Rolling Toast to Honor Greg Bear

By Astrid Bear: This weekend there will be a Rolling Toast to honor Greg Bear. This is a tradition that began in the Gunroom of HMS Surprise, a group that Astrid Bear is a member of.  Many of whose members have met and care about Greg and Astrid.

The Rolling Toast emulates a rolling broadside from the Age of Sail warfare. We each “fire” our toasts as the clock reaches the appointed hour. Thus the toast rolls around the world for 25 hours. Astrid and Greg’s family will have the option to end the toast with another toast on the 25th hour of the rolling toast.

The Toast will begin with Astrid at 4:21 PM Pacific Coast (USA) Time on Saturday the 26th, as the sun goes down. All those in that time zone are invited to raise a glass and toast Greg at that time. As that hour reaches each of us in the following time zone we will join the rolling toast, by raising our own glasses to honor Greg.

Since the toast will cross the international dateline, those on the other side of that line will pick up the toast on Sunday the 27th at 4:21 PM. The toast rolls towards the west from the Seattle area starting point, so most folks in the US will pick it up on Sunday.

This toast is to honor Greg and can be anything that you wish, alcoholic or not. It is very much the spirit (not the spirits) that count.

Feel free to post here with a note about the beverage of your choice.

20 thoughts on “Rolling Toast to Honor Greg Bear

  1. Not sure how to make this work on a practical level, but it would be lovely if there was a Zoom room left open for the 25 hours, so that at about 16 past the hour everyone in that time zone could log in and raise a glass simultaneously in virtual space. Just wishful thinking, but if it happens I’d love to participate x

  2. Another idea, besides a Zoom…set up a Facebook Events page, and those who are fans of Greg can go there and post pictures of themselves hoisting their toast to the man.

  3. I’m toasting Greg Bear with a glass of port. Thanks for so many great stories and endless ideas.

    “So much to learn, and so much change to look forward to. Each day I breathe deeply, count my choices and realize how lucky we are.” — Greg Bear, Eon

  4. Cynthia and I toasted him with Wright and Brown, craft distilled not far from us in West Oakland.

    Comfort to Astrid and the family. May he be without care, in a place where he needs and wants to be.

  5. A note from Astrid Bear:

    “I sit here near Seattle WA as the skies darken. It’s been an overcast day with occasional rain, so there is no hope of a golden sunset here at ground level. In my glass is a wee dram of Zaya rum from Trinidad and Tobago, one of Greg’s favorites. I am hearted to consider this toast rolling along the globe as sunset travels westward. I know people will be toasting in Australia, Europe, and the Americas, as each in their turn see the shadows draw long.

    “The memories of Greg will remain with those of us who knew and loved him for many years to come. His books will live on for many more years, even centuries. And that is a grand thing.

    “To Greg!”

    Astrid Bear

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  8. Toasted Greg from rainy Boston, MA, with Writers Tears (Irish whiskey), a Subutai medallion and a painting of hummigbird. Love to Astrid and the kids x

  9. A toast at 4:21 EST from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. We only ever met through the pages of books, but the impact from the first of his books I read (Blood Music) through latest I’ve read (Hull Zero Three) will remain with me for the rest of my life. I feel the loss.

    Sally Erickson

  10. From Portsmouth, Ohio at 4:21 EST, with ginger liqueur and rum: Greg Bear, rest in peace.

  11. We did ours at the top of the cycle, at Loscon. I was moderating an interview with the musical guest of honor, and had a quiet alarm set. When the guest finished his sentence and took a breath, I asked people to raise their glasses to Greg Bear, a longtime Loscon speaker. So what if most of our glasses held water? What’s in the glass was less important than what’s in our hearts.

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