Patrick Heffernan, bookseller, collector, and craftsman, died in December. He was 57.
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| Patrick Heffernan (l.) with Pierce Brown at Comic-Con International 2023. | |
Heffernan began his bookselling career at B. Dalton Bookseller and later spent more than 25 years as a bookseller and so much more at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, Calif. He continued his passion for handselling and preserving physical books as the proprietor of EverythingAboutBooks.com, producing custom-built slipcases. As recounted by friends and colleagues, "His career in the book industry was an expression of his passion for reading, and for the collection, care, restoration, and preservation of rare and important works."
Terry Gilman, co-founder of Mysterious Galaxy, said, "Patrick was part of our story for over 30 years, since the first day we opened Mysterious Galaxy in May, 1993. When we worked together, it was a partnership in every way. I was warmed by his hugs when we were together, learned from his bookselling expertise, and impressed by his ingenuity. He could do the impossible: plan the move (multiple times!) of an entire store's inventory and fixtures to a new location in a single day, create beautiful book boxes that are works of art I will always treasure, and discover the next amazing genre author for us all to read and love. He loved all things book-related and to that end, dedicated his passion and effort to every task he took on. It is hard to imagine a book world without him."
Mysterious Galaxy lead bookseller and horror maven R.J. Crowther, Jr. added, "For 30 years, Patrick was my bookseller guru, and a champion of new voices in fiction. More than that, he became a brother to me, and made me a better reader and writer. Patrick's passing was not the final chapter: his story continues in the hearts of everyone who loved him and for all those with whom he shared the magic of stories. Love you, Big Bro."
Author Pierce Brown wrote, "Patrick was one of my first supporters. As a young writer, I cherished the early review he gave my debut novel and the nights of debating Tolkien semantics over beers. In time, I came to love him as a friend. He was fierce in his loyalty, generous with his time, devoted to his friends, and true in his love for science fiction and fantasy. I'll miss him like hell now that he's passed into the Gray Havens, and that would probably make him smirk and roll his eyes."
Author Charlaine Harris shared: "Patrick and I were friends from the first time we met each other, in the way people are who don't get to spend a lot of time together. He was so knowledgeable about the science fiction world, books, about other writers, all the things I cared about. We could talk about books endlessly. I was honored he'd enjoyed a few of mine. Patrick really enjoyed being a werewolf in one of my stories, and we traded jokes about that back and forth every time we e-mailed. I never saw Patrick without smiling, I never said goodbye to him without regret."