SFWA’s In Memoriam marks the loss of writers and other science fiction and fantasy creators by celebrating their literary legacies and their contributions to the publishing community. The person whose loss we are marking does not have to be a SFWA member. It is enough that they contributed to the world of SFF and leave behind people who wish to honor their life and work. Please contact publications@sfwa.org if you wish for us to add an entry for a recently lost creator to the list.
In Memoriam: H. Paul Honsinger
H. Paul Honsinger (21 January 1960 – 23 August 2020) was a military science fiction novelist and SFWA member best known for his Man of War military thriller series, full of gritty and accurate depictions of military culture. He had…
In Memoriam: Rekka Jay
Rekka Jay (30 April 1980–18 July 2023), also known as R J Theodore, was a science fiction and fantasy writer, graphic designer, and a SFWA member and volunteer who was always generous with their time and expertise. They authored many…
In Memoriam: Nick Wood
Nick Wood (1961–June 2023) was an author dedicated to writing science fiction for social change and promoting the visibility of science fiction written by Africans. Born in what is now Zambia, he also lived in the United States and Aotearoa…
In Memoriam: Rachel Pollack
Rachel Pollack (17 August 1945 – 7 April 2023) was a prolific and groundbreaking comics and science fiction writer and world-renowned expert on the Tarot. She was known for a writing style that blended speculative fiction and spirituality, and her…
In Memoriam: John Jakes
John Jakes (31 March 1932 – 11 March 2023) was a prolific, best-selling author known for detailed and character-rich historical fiction, as well as science fiction, fantasy, sword and sorcery, pulp, mystery, and nonfiction. Realizing the inherent power of historical…
In Memoriam: John D. Teehan
John D. Teehan (11 January 1967 – 23 February 2023), was a writer, publisher, and gamer, known for his warm spirit and generosity. John followed his passion for writing to found the Merry Blacksmith Press, publishing numerous science fiction, fantasy,…
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….
In Memoriam: David Sherman
David Sherman Photo supplied by Danielle Ackley-McPhail David Sherman (27 February 1944 – 16 November 2022) was a prolific and beloved writer of science fiction and military fiction. Born in Niles, Ohio, Sherman joined the Marine Corps out of high…
In Memoriam: Suzy McKee Charnas
Suzy McKee Charnas (22 October 1939–02 January 2023) was a groundbreaking feminist science-fiction and horror writer and beloved Clarion West teacher. Originally from New York City, where she also studied, she lived and wrote from New Mexico for over 60…
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…
In Memoriam: Greg Bear
Photo by Richard Man. Some of SFWA’s Past Presidents gathered at the 2015 Chicago SFWA Nebula Conference (from left to right, Michael Capobianco, Steven Gould, Cat Rambo, Russell Davis, Greg Bear, and Joe Haldeman.) Author and…
In Memoriam: Herbert W. Franke
Herbert W. Franke (May 14, 1927–July 16, 2022) was an author, artist, and physicist born in Austria. Franke moved from Vienna to Munich after earning his doctorate in theoretical physics. Throughout the 1950s, he published primarily nonfiction, including works on…
In Memoriam: Eric Flint
Eric Flint (February 6, 1947–July 17, 2022) was an author, editor, publisher, and a member of SFWA. He won the fourth quarter Writers of the Future contest in 1993 and published his first novel, Mother of Demons, in 1997. In…
In Memoriam: Patricia A. McKillip
Patricia A. McKillip (February 29, 1948–May 6, 2022) began publishing fantasy in 1973 with the novel The House on Parchment Street and the novella The Throme of the Erril of Sherill. Over the next few years, she published the award-winning…
In Memoriam: Bill Johnson
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…