Author George MacDonald Fraser (b.1925) died on January 2. Fraser is best known for his "Flashman" series of novels which covered the exploits of anti-hero Harry Paget Flashman. Set in a range of locations during the nineteenth century, the novels show Flashman, a coward and a bully, against a backdrop of the century's major conflicts and explain the reality behind how he winds up looking heroic. Fraser wrote twelve Flashman novels as well as other works of historical fiction and had screenwriting credits on The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, Return of the Musketeers, Royal Flash (based on his own novel), Octopussy, and Red Sonja.

Animator Brice Harvey Mack (b.1917) died on January 2. Mack worked for Disney Studios from Fantasia in 1940 through Lady and the Tramp in 1955. He left Disney to set up his own commercial animation studio, although he continued to do freelance work for Disney.

Fan Joe Beedell died on January 3. Beededll founded the Southen SF group in 1982 and helped run the Southend South Trek in 1996 and 1997.

Fan Derek Pickles (b.1928) died on January 5. Pickles published the fanzine Phantasmagoria from 1950 through 1955 and ran for TAFF in 1954. Pickles is credited with offering fanzines for "The Usual," which indicates trade, article or LOC. Pickles gafiated in 1956 following cancer treatment, but returned to fandom in the 1990s.

Sir Edmund Hillary (b.1919) died on January 11. Hillary is best know for being the first, along with sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The men achieved their goal on May 29, 1953.

Actress Maila Nurmi (b.1921 as Maila Syrjäniemi) died on January 11. Nurmi is better known by her character's name "Vampira" and appeared in films including "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "The Magic Sword."

Author Edward D. Hoch (b.1930) died on January 17. Hoch is best known for his work in the detective genre, but also published at least three science fiction novels, set in the mid-twenty-first century: The Transvection Machine, The Fellowship of the HAND, and The Frankenstein Factory. He won the Edgar Allen Poe Award in 1968 and two Anthony Awards, in 1998 and 2001, as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from Bouchercon and Private Eye Writers of America and a Grandmaster from the Mystery Writers of America.

Actor Allan Melvin (b.1922) died on January 17. Best known for his portrayal of Sam Franklin on "The Brady Bunch," Melvin also provided voice work for "The New Adventures of Flash Gordon," "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends," and the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf. He appeared in episodes of "Lost in Space" and "My Favorite Martian."

Scriptwriter Jinzo Toriumi (b.1929) died on January 17. Toriumi has written for anime series since the 1960s and his credits include ""Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman," "Sôkô kihei Votomusu," and "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers."

Actress Lois Nettleton (b.1927) died on January 18. Nettleton appeared in many genre television shows including "Babylon 5," "The Flash," and "The Midnight Sun" episode of "The Twilight Zone." In addition, she did voice work for "Spider-Man."

Actress Suzanne Pleshette (b.1937) died on January 19, two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Best known for her role as Emily Hartley on "The Bob Newhart Show," Pleshette also provided the voice for Zira in "Lion King II: Simba's Pride" and the voices of Yubaba, Zeniba in "Spirited Away." She appeared in "The Birds" and "Oh, God, Book II." Pleshette's husband, actor Tom Poston, died last April.

Actor Heath Ledger (b.1979) was found dead on January 22. Ledger, had recently finished filming The Dark Knight, in which he was cast as the Joker. He also appeared in the mediaeval comedy "The Knight's Tale" and Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm."

Christine Hancock (b.1924) died on January 23. Hancock was the widow of fan historian Sam Moskowitz as well as a fan in her own right.

Actor Christopher Allport (b.1947) died on January 25 in an avalanche in Wrightwood, California. Allport, who appeared in "Invaders from Mars" and two "Jack Frost" films, and episodes of "Quantum Leap" and "The Twilight Zone."

Fan Greg McMillan was killed in a house fire on the evening of January 26. His wife, Maya, and stepdaughter, Faeryn, were not home at the time of the fire. McMillan was active in the filk scene, attending numerous MASSFILC, Gafilks, and other cons.

Artist Frank Hamilton (b.1918) died on January 28. In addition to his own original artwork, Hamilton recreated covers from Doc Savage and Shadow magazines. In 1988, he co-authored Amazing Pulp Heroes with Link Hullar.

Director Dwight Hemion (b.1926) died on January 28. Hemion directed the EPCOT opening ceremonies for Disney in 1982, but is perhaps most infamous for his production of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.

Fan Patrick Roberts died on January 29. Roberts was the long-time art director for Dragon*Con in Atlanta.

Actor Barry Morse (b.1918) died on February 2. Best known as Lt. Girard in the original television series "The Fugitive," Morse also appeared in "The Twilight Zone," "TekWar," "Space: 1999," "The Martian Chronicles," and many other genre films and television shows.

Artist John Alvin (b.1948) suffered a fatal heart attack on February 6. Alvin was best known for his work on movie posters, including the posters for "Blazing Saddles," "Blade Runner," "E.T. the Extraterrestrial," "Young Frankenstein," and more than 130 other posters. His final poster was for the film "Enchanted."

Actor Robert DoQui (b.1934) died on February 9. DoQui appeared in numerous films and television shows of genre interest, including "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Batman: The Animated Series," "Staran," and the three RoboCop films. His first role was in the 1964 "The Outer Limits" episode "The Invisible Enemy."

Comic book writer Steve Gerber (b.1947) died on February 10. Gerber is best known for creating the character "Howard the Duck," and also created Omega the Unknown. He worked on several Marvel titles before temporarily having a break with the comic book publisher. In the 1980s, he worked in animation on such titles as "Thundarr the Barbarian" and "Transformers."

Actor Roy Scheider (b.1932) died on February 10. Scheider first came to prominence with his portrayal of Martin Brody in Jaws/ Scheider went on to play Heywood Floyd in "2010: The Year We Made Contact" and Captain Nathan Bridger in the television series "SeaQuest DSV." Scheider also appeared in two Dracula films and "The Punisher." He was nominated for the Oscar for his work in "All That Jazz" and "The French Connection."

