Lin Carter Ave Atque Vale

I found this article by sheer mischance by one Stephen Aulicino. Out of love for the memory of an editor who, albeit I never met him, by his Ballatine Adult Fantasy series formed so much of my youthful imagination and life, I here reprint the whole thing. Figures like Mr Carter ought not to be forgotten, and men like Mr Aulicino who help keep those memories alive should be saluted.

I Was Lin Carter’s Friend

by Steven Aulicino

I was Lin Carter’s friend during the last years of his life and knew him very well. Over the years, I have checked the Internet for anything on him but found only a few references, usually related to his Conan writings. I hadn’t looked in a long time, so I was pleased to find your site last month. I always felt bad that nothing was done to properly mark Lin’s passing. On the first anniversary of his death, I wrote to the New York Times Book Review in an attempt to commemorate the day, but the letter was never published.

I met Lin in late ’83 or early ’84 when he moved into the apartment across the hall from me. The evening of the day he moved in, he knocked on my door and asked what time it was. That was Lin. When we introduced ourselves, I asked if he was THE Lin Carter and he was honestly flattered and even more so when I showed him my bookshelf. I had none of his science fiction or sword and sorcery work, but I did have his TOLKIEN: A LOOK BEHIND THE LORD OF THE RINGS and IMAGINARY WORLDS as well as most of the books he edited for Ian Ballantine under the Adult Fantasy imprint.

We became friends, good friends. He was “Boss” and I was “Pard.”

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Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.