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We have lost some of the biggest names in science fiction this year.

Ursula K. Le Guin
Harlan Ellison
Gardner Dozois
Kate Wilhelm
Kit Reed
Harvey Jacobs

All wrote great works and leave behind fans who will miss them. The author above I read the most works by was Kate Wilhelm. She grabbed me with Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, after which I was a faithful reader of hers.

Thanks. I'd not heard of Kate Wilhelm or Harvey Jacobs, but they both look interesting.

That's okay. I'd never hear of the last two on my list.

Kate Wilhelm was Damon Knight's wife. She had a close working relationship with him, though I don't think the two did much co-writing. She was also prominent in the Clarion writers' groups and is fondly remembered by many genre writers on their way up for her writing insights, kindness and encouragement. The panels at the conventions she went to were always well attended. I was saddened when she left the SF writing field some twenty years ago, but I suppose suspense writing is easier and pays more bills.

Also, in SF or SF-adjacent:

Stan Lee
Steve Ditko
Carlos Ezquerra (comics, including Star Wars)
Gary Kurtz (film producer of Star Wars, etc.)

More at

And Nancy Grace Roman, the 'Mother of Hubble'.

A few unfortunate recent deaths:
Gene Wolfe
Vonda N. McIntyre

Charles R. Saunders author of Imaro (1981) and other sword-and-sorcery type books with a Black hero died in May 2020.

There is in NYT. (with paywall)

Anne Rice is dead at 80 yo from stroke complications according to her son. She isn't an SF author, but I think she's worthy of a mention.

Jim wrote: "Anne Rice is dead at 80 yo from stroke complications according to her son. She isn't an SF author, but I think she's worthy of a mention."

Yeah, came to know on a facebook book group. I had read her novel Servant of the Bones some time back.

Not an SF author as far as I know, but Jack Higgins was a great spy-thriller author. He just died.

Jim wrote: "Not an SF author as far as I know, but Jack Higgins was a great spy-thriller author. He just died.
..."

I have The Eagle Has Landed on my TBR shelf.

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I have The Eagle Has Landed on my TBR shelf."

It's good & so is the movie which followed the book pretty closely. It's the first of his Liam Devlin series, the character Donald Sutherland played in the movie, IIRC. Devlin taught Sean Dillon who starred in his longest series, I think. I like both characters since they're tough & not particularly nice.