RIP: Kage Baker 1952-2010

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RIP: Kage Baker 1952-2010

Kage Baker has passed away this morning after a fierce struggle with cancer. She was best known for her Company novels, including In the Garden of Iden. For months, she had fought the uterine cancer privately, but the tumor spread to her brain.

The Green Man review posted this letter from her sister, Kathleen.

She died at 1:15 this morning. She had begun to have difficulty breathing early this evening; I gave her atropine and morphine for the breathing problems and the pain, but by about 8 PM she slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing she requested was to have her pillows adjusted – she said she was more comfortable, and after that she said nothing else. She became unresponsive very shortly thereafter, and by her own request, no heroic efforts were made.

Her sister Anne and nieces Kate and Emma were up this weekend, and watched with me for most of the evening. At about 1 AM her breathing got louder and lighter and more urgent, though her pupils were not responsive to light; there was a rush of bile from her mouth, and then she passed away very quietly in our arms.

Kage’s body will go to MedCure, a body donation program working on training surgery students. They will cremate it and return the ashes to me in about 3 weeks. Her ashes will then be scattered half from Catalina Island and half from Plaskett Creek beach near Big Sur.

For a beautiful appreciation of her, please visit Marty Halpern’s site to read “In the Company of Kage Baker”

Kage’s family and friends have our deepest sympathy. Science fiction has lost a brilliant light.

Tags: Kage Baker

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 31st, 2010 at 4:12 pm and is filed under In Memoriam, News, SFWA Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

22 Responses to “RIP: Kage Baker 1952-2010”

Kage Baker | Spontaneous ∂erivation Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 4:40 pm

[...] Man Review SFWA Announcement News on John Scalzi’s [...]
Mia Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 4:41 pm

Just a note, Kathleen is her sister, not her mother.
RIP Kage Baker : I Should Be Writing Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 4:45 pm

[...] Kage Baker, author of The Company novels and the brilliant The Empress of Mars novella, died this morning of cancer. More details can be found here. [...]
Mary Robinette Kowal Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 4:45 pm

Thank you. I’ll correct that.
In the company of Kage Baker « Christchurch City Libraries Blog Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 6:31 pm

[...] Donna, kage baker, Novels of the Company | Leave a Comment I’ve just read of the death of sci-fi writer Kage Baker and am moved to write and sing her praises of her Company series of books. I don’t know who [...]
distal muse » Blog Archive » Kage Baker, A Fine Writer, Gone Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 6:45 pm

[...] Following upon the previous post, Kage Baker has passed away. [...]
David Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 7:02 pm

Rest in peace.
Leah Estrin Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 7:18 pm

You will be missed by many.
Susan Casper Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 8:24 pm

Is there an address where condolences can be sent?
SonomaLass Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 10:14 pm

Condolences can probably be sent to her home address; I’m sure her family will be getting mail there.

Kage Baker
331 Stimson, Apt. B,
Pismo Beach CA 93449

E-mail address for Kathleen is materkb@gmail.com
Kat Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 10:26 pm

So very sad.
Kage Baker 1952-2010 | Fantasy Literature's Fantasy Book Reviews Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 10:27 pm

[...] We’re sad to announce the death of Kage Baker who died of cancer this morning. Ms. Baker is a favorite at FanLit (read some of our reviews of her work here). Here’s the the SFWA obituary. [...]
Alexandra Wolfe Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 10:35 pm

Indeed, she was a gifted storyteller and will be greatly missed. My heartfelt sympathies to her family, friends and fans.
Rina Weisman Says:
January 31st, 2010 at 11:53 pm

in tears upon hearing this…just so damned unfair. I’m sitting her reading the obituary, and looking at the books of hers on the library table, thinking it can’t be true, her books are right there and I just read them… Our condolences to her family.
Jackie Kashian Says:
February 1st, 2010 at 1:15 am

She was a great writer and had so many more stories to tell. My sincere condolences to her family and friends on their loss, which is so much more than to fans of her work. Peace and Love.
Tom Barclay Says:
February 1st, 2010 at 2:53 am

Condolences to Kate, the rest of the family, the Fair Folk, other friends, readers and acquaintances. This is a terrible loss.
Rudy Rucker Says:
February 1st, 2010 at 12:10 pm

What a shock to hear of Kage’s passing. “Death thou comest when I had thee least in mind.” She was an intense, witty writer. Her tales blossomed like little movies in the mind, with the creaking of wagons, the hubbub of crowds, the canny villains, the resourceful heroines, and the intriguing folk who were in between. My clearest memory of her is a rainy November day a couple of years ago when we did a shared reading at an art gallery in the North Beach party of San Francisco. She’d been working on a Dickens Faire set-up, and the larger-than-life sense of a classical Holiday entered the room with her and her retinue. I’ll miss you, Kage.
Talking Comics with Tim: Chris Roberson | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment Says:
February 1st, 2010 at 6:01 pm

[...] so this may be the last novel we get from her. [Unfortunately, Baker died on January 31, as noted here]) The trade edition is out in March from Tor, and everyone who doesn’t hate goodness owes it to [...]
RIP, Kage Baker | Like Fire Says:
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:16 am

[...] can read tributes to her from the SFWA, Marty Halpern, and George R. R. Martin. Martin’s conclusion: Flowers and donations and [...]
Kage Baker died. | Pittsburgh Alpha to Omega Says:
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:02 pm

[...] Kage Baker died this morning. She had uterine cancer, which spread to her brain. [...]
Jeannine Klein Says:
February 4th, 2010 at 3:24 pm

I came late to this information and am both shocked and saddened by it; trying hard not to tear up at work. Kage was always a lovely person (much nicer than Mendoza), both generous and witty, who wrote incredible books. We are all diminished by her passing.
gen kazdin Says:
February 4th, 2010 at 5:15 pm

Saddened by this loss. I had not read this before today. Thank you, Kage, and I wish you peace.

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