It would be inaccurate to claim that Sid Haig was 'huge' in the realm of Science Fiction but, perhaps, not that far off-base to claim he was about as serious a genre irregular as one gets.

His nearly 150 credits on IMDB.com certainly show solid inroads into Horror -- the genre he's largely most recognized from -- but there's some meaty SciFi and Fantasy work stuck in there as well if you're looking closely.   Maybe I'm just an "old coot" because I certainly remember him from appearances aboard TV's camp classic Batman, the original (and still the best) Star Trek, and the Saturday morning classic Jason Of Star Command.  Still, I'd honestly completely forgotten THX 1138 (1971) and his visits to Buck Rogers In The 25th Century.  Sid had so many great opportunities to chew scenery, and chew with the best of them he did.

Alas, the man has passed on now, but his work remains, and it will no doubt continue to inspire.  Even when cast as the heavy (typecastig was something that the actor learned to resent about the entertainment business), he turned in solid work as somehow worthy of your fear AND admiration.

​May he rest in peace ...

Ardent fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- often jokingly referred to as the red-headed stepchild of Trek -- will tell you that one of the show's most effective qualities was its ongoing usage of background and/or supporting characters within major plotlines.  Unlike other SciFi programs on the air, DS9 made exceptional use of these players, oft times giving them relatively major developments -- "character arcs," as they've been called -- that were entirely organic and not screenwriting creations in order to manufacture drama.  DS9 made its living on its dramatic developments, and that's arguably why so many Trek enthusiasts wish its particular corner of the Alpha Quadrant would get visited again.

In any event, there's sad news to report today as one of the show's semi-regulars has passed: the always enthusiastic Aron Eisenberg left our world late yesterday for whatever lies beyond.

I caught the news on social media yesterday evening of his hospitalization for critical condition, but the specifics were understandably light.  Those who know Aron's own personal journey know that he was born with one kidney, a condition that plagued him somewhat over the years.  Though I've yet to read it confirmed on the web that this played into his last days, I think it's safe to suspect as much.  Leaving the world behind at the ripe young age of 50 only adds to the pain of this announcement: that's far too young for a young who showed such enthusiasm for life, a lesson all of us could benefit from learning.

Prayers and salutations to those who knew him well, and DS9's little corner of the greater Trek mythology has lost a bit of its luster today.