The SF/F genre has taken a heavy blow today. Just a few scant days after her post to Facebook that she was doing battle with cancer, Ann Crispin, who wrote under the name A.C. Crispin, has passed away. I’m seeing the news going all over Twitter, and Making Light has a post up here.
For me, her impact was heaviest with her amazing Han Solo trilogy in the Star Wars universe: The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, and Rebel Dawn. I adored the HELL out of those novels, and found them critical reference material for when I played Han on Star Wars MUSH. She did such a fabulous job as well utilizing what was established in the previous Han novels by Brian Daley as well.
I even wrote to her about those novels, way back when, and I remember having had a lovely conversation with her by email about them.
Dara has a copy of her excellent Trek novel Yesterday’s Son as well, and while it’s been a while since I’ve read that, I quite respected that book too.
Many, many condolences to her loved ones and fans.
ETA: Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware calls upon Ann’s fans to honor her memory by reading her work, and by continuing to spread the good word to writers about how to watch out for themselves. Strauss says Writer Beware WILL continue operations.
Tor.com has posted an obituary.
ETA #2: The Mary Sue has a post up now about Crispin over here.
ETA #3: SFWA’s obit for her is here.