Paul Thompson Remembers Aron Eisenberg

Aron Eisenberg

Aron originated the Traveling Players of Gilean concept. As I recall, he met Margaret at a con and they talked a while, revealing that Aron was a Dragonlance fan. An anthology was mooted, and Wizards bought the concept.

I was asked to collaborate with Aron and turn one of his story ideas into a novella for the anthology. Though we talked on the phone many times, we couldn’t agree on a plot. Our differences weren’t acrimonious; he just never could settle on an idea. Every phone produced a fountain of ideas, plots, subplots, and characters. Every time I worked Aron’s concepts into a workable outline, he wanted to add more, change things, etc. Eventually I gave up. I believe he did end up collaborating with Jean Rabe.

He was a nice fellow, effervescent, bursting with humor and ideas. I just couldn’t pin him down to the mundane task of agreeing to a workable plot. I regret his passing; I never heard from him after The Players of Gilean was published.

About Paul B. Thompson

Paul B. Thompson is the author of eleven books, including many Dragonlance novels co-written with Tonya C. Cook. Their Barbarians trilogy includes Children of the Plains, Brother of the Dragon, and Sister of the Sword. When asked to name his favorite among his own novels, he always says "the newest one." He believes fiction writing is a progressive craft, and tries to improve his technique with each new work. His early ambition was to write historical novels, but finding no market for them in the late '80s, he turned his hand to fantasy and science fiction. His favorite writers in the genre include Alfred Bester, Cordwainer Smith, and L. Sprague de Camp. Paul lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with his wife Elizabeth and a ponderous collection of books, video tapes, and an aging PC.
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