Literary Losses
Science fiction author Mike Resnick died Jan. 9, 2020, from lymphoma. He was 77. His daughter, the fantasy author Laura Resnick, announced the death on social media. Resnick’s short fiction won many awards, including multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards; his best-known novella is probably Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge. His 71 novels, written between 1969 and 2018, include the Starship series. Resnick also edited a number of anthologies and served as executive editor of the SFF magazine Jim Baen’s Universe. He is particularly remembered for his mentorship and helpfulness toward new/young authors.
Obituaries: Tor.com. Tributes: John Scalzi. Biographies and bibliographies: Goodreads; Wikipedia (biography); Wikipedia (list of works.)
Elizabeth Wurtzel, journalist and author of the bestselling memoir Prozac Nation and other works, died January 7, 2020, of metastic breast cancer. Wurzel chronicled her battles with depression and addiction in a series of memoirs and essays that received both acclaim and condemnation. Born in 1967, Wurtzel was only 52 when she died.
Obituaries: CNN; The Guardian; NPR. Tributes: Erica Wagner, in The Guardian. Biographies and bibliographies: Goodreads; Wikipedia.
Bookish News
- The 2019 RITA Awards have been cancelled after 300+ authors pulled their books from consideration due to the ongoing RWA debacle, and a number of judges also withdrew. (The Guardian)
- In related news, Kathryn Lynn Davis now claims RWA staff encouraged her to file the complaint against Courtney Milan. (The Guardian) She has also walked back claims that she lost a three-book contract because Milan called her 1999 book “a f*cking racist mess” for its depiction of Chinese-American women. (In my opinion, based on what Davis is now saying, it’s hard to tell if she is telling the truth, or simply trying to excuse her own actions.)
Worth Reading/Viewing
- “Stories in Plain View”: Cat Sebastian’s Revolutionary Queer Historical Romances (Bridget Keown, Nursing Clio) Bridget also writes the NAME OF BLOG. Now please excuse me whilst I go buy a Cat Sebastian romance or two…
- Australian author Juliet Marillier on writers and artists using their creative voice as a light in the darkness
Giveaways
- Penguin Random House Spring historical fiction sweepstakes: win new books by Deanna Raybourn, Amanda Quick, Anna Lee Huber, Victoria Thompson, and C. S. Harris.
Awesome Lists
Bookish Quote
Lark
What a great quote by Kate Dicamillo! 🙂
Lark recently posted…Haiku Reviews…
Bea
Oh, I hadn’t heard about either of those deaths. 🙁
Lark_Bookwyrm
Mike Resnick’s death didn’t get much attention outside the SFF community, so I’m not surprised you hadn’t heard. I only found out about it when Jim Hines (another SFF author whom I follow on Facebook) reposted Laura Resnick’s announcement.