Filker and author Cynthia McQuillin (b.1953) died on January 14, 2006. A long time filker, McQuillan received the Pegasus Award in 1999 for Best Writer/Composer. In addition, after meeting Marion Zimmer Bradley, she began to write and published more than 15 short stories. She got her start filing for Off Centaur Publications and eventually formed Midlife Crisis with Dr. Jane Robinson.

Children's author Jan Mark (b.1943) died on January 15. Mark published three science fiction novels, the Ennead, Divide and Rule, and Aquarius between 1978 and 1982. Most of her novels and short stories were not genre work. In 1993, she was the editor of The Oxford Book of Children's Stories.

Artist John Stewart died on January 18 of liver failure in St. Thomas Hospital in London. Stewart contributed art to small presses in the 1970s and 80s, including the Whisper Press edition of Robert Bloch's Strange Eons. He dropped from sight in the late 80s when he was in a detox program for drug and alcohol abuse.

Actor Anthony Franciosa (b.1928) died on January 20. Franciosa appeared in the film "Dracula in the Castle of Blood" (Nella stretta morsa del ragno) and "Ghost in the Noon Day Sun." Despite more than fifty films and television shows to his credit, including the title role of "Matt Helm," Franciosa may be best known as the ex-husband of actress Shelley Winters, who died on January 14 .

Animator Norm McCabe (b.1911) died on January 20. McCabe was part of the Warner Brothers stable of animators, beginning in 1936 with "Porky in the North Woods" and working until the late 1980s. In addition to numerous shorts, he worked on "The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure" and "The Adventures of Batman." He also worked as an animator on the classic "Fritz the Cat."

Bryan Bessor (b.1955) died of cancer on January 27. Bessor was one of the founders of Pennsic War, a SCA event which in 2005 drew more than 10,000 people from around the world. In addition to being active in the SCA, Bessor appeared in local theatre. His family plans to scatter his ashes at Pennsic War in 2006.

Actor Al Lewis (b.1923) died on February 3. Best known for his role as Grandpa Munster on "The Munsters," Lewis also worked as a basketball scout, restaurateur, and ran for political office. Lewis also appeared on the television show "Car 54, Where Are You," also opposite Fred Gwynne, who played Herman Munster.

Actor Phil Brown (b.1916) died on February 9 of pneumonia. Brown began acting in films in 1941, but acheived his greatest fame with a brief role he filmed for a 1977 release, the role of uncle Owen in "Star Wars." The following year, he appeared as a Senator in "Superman" and has also appeared in "The Martian Chronicles." His final film role was in 1999 when he appeared in "Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming."

Author Peter Benchley (b.1940) died on February 11 of pulmonary fibrosis. Best known for his horror novel Jaws, Benchley has published several other horror novels, many of them dealing with the oceans, such as The Island, The Deep, and Beast. Benchley was the grandson of humorist Robert Benchley and the son of author Nathaniel Benchley.

Actor Andreas Katsulis (b.1946) died on February 13. Katsulis debuted in film in 1979 and went on to appear in a number of genre films and shows, including "Max Headroom," "Alien Nation," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." he may be best known, however, for his role of G'Kar in "Babylon 5."

Actor Don Knotts (b.1924) died on February 24 of pneumonia. Knotts is best known for his roles as Barney Fife and the title character in "The Incredible Mr. Limpet." He appeared in several genre roles, including "The Reluctant Astronaut" and "Pleasantville." His final work was doing voice work in Chicken Little.

Actor Darren McGavin (b.1922) died on February 25. McGavin may be best known for his work as Carl Kolchak on "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," but has also appeared in "The Martian Chronicles," "The Six-Million Dollar Man," "The X-Files," the film "Captain America," and many other films and television series, both within and outside the genre. He made his acting debut in 1945 after being discovered while painting a movie set.

Author Octavia Butler (b.1947) died on February 25. Butler was first published in 1971 in the Clarion anthology. Since then, her works have been critically well received two Hugos and two Nebulas as well as a MacArthur Genius grant. Among her best known works were Parable of the Sower and its sequel, Parable of the Talents, "Bloodchild," and Wild Seed.

Artist Ronald Clyne (b.1925) died on February 26. Clyne began selling his art to magazines in 1940, when as a fifteen year old, he provided the cover for Fantastic Stories. Five years later, he was commissioned to paint the cover for August Derleth's Something Near, which led to a lengthy connection with Arkham House. His work graced more than 500 album covers as well as Weird Tales and Amazing.

