Just heard that a favorite science fiction writer died over the weekend. John M. Ford didn't like repeating himself (or others) so he wrote science fiction, urban fantasy, thrillers, short stories, a space opera, and more. Plus, his two Star Trek books had a group of Klingons saving the Federation ("The Final Reflection") and a Star Trek musical comedy ("How Much for Just the Planet?"). How can you not love that?
My first introduction to his odd style was from the award-winning supplement he wrote for the Paranoia role-playing game "The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues." Strange, funny, brilliant guy. There are some touching tributes from Neil Gaiman and at Making Light.
We miss him. A lot. He was unquestionably one of the best of us: possibly the best SF-and-fantasy writer working today, chief among us "amphibians" — a subtle and elegant voice, erudite and humane.
Dammit: Mike is gone too soon. But then the 26th century would have been too soon…
I know I'm really slow but…I didn't know he passed….