: 05.05.2005 16:11 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:11 MSK,

Famous U.S. science-fiction writer Robert Sheckley is still in a
Kiev hospital suffering respiratory failure after a week of
treatment, the Ekho Moskvy Web site reported Thursday.

The 76-year-old writer was taken to hospital with a cold during
his visit to the Ukrainian Sci-Fi Computer Week, an international
event for science fiction writers, Itar Tass reports. His
condition has deteriorated since.

Sheckley is now in one of Kiev's private medical institutions, a
clinic called Boris. He has also been examined by specialists from
the Ukrainian State Pulmonology Institute and the National Medical
University.

The writer is currently on artificial respiration and doctors
describe his condition as grave, Ekho Moskvy adds.

Robert Sheckley is a star of the Golden Age of science fiction and
one of the major creators of the genre itself.

Born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey Sheckley began writing
stories in the 1940s, soon becoming popular. He moved to the
Spanish island of Ibiza in the 1970s and returned to the United
States ten years later as fiction editor of the OMNI magazine.

Sheckley has written over sixty books to date, including twenty
novels and nine collections of short stories. His major works
include Immortality Inc and Status Civilization as well as several
books written in collaboration with Roger Zelazny.

He won the Jupiter Award for the best science fiction story of
1974. In 1991, he received the Daniel F. Gallun award for
contributions to the genre of science-fiction

WHAT A BLOODY AWFUL YEAR IT'S TURNING OUT TO BE.

[A_Non_Ymous]

Very bad news. Let's hope he recovers, but it doesn't sound good.

A highly skillful short story writer who got started in the '50s, Silverberg and Ellison have both payed hommage to his example, and have alluded to his personal friendship.

Let's cross our fingers and hope. :-(

LSN

[Marca]

More bad news. Let us hope for the best although, as LSN said, it doesn't sound good. :(

[Pietro_Mercurios]

A bit rough. And to be taken so ill, so far from home too. :(

[Typhoid_Mary]

This is very sad news. Robert Sheckley is one of my favourite writers.

[Poetgrrl]

oh my gosh! !!! :(

more prayers turned towards his family and friends. *sigh*

[Michael Moorcock]

It's horrible to feel as if you're in a battl4 and old comrades are falling around you. Such friends are thow who have known you in many moods and still enjoy your company, as you do theirs. All that support, all that shared memory, which can be checked and rechecked and helps sustain the whole social animalis. Life might be a Phil Dick illusion, but we are comforted in it through the company of old, much-loved friends. Bob was the only person to help Linda literally pick me out of the gutter. Nobody else wanted anything to do with me (and why did they keep shouting 'Torro' at me?) A gentle gent and one of a seminal generation.
He helped significantly identify the mindset of the 21st century. Let's hope he pulls round and goes on doing it a while longer.

[Anonymous]

Robert Sheckley

He is getting stronger but the main problem is to make him breathe on his own. Now his lungs connected to a breathing machine. The doctors tell us they will try to switch to his own breathing in 5 days. My own feeling - the doctors try their best but they are not happy to take any responsibility. They make no long-term predictions but day by day basis. And they ask Anya to move him to the States. His old friend Simon Gandolfi (a british thriller writer, who also came to Kiev) is worrying about what is in Bob mind. Bob cannot speak yet but use Anya's laptop to communicate. He is in clear mind and talks to Anya, Simon, me, doctors and nurses as he can (nodding, smiling, etc.). Another problem we face, bills from the hospital. My company paid one bill but a new one appeared yesterday. So we will run a discuss today with Anya, Simon and us about what to do and is it necessary to beg for help. The problem appeared because Bob lost his travel insurance card somewhere during the trip. Because we have to act quickly we arranged his hospitalization to the private hospital Boris (not named after me, just a name). So we undertook the finance question and paid the first bill, but our convention lost money and we will go bankrupt after another bill. This is the current situation as for today.

[Marca]

Where is Roman Abramovich when you need him? It's a topsy turvy world when football players get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week, and a famous sf writer with half a century of work behind him lies seriously ill in hospital struggling to pay the bills. Thanks for the update, hope Bob pulls through and something gets sorted out. :(

[Anonymous]

It is Ukraine, not Russia. But Russian fandom is already collecting money to help. As about Abramovich as far as I know he is soccer fan not SF fan.

[Marca]

Oh I know the Ukraine isn't Russia, Boris :) Just remarking on the fact that there's an abundance of money in certain sectors for things like football. Good to know Russian fandom is helping out. It's a shame Roman isn't an SF fan though.

[Anonymous]

Sheckley

I've been with Bob in Kiev until April 28th. One day after getting into the hospital he was looking like he would be fine in just a couple of days, so that I didn't postpone my departure. Now I'm feeling unconfortable being far away, even though I'm aware that my physical presence there could do little, alas. It's good that Anja and Simon are there. And Boris has done and is doing big sacrifices for helping Bob. I've heard that he's getting better day after day. Let's hope!
During our trip around Ukraine I've done a lot of photos, and they are all online. Anybody may see them at:
http://www.fanzines.info/conventions...e-Portal-2005/

[Anonymous]

Money for Robert

Dear Michael,

I'm from Ukraine and Mr. Shekley and all the other titans of SF, including yourself, are very popular here! We'd help Mr. Shekley with money in a matter of one day, the only problem is that we, being Ukrainians and Russians, are so used to frauds that we just don't trust anyone who gives an account number and asks for money, as we don't know if the money is going to reach the supposed destination or go to some jerk. Now, if you only could get this account number from Bob (even better if we could pay by PayPal) and post it here, we'd know it's associated with Mr. Shekley and Bob would get all the help he needs immediately. We all really wanna help, we are just afraid to give money - too many bad experiences =( Would you do us a favour and help us help?

Thank you!

Your fan,

Alex

[Anonymous]

Re: Money for Robert

Куда деньги высылать?

[Anonymous]

Куда деньги высылать?

http://www.livejournal.com/users/lazy_masha/83330.html