Nan Dibble (b.1942) died on March 7. Dibble published under the pseudonym Ansen Dibell. Using the Dibell name, she published the novels Pursuit of the Screamer, Circle, Crescent, Star, and Summerfair. In addition, she wrote Word Processing Secrets for Writers and Plot. Dibble was also active in Buffy fandom.

Actress Maureen Stapleton (b.1925) died on March 13. Perhaps best known for her Academy Award winning role in Reds, Stapleton appeared in both Cocoon films as Marilyn Luckett.

Author Ronald Anthony Cross (b.1937) died of a stroke last week. Cross began publishing science fiction in the 1973 with "The Story of Three Cities" and was currently publishing the "Eternal Guardians" series, the last volume of which is forthcoming.

Author David Feintuch (b.1944) died on March 16 of an heart attack. Feintuch published the "Seafort Saga" series and two fantasy novels. In 1996, he received the John W. Campbell Award for best new author. Prior to publishing his first novel, Feintuch has a long career as a lawyer. He continued to practice law after becoming a published writer.

Chicago fan Tom Parker died on March 17 following a quadruple bypass.

John Morressy (b.1930) died on March 20 of a massive coronary. Morressy was best known for his Kedrigern series of short stories and novels, one of which appeared in the June 2006 issue of F&SF.

David Stemple, husband of Jane Yolen, died on March 22.

Australian author Kurt von Trojan (b.1937) died of cancer on March 22. Von Trojan was nominated for the Ditmar Award in 1986 for his novel Transing Syndrome. He also published The Atrocity Shop. In addition to writing science fiction, von Trojan worked as a psychiatric nurse and a film projectionist.

Richard Fleischer (b.1916) died on March 25. Fleischer was the son of Max Fleischer, of Popeye and Betty Boop fame, but made his own name in the film industry by directing the Nebula Award winning film "Soylent Green" as well as "Dr. Dolittle," "Fantastic Voyage," "Conan the Destroyer," and its sequel "Red Sonja." In 1954, he directed Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," based on Jules Verne's novel.

Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem (b.1921) died on March 27. Lem may be best known for Solaris, which was twice turned into films, but he wrote numerous other satirical science fiction novels and stories, including The Futurological Congress, Cyberiad, and Eden.

Producer/Director Dan Curtis (b.1928) died on March 27 from a brain tumor. Curtis got his start in 1966 working on "Dark Shadows." He went on to work on a television production of "Dracula" as well as the remake of "Dark Shadows" in the 1990s. Curtis's wife, Norma, died earlier this month, on March 7.

Flonet Biltgen died on March 29 following a battle with cancer. Her story "The Troublesome Kordae Alliance and How It Was Settled" was published in the Writers of the Future anthology in 1988 and she has had several poems published since then. She has also published mystery stories.

Torkel Franzen (b.1950) has died. Franzen was active in Swedish fandom and translated the works of Jack Vance, Ursula Le Guin, and Brian Aldiss, among others, into Swedish. Franzen was also a mathematical philosopher.

Author Angus Wells (b.1943) was killed in a house fire on April 11. He began publishing with Star Maidens in 1977 under the pseudonym Ian Evans. The following year, he co-wrote Raven, Swordmistress of Chaos with Robert Holdstock. He is perhaps best known for his Exiles saga.

Author Muriel Sparks (b.1918) died on April 13. Sparks published Child of Light, about Mary Shelley, in 1951. When she published a revised and expanded edition in 1987, it won a Stoker Award. Her fantasies included The Hothouse by the East River. Her most famous novel, however, was the non-genre The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Pilot Scott Crossfield (b.1921) died in a plane crash on April 20. Crossfield was the first man to fly at Mach 2 and piloted the X-15 space plane. Crossfield was apparently flying alone when his plane went down in a storm. He was involved in the attempt to recreate the Wright Brothers' first flight in 2003.

Fan Brian Burley (b.1942) died in his sleep on either April 25 or 26. Burley was a speaker at the Star Trek Conference, the first Star Trek con, in 1969, organized by his wife, Sherna Comerford Burley. Burley has long been associated with running conventions and bid for a New York Worldcon in 2004. Burley also was a founder of the BPLF (Beaker People Libation Front).

Brazilian author Zora Seljan (b.1918) died on April 25. She was a playwright who also published numerous science fiction stories throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. In 1973, she founded the newspaper The Brazilian Gazette with her first husband, Rubem Braga.

Fantasy author Lisa Barnett (b.1958) died on May 2 at home in hospice care. Barnett was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She published three novels with her partner, Melissa Scott, including the Lambda Award winning Point of Dreams.

Author Jean-Pierre Hubert died on May 3. Hubert began writing in 1973 and was the recipient of many science fiction awards, including the Grand Prix de la SF Française, Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, and the Prix Rosny Aîné. His works include The Field of the Dreamers, Mango, and Other Worlds.

