Coincidence and Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials

Some of you are aware that my new job keeps me very much on the move. I found out on Wednesday that I needed to fly out to New Jersey on Thursday for an all day meeting on Friday (today). Everything was going fine, at the airport on time, a good parking place, short security lines followed by a quick train ride to my concourse. 

I boarded and found my seat, I was in the aisle seat (my preference, although when I booked the flight I was in the dreaded middle seat) and boarded before the other two passengers in my row so I knew I would be standing. My seatmates this time were a 93 year old mother and her 74 year old daughter heading out to the wedding of the 52 year old daughter/granddaughter (I'm guessing that this was a second marriage but didn't ask). Very chatty, which I usually abhor, but it was more than chatter, it was genuinely intelligent conversation and made for a fast flight.

At one point the grandmother, by the window, leans over and asks me if I know anything about science fiction, and if I had read Wayne Barlowe. Well, to be honest, it took me a moment to place the name and then I blurted out the title of the book "Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials" she smiled and said that's the guy. I was a bit stunned, that book was required reading amongst my group of friends back in '79 when it was released.

They insisted that I walk with them back towards baggage claim where the daughter and Wayne were suppose to pick them up. They happily introduced me to Wayne and I was able to shake hands with one of the idols from my teenage years (apparently he was only 21 when he wrote that book, he's only 5 years older than me). It made a long day of travel very enjoyable. What I didn't know is that he has written more books but didn't really publish again until the '90s, so now I have some catching up to do.

I can't post without a picture so I managed to find one of the cover of the edition I have, which I think I purchased through the Science Fiction Book Club.