German author Werner Giesa (b.1954) died on February 15. Giesa wrote more than 800 novels in various genres, many appearing under the pseudonym Robert Lamont. His Professor Zamorra series ran for more than 500 novels.

Fan and reviewer Ken Slater (b.1917) died the weekend of February 15. Slater was the regular reviewer for Nebula from 1953-1959, writing the column "Something to Read." Slater was also a bookseller and convention runner. Slater received the 1966 Doc Weir Award. Slater was also involved with fanzine fandom.

French author Alain Robbe-Grillet (b.1922) died on February 18. Robbe-Grillet was an experimental novelist whose works heavily influenced Brian W. Aldiss and other writers of the New Wave.

Cinematographer David Watkin (b.1925) died on February 19. Watkin won an Oscar for his work on "Out of Africa," but also worked on several genre films, including "Murder on the Moon," the 1989 version of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and "Return to Oz." Watkin also worked on the Lester/Fraser "Three Musketeers" and "Four Musketeers."

Peruvian SF author José Adolph (b.1938) died on February 20. He wrote the novel Manana, las ratas in 1984 and also published several short stories, including one which was translated for the collection Cosmos Latinos. Born in Stuttgart, his family emigrated to Peru to escape persecution by the Nazis.

Actor Ben Chapman (b.1928) died on February 21. Chapman appeared as the gill man in the film "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," although only in the scenes where the creature was on land. Chapman only appeared in a handful of other movies, spending most of his life as a real estate agent.

Producer Max L. Raab (b.1926) died on February 21. Raab produced 8 films between 1969 and 2005, including the Hugo Award winning "A Clockwork Orange."

Screenwriter Richard Baer (b.1928) died on February 22. Baer wrote five episodes of the television series "The Munsters" and more than twenty episodes of "Bewitched." He appeared on screen once, in the film "Citizen Kane."

Artist Steve Whitaker (b.1955) died on February 22. Whitaker worked as a colorist on the Alan Moore comic series "V for Vendetta" and on "Saga of the Man-Elf." He also wrote the book The Encyclopedia of Cartooning Techniques. Whitaker was active in the British APA until it disbanded in 2004.

Stephen Marlowe (b.1928) died on February 22. Marlowe, born Milton Lesser, used several pseudonyms and published seven science fiction and fantasy novels as well as edited the anthology Looking Forward. In 1974, Marlowe founded the writers in residence program at the College of William and Mary. He received a lifetime achievement awards from the Private Eye Writers of America in 1997.

Author Julian Rathbone (b.1935) died on February 28. Rathbone wrote numerous novels, of which his 1998 dystopian Trajectories was science fiction. Rathbone's uncle was the actor Basil Rathbone.

Robert Legault died unexpectedly of a coronary in mid-February. Legault was a New York fan who worked as a copyeditor and proofreader for Tor Books.

Author Janet Kagan (b.1946) died on March 1 of acute Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Kagan began publishing in 1982 with the story "Faith of the Month" and went on to win the Hugo Award for her story "The Nutcracker Coup." Three of her novelettes, "The Nutcracker Coup," "Getting the Bugs Out," and "The Loch Moose Monster" also won the Asimov's Reader Poll.

Jane Blackstock (b.1947) died on March 3. Blackstock worked as the rights director for Gollancz, taking over as publisher on the death of Liz Knight. When Gollancz was purchased by Orion, Blackstock chose not to remain with the company.

E. Gary Gygax (b.1938) died on March 4 at his home in Lake Geneva, WI. Gygax is best known as the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, along with Dave Arneson. This led to the growth of role-playing games. After Gygax left his company, TSR, in 1985, he founded New Infinities. In addition to Dungeons and Dragons, Gygax created numerous other role-playing games, including Boot Hill, Dangerous Journeys, and Lejendary Adventures. Gygax also published several novels and short stories.

Composer Leonard Rosenman (b.1924) died on March 4. Rosenman composed scores for nearly fifty films and won Oscars for his work for "Barry Lyndon" and "Bound for Glory." His genre work includes the scores for "Fantastic Voyage," "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "Robocop 2," and the 1978 Ralph Bakshi "The Lord of the Rings," for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

Comic artist Dave Stevens (b.1955) died on March 10. Stevens is best known for creating the comic book The Rocketeer, which was made into a film in 1991. Stevens also was known for his cheesecake illustrations. Stevens worked as a storyboard artist on "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and was the conceptual designer for the Flash's costume on the television series "The Flash." For the last several years, he has been fighting leukemia.

UK fan Ray Bradbury (b.1950) died on March 17. Bradbury won a Nova award for best fan in 2004. Bradbury was involved in running several Novacons over the years. In addition to his interest in sf fandom, Bradbury was an accomplished magician.

Fan Al Curry (b.1949) died on March 17. Curry published the fanzine Gnomenclature and was active for a time in Cincinnait fandom. An Eirephile, he lived for a while in Ireland before returning to the US to live in Ann Arbor.

Author Sir Arthur C. Clarke (b.1917) died on March 18. Clarke began publishing with the short story "Loophole" and went on to publish such classic novels as Rendezvous with Rama and Childhood's End. When approached by Stanley Kubrick to work on a film, they created the movie 2001 and Clarke also wrote the novelization and three sequels. His stories "The Star" and "The Nine-Billion Names of God" are classics in the field. Clarke is often credited with creating the concept for the communications satellite.

Scriptwriter Anthony Minghella (b.1954) died on March 18. Minghella wrote several episodes of Jim Henson's television series "The Storyteller." He also wrote and directed the ghost story film "Truly, Madly, Deeply." Minghella won an Oscar for directing "The English Patient."

Belgian comic publisher Raymond Leblanc (b.1915) died on March 21. Leblanc is best known as the founder and publisher of Lombard Editions after World War II. That same year, he convinced Hergé to bring The Adventures of Tintin to the new company and published Tintin magazine from 1946 through 1988.