Author José Icaza (b.1941) died on May 5. Icaza began writing short stories in the 1960s and turned his talents to science fiction exclusively after reading a collection of Isaac Asimov's SF essays. His novels include Herencia estelar, and Pálpito de una estatua sensible. He completed a first draft of his third novel before his death.

Author and editor Elizabeth Walter died on May 8. Walter published numerous stories which were collected in seven collections and four novels. IN addition, she edited books for the Collins Crime Club for more than 30 years from 1961-93.

Writer/Director Val Guest (b.1911) died on May 10 in Palm Springs. Guest directed and wrote the "Quatermass" films and "The Day the Earth Caught Fire," as well as writing "Casino Royale." His career began as an actor in 1932 and lasted until 1986.

Actor Frankie Thomas (b.1921) died on May 11. Thomas starred in the 1950s television series "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" and was also credited as a writer on the series. Thomas appeared in several Nancy Drew films in the 1930s. Thomas was scheduled to be a Special Guest at this year's Worldcon in Los Angeles.

Author and mathematician Arthur Porges (b.1915) died on May 12th. Porges began publishing science fiction in 1952 with "The Fly," and continued to publish until at least 1970. Over that period, he sold more than seventy stories, some of them co-written with his brother, Irwin Porges.

Filker Leigh Anne Hussey (b.1960) was killed in a collision on May 16. Apparently, Hussey lost control of her motorcycle while near a dump truck on I-580 in Alameda County. Hussey played with the band Brazen Hussey and was an avid motorcyclist.

Michigan fan Jim Overmyer died on May 22. Overmyer has long been active in con-running.

Art director Henry Bumstead (b.1915) died on May 24th. Bumstead only had a couple of SF credits in his long career, including "I Married a Monster from Out Space," but was well known for his work on "The Sting," "To Kill a Mockingbird," both of which garnered him Oscars, and "Unforgiven."

Fan Gytha North died on May 25 from lung cancer. North introduced filking to UK fandom and was the first guest of honor at a UK filk convention. She suggested the members of the Plokta Cabal should run a filk con, which lead to the formation of the cabal. She was inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame in 2001.

Fan Leslie Bloom (b.1944) was killed recently when she was hit by a stray bullet while out for a walk on May 20. She died at Harlem Hospital Center on May 26. On September 19, police arrested three men who had robbed an upper Manhattan store and killed Bloom.

Comic artist Alex Toth died on May 27. Toth started illustrated comics in 1946 and had a long-time association with DC and its predecessor companies. He drew Green Lantern, Flash, Johnny Thunder, Batman, and others during his career. He designed the animated character Space Ghost and story-boarded the film "The Angry Red Planet."

Actor Paul Gleason (b.1944) died on May 27 from mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer linked to asbestos. Gleason may be best known for his role as the principal in "The Breakfast Club," but also appeared in science fiction films and television, including guest roles on "Lois and Clark" and "Dark Skies." He appeared in the made for TV film "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor."

Arthur Widmer (b.1914) died on May 28 from cancer. Widmer was a pioneer in the process of blue screen technology, used heavily in film and on television to create every thing from special affects to weather maps. Widmer worked for Kodak, which sent him to Oak Ridge to work on the Manhattan Project during World War II and later to Hollywood where he helped define and refine blue screen techniques.

Midwest huckster Fredda Kullman died of breast cancer on May 29. Kullman sold jewelry and other items in huckster rooms.

Actor Robert Sterling (b.1917) died in Brentwood, CA on May 30. Born William Sterling Hart, he changed his name so he wouldn't be confused with a silent actor with a similar name. He is best known for his role as George Kerby in the television version of "Topper," and also appeared in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and in "The Printer's Devil," an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

Comics editor George Kashdan (b.1928) died on June 3. Kashdan worked as an editor for DC Comics from 1946 through 1968. He worked on many of DC's titles, including Green Arrow and Johnny Quick. In 1961, he became the editor of Aquaman and later helped launch The Teen Titans and the team-up format of The Brave and the Bold.

Author Karl T. Pflock (b.1943) died on June 5 in Placitas, NM of ALS. He is best known for his UFOlogy book Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe, but also wrote science fiction, including "Lifeboat," "Conservation of Mass," and "AFC."

Fern Tucker, long time wife of SF fan and author Wilson "Bob" Tucker, died on June 7. Several fans held a tribute to Bob and Fern in August, 2001. She married Bob in 1953.

Cartoonist Jack Jackson (b.1941) died on June 8. Jackson's comic God's Nose is widely considered to be the first underground comic, dating to 1964. By the late 1970s, Jackson had turned his attention to chronicling Texas and American history through his use of comics.

