July 12, 2001

11:05 AM

Gharlane of Eddore is dead. I wish this were only a rumor, but it doesn't look like it. One of USENET's legends, a man known only by a nom de plume borrowed (with permission) from an E.E. "Doc" Smith character, is gone. Read the USENET discussion following the announcement.
posted by webmutant (5 comments total)

This FAQ about him is pretty enlightening, as is this Usenet-posted pseudo-FAQ and the eulogy from James "Kibo" Parry.
posted by waxpancake at 11:22 AM on July 12, 2001

Was Gharlane really known only by his pseudonym? I read about his death in the Ansible science fiction newsletter this way:

_David Potter_ (1947-
2001), knowledgable and opinionated US sf fan who posted copiously on
Usenet as Gharlane of Eddore, died of a heart attack (apparently in his
sleep) on 10 June. E.E.Smith himself had approved his use of that
pseudonym from the Lensman books.

posted by rcade at 12:09 PM on July 12, 2001

His real name was not very widely known; even those who knew it generally kept it to themselves on Usenet, according to his wishes.
posted by kindall at 4:00 PM on July 12, 2001

Potter (known by a variety of names to non-USENET friends, not just Gharlane) was found in his home by his close friend, longtime online journaller Jan Yarnot. She has written about his death here and in several follow up entries since, including one from today. (She is administrator of his estate.) As curmudegonly as he was online, he has left behind many friends who are still devastated by the loss.
posted by Dreama at 5:28 PM on July 12, 2001

At least it's settled that he's not Harlan Ellison.

Man ... my first encounter with him must have been around '88, '89 at the latest. Hadn't spent much time on those groups recently, though. What a personality.

For the record, I always found him infinitely more interesting than Thaxton, who by playing his arch-nemesis only enhanced his stature -- such as it was.
posted by dhartung at 10:13 PM on July 12, 2001