Remember 1992? MagiCon? The Hugo Awards? The Best Fanzine Hugo? Remember how the envelope given MC Spider Robinson had Lan’s Lantern written on it and the slide projected above the stage read Mimosa? Remember how poor Spider and poor “Lan” Lascowski, bless him, had to come out and reveal there had been an awful mistake? Remember how, when Mimosa was announced as the true winner, a stunned Rich Lynch wandered the aisle in a daze, looking for his co-editor - and wife? And how we shut the ceremony down chanting “We want Nicki! We want Nicki!” until they brought Nicki Lynch out to give her acceptance speech, which was “Thanks, guys!”?

Remember all that? Remember ConFrancisco, the following year? Remember Nicki’s second Hugo acceptance speech? The one I’ve parodied as “That’s right, Rich! Everyone should do fanzines because they are nice!”?

The Lynchi have picked up four other Hugos since then. But as much as you remember, I’ll bet I remember more ...

I remember when Rich and Nicki lived in Chattanooga and revolutionized printed fanac in the South. I remember Chat, their outstanding newszine - which introduced to fandom the merry maniacs of Knoxville, including Charlie Williams, whose brilliance adorned the Noreascon 4 program book. I remember when they hosted Chattacon, and a Corflu, and won the Rebel Award for their contributions to the region. I remember when they tried to ignite interest in a regional genzine and, when that didn’t fly, created Mimosa.

I remember when I created Challenger, how Rich and Nicki encouraged me to enter the universe of genzines - and, whenever I’d lose a Hugo to them, how they simply said, “You’ll get there!”

But mostly I remember friendship. “Mistying” Indiana Jones in ‘Nooga. Scarfing superb BBQ in Birmingham. Gossiping and gabbing at a dozen worldcon chow-downs. Crawling miles of corridors at con after con over decades of friendship, friendship that has buoyed me up when fate’s waters have threatened to drag me under.

Sweet, square, noble, honest, caring, funny, generous, and cuter than a button. When Lynn Hickman learned Nicki Lynch’s full first name, he sang “Put another Nickilyn, in the nickelodeon ...” Impossible. There could never be another Nicki Lynch.

¶ 11:13 PM