Actor Robert Donner (b.1931) died on June 8 from an heart attack. Donner played Exidor, an apparently delusional human on the television show "Mork and Mindy." Donner also appeared as a guest star on "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Incredible Hulk." Donner got his start acting in westerns, including "Cool Hand Luke" and appears in the current release "Hoot."

Artist Tim Hildebrandt (b.1939) died from complications related to diabetes on June 11. Hildebrandt made a name for himself working with his brother, Greg, as the Brothers Hildebrandt. They are, perhaps, best known for their work featuring the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and the original poster for "Star Wars."

Composer Gyorgy Ligeti (b.1923) died on June 12. Ligeti was an Hungarian who fled his native land after the 1956 revolution. He made a name for himself with the opera Le Grand Macabre and worked with Stanley Kubrick on several films. An excerpt from his 1966 piece "Lux Aeterna" was used in the film "2001: a space odyssey."

Kansas City fan John Vaughan (b.1948) died on June 14. Vaughan was an active member of the Burroughs Bibliophiles and for many years served as the registered agent for the Kansas City Science Fiction and Fantasy Society. Vaughan served in the Marine Corps in Viet Nam, where he was wounded.

Television producer Aaron Spelling (b.1923) died on June 23. His work of genre interest included the television shows "Fantasy Island" and "Charmed," and the film "Satan's School for Girls." Spelling's biggest hits may have been "Charlie's Angels." "The Love Boat," "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place."

Editor/Publisher Jim Baen (b.1943) died on June 28, two weeks after suffering a major stroke. Baen was the editor of Galaxy and If beginning in 1974 and eventually left to help start up the science fiction line at Ace. Once that was up and running, he left to start up the sf line at Tor Books. In 1983, he had the chance to start his own line, Baen Books. At Baen Books, Baen published many new and established authors, including Lois McMaster Bujold, Elizabeth Moon, Eric Flint, and David Weber. Baen Books was one of the first publishers to exploit the web and Baen promoted the use of free electronic editions as a means of advertising. Shortly before his stroke, Baen started up Baen's Universe, an e-zine. In 2000, he was the editor Guest of Honor at Chicon 2000.

Voice actor Lennie Weinrib (b.1935) died on June 30. Weinrib wrote all the episodes of the Kroft Productions show "H.R. Pufnstuf" and also provided the voice of the title character. He also did voice work in a variety of movies and cartoons, including King Leonidas in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and Gomez Addams in the animated "Addams Family."

Actor Jan Murray (b.1917) died on July 2. Murray was a Borscht Belt comedian who appeared in several films and television shows of genre interest, including "Fantasy Island," "Kolchak," and "Tarzan and the Great River."

Texas fan Judith Ward died on July 3, one day before her birthday. Ward ran the hospitality suite at LoneStarCon 2. She died of congestive heart failure. In the late 1990s, Ward served as chair of the Fandom Association of Central Texas. She was slated to be the Fen Guest of Honor for FenCon II in September 2006.

Roderick Macleish (b.1926) has died. Macleish was the author of the novels The First Book of Eppe and Prince Ombra.

Fan rich brown (a.k.a. Dr. Gafia) (b.1942) died on July 6. brown was a long-time fanzine fan. In addition to publishing his own fanzines such as Beardmutterings, Slant (with Mike Fern) and Focal Points (with Mike McInerney), brown was an active fanzine reviewer and maintained a dictionary of fannish terms. In the 1960s, he founded, with Arnie Katz, the Brooklyn Insurgents, a fanzine club.

Martin Last (b.1929) died on July 6. Last was co-owner, with Baird Searles of the Science Fiction Shop in New York. In the 1980s, after closing the shop, Last and Searles moved to Montreal. Last was one of the co-authors of A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction.

Actress Kasey Rogers (b.1925) died on July 6. Rogers is best known for her role as Louise Tate, Darren's boss's wife, on "Bewitched." She also appeared on many other television shows throughout the fifties and sixties.

Actor Peter Hawkins (b.1924) died on July 8. Hawkins was aboard the HMS Limbourne when it sank in 1943, but survived. In the 1960s, he created the voice of the Daleks in "Doctor Who," most noted for the phrase "Exterminate," as well as providing the voice for the Cybermen. He appeared on screen on the show "Dave Allen at Large," as well as in numerous other television shows and films.

Actor Barnard Hughes (b.1915) died on July 11. Hughes appeared in numerous films and television shows including many of genre interest. He portrayed Stuart Bronson in the original "Dark Shadows," and the judge on "Oh, God." In "Tron," he appeared as Walter Gibbs and Dumont. During the 1981 television season, Hughes had the title role in "Mr. Merlin."