Belgian artist Maurice Marchal (b.1922) died on March 21. Marchal was a professor of literature at the University of Liège and began illustrating Tintin in 1957.

Chilean author Hugo Correa (b.1926) died on March 23. Correa published stories in F&SF and New Dimensions in the 1960s as well as science fiction novels from 1951 through 1988.

Comic Artist Jim Mooney (b.1919) died on March 30. Mooney began illustrating the Moth for Mystery Men in 1940. From 1946 through 1968, he worked for DC illustrating Superman, Supergirl, and others. When he left DC, he took a job at Marvel, where he worked on Spider-Man. In his early years at DC, Mooney was a ghost artist on Batman for Bob Kane.

Scriptwriter Johnny Byrne (b.1935) died on April 2. Byrne wrote for "Space:1999"as well as the "Arc of Infinity" episode of "Doctor Who." He closed out "Space:1999" with a short film produced in 1999 starring Zienia Merton.

Director Alex Grasshoff (b.1928) died on April 5. Grasshoff directed the films "Future Shock" and "Journey to the Outer Limits" as well as episodes of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." He was nominated for the Oscar three times for Best Documentary and won in 1969, although his award was rescinded when the Academy determined that a small showing in 1967 had made the film "Young Americans" ineligible.

Actor Charlton Heston (b.1924) died on April 5. Heston appeared in numerous movies, including "Soylent Green," "Planet of the Apes," "The Three Musketeers," "The Omega Man," . Heston appeared in "The Outer Limits" and provided voice work for the Disney film "Hercules." Over the course of his career he played several major characters, from Moses to Cardinal Richelieu, to El Cid, Sherlock Holmes, Josef Mengele, John the Baptist, Thomas Jefferson, Judah Ben-Hur, and Thomas More. For the last several years, Heston has been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

Actor Stephen Oliver (b.1941) died on April 5. Oliver appeared in the film "Werewolves on Wheels."

Actor Stanley Kamel (b.1943) died on April 8. Kamel appeared in the television series "Dark Skies," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Kamel appeared in numerous other television series and a few films.

Actor Lloyd Lamble (b.1914) died on April 9. Lamble appeared in episodes of "Journey to the Unknown," "The Prisoner," "The Avengers," and "Ghost Squad."

Scientist John A. Wheeler (b.1911) died on April 13. Wheeler came up with the name for black holes and helped invent the theory of nuclear fission. In 1939, Wheeler met Niels Bohr and spent several weeks with him working on nuclear fission. Wheeler's students included Richard Feynman and Hugh Everett, who created a theory Wheeler named the Many Worlds theory. In 1968, Wheeler received the Enrico Fermi Award

Animator Ollie Johnston (b.1912) died on April 14. Johnston was the last of Walt Disney Nine Old Men of Animation. He began working for Disney in 1934 on "Two-Gun Mickey." Johnston continued to work for Disney through the release of "The Fox and the Hound" in 1981, including animation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," and more. A caricature of Johnston appeared and was voiced by the animator in the film "The Incredibles."

Actress Hazel Court (b.1926) died on April 15. Court got her start acting in 1944 and appeared in numerous B films, including "Devil Girl from Mars," and "The Curse of Frankenstein." She also appeared in episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and "Invisible Man."

Author Margaret Howes (b.1928) died on April 15. Howes was a member of the Mythopoeic Society since its inception in 1973. She had several stories published in The Tolkien Scrapbook. In 2000, she published a novel, The Wrong World. The following year, she, and four other authors, co-wrote Autumn World, published by StoneDragon Press.

Illustrator Richard Chopping (b.1917) died on April 17, three days after his 91st birthday. Chopping illustrated the covers to many of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Chopping also wrote two novels.

Author Michael de Larrabeiti (b.1934) died on April 18. De Larrabeiti was the author of the Borribles series. The third book of his series was delayed after his publisher cancelled his contract over concerns that the books might endorse violence.

Actress and Screenwriter Kay Linaker (b.1913) died on April 18. Linaker, who also went by the name Kate Phillips, wrote the 1958 film "The Blob." Prior to that, she had a career as an actress from 1936 through 1944, which included an uncredited appearance in "The Invisible Woman."

Scriptwriter Lawrence Hertzog (b.1951) died from cancer on April 19. Hertzog worked on "SeaQuest DSV" and "Nowhere Man."

Composer Bebe Barron (b.1926) died on April 20. Barron only scored a handful of films, but they included "Space Boy" and, more importantly, "Forbidden Planet," for which she received credit as the composer of electronic tonalities.

Electronic composer Tristram Cary (b.1926) died on April 24. Cary was originally hired to write the theme to Doctor Who, although the task was reassigned. Cary did go on to write music for several episodes, however. He also created the synthesizer used by Pink Floyd, the Who and other rock groups.

SF Artist John Berkey (b.1932) died on April 29. Berkey has been a free-lance artist since the 1960s. In addition to working on the original Star Wars trilogy, Berkey painted the "old" Elvis stamp for the U.S. Post Office. In 2003, Paper Tiger published The Art of John Berkey. Berkey also painted the original cover art for Frederik Pohl's six volumes of Star Science Fiction and the cover for James Blish's Works of Art, published last month by NESFA Press.

Actress Julie Ege (b.1943) died on April 29. Ege appeared in "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires," "The Mutations," and "The Final Programme." She also had a bit role in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Most of her more recent work was in Scandinavian films.

Danton Burroughs (b.1944) died on May 1. Burroughs was the grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs and had recently been appointed Chairman of the Board of ERB, Inc.

Cartoonist Ted Keys (b.1912) died on May 3. Keys created the characters of Hector Peabody and Sherman for Jay Ward's Rocky and Friends. Before that, Keys created the comic strip Hazel, which was turned into a sitcom in the 1960s. Keys also wrote feature length films including the genre film "The Cat from Outer Space."

