It’s been a rough year for the speculative fiction podcasting community, where many of my earlier stories first came to light. I’ve always liked these people, not just because they’ve provided outlets for my work, but because they truly love spec fic and often pour hours into what they do for absolute chump change, if any financial reward.

Earlier this year we lost P.G. Holyfield, nice guy, author, and a notable in the podcasting community. (FYI, Holyfield did some voice work on my tale “Tex’s Last Run”, on Variant Frequencies).

One of the first authors to see their flag raised as a result (in part) of the community’s collective efforts was Eugie Foster. Her fiction placed on many of the well-known podcasting outlets. The bulk of her work, the last I checked, was fantasy shorts, particularly those inspired by folklore. They weren’t for me, but that was purely a subjective decision–they just weren’t my kind of fiction. I liked her science fiction a lot more. “Oranges, Lemons, and Thou Beside Me” is my personal favorite among Eugie’s vast body of work. It’s a fantastic story. Go check it out.

In fact, check out whatever you can of Eugie’s. Because she was a great writer, and had a breathtaking talent for imagery.

My interactions with Eugie were limited, but I was always aware of what she was up to. I do remember that way back when I was cutting my teeth on Critters.org, I had the opportunity to edit and provide feedback to one of Eugie’s works. It was an intimidating task, because Eugie was already pretty well known. But she took the feedback in stride, and her presence in that crit group suggested a certain unexpected humility from someone who had