Actor and comedian Red Buttons (b.1919) died on July 13. Buttons, born Aaron Chwatt was best known for his work as a comedian, but he also appeared as the White Rabbit in a television version of "Alice in Wonderland," in several episodes of "Fantasy Island," in "Pete's Dragon," and other films and television shows of genre interest. In 1957, he won the Best Supporting Oscar for his role in "Sayonara."

Author Mickey Spillane (b.1918) died on July 17 at his home in South Carolina. Spillane, who wrote mysteries, was best known for his character Mike Hammer, who began as a comic character named Mike Danger. Hammer's first outing, and Spillane's first novel, was I, the Jury, published in 1947. In 1963, Spillane portrayed Hammer in the film "The Girl Hunters."

Director and producer David Maloney died on July 18. Maloney directed numerous episodes of "Doctor Who," including "The War Games," the last regular appearance of Patrick Troughton as the Doctor, "Planet of the Daleks" and "Genesis of the Daleks," and "The Talons of Weng-Chiang." In one position or another, he worked with the first four actors to play the Doctor from 1965 through 1977. In addition to his work on "Doctor Who," Maloney directed and produced "Blakes 7" and the 1981 television version of "The Day of the Triffids."

Translator, author, and editor Michel Demuth (b.1939) died on July 17. Demuth published his first story in 1958 and soon after began writing full time. In 1968, he translated Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey into French and began working as a translator. He published the graphic novel Yragael, illustrated by Philippe Druillet.

Actor Jack Warden (b.1920) died on July 21. Warden appeared in numerous television shows and films, playing Tiresias in "Mighty Aphrodite," Old General Zevo in "Toys," Cosmos Topper in the 1979 television series "Topper."

Author David Gemmell (b.1948) died on July 28, one week after undergoing open heart surgery. Gemmell has published numerous fantasy novels including the" Stones of Power" series, Legends of the Drenai, and the current Troy series that began with Lord of the Silver Bow.

William Moy Russell (b.1925) died on July 28. Russell was both an SF author and a sociologist. In 1954, his story "The Three Brothers" was a runner-up in a contest held by The Observer newspaper in 1954. Although he wrote the novel The Barber of Aldebaran the next year, it didn't see publication until 1995. In addition to writing fiction, Russell had several academic papers published in the SF journal Foundation.

British fan Mike Damesick was been found dead in his flat in Birmingham in early August. Damesick was not only a science fiction fan, but also a fan of Dorothy L. Sayers. He was involved with Oxford University Speculative Fiction Group.

Susan Michaud (b.1964) died on August 3. Michaud, along with her husband, Marc, ran Necronomicon Press. Although the Press was founded in 1976, after the couple married in 1983, Susan took a large role in running the business. She leaves her husband and two daughters.

Robert Leman (b.1922) died on August 8. Leman was a member of First Fandom and was an active letter hack in the days of the pulps. He published the fanzine Vinegar Worm, and from the 60s through the 80s published several stories in F&SF, later collected in Feesters in the Lake and Other Stories. His short story, "Window" was on the Nebula ballot in 1981.

Author Philip E. High (b.1914) died on August 9. High began publishing in 1955 with the short story "The Statics," and went on to write fourteen novels. His most recent novel, Blindfold from the Stars, was published in 1979. Many of High's early novels were published as part of the Ace double series.

Physicist James Van Allen (b.1914) died on August 9. Van Allen discovered the Van Allen Belt, a torus of charged ions above the Earth which floresce, causing the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. A staunch supporter of unmanned exploration of the solar system, van Allen has often spoken out against manned space travel. As an undergraduate, he helped prepare the Byrd Antarctic Expedition.

The IAU voted on a new definition for planets on August 24 resulting in the demotion of Pluto to the category of "Dwarf Planet." The new ruling means there are only eight planets in the solar system. Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930.

Screenwriter Joseph Stefano (b.1922) died on August 25. Stefano wrote the screenplay for the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Psycho." He went on to co-create and write several episodes of the 1960s anthology series "The Outer Limits" as well as write an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Animator Ed Benedict (b.1912) died on August 28. Benedict designed many of the Hannah-Barbera characters, including Yogi Bear, Fred Flintstone, and Dino. He got his start as an animator on the 1934 Walter Lantz film "The Dizzy Dwarf." In 1946, he worked on the Disney film "Make Mine Music."

Actor Glenn Ford (b.1916) died on August 30. Ford, best known for appearing in Westerns, also appeared as Jonathan Kent in the 1977 film "Superman." Three years later, he appeared in the Japanese horror film "Fukkatsu no hi."

