One of the coolest things about Facebook is that an unknown writer like myself can have the chance to be "friends" with some of his heroes. One such hero of mine, that I was fortunate enough to be Facebook friends with, was Gary Brandner.
When many people think of 70's horror names like Stephen King and Dean Koontz are dropped regularly. One name that I feel doesn't get mentioned enough though is in fact Gary Brandner. He was not only one of the very first genre writers I became addicted to but he single handedly made werewolves cooler than they have ever been with his Howling trilogy.
When I first started networking with other writers on Facebook one of the first names I looked up was Gary. He accepted my friend request and I was thrilled beyond words to have one of the all time greats amongst my elite. I never got to meet Gary but I did comment with him a few times on Facebook.
In an internet realm overcrowded with liberal hostility and political correctness Gary was a refreshingly fearless and brutal voice that might not always have been musical to those within range but his opinions and posts refused to be ignored. I have seen people literally (make that "liberally") freak out over some of the things that he would toss into the feedyard.
His contributions to the horror genre were what initially made me in awe of him. But it was his gung-ho presence and attitude on Facebook that made me admire him as a person beyond the writer.
Every time that I logged onto Facebook one of the things that actually made me joyful was wondering what Gary would post that day. I had noticed that he had not been posting for quite some time and even remarked to Filthy Regan that I hoped he was okay. About a week ago I actually went to his wall and thought of leaving a comment just saying something like "Hey, Gary! Hope things are well with you. Your posts are missed." I didn't and now more than ever I wish that I did because just days later I would find out about his death. From Facebook of course.
Gary was a legend in the horror genre. His stories will live forever because that is what writer's do. Live forever. He might not have exactly been a household name like King or Koontz. But he was an icon to me and those who knew their shit when it comes to good reading. Most of all though he was a one of a kind in a faceless and generic land of Facebooking political correctness. My heart goes out to his family and anyone else that he touched in his lifetime. He will be missed but never forgotten.
