Dr. Heather Kathleen Forest Osborne (03 June 1981–20 September 2024) was a lifelong writer of short speculative fiction, a debut novelist, and a proud member of several fandoms. She was the Associate Editor of Foundation: The International Journal of Science Fiction published by the University of Liverpool, and a presenter at numerous conferences, including the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts (ICFA). Dr. Osborne completed her doctorate in creative writing at the University of Calgary in 2018, after her time in England, and focused on Science Fiction Studies. Her short stories and creative nonfiction were included in several anthologies, most recently in 2021’s Seasons Between Us, and she published her first novel, Songbroken, in 2022.

Appreciative of life in all its facets, Dr. Osborne was a loving mom and wife who enjoyed the wilderness and a wide range of outdoor recreation. She loved being a teacher, loved storytelling, and mostly, loved sharing these things with others.

Aware of her own terminal illness, Dr. Osborne left us with her own joy:

“My favourite parts of this life was sitting down one-on-one with a student and discussing a concept, and seeing that ‘Oh!’ moment in their eyes when something clicked. That’s a feeling I’ve been chasing all my life as well! Learning is like climbing a spiral staircase—you will keep coming back around to the same ideas, but each time with a slightly higher understanding. I love that about learning and about teaching.” In her conclusion, she wanted us to know: “I’ve lived a full life with people I love.”

Heather Osborne lived 43 years.