Michael Davis, who runs the Lovecraft eZine, reports that Wilum Pugmire was hospitalized on Thanksgiving due to heart problems, and has been given a distressing diagnosis.

According to Mike:

He told me that the prognosis keeps getting worse each day—the doctors are, in his words, treating him like a terminal patient. He said he honestly does not know if he’s going to die or not. However, he’s in really great spirits. He told me that if he does die, he has accomplished everything he set out to do. He had the goal years ago of wanting to be known as a Lovecraftian writer, and he feels he has done that. I replied that not only has he accomplished it, but that I agree with Will Hart—he is the world’s greatest living Lovecraftian writer.

He has a relative bringing him a couple of Lovecraftian books tomorrow—he says if he dies, he wants to do it with a Lovecraft book on his chest.

In addition to being a wonderful writer, Wilum is also a heck of a lot of fun to hang around with, which we did a lot of during the 2008 World Horror Convention in Salt Lake City (among other places):

I’d been hoping to see him again in March when the WHC returned to Salt Lake City. And I’m still hoping. What do doctors know anyway? After all, Cthulhu wants Wilum healthy, and Cthulhu chews up doctors and spits them out.

Wilum is also a frequent video blogger, and in his most recent upload, made the day before his hospitalization, he explains why he’d like to live a bit longer:

In any case, if you’d like to send Wilum some words of support, head on over to Lovecraft eZine, because Mike’s going to print out all our comments Monday and get them to Wilum.

Feel better, Wilum. Yog-Sothoth commands it!