In Memory of Andre Norton

I just found out this week that Andre Norton died. This was a huge blow for me, and I have been absorbing it. She passed away March 17, 2005, but somehow I didn't know. Some of you may not know of her. She was a science fiction and fantasy writer par excellance. She published her early works under the pen name "Andrew North" because when she was first trying to get her work published in the 1930's, women authors had difficulty being published - particularly in the realm of science fiction. Andre Norton was formative in my life in so many ways.

I found my first Norton book, "The Zero Stone" when I was about 12. I was "hooked" immediately. Hooked by Norton and hooked by science fiction. Norton's work was always a great story. She made her characters come alive, and the worlds she created, no matter how fantastic, were somehow always believable. But Norton offered me something else, as a misfit (in so many ways). Atypically for science fiction of that time, she had strong female characters. She had heroes and heroines and they were always well balanced people. Sometimes making stupid human mistakes, but always willing to learn from them. Her characters had an integrity that was a model for me. At the top of the list was loyalty - no matter what the cost to self.

Perhaps this sense of loyalty came from the "animals" she included in her stories. These creatures were always beyond "normal" and their intelligence generally matched (or exceeded) that of the humans they interacted with. I have always loved animals, and I believed (and still believe) that they have a special intelligence. The best characteristics of human and animal characters merged. Norton's work was full of partnership and fighting the good fight. They were also full of love.

Her worlds varied, and the keen insight into the challenges and possibilities of each. It is likely that it was these believable constructs, and the rules they followed, that drew me into sociology.

Her work supported me, and led me forward. It gave me a standard against which I measured myself. I had always hoped to meet her one day and tell her "thank you" for her contribution to my life and my character. Now she is gone, and that opportunity is lost for this lifetime.

Wikipedia has an excellent bibliography of her work. My favorite of all her work was the "Free Trader" series with Maelene the Moon Singer. For me, this series epitomized the best of Andre Norton. Her final book, published in April, after her death, is "Three for Scorpio." I haven't had the privilege of reading it yet.

Thank you Andre Norton for all you gave me.