Chris R. Tame, R.I.P.

We are losing giants of the libertarian movement. Two years ago, we got the sad news that Samuel Edward Konkin III (SEK3) of the Movement of the Libertarian Left had died unexpectedly. Now Dr. Chris R. Tame has lost his fight against a virulent form of bone cancer, diagnosed only last Summer.

From the announcement by Mario Huet on Libertarian Alliance Forum:

It is with the greatest regret that I must announce the death this afternoon of Dr Chris R Tame, founder and President of the Libertarian Alliance.

His end was peaceful. With him to the end were Helen Evans and Petica Evans, and Sean Gabb.

Sean will make a longer announcement in due course.

Greatest regret, indeed. Aside from his monumental influence on the libertarian movement in the UK (of which you can learn more from this recorded tribute if you've got broadband), Chris had an immense personal influence on many of us. I will never forget his kindness in publishing so much of my work through the Libertarian Alliance, and the constructive criticism and encouragement I received.

In recent weeks, the LA Forum email list has been awash with tributes from people whose first real encounter with libertarianism was meeting Chris in the Alternative Bookshop back in the '80s, with Elvis blaring in the background. One such encounter, by science fiction writer Ken MacLeod, helped influence his unique blend of post-Trotskyism, free market liberalism, and cyberpunk (see here for his account of it).

Chris was an enemy of corporatism in all its ugly forms, and an Objectivist who tirelessly battled Randroid twits from the ARI and the Objectivist Center.

He will be greatly missed by many, and his work will be missed by the world.

But the work of the Libertarian Alliance, among his greatest concerns in his last days, will continue.