Fan John Miesel (1941) died on August 30 from a brain tumor. Miesel, who was married to author Sandra Miesel, was a one-time member of the Indianapolis Science Fiction Association.

Helen Wesson died on September 7 from a stroke and pancreatic cancer. Wesson was active in FAPA and suffered the stroke in June, which was debilitating to her. At the time of her death, she was preparing a new issue of her fanzine Pendragon.

Author Jacques Sternberg (b.1923) died on September 11. Sternberg published the collections La Géometrie de l'impossible and Futurs san avenirs. His novels include Toi, ma nuit and La sortie est au fond de l'espace. The Alain Resnais film Je t'aime, je t'aime was also written by Sternberg.

Author Charles Grant (b.1942) died on September 15 following a long illness. He began publishing in 1968 with the story "The House of Evil." Grant won the World Fantasy Award for his collection Nightmare Seasons and a Nebula Award for the novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye." From 1978 through 1991, he edited the eleven volume Shadows anthology series.

Collector Darrell C. Richardson (b.1918) died on September 19 following a lengthy illness. Richardson was known for his extensive collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and owned more than 30,000 books and 20,000 pulp magazines. He was active in Cincinnati fandom in the 40s before serving in Germany in the army. Richardson was a past winner of the E.E. Evans Big Heart Award.

Author John M. Ford (b.1957) was found dead on the morning on September 25. Ford won the World Fantasy Award for his novel The Dragon Waiting and was the co-winner of the Philip K. Dick Award for Growing Up Weightless. In addition to his novel length work and short stories, Ford wrote several role-playing supplements for GURPs and the Star Trek RPG.

Actor Edward Albert (b.1951) died of lung cancer on September 26. Albert was the son of actor Eddie Albert, who died last year. The younger Albert appeared as Mr. Collins in the Power Rangers series. He also did a lot of voice work, including stints on The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. He appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space 9 as Zayra as well as other television series and movies.

Fan Virgil Utter (b.1925) died on October 3, 2006. Utter wrote bibliographies of Raymond Cummings and Henry Kuttner, among others. He also wrote an introduction to Kuttner Times Three in 1988 and an afterword to Prince Raynor the previous year.

Arthur Wilson "Bob" Tucker (b.1914) died on October 6, four months after his wife, Fern. Tucker was a long-time fan and author, responsible for such notable fanzines as the 1930s The Planetoid, Le Zombie (1938-1975) and The Bloomington News Letter. His novels included The Lincoln Hunters, The Year of the Quiet Sun, and To Tombaugh Station. In 1970, Tucker received the Hugo for Best Fan Writer and was the second SFWA Author Emeritus in 1996. In 2003, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Tucker's tendency to name characters in his books and stories after friends and fans resulted in that process being known as "tuckerization." In 1941, he coined the term "space opera." On at least two occasions, Tucker's death was announced in fandom, once in 1934 during the fannish "Staple War" and again in 1949 at Cinvention.

Fan David Stewart (b.1960) died on October 12 following a battle with esophageal cancer. Stewart was an active Irish fan who was heavily involved in running Octocon and served as the Irish agent for Interaction. Outside of fandom, he worked as a freelance journalist specializing in technology and had an interest in jazz.

Children's author Phillipa Pearce (b.1911) died on October 17. Pearce was the author of Tom's Midnight Garden and The Little Gentleman. Her first novel was the non-genre Minnow on the Say.

Actress Phyllis Kirk (b.1929) died on October 19 from a post cerebral aneurysm. Kirk, born Phyllis Kirkegaard, portrayed Sue Allen in "House of Wax," opposite Vincent Price. She also appeared in the Twilight Zone episode "A World of His Own."

Actress Jane Wyatt (b.1910) died on October 20 of natural causes. Wyatt was best known for her role as Margaret Anderson on television's "Father Knows Best," bust she also appeared in films and television shows of genre interest, including "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and the original "Star Trek," and the television series "Starman."

Actor Arthur Hill (b.1922) died on October 22. Hill appeared in several films and television shows of genre interest, including "The Andromeda Strain" and "Futureworld." He provided the voice of the narrator in the film adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes."

Chicago fan Philip Friedman (known as Cyohtee) died on October 25 of dilated cardiomyopathy. He was one of the founders of the Barbarian Wine & Cheese Society and performed filk.

Scriptwriter Nigel Kneale (b.1922) died on October 29. Kneale teamed up with Rudolph Cartier in 1953 to write the script for the science fiction serial "The Qautermass Experiment." The following year, the two men did a television adaptation of George Orwell's "1984," starring Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence. Kneale wrote additional films in the "Quatermass" series, as well as an adaptation of H.G. Wells's "First Men in the Moon" and the screenplay for "Halloween III."

