Scifi author spoils his entire book series for terminally ill fan

[The Straight Story]

Scifi author spoils his entire book series for terminally ill fan

This is both heart-rending and wonderful. Nachu Bhatnagar is a huge fan of author Harry Turtledove's The War That Came Early alternate history novel series. Sadly, Nachu also suffers from terminal cancer and may pass away this June.

His friend, Reddit user Kivakid, turned to that particular online community for help contacting Turtledove, so that Nachu could learn the end of his favorite series. And thanks to Reddit, Kikavid made contact with Turtledove — from his letter to the author:

It is my duty as a friend to do whatever I can to fulfill Nachu's last wishes. Is it at all possible for you to send him copies of the remaining books in the series? I understand the risks involved in sending an advance copy of your books to him and I understand the potential copyright issues and backlash from publishers. That said, my friend needs some good luck and kindness to balance out the awful stream he's been on, and I couldn't imagine a better person for it than his favorite author.

What happened next is pretty amazing. Nachu received an advance copy of Turtledove's next novel, which hits stores in July. The author also agreed to spoil the entire War series in a phone call (or possible face-to-face meeting) with Nachu. Watch the unveiling of this scheme above, and pack a handkerchief.

http://io9.com/5887804/scifi-author-spoils-his-entire-book-series-for-terminally-ill-fan?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_twitter&utm_source=io9_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[TheWraith]

1. That is pretty damned awesome.

I've read one of Turtledove's earlier series, and I know he's a pretty good writer. But to do that for a fan, that's real dedication to your readers.

[Justice wanted]

2. Another Celebrity going above and beyond for a ill fan.

[niyad]

3. k and r--it is so good to hear about someone who is caring and decent, and doing something

truly special. . .

haven't read his stories, but will look them up now.

[TheWraith]

6. I highly recommend the "Worldwar" series.

It sounds like a bizarre premise at first: an alternate history in which World War II is inconveniently interrupted in the spring of 1942 by an alien invasion. But it's amazingly well written, well researched, and generally intelligent, with quite a few twists. For one thing, practically half of the series is written from the perspective of the aliens, who didn't expect to find opposition from an industrialized society--their own culture evolves very slowly, and they didn't think the humans on Earth could have changed that much in the 400 local years since their last intelligence sweep. Meanwhile you have the human factions suddenly forced into somewhat of a tenuous truce, but each still jockeying for power and to turn the alien threat against their enemies, particularly the Third Reich and the Soviet Union.

The humans see themselves being overrun by a massively superior enemy force that features supersonic strike aircraft, silent and almost unkillable tanks, and guided missiles unlike anything they've ever seen before. And the Race sees themselves dying the death of a thousand cuts, since they have only the matériel and ammunition brought with them from their homeworld, and every missile launched or vehicle the humans manage to kill is one they cannot replace. It's rare to see a fictional war depicted with such reality that both sides can feel tinged with a sense of desperation.

It's also rare to see a series of novels that's so richly detailed and brings in a level of realism to even the little things like social interactions: 1940s closeted and not so closeted gay characters, giving even the "good guys" character flaws and period-accurate attitudes on race, and the fact that anyone can die at any time, for no better reason than you stepped on a landmine.

[Fumesucker]

18. My favorite scene in that entire series is comrade Molotov flying to Berlin from Moscow..

With a Nachthexen pilot in a WWI era biplane..

http://mysite.pratt.edu/~rsilva/witches.htm

Evidently Molotov was afraid of flying and that's about as terrifying a flight as I can readily imagine.

[niyad]

20. thank you, will definitely check that series out.

[Muskypundit]

22. That is my favorite book series hands down.

I love harry turtledove.

[zappaman]

4. Big k & R! nt

[Neue Regel]

5. Awesome! That reminds me of the little girl who wanted to see 'Up!' before she did

Warning - another tear jerker

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/19/national/main5098924.shtml

June 19, 2009

Colby Curtin got her final wish. The 10-year-old girl desperately wanted to see the new Disney-Pixar movie, "Up." But the cancer-stricken girl was too sick to go to a theater. Thanks to a family friend who got in touch with the movie studio Pixar, an employee of the Emeryville-based company arrived at Colby's home with a DVD copy of the movie, The Orange County Register reported Friday. The girl died later that night.

Colby's mother, Lisa, said she had asked her daughter if she could hang on until the movie arrived. I'm ready (to die), but I'm going to wait for the movie," she said her daughter replied.

Colby, who was diagnosed with vascular cancer in 2005, saw previews for the film in April. "It was from then on, she said, 'I have to see that movie. It is so cool,"' family friend Carole Lynch said. But the girl's health began to deteriorate. On June 4, Curtin asked a hospice company to bring a wheelchair so that her daughter could go to a movie theater but the chair was not delivered over the weekend, Curtin said. By June 9, Colby was too sick to go anywhere.

Another family friend, Terrell Orum, called both Pixar and Disney, which owns the animation studio. The message was received by Pixar officials, who agreed to send someone to Colby's house the next day with a copy of "Up" for a private screening, Orum said. The employee arrived with the DVD, stuffed animals of characters and other movie memorabilia.

Colby was unable to open her eyes to see the movie so her mother described the scenes. When her mother asked if she enjoyed it, the girl nodded, Curtin said. The Pixar employee left after the movie, taking the DVD, which has not been released. Lynch, who was with the family during the screening, said the employee's "eyes were just welled up." A call to Pixar seeking comment was not immediately returned Friday.

Colby, with her parents nearby, died later that night.

[ecstatic]

13. So sad ::( nt

[Ohio Dem]

7. That's a cool story.

I've never read that author, but will check him out. I doubt I'm alone.

[anagrammy]

8. I brake for authors like this

Can't do much about Syria or gas prices, but I sure can support and author like that. I will definitely look up Turtledove next time I'm at the bookstore and I will buy it there, keeping two activities alive that I support: kindness and the local bookstore.

Carry On!

[The Straight Story]

9. Thanks and welcome to DU! (nt)

[OneGrassRoot]

14. Beautiful!

[center]

Our Collective Good is where we Manifest Wisdom. Wishadoo! is where we put it into Action.[/center]

[niyad]

21. welcome to DU

[BlueIris]

10. Nice. Really, really nice. nt

[quinnox]

11. Well, I think I'm going to pick up a Harry Turtledove book next time

I'm shopping at Amazon. Never read him before, but what a classy thing he did here.

[mainer]

12. Wow, the author really had to had faith that this was true

I'm glad it worked out. Because it could have been a brilliant way to get JK Rowling to spill the beans on her series, too. Authors have to deal with this kind of thing all the time.

[OneGrassRoot]

15. MOST awesome!

Love your sharings, The Straight Story!

Gonna post this at OCG now...







[center]

Our Collective Good is where we Manifest Wisdom. Wishadoo! is where we put it into Action.[/center]

[Ron Obvious]

16. From the subject line I thought this was going to be something else

Now that's a really nice story about a classy author to read over breakfast!

I know the word 'spoiler' has become very mainstream, but from the subject line I thought this was going to be something very different.

[Javaman]

17. I have read quite a number of Turtledoves books...

this is a wonderful thing for him to do.

[MurrayDelph]

19. I've never read any of his stuff,

but I have met and talked to him in the Green Room of a couple of conventions, and this story does not surprise me; he struck me as a very nice man.