Filker Lois Mangan (b.1946) died on May 10. Mangan was inducted as a member of the Filk Hall of Fame in 2006. Mangan began her fannish career running Boskone filksings and went on to contribute to the NESFA Hymnal. She ran filk programming at Noreascons 3 and 4 and was also a member of M.A.S.S.F.I.L.C.

Actor John Phillip Law (b.1937) died on May 13. Law appeared in several science fiction films, most notably as Pygar in "Barbarella." Later work included Sinbad in "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad," "Tarzan, the Ape Man," and "Space Mutiny." He also provided voice work for the Cat in two episodes of "Spider-Man."

Composer Alexander Courage (b.1919) died on May 15. Courage is best known for composing the fanfare and theme for Star Trek. He also worked on "The Mummy," "The Haunting," "First Knight," and numerous other films and television shows.

Cartoonist Will Elder (b.1921) died on May 15. Elder was one of the original artists of MAD Magazine when it was still a comic. Prior to working on MAD, Elder formed the Charles William Harvey Studio and worked on comics for EC and Prize. He inked the book Weird Fantasy. He created the character and strip "Little Annie Fannie" for Playboy after leaving MAD.

Producer Sandy Howard (b.1927) died on May 16. Howard produced numerous genre films, including "Meteor," "The Island of Doctor Moreau," and "The Neptune Factor." As a teenager, Howard sold several short stories to Liberty Magazine. His television career started as a director on "The Howdy Doody Show" and he went on to produce "Captain Kangaroo."

Director David Mitton (b.1939) died on May 16. Mitton worked as a special effects artist on "Thunderbirds" and "Captain Scarlet" before becoming a director.

Maryland area fan Paul Parsons (b.1953) died on May 18 of an apparent heart attack while driving in Tyrone, PA. Parsons and his wife, Aly, ran programming for the 2003 World Fantasy Convention in Washington and created the Capclave restaurant guide.

Director Joseph Peveny (b.1911) died on May 18. Pevney directed several episodes of "Star Trek," including "The City on the Edge of Forever" and "The Trouble with Tribbles." Pevney also directed the film "The Man of a Thousand Faces" and episodes of "The Incredible Hulk," "Fantasy Island," and "The Munsters."

Author and fan Robert Lynn Asprin (b.1946) died suddenly in his home on May 22. Asprin founded the Dark Horde, which became the Dorsai Irregulars. He went on to create and edit the original Thieves' World series with then-wife Lynn Abbey. Asprin also wrote and co-wrote books in the Myth-Adventure series, the Phule's Regiment series, and several other novels. Asprin was scheduled to be the Guest of Honor at Marcon 42 this weekend.

Artist Harry Lange (b.1930) died on May 22. Lange worked as a production designer on the films "2001: a space odyssey," "The Great Muppet Caper," and "The Dark Crystal." He also worked on "Superman II" and "Moonraker" and as the art designer for "Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strieks Back."

Actor Robert Knox (b.1990) was killed in a fight on May 23. Knox had only recently completed filming his role as Marcus Belby, a Ravenclaw student, in the upcoming film "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." He was stabbed five times while defending his younger brother outside a bar in London. Karl Bishop has been arrested and charged with the murder.

Fan Ira Stoller died on May 25. Stoller was not only active in con-going fandom, but was also active in on-line fandom, dating back to the CIS science fiction forums on Compuserve.

Composer Earle Hagen (b.1919) died on May 26. Although best known for writing the theme songs to "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Dick van Dyke Show," Hagen also composed music for the "Planet of the Apes" television series. He wrote additional music for the science fictional episode "It May Look Like a Walnut" for the "Dick van Dyke Show."

Fan Mike Azzi died on May 27. Azzi lived in Phoenix, Arizona and was an avid gamer. Each year, Azzi hosted a gift exchange for other fans, mostly members of the Looney Tunes Fan Club.

Producer Robert H. Justman (b.1926) died on May 28. Justman was best known for his work on "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but he also worked as an associate producer on "Adventures of Superman" with George Reeves and "Man from Atlantis."

Actor Harvey Korman (b.1927) died on May 29 of an aneurysm. Most famous for his appearance on the "Carol Burnett Show" and in "Blazing Saddles," Korman also had roles in both live-action "Flintstone" movies, "Dracula: Dead and Loving It," and on the "Star Wars Holiday Special." He appeared in two different television productions of "Alice in Wonderland" and provided the voice of the Great Gazoo on the original "Flintstones" television series as well as multiple roles on "The Munsters."

Screenwriter Bill Dial (b.1943) died on June 2 of an heart attack. Dial worked on several genre television shows, including as a producer on "Sliders" and "E.A.R.T.H. Force." He wrote episodes of both of those shows as well as "Star Trrek: Voyager" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The most famous television episode he wrote, however, was for the non-genre "WKRP in Cincinnati," for which he wrote the classic "Turkey's Away" episode.

Fan Edward S. Kessell died on June 4. Kessell was a long-time pulp magazine fan and organized the first Pulpcon, held in St. Louis in 1972. Kessell also ran the dealer's room at St. Louiscon, the 1968 Worldcon.

Aviator Janet Dietrich (b.1926) died on June 5. Dietrich was one of the thirteen women selected by NASA to become an astronaut in the early 1960s, although the group, later known as the Mercury 13, never got to fly into space. In 1947, Dietrich and her twin sister, Marion, entered the first Chico-to-San Mateo Air Race and took first place. In 1960, Jan Dietrich became the first woman to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot License. She stopped flying in 1974 when her sister died.

Actor Bruce Purchase (b.1938) died on June 5. Purchase had roles in "Quatermass" and "Blakes 7," but is perhaps best known for his role as the Captain in the "Doctor Who" serial "The Pirate Planet." He played the Walrus in "Alice Through the Looking Glass."

Producer Gene Persson (b.1934) died on June 6. Although best known as a Broadway producer ("You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown), Persson was also an actor, appearing in "Earth vs. the Spider" and "Bloodlust!."

