On the Memorial of his death (July 4, 2014), eSpec Books celebrates the life of CJ Henderson. He had a passion for fiction, food, movies, but above all, his family, especially Grace Tin Lo, Erica Henderson, and Iris Feng.

Most people only know CJ for his dealer’s room spiel, but he was so much more. CJ spent his life entertaining people with his writing, his shenanigans, and his grand ideas that he never failed to sell people on. He wrote or co-wrote over 70 novels, was the creative mastermind behind at least as many anthologies, and he never met someone else’s project that he didn’t like and have a story idea for within 30 seconds of hearing about it. He loved to cook for his family, run games of Call of Cthulhu for interested victims, and there was scarcely a movie made for good or bad that he didn’t find some way to enjoy, even if it was just in the mocking.

He loved Classic Trek and Starship Yomoto but if you ever spent any time visiting at his house, he likely treated you to a viewing of The Big Crime Wave in a MST3K sort of way.

Back in his misspent youth, he threw his all into Ronald E. Howard Day with his friends:

And as an adult he put on a clerical robes to officiate at a wedding for his daughter’s life-long friend:

You never knew what to expect from CJ, but you knew you better pay attention, because whether it was sharing stories (fictional or not) or imparting wisdom to aspiring creatives, CJ always had something to say and rarely would anyone regret listening, even if it did mean they walked away just a little more cash-poor but with a wealth of dreams.

God bless and keep you, CJ Henderson. You’ve made a lot of lives better by sharing yourself so freely with all of us.

Thank you for being my friend and a friend to eSpec Books.

Please check out The Society for the Preservation of CJ Henderson, in ebook and print, all proceeds to go to CJ’s family to help pay his remaining medical and funeral costs. Or to help the family directly you can donate to their You Caring account.