SCIENCE FICTION PIONEER ANDRE NORTON (real name: Alice Mary Norton — her mother is the Mary Norton who wrote The Borrowers) is rather ill and could use some cheering up. Here’s an email from Mercedes Lackey:

After being sworn to secrecy, I have just been permitted to release this information. One of the seminal authors of our field, Andre Norton, is gravely ill. She was admitted to the hospital last Monday for surgery, and is still there. More to the point, her spirits have sunk to a life-threatening low. She needs to know just how highly regarded she is in our community, and she needs to know now.

“We” are keeping the location of the hospital and room “secret”, because she cannot have visitors and we don’t want to overwhelm her with autograph-hounds when she needs to be getting stronger, not being disturbed—this is already a problem as word of her illness has percolated into the local community in Tennessee. The hospital in question will deny that she is there.

Please send cards and letters to:

Andre Norton

114 Eventide Drive

Murfreesboro TN 37130

If you wish to send flowers, you may also send them to this address, but direct the florist to leave them on the porch if no one is home. Andre’s two friends who are caring for her will make sure they are brought to her, but they are spending most of the time at the hospital, and so may not be there. (If this gets to be a problem, arrangements will be made for frequent pick-up!) Please do not send food, as she is on a liquids-only diet.

You may send e-cards to:

Andre Norton

E-mail Address:

Again, her friends will make sure she gets to see them.

I read a lot of her stuff when I was young, and I imagine that many of you did too.