Game designer Erick Wujcik (b.1951) died on June 7 of complications from pancreatic and liver cancer. Wujcik was diagnosed cancer in November 2007. He is best known for his work with Palladium Games, including The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG and After the Bomb. A fan of Roger Zelazny's, Wujcik also developed the game Amber Diceless.

Author and editor Algis Budrys (b.1931) died on June 9. Budrys was born in East Prussia, the son of a Lithuanian consul-general. His family moved to the US in 1936. Budrys worked as an editor for Gnome Press, Galaxy, and Tomorrow Speculative Fiction, first a print magazine, later an early on-line fiction zine. Budrys received seven Hugo nominations, including for his novels Who and Rogue Moon. He received another nomination for Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf, a collection of his groundbreaking reviews for Galaxy.

Kyrgizstani author Chingiz Aitmatov (b.1928) died on June 10. His novel The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years (Novy Mir) posits a joint Soviet/American mission to the planet Lesnaya Grud. Aitmatoc also served as Kyrgizstan ambassador to the European Union, NATO, and Benelux.

Author Lyuben Dilov (b.1927) died on June 10. Dilov was a Bulgarian science fiction author who wrote more than thirty-five books, including The Atomic Man and The Icarus Way. He is considered the father of Bulgarian science fiction. Dilov founded the Graviton Awards, presented for good imagination and goodness of imagination.

Make up and Special Effects artist Stan Winston (b.1946) died on June 15. Winston got his start as a stand-up comedian and moved to Hollywood to become an actor. While trying to get roles, he began working behind the scenes and made a name for himself in special effects. Working on films such as "Invaders from Mars," "Galaxy Quest," and "Iron Man." Winston received Best Visual Effects Oscars for his work on "Jurassic Park," "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," and "Aliens."

Cyd Charisse (b.1921) died on June 17. Charisse appeared in numerous films and performed with the Ballet Russe. She starred in the film version of "Brigadoon" as Fiona Campbell and later appeared in "Warlords of Atlantis." Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea.

Costume Designer Kermit Love (b.1916) died on June 21. Love designed costumes for "The Great Space Coaster" and "The Muppet Movie," but is best known for his work on "Sesame Street," where he designed the costumes for Big Bird and Snuffleupagus. Love also designed costumes for the Mercury Theatre and the New York Ballet.

Comedian and actor George Carlin (b.1937) died on heart failure on June 22. Carlin is best known as a stand-up comedian and for his "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television," which led to a Supreme Court ruling on obscenity. In addition, Carlin appeared in the films "Happily N'Ever After," "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" (and sequel), and as the Mr. Conductor on "Shining Time Station."

Actress Dody Goodman (b.1915) died on June 24. Goodman provided voicework for several episodes of "Alvin & the Chipmunks," including the film "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman." Goodman also appeared in "Splash" and its sequel, "Splash 2," as well as "I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later." She is perhaps best known for her roles on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" and in the film "Grease."

Artist Michael Turner (b.1971) died on June 27 from complications relating to bone cancer. Turner is best known for his work in comics, producing art for Batman, Superman, Civil War, The Flash, Justice League, and other titles. Turner created the on-line comic tied in to the television series Heroes.

Jack Speer (b.1920) died on June 28. Speer was the first to write a history of science fiction fandom when he published Up to Now in 1939. In 1944, Speer published the first Fancyclopedia, a dictionary of fannish terms. In 1995, Speer was inducted into the First Fandom Hall of Fame and was one of the Fan Guests of Honor at Noreascon IV in 2004.

Actor Don S. Davis (b.1942) died on June 29. Davis appeared in the "Stargate" as General George Hammond and also had appearances in the short-lived "Flash Gordon" television series in 2007. He portrayed Senator Harlan Ellis in "The Dead Zone" and had roles on both "The Outer Limits" and "The Twilight Zone." Davis, who had more than 125 credits, got his start in 1982.

Washington state fan Roberta "Bert" Carlson (b.1965) died on July 2 after the car she was in rolled over en route to Westercon. Carlson was the bid treasurer for the current Seattle 2011 Worldcon bid and worked on Orycons and Norwescons. A few weeks ago, she was responsible for the hospitality suite at ConComCon.

Fan Frank Darcy (b.1959) died on July 2. Darcy ran P-con IV and V and was involved in the next two convention as well. Darcy also co-organized the New Irish SF Assocation.

Fan Chris Cooper died on the afternoon of July 4. Cooper was a British fan who also managed to make several appearances at North American conventions. Cooper worked on staff for several worldcons, including press relations at Noreascon IV. Cooper died after being comatose in a London hospital and on a ventilator.

Author Tom Disch (b.1940) committed suicide on July 4. Disch's most recent work, The Word of God, a semiautobiographical novel, was released only days before his death. Disch is most well known for his novels Camp Concentration, On the Wings of Song, and The Genocides. His short story "The Brave Little Toaster" was turned into a series of animated films. In addition to his work in science fiction, Disch published several volumes of poetry.

Actress Evelyn Keyes (b.1916) died on July 4. Keyes appeared in numerous films and television series between 1938 and 1993, including "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," "A Return to Salem's Lot" and an episode of "Amazing Stories." She may be best known for her role as Scarlett O'Hara's sister in "Gone with the Wind."

Filker Bruce Dane, who was injured in a fall several weeks earlier, succumbed to his injuries on July 12 in his sleep. Dane became a fan after attending filk at the 1972 Worldcon.

Comic artist Creig Fleissel (b.1912) died on July 17. Fleissel drew many of the early Sandman comics and drew the cover for the character's first appearance. In the 1950s, he worked on Superboy and in the 70s inked Prez. Fleissel died six days after suffering a debilitating stroke.

Harriett Burns (b.1929) died on July 25. Burns was the first woman to work as a Disney Imagineer when she joined the Disney staff in 1955 as a prop and set designer for "Mickey Mouse Club." She went on the create models for Sleeping Beauty's castle and the Matterhorn for Disneyland, as well as work on figures for the Submarine Voyage, the Enchanted Tiki Room, and Pirates of the Caribbean. On occasion, she filled in for Disney as the host of "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color."

