Jim Baen, who founded the very successful publishing company that bears his name, passed away yesterday, some two weeks after suffering a massive stroke. Unlike many of the celebrities I eulogize here, I have no personal feelings toward or about Mr. Baen. I know his name, and I’ve undoubtedly read something he published, but that’s about it. Still, I was moved by the tribute written for him by his friend, the science-fiction author David Drake:

[In his last conversation with Baen, Drake] said that when I was sure my career was tanking–

 

“You thought that? When was that?”

 

In the mid ’90s, I explained, when Military SF was going down the tubes with the downsizing of the military. But when I was at my lowest point, which was very low, I thought, “I can write two books a year. And Jim will pay me $20K apiece for them–”

 

“I’d have paid a lot more than that!”

 

And I explained that this wasn’t about reality: this was me in the irrational depths of real depression. And even when I was most depressed and most irrational, I knew in my heart that Jim Baen would pay me enough to keep me alive, because he was that sort of person. …I could not get so crazy and depressed that I didn’t trust Jim Baen to stand by me if I needed him. I don’t know a better statement than that to sum up what was important about Jim, as a man and as a friend.

Sounds like a decent guy. Too bad there are so few of those out there…