Author Nelson S. Bond (b.1908) died on November 4. He died following complications from heart valve problems. He began publishing science fiction in 1937 with the story "Down the Dimensions" in Astounding. His first novel, Exiles of Time, appeared in 1949. He may be best known for his series of stories about Lancelot Biggs. In addition to writing science fiction, Bond worked as a writer in Hollywood, producing scripts for shows like "Tales of Tomorrow," "Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers," and "Studio One." In 1998, Bond was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

British fan Ron Bennett (b.1933) died in early November. Bennett was an active fan writer and publisher. In 1958, he was the TAFF delegate to SolaCon. Bennett chaired the British SF Con at Harrogate in 1962 and ran the dealers' room at Conspiracy in 1987. he was an avid collector and was a used book dealer for more than thirty years.

Artist Stanley Meltzoff (b.1917) died on November 9. Meltzoff was best known for his scientific illustrations in National Geographic and Scientific American, but he also provided cover illustrations for several science fiction authors in the 1950s, including works by Asimov and Heinlein.

Actor Jack Palance (b.1919) died on November 10. Best known to younger audiences for his role as Curly in "City Slickers" which satirized his earlier roles in Westerns, Palance also appeared in several genre films including Carl Grissom in "Batman," Mercy in "Cyborg 2," Xenos in two films based on John Norman's "Gor" series and Dracula in a 1973 television production.

Author Jack Williamson (b.1908) died on November 10. Williamson's first published short story, "The Metal Men," was published in Amazing in 1928, and he has published stories or novels in every decade since then, with his most recent novel being The Stonehenge Gate in 2005. His writing runs the gamut of the field, including such seminal works as the Legion of Space, Darker Than You Think, The Humanoids, and several collaborations with Frederik Pohl. Williamson's autobiography, the Hugo winning Wonder's Child, was published in 1984. In 1976, he was named SFWA's second Grand Master and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2004, he was named a World Horror Grand Master. The Jack Williamson Science Fiction Library was established at Eastern New Mexico University in 1982. Williamson also won a Hugo and Nebula for his novella "The Ultimate Earth."

Gary Graver (b.1938) died on November 16. Graver was a cinematographer who worked closely with Orson Welles in Welles' final years. He also did many projects on his own, including the films "Veronica 2030." "Tomb of the Werewolf," and "Beneath the Bermuda Triangle" among others.

Maggie Noach (b.1949) died on November 17. Noach was a literary agent who represented authors including Brian Aldiss, Garry Kilworth, and Colin Greenland. She published one book of her own, with her then husband Alan Williams, The Dictionary of Disgusting Facts.

Robert Altman (b.1925) died on November 20. While Altman was best known for making complex films like "M*A*S*H," "Short Cuts," and "Gosford Park," in 1968, he directed the science fiction film "Countdown."

Screenwriter Chris Hayward (b.1925) died on November 20. Hayward got his start working with Jay Ward on "Crusader Rabbit," the first created-for-television cartoon. He continued to work with Ward on " The Bullwinkle Show" and was instrumental in the creation of Dudley Do-Right. In 1964, he was the writer of the first episode of "The Munsters" as well of as developer of the series.

Phyllis Cerf Wagner (b.1916) died on November 24. As Phyllis Fraser, she edited Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural in 1944 and collaborated with Theodore Geisel on his classic books The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and Green Eggs and Ham. Wagner was born Helen Brown Nichols and moved to Hollywood to live with her aunt Lela Rogers and her cousin Ginger, who received her nickname because Wagner couldn't pronounce Virginia. She acted in a few movies in the 1930s before moving to New York, where she married Bennett Cerf.

Sydney Bounds (b.1920) died on November 24. His first story published was "Strange Portrait" in 1946 and he published stories in a variety of genres. By 1956, however, he had ceased writing almost everything except children's stories. He joined the Science Fiction Association in 1937 and worked as an electrician on the Enigma machine during World War II. While in the service, he started publishing the fanzine Cosmic Cuts.

Leon E. Stover (b.1929) died in Chicago on November 25 of complications from diabetes. Stover was a professor emeritus of anthropology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In addition to co-writing the novel Stonehenge: Where Atlantis Died with Harry Harrison, he edited anthologies with Harrison and Willis McNelly and wrote non-fiction works on Harrison, Robert Heinlein, and H.G. Wells.