Baltimore fan John P. Roberts (b.1931) died on July 26. Roberts not only attended Balticon for many years, he was also the leader of the Games Club of Maryland, Westminster Branch.

Fan Ann Green (b.1961 as Ann Thomas) died on July 29. Green published the fanzine Ormolu and was married to fan Steve Green.

Artist Pauline Baynes (b.1922) died on August 1. Baynes provided illustrations for all of the C.S. Lewis Narnia novels as well as illustrations for J.R.R. Tolkien's Farmer Giles of Ham. Her work for Tolkien and Lewis also included maps of Middle Earth and Narnia.

Mike Hall died of an heart attack on August 1. Hall was a member of Decadent Winnipeg Fandom in the mid-1970s and continued to be active through the 1980s. His fanzines included Schmagg, Laid, Monthly Monthly, and Bimonthly Monthly. His collection was donated to the University of Alberta Libraries. In the 1980s, Hall published a nearly 200-page bibliography of fanzines.

Producer Bernie Brillstein (b.1931) died on August 7. Brillstein produced numerous television shows, such as "ALF," but most of his genre credits were in films such as "Hexed," and the "Ghostbusters" films. Brillstein also worked on "The Muppet Show" and various other Muppet projects.

Fan Martha Spence (b.1944) died on August 8 following a year-long battle with cancer. She was an avid reader, enjoyed fine dining, handcrafts, and participating in role playing games.

Comedian and actor Bernie Mac (b.1957) died on August 9 in Chicago, Illinois from complications from pneumonia. Mac, who starred in "The Bernie Mac Show" appeared in "The Transformers" and also did voice work for Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever. He appeared as Jimmy Bosley in "Charlie's Angels: Full TH\hrottle."

Singer/Actor Isaac Hayes (b.1942) died on August 10. Hayes is best known for either singing the theme to the 1970s film "Shaft" or his voicework as Chef on "South Park" depending on age. Initially a singer on the Stax label, Hayes began acting in films in 1974 and appeared as The Duke in "Escape from New York," Asneeze in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," and in episodes of "Sliders" and "Tales from the Crypt."

Fan and author George W. Proctor died on August 10. Proctor was active in fandom in the 1970s and a long-time attendee of Cepheid Variable and Aggiecon. Proctor published more than 90 novels, many of which were science fiction, although he also published Westerns. He wrote multiple novelizations for the television series "V" and the novel Starwings.

Peter C. Bartram (b.1907) died on August 14. Although best known as a genealogist specializing in Wales, Bartram was also a scholar interested in the historical roots of Arthurian legends and the Mabinogion. His magnum opus was Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1400 and Welsh Genealogies AD 1400-1500, encompassing twenty-six volumes. Bartram also served as a meteorologist for the Colonial Service in Bermuda and West Africa.

Actor Julius Carry III (b.1952) died on August 19 of pancreatic cancer. Carry appeared in numerous films and television shows, most notably as the bounty hunter Lord Bowler in the steampunk series "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr." with Bruce Campbell. Prior to that, Carry co-starred on the television show "Doctor, Doctor." Carry also appeared in episodes of "Tales from the Crypt," "Earth 2," and did voice work for "Dinosaurs."

Actor Fred Crane (b.1918) died on August 21. Crane debuted in 1939 as Stuart Tarleton in "Gone with the Wind." He only had a handful of acting credits, but they include an appearance in the television series "Lost in Space" and voicework in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."

BBC Producer Geoffrey Perkins (b.1953) died in a car accident on August 29. Perkins is best known as the producer of the radio series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" Perkins went on to work in television, where his credits include "The Catherine Tate Show," "Splitting Image," and "My Hero."

Ken Campbell (b.1941) died on August 31. Campbell formed the Science Fiction Theatre of Liverpool in 1976 and adapted the Illuminatus Trilogy and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for the stage. Campbell also appeared in the radio series of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" as Poodoo. In the early 1970s, he performed with Bob Hoskins and Sylvester McCoy. In 1987, he auditioned for the role of the Seventh Doctor, losing out to McCoy.

Animator Bill Meléndez (b.1916) died on September 2. Meléndez produced numerous Charlie Brown cartoons, for which he provided the voice of Snoopy and Woodstock, and worked as an animator for Warner Brothers, working on several Bugs Bunny titles. In 1979, he directed an animated version of "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe."

David Foster Wallace (b.1962) committed suicide on September 12.`Wallace is best known for his novel The Infinite Jest, which is a parodic vision of North America's future. According to Time Magazine, The Infinite Jest is one of the 100 greatest novels published between 1923 and 2006. In 1997, Wallace received a MacArthur Genius Grant.

Star Trek fan Joan Winston (b.1931) died on September 12. Winston helped create the first Star Trek convention. In addition, Winston penned Star Trek non-fiction books including Star Trek Lives! and The Making of the Trek Conventions. Winston worked as a professional agent and died in an assisted living facility.

Director David Jones (b.1934) died on September 18. Jones has directed numerous films and television episodes, including episodes of "Early Edition," the reimagined "Fantasy Island," A Christmas Carol, and "The Ghost Whisperer." Although not genre-related, fans may also be familiar with his adaptation of 84 Charing Cross Road.

Fan Nancy Kippax died on September 20. Kippax was one of the founders of ClipperCon and long active in Star Trek fandom. She published the Trek zine Contact from 1975 through 1987. She was also involved in running Spectrum and ConneXions. Kippax wrote several pieces of fan fiction.

Editor Brian Thomsen (b.1959) died on September 21 of an heart attack. Thomsen worked for Warner Questar and TSR before becoming a consulting editor for Tor. Thomsen edited several anthologies, including The American Fantasy Tradtion and Masters of Fantasy. He also published several short stories.

