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: Vonda N. McIntyre
Nebula Award winning author Vonda N. McIntyre (b.1948) died on April 1. McIntyre began publishing in 1970 with the short story “Breaking Point,” which appeared in the February issue of Venture. In 1974, McIntyre short story “Wings” appeared on both the Nebula…
In Memoriam: Russell L. Bates
Author and screenwriter Russell L. Bates (b.1941) died on April 9, 2018. Bates attended Clarion in 1973, by which time he had already published the short stories “Legion,” “Get with the Program,” and “A Modest Proposal.” Bates also sold the story “…
In Memoriam: Janet Asimov
Janet Asimov (b. Janet O. Jeppson, 1926) died on February 25. Along with writing, Jeppson has had a long and successful career as a psychiatrist, publishing numerous scientific articles under the name Janet O. Jeppson, and serving as a popular…
Russell Bates: A Remembrance
In Memoriam: Betty Ballantine
Betty Ballantine (b. Elizabeth Jones, 1919) died on February 12. Ballantine introduced paperbacks to the United States and co-founded Bantam Books in 1945 with her husband Ian. Later on, the publishing company launched the Ballantine Adult Fantasy line and then…
In Memoriam: Carol Emshwiller
Author Carol Emshwiller (b.Carol Fries, April 12, 1921) died on February 2nd, 2019. Ms. Emshwiller began publishing science fiction in 1954, with the story “Built for Pleasure.” Emshwiller built a reputation as a short fiction author and Ursula Le Guin said…
In Memoriam: K.C. Ball
Photo: K.C. Ball K.C. Ball suffered a fatal heart attack on August 26. Ball attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2010 and Launch Pad in 2011. She served as the publisher and editor of 10Flash Quarterly, an…
In Memoriam: Harlan Ellison
Grand Master Harlan Ellison (b.1934) died on June 28, 2018. Ellison began his professional career in 1956 with the publication of the short story “Glowworm” in Infinity Science Fiction. Prior to that time, he was active in science fiction fandom. During…
In Memoriam: Gardner Dozois
Gardner Dozois (b. 1947) died on May 27, 2018. Dozois won fifteen Hugo Awards for his editing and back-to-back Nebula Awards for his short stories “The Peacemaker” and “Morning Child.” He had a long career as an author and was one…
In Memoriam: Mary Rosenblum
Photo by Cat Sparks Mary Rosenblum (b.1952) was killed on March 11 when the small plane she was piloting crashed near Battle Ground, Washington. Rosenblum’s debut novel, The Drylands, received the Compton Crook Award and was…
In Memoriam: Kate Wilhelm
Kate Wilhelm (b.1928) died on March 8. Wilhelm was one of the founders of SFWA. Two years ago, SFWA named the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award in her honor. Wilhelm began publishing science fiction in 1956 with her short story “The Pint-Sized…
In Memoriam: Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin (b.1929) died on January 22. Le Guin was named a Damon Knight Grand Master by the SFWA in 2003. Le Guin’s wrote for all ages and her Earthsea cycle, beginning with The Wizard of Earthsea, introduced…
In Memoriam: Julian May
In Memoriam: Dr. Yoji Kondo (a.k.a Eric Kotani)
Dr. Yoji Kondo, known to science fiction readers as Eric Kotani, passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Yoji Kondo was an astrophysicist at NASA/GSFC, where he served as Director of the NASA International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite observatory,…
In Memoriam: ElizaBeth A. Gilligan (Lace)
ElizaBeth A. Gilligan (Lace), died in her sleep on the morning on October 9, 2017 after a battle with cancer. Gilligan published her first short story, Evolution,” in 1990 and began writing as a columnist for Midnight Zoo in 1991. Subsequent short stories appeared…