Comic Book artist Dave Cockrum (b.1943) died due to complications from diabetes on November 26. Cockrum started as an assistant inker, eventually becoming the artist for the Legion of Super-Heroes. He revamped the series in the 1970s. Eventually, he moved to Marvel where he revamped the X-Men, creating, along with Len Wein, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus.

Comics fan Jerry Bails (b.1933) died on November 26. Bails was known as the Father of Comic Book Fandom and was the publisher of Alter-Ego, which was the first fanzine to put comic fans in touch with each other.

Composer Shirley Walker (b.1945) died on November 29 following a stroke. Walker's compositions could be heard on the television series "The Flash," "Batman: The Animated Series," "Space: Above and Beyond," and the Final Destination films.

Film writer/producer/director Don Dohler died on December 2 following a diagnosis of lung and brain cancer. Dohler, of Timewarp Films, produced sf films such as "The Alien Factor," "The Galaxy Invader," and "Vampire Sisters," mostly created films for the direct to video market. Dohler also created and edited the magazine Cinemagic.

Author Pierce Askegren died on December 3. Askegren was a life-long comic fan and wrote several comic novelizations, including Spider-Man and Iron Man: Sabotage and The Avengers and the Thunderbolts.

Craig Hinton (b. 1964) died on December 3. Hinton wrote five "Doctor Who" tie-in novels, including The Crystal Bucephalus, Millennial Rites, GodEngine, The Quantum Archangel, and SynthespiansTM. Hinton also published under the pseudonym Paul C. Alexander. He was the coordinator of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society and originated the term "fanwank," meaning the inclusion of internal references to reward long time fans.

Actor Michael Gilden (b.1962) apparently committed suicide on December 5. Gilden made his acting debut as one of the Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi," also appeared on television in several episodes of "Charmed" and did voice work for "Aliens in the Family."

Adelino Dos Santos Abreu (b.1951) died on December 5. Abeau was a Brazilian fan who went by the name Ghaba and published the novel Viagem a um Planeta Artificial por Rapto in 1969. He had written the book when he was only 15. He later revised the novel and republished it as a multimedia production on the internet as well as two unpublished sequels.

Author Patricia Matthews (b.1927) died on December 7. Matthews wrote fantasy, historical romances, and mysteries, often using pseudonyms including Patty Brisco, Laura Wylie, P.A. Brisco, Pat A. Briscoe, and Denise Matthews.

Comic book artist Martin Nodell (b.1915) died on December 9. Nodell was the artist who created the original Green Lantern in 1939 when All American Comics editor told him that the only way to get a permanent position was to create a character. Nodell left DC Comics, which had absorbed All-American, in 1947 when he moved to Timely (Marvel) and drew Captain America, Sub Mariner, and the Human Torch. In 1950, he retired from comics and turned to advertising, during which time he helped create the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Actor Peter Boyle (b.1935) died on December 12. Boyle is best known for his role as Frankenstein's Monster in the Mel Brooks spoof "Young Frankenstein" and more recently as the father on the non-genre show "Everybody Loves Raymond." Boyle also appeared in several films and television shows of interest to SF fans, including "The X-Files," "Outland," and "Lois and Clark." His role as Clyde Bruckman on "The X-Files" earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Fan David Charney (b.1923) died on December 12. Charney was an active fan in the 1030s and was a member of the Science Fiction League and Fantasy Circle. In 1973, he published two stories, "Mommy Loves Ya" and "The Triple Moons of Deneb II."

Joseph Barbera (b.1911) died on December 18. Barbera, who along with partner William Hanna formed Hanna-Barbera Productions, was responsible for cartoons including "Tom and Jerry," "The Flintstones," "The Jetsons," and "Scooby Doo."

Comic Book Artist Jack Burnley (b.1911) died on December 19. Burnley was the second artist to draw Superman for DC Comics. Along with Gardner Fox, he created Starman. In 1939, Burnley drew the cover of New York World's Fair Comics which was the first to feature both Superman and Batman.

Author Marj Krueger (b.1941) died on December 20. Krueger published science fiction novels and short stories under the pseudonym "Jayge Carr," beginning in 1976 with the story "Alienation." She also published the four novels in the Rabelais series.

Fan Dick Eney (b.1937) died on December 22 following a series of strokes. Eney's strokes were small and had atypical symptoms so were not diagnosed properly before a larger stroke killed him. In 1959, Eney published Fancyclopedia II, explaining several terms and jokes used by fans of that era. Two years later, Eney ran for TAFF, losing to Ron Ellik. Eney worked on committees for Discons I and II and Constellation and was the Fan Guest of Honor at LACon II, the 1984 Worldcon. In addition to Fancyclopedia II, Eney published numerous other fanzines since discovering fandom in 1949.