Author James Killus (b.1950) died on September 23 following a battle with cancer. Killus published his first novel, Book of Shadows, in 1983, two years after his first short story, a collaboration, was published in Asimov's. Killus was active until his death, with his final story appearing in the October 2008 issue of Helix.

Actress Irene Dailey (b.1920) died on September 24. Best known for her lengthy appearance in soap operas, Dailey also appeared in the television show "The Twilight Zone" episode "Mute" and as Aunt Helena in the film "The Amityville Horror."

Actor Paul Newman (b.1925) died on September 26 after a battle with cancer. Newman's first role was in the television series "Tales of Tomorrow" in the episode "Ice from Space." He also appeared in the 1979 film "Quintet." Newman is best known for his non-genre roles, including "The Hustler," "The Sting," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Hud," and more. He was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won one for his reprisal of the role of Fast Eddie Felton in "The Color of Money."

Australian fan Clive Newell died on October 1 following a three-year battle with idiopathic pulminary fibrosis. Newell was the president of the Australian Science Fiction Foundation. He is survived by his wife, Lyn, and two children.

Author Peter Vansittart (b.1920) died on October 4. Vansittart's first novel, I Am the World was science fiction, although most of his ouvre was historical fiction. In 2008, he received an OBE for his services to literature.

Actor Kim Chan (b.1917) died on October 5. Chan appeared in more than fifty films, including "Robot in the Family," "The Fifth Element," and the television show "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne."

Composer Neal Hefti (b.1922) died on October 11. Hefti contributed the theme songs for many television series, including the twelve-bar blues used as the theme to "Batman." Other credits include "The Odd Couple" and "Barefoot in the Park."

Actor Gil Stratton (b.1922) died on October 11. Stratton was best known as a sportscaster and for his role as Cookie, the narrator, in "Stalag 17," but he also appeared in several genre works, including episodes of "Galactica 1980," "Wonder Woman," and "The Cat from Outer Space."

Scriptwriter Christopher Wicking (b.1943) died from an heart attack on October 13. Wicking spent many years working for Hammer films, writing scripts for movies such as "Scream and Scream Again," "Cry of the Banshee," "Medusa," and others.

Author Barrington J. Bayley (b.1937) died on October 14. Bayley was active in promoting the New Wave in the 1960s and began publishing in 1954 with the story "Combat's End." He wrote more than a dozen novels and collaborated with Michael Moorcock using the pseudonym Michael Barrington.

Actor Jack Narz (b.1922) died on October 15. Although Narz was best known as the host of game shows such as "Concentration" and "Dotto," he also was the announced for the television series "Space Patrol" and the narrator of "The Adventures of Superman."

Visual effects artist Mark Buck (b.1967 as Mark Bucksen) was killed in an accident on October 16. Buck worked as a model maker for "Starship Troopers" the first two "Star Wars" prequel films, the "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" and more. He also was a plasterer on "Lost in Space."

Singer Levi Stubbs (b.1936 as Levi Stubbles) died on October 17. Stubbs was best known as a singer with the Four Tops, but he also provided the voice for the Audrey II in the "musical film "Little Shop of Horrors." He also provided the voice of Mother Brain in "Captain N: The Game Master."

Actor Peter Gordeno (b.1939 as Peter Godenho) died on October 18. Gordeno was an actor and dancer who played Captain Peter Carlin on "UFO." He was best known as a cabaret performer and worked with composer John Barry throughout the 1960s.

Author Tony Hillerman (b.1925) died on October 26. Hillerman is best known for his mysteries with a Southwestern and Native American vibe, frequently included traditional tribal beliefs and custom in his writing, giving them a sense of the fantastic. In 1991, Hillerman was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.

Screenwriter Chris Bryant (b.1936) died on October 27. Bryant, who suffered from Parkinson's Disease, wrote the scripts for The Spiral Staircase, Don't Look Now, and The Awakening.

Author William Wharton (b.1925 as Albert William Du Aime) died on October 29. Wharton wrote the fantasy novel Franky Furbo and his first novel, Birdy, was a novel of magic realism. Birdy was made into a film with Nicholas Cage and Matthew Modine.

Producer John Daly (b.1937) died on October 31. Daly produced thirteen Academy Award winning films as well as several genre movies. His genre work included The Terminator, The Return of the Living Dead, Vampire's Kiss, and Strange Behavior. Daly, along with David Hemmings, also represented several rock bands, including Yes and Black Sabbath.

Author Michael Crichton (b.1942) died on November 4. Crichton was best known in science fiction circles for his novels Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain. Many of his novels were turned into successful films and he also created the television series ER, which debuted in 1994 and is currently in its final season.

Author Hugh Cook (b.1956) died on November 8. Cook published ten novels in his "Chronicles of an Age of Darkness" before the series, projected as sixty volumes, was cancelled due to poor sales. Cook was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment in 2005.

Composer Irving Gertz (b.1915) died on November 14. Gertz composed the music for nearly eighty films, including genre works "It Came from Outer Space," "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy," "The Incredible Shrinking Man," and "Land of the Giants."

Screenwriter Irving Brecher (b.1914) died on November 17. Brecher got his start by writing comedy sketches for Milton Berle in Vaudeville. He was also the last surviving writer of a Marx Brothers movie and the only person to get sole writing credit of Marx Brothers films for "At the Circus" and "Go West." His genre credits include uncredited writing on "The Wizard of Oz." He created "The Life of Riley" and won an Oscar for the screenplay to "Meet Me In St. Louis."

Author George Chesbro (b.1940) died on November 18. Chesbro is best known for his long running series featuring Mongo the Magnificent, a private eye afflicted with dwarfism. Chesbro also wrote the novelization for the Eddie Murphy film The Golden Child.

Screenwriter Ennio de Concini (b.1923) died on November 18. de Concini's first script was the 1948 fantasy "L'Ebreo errante." He went on to write numerous additional genre films as well as mainstream films. In 1963, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Divorzio all'italiana.

