Archive for the ‘In Memoriam’ Category

In Memoriam – Marjorie Nelson Perisho

Marjorie Nelson Perisho (24 June 1939–29 December 2022), who also wrote under the names Marjorie Nelson and Majliss Larson, was a lifetime SFWA member.  Her Star Trek novel Pawns and Symbols, was published in 1985 and later translated into Serbian. Nelson Parisho earned a doctor of medicine and master’s of public health. For two years, […]

In Memoriam – Harris

Harris (b.1964) died on November 17 following a stroke. They wrote under the pennames Anne Harris, Jessica Freely, and Pearl North. Harris began publishing science fiction in 1991 with the short story “Chango Is a Dog.” Their first novel, The Nature of Smoke, followed in 1996.  In 1998, Harris won the inaugural Spectrum Award for their […]

In Memoriam – Greg Bear

Author and former SFWA President Greg Bear (b.1951) died on November 19 following a stroke after complications during heart surgery. Bear’s first short story, “Destroyers,” appeared in 1967 in Famous Science Fiction and his first novel, Hegira, was published in 1979. Bear won the Nebula Award for his novella “Hardfought” and his novels Moving Mars and Darwin’s Radio. His stories […]

In Memoriam – Bill Johnson (1956–2022)

Bill Johnson (October 4, 1956–March 17, 2022) began publishing science fiction in 1977 with the story “Stormfall,” which appeared in Kate Wilhelm’s anthology Clarion SF. Over the years, he published around 30 stories. His 1997 story “We Will Drink a Fish Together” earned him the Hugo Award for Best Novelette and an Asimov’s Readers’ Poll […]

In Memoriam: Jim Fiscus 1944-2021

The SFWA Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers are saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected death of long-time volunteer James W. Fiscus.  Known by his fellow volunteers and peers as Jim, he was an instrumental part of the organization. Setting foot in the SFF landscape in 1986, he published his first story, “A […]

In Memoriam – L. Neil Smith

L. Neil Smith (b.1946) died on August 27. Smith began publishing in 1980 with the story “Grimm’s Law” that appeared in Stellar 5. That same year, he published his first novel, The Probability Broach, which launched his North American Confederacy series.  In 1983, he published the Lando Calrissian series, among the earliest Star Wars tie-in novels. […]

In Memoriam – Don Sakers

Don Sakers (b.1958) died from a heart attack on May 17.  Sakers began publishing short fiction in 1983 and published two novels in the PsiScouts series with Phil Meade as well as the stand alone novel The Curse of the Zwilling. As an editor, he worked on the anthologies Carmen Miranda’s Ghost is Haunting Space […]

In Memoriam – Marvin Kaye

Anthologist Marvin Kaye (b.1938) died on May 13.  After working as a journalist, Kaye became a senior editor at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich before going freelance in 1970. His anthologies included the World Fantasy Award winning The Fair Folk, The Dragon Quintet, Witches and Warlocks, and Forbidden Planets. From 2004-2009 he edited H.P. Lovecraft’s Magazine of Horror and he edited Weird Tales from 2011 to 2014.  He wrote […]

In Memoriam – Jan Stirling

Jan Stirling (b.1950) died on May 8.  Stirling published her first story, “Were-Wench” in 1995 in the anthology Chicks in Chainmail and went on to publish stories in three additional volumes of the series.  She published a total of five solo short stories and an additional six stories written in collaboration with her husband, S.M. Stirling. […]

In Memoriam – Norton Juster

Author Norton Juster (b.1929) died on March 8.  Juster was working as an architect when he began work on a book on urban planning aimed at children. The book eventually became The Phantom Tollbooth, which has been adapted for the screen and stage. Juster also wrote The Dot and the Line. Other books included Alberic the Wise and […]