RIP Ardath Mayhar (1930-2012)

Jayme Lynn Blaschke has reported via Joe Lansdale that Ardath Mayhar has passed away.

Born in Timpson, Texas, in 1930, she initially entered the literary world as a poet at the age of nineteen. Her initial novel-length works of fiction included both Westerns and Historical novels written under the pen names of Frank Cannon, John Killdeer, and Sarah MacWilliams.

Her first science fiction tale appeared in 1973, a short story called “The Cat with the Sapphire Eyes.” She wrote or co-wrote over sixty books, including The World Ends in Hickory Hollow, a post-nuclear novel set in Texas, and the Kyrannon Shar-Nuhn cycle. She also wrote novels that appeared as part of the BattleTech and Fuzzy franchises.

In 2008 she was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction Writers of America.

As Lansdale himself said, she wrote “damn fine books!” She will be missed.

For further information:

The Internet Speculative Database has a comprehensive listing of her books and publications with some related links of interest.

Cushing has a collection of some of her papers, particularly her post-1980 work which is predominantly SF. The finding guide is available here. A small collection of her work is also housed at the University of Southern Mississippi.

A memorial service is pending, but more information can be found here.