Author Richard K. Lyon (b.1933) died on November 21. Lyon's first short story, "The City of Ul Chalan," was published in Analog in 1973. He also co-wrote four novels with Andrew J. Offutt in the late 1970s, including the War of the Wizards Trilogy and rails Across the Galaxy. In addition to his work as an author, Lyon held a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and held several patents related to pollution control.

Actress Patricia Marand (b.1934) died on November 27. Marand won the Best Supporting Actress Tony Award for her role as Lois Lane in the 1965 musical "It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman!"

Horror author Joseph McGee (b.1985) died on November 27. McGee had several short stories published as well as three novels, mostly by small presses.

Sydney C. Long (b.1945) died on November 29. Long attended Clarion Writers Workshop and founded the Delaware Writer's Group in 1983. She worked as a free-lance author and proofreader and had recently published her first poem.

Fan Abby Albrecht (b.1975) died on November 30. Albrecht was active in fanwriting and attended numerous science fiction convention. Albrecht was a fan of Forever Knight and one of the founders of a group called the Horsechicks of the Apocalypse, a group of like-minded fans. Albrecht suffered from spinal muscular atrophy and was confined to a wheelchair.

Actor Paul Benedict (b.1938) died on December 1. Benedict, who was born in New Mexico, is best known for his role as Bentley, the British neighbor on the television show "The Jeffersons." Benedict also appeared in numerous Christopher Guest projects. His genre roles include a judge in the film version of "The Addams Family" and episodes of "Tales from the Crypt" and "The Twilight Zone."

British artist James Cawthorn died on December 2. Cawthorn was long associated with Michael Moorcock and created the first British graphic novel of The Jewel in the Skull, based on Moorcock's novel of the same title. Cawthorn began his career with fan illustrations in fanzines in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he was a staff artist at New Worlds.

Forrest J Ackerman (b.1916) died on December 4, just over a week after his 92nd birthday. Ackerman is known for many things, for wearing the first costume to a worldcon, to his involvement with Famous Monsters of Filmland, to the popularization of the term "Sci-fi." Ackerman worked as an author, editor, agent, and actor, appearing in many cameo roles. In addition to fiction, Ackerman published several science fiction reference books. He won one of the first Hugo Awards in 1953 for #1 Fan Personality and received the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

Actress Nina Foch (b.1924) died on December 4. Foch appeared in "Alien Nation: Dark Horizon," "The Outer Limits," and "Tales of Tomorrow." Among her first film were "Return of the Vampire" and "Cry of the Werewolf." She may be best known for her roles in "Spartacus" and "The Ten Commandments."

Actress Beverly Garland (b.1926) died on December 5. Garland began acting in 1950 and appeared in several genre films in the 50s, including "It Conquered the World," "The Rocket Man," and "Swamp Women," as well as two episodes of "Science Fiction Theatre." She continued appeared in television series, many westerns, but also including "Planet of the Apes" and "Lois & Clark," in which she played Lois Lane's mother.

Actor Van Johnson (b.1916) died on December 12. Johnson appeared in more than 100 films, including the fantasy musical "Brigadoon" and Woody Allen's fantasy "The Purple Rose of Cairo." He also appeared on "Fantasy Island' and "Tales of the Unexpected." On the 1960s "Batman," he appeared as the villain "The Minstrel."

Actor Sam Bottoms (b.1955) died on December 16. Bottoms appeared in the television series "X-Files," "Project Shadowchaser III," and "Hunter's Blood." Bottoms got his start in the film "The Last Picture Show."

Majel Barrett Roddenberry (b.1932) died on December 18. Roddenberry is best known for her role as Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series. She also provided the voice of the Enterprise's computer in all iterations of Star Trek, and had recently finished recording the computer's voice for the film "Star Trek," to be released in 2009. In addition to her work on Star Trek, Roddenberry has also appeared on such genre shows as "Earth: Final Conflict" and "Babylon 5." In addition to the Star Trek franchise, Roddenberry's film work includes "Westworld."

Playwright Dale Wasserman (b.1917) died on December 21. Wasserman adapted Miguel de Cervantes's novel Don Quixote for television in 1959 and later turned it into the successful musical "The Man of La Mancha." Wasserman, who also wrote the play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," won a Writer's Guild Award for the television episode "I, Don Quixote." "The Man of La Mancha" earned Wasserman a Tony Award.

Artist Edd Cartier (b.1914) died on December 25. Cartier studied at the Pratt Institute before working for Street and Smith in the 1930s. Cartier's illustrations appeared inside and on the covers of Astounding, Unknown, Doc Savage, Fantastic Adventures, and other magazines. He fought in World War II and was injured in the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, he returned to the Pratt Institute on the GI Bill and achieved a BFA. Cartier's cover work for Gnome Press and Fantasy Press were highly influential.

Author Leo Frankowski (b.1943) died on December 25 in Lake Elsinore, California. Frankowski was the author of the Crosstime Engineer series as well as several other novels. He was a nominee for the JOhn W. Campbell Award following the publication of his first novel.

Singer Eartha Kitt (b.1927) died on December 25. Kitt was best known as a singer, but she also appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including the role of Catwoman in the "Batman" television series of the 1960s and Yzma in "The Emperor's New Groove." Kitt also appeared in the film "Erik the Viking." She won several Annies and Daytime Emmys for her reprisal of the role of Yzma in "The Emperor's New School."

Actor Bernie Hamilton (b.1928) died on December 30 of cardiac arrest. Hamilton is best known for his role as the police captain in the television series "Starsky and Hutch," but also appeared in numerous genre works, including "The Twilight Zone," "Galactica 1980," "Scream Blacula Scream," and "Mysterious Island."

Author Donald E. Westlake (b.1933) died from an heart attack on December 31. in Mexico. Westlake is best known as a mystery author, but has also published some science fiction. He has used several pseudonyms through the course of his career. Westlake won the Edgar Award three times and was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. He occasionally contributed to sf fanzines.