By Allen Steele: I was notified about Greg Benford’s stroke on Dec. 28, a few days after it happened, by Naomi Fisher, his close friend and now caregiver, who was with Greg when the stroke happened. Although most of the SF community has been kept in the dark about this, mainly to give Greg the distance he and Naomi both need during this time, I’ve been in constant touch with Naomi since the last days of December, and just last night I talked with Greg himself for an hour or so, the first time we’ve had a conversation since the stroke. So I’m in a position to clarify things a bit.
First: Greg is not dying. He’s actually doing much better than he was only last week, when he was still in the hospital. He has been transferred to a rehabilitation center — “hey, they finally sent me to rehab” was one of the first things he said to me; when I heard that, I knew he was getting better — and although it’s likely that he’ll be there for awhile, he’s a long, long way from where he was seven weeks ago when things really were dicey. Alcor isn’t getting his noggin yet.
Second: Greg is not incoherent, nor is he in any sort of daze or unable to understand what’s spoken to him. As I said, we spent an hour on the phone (thus saving me from America’s annual exercise in boredom that we call the Super Bowl) and although he’s still a bit hoarse from being intubated for a long time, I understood everything he said to me and he understood everything I said to him. He even got it when I commented that where he is now is at least better than being in Cleveland.
And third, Greg is in good hands. Naomi Fisher, whom I’ve also known for years and years, has been with Greg constantly. As I mentioned earlier, she is responsible for his survival; if Naomi hadn’t been downstairs when she heard him fall in the shower, Greg would have died then and there. The lady is a brick; she deserves no end of gratitude for him surviving what would have doubtless been a fatal medical emergency
While they’re grateful for the public concern and support, what Greg really wants and needs just now is breathing room, a chance to step away for a while and quietly heal. He’ll be back, folks; my friend is tough, and he’s not leaving us yet.
[Steele’s update, initially left as a comment on File 770’s report about the December 22 stroke, has been published as a post with his permission.]
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Wonderful news!
Excellent news!
This is very good news indeed. Thanks for the update
Thanks, Allen for the good news.
And having Naomi is a blessing. I know how I felt, having Ellen when I had my surprise open heart surgery two years ago.
Thanks, Allen.
That’s wonderful news. Best wishes for a continued recovery.
Terrific news! We all hope he will recover to almost 100% of his former self!
Best wishes for full recovery!
The last book of his I read was The Berlin Project. It is a delight – an (alternate) history of physics and hard-SF crossover.
That’s wonderful to hear.
Thank you for the positive news
wonderful! Thanks for the good news Allen
Wonderful news, thank you Allen.
Any updates on this? Not being nosy, just looking to see that he’s improving. Met him at the last DragonCon, and he was quite spry then, so this has to be depressing to him. Hope he is getting better.
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Second RFI: Any updates on this? It’s been 10 months, now since the last update.
Hope that’s not a bad sign
Third RFI: Any updates on this? It’s been 12 months, now, since the last update from anywhere, 14 since the stroke… Not looking to pry, but it would be nice to at least know how he’s doing. I met him at the 2022 DragonCon, and he was remarkably spry. I truly hope he is recovering well by now.
I just asked his brother about how he’s doing, and he declined to comment.
My understanding is that Greg had improved to the point where he was able to attend the Vintage Paperback Collectors Show in Glendale, CA back in mid March. I do know that he was discharged from post-acute care some time before that, and had returned to his home. I’ve also heard that Greg attended Loscon back in November.
That’s what John Hertz wanted me to post. He could also have supplied an accurate description of Greg’s physical condition to go with it if he chose.