Worldcon In Memoriam

@wcinmemoriam.bsky.social

A listing of people who will likely appear on the Worldcon In Memoriam list.

Author Rod Belcher (b.1967) died on July 10. Belcher, who wrote as R.S. Belcher, was the author of the Golgotha series, the Nightwise Universe series, the novelization of Men in Black International, and The Queen’s Road.

Fan Ian Maule (b.1952) died on July 8. Maule was a member of Gannetts, the Surrey Limpwrists, and BSFA. He edited the zines Maule’s Well, Nabu, and Checkpoint and published By British: A Fanthology of the Seventies.

Fan Robin Johnson (b.1937) died on July 6. Johnson chaired Thylacons 1-3 and published Nortsdtilian News. He chaired Aussiecon in 1975 and was the fan GoH at Aussiecon 4. He won the Ditmar in 1983 and the Big Heart in 2009.

Author Maureen Duffy (b.1933) died on May 27. Duffy was a campaigner for LGTBQ rights and published the novels Capital, Gor Saga, and Alchemy. Her novel Scarborough Fear was published under the name D.M. Cayer. Duffy also wrote The Erotic World of Faery.

Fan Inge Heyer died in late June. Heyer served as cochair of Shore Leave, a Star Trek convention. Heyer was also an astronomer and worked as a senior data analyst at the Space Telescope Science Institute and taught astronomy and physics.

Author Russell Kirkpatrick (b.1961) died on June 26. Kirkpatrick wrote the Fire of Heaven novels and the Broken Man novels. Kirkpatrick was the deputy editor of the New Zealand Historical Atlas and has the largest LEGO collection in New Zealand.

Author Dafydd ab Hugh (b.1960) died in late June. Ab Hugh published the two volume Arthur War Lord series and five Deep Space Nine novels as well as other media tie-in novels. His story “The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, A Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skunk” was a Nebula nominee.

Seattle fan Sally Woehrle died on June 12. Woehrle was the chair of Sasquan, the 2015 Worldcon. She also chaired Westercons 50 and 73 and ConComCon 23. She worked on numerous conventions and was GoH at Rustycon 31 and Baycon 2014.

Author Jane Yolen (b.1939) died on June 11. She wrote books and novels for all ages, including Briar Rose, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, and The Devil’s Arithmetic. Yolen won 2 Nebulas, a World Fantasy and was named Grand Master by SFPA, SFWA and World Fantasy. She served as SFWA President.

Fan John Thiel (b.1945) died on March 25 from metastatic cancer. Thiel was active in the National Fan Federation and earned the Kaymar Award in 2017 and the Franson Award in 2022. He published more than 400 issues of the fanzine Pablo Lennis and 54 issues of the webzine Surprising Stories.

Editor Ted White (b.1938) died on May 24. White was an assistant editor of F&SF before editing Amazing and Fantastic from 1968-1979. He co-chaired Nycon 3, the 1967 Worldcon, won a Best Fan Writer Hugo in 1968 and was GoH at Aussiecon Two in 1985. White chaired Lunacons 11-13.

Fan M.R. Hildebrand (b.1946) died on March 4. Hildebrand began attending conventions in 1972 at LACon I and quickly became active in Phoenix fandom. She chaired Leprecon 3 and later Coppercon. At Iguancon, she organized the first dedicated track of feminist track at a Worldcon.

Fan Paul Schauble (b.1948) died on September 23. Schauble helped found the Central Arizona Speculative FIction Society and Leprecon, working in various positions on the convention. He served on the Phoenix in ‘82 Westercon bid and published the zine Mimeo-Burn.

Comic author Len Strazewski (b.1955) died on April 27. Strazewski worked on Starman, Justice Society of America, Phantom Lady, and Street Fighter II. He created Prime and Jesse Quick. He taughter journalism at Columbia College Chicago.