Escape Artists

Escape Pod => Science Fiction Discussion => Topic started by: Talia on October 17, 2010, 08:03:26 PM

Title: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: Talia on October 17, 2010, 08:03:26 PM

I had no idea, and figured some of you might not have known that either (watch, everyone else knew that and you'll all point and laugh at my ignorance).

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: jrderego on October 17, 2010, 08:30:22 PM

Quote from: Talia on October 17, 2010, 08:03:26 PM

I had no idea, and figured some of you might not have known that either (watch, everyone else knew that and you'll all point and laugh at my ignorance).

He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. (I'm not pointing but my finger's ready just in case).

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: eytanz on October 18, 2010, 06:54:13 AM

*Points and laughs*

Actually, I didn't know it either, and I'm trying to hide my own ignorance ;)

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: Talia on October 18, 2010, 10:29:32 AM

Hehe, whew. Not totally alone, anyway :P

Yeah, I'd heard that about the blood transfusion - same thing as Arthur Ashe, apparently. And the doctors advised the family to keep it quiet.

I just thought it was very interesting, because unlike Ashe there was never, that I recall, a huge amount of publicity about it.

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: Robert Mammone on October 18, 2010, 10:51:44 AM

Quote from: Talia on October 18, 2010, 10:29:32 AM

Hehe, whew. Not totally alone, anyway :P

Yeah, I'd heard that about the blood transfusion - same thing as Arthur Ashe, apparently. And the doctors advised the family to keep it quiet.

I just thought it was very interesting, because unlike Ashe there was never, that I recall, a huge amount of publicity about it.

Really?  I thought it was common knowledge amongst genre fans.  Certainly, I read about it in Locus Magazine at least 10 years ago.

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: Talia on October 18, 2010, 12:11:22 PM

I guess it missed a few of us. A friend posted about in facebook and had a series of "I hadn't heard that.." responses, so I figured maybe it wasn't widespread knowledge.

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: Heradel on October 18, 2010, 01:39:28 PM

I think it's something that you've probably seen if you've read about Asimov the man (I found out when I was on his wikipedia page for something unrelated a year or two ago), but for quite a few of us who mainly just read his novels and reference books there's no real way we'd know.

Title: Re: Apparently, Asimov died from complications of HIV.
Post by: ElectricPaladin on October 18, 2010, 01:43:39 PM

Quote from: jrderego on October 17, 2010, 08:30:22 PM

Quote from: Talia on October 17, 2010, 08:03:26 PM

I had no idea, and figured some of you might not have known that either (watch, everyone else knew that and you'll all point and laugh at my ignorance).

He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. (I'm not pointing but my finger's ready just in case).

If it makes you feel any better, I knew about the AIDS but I wasn't clear on how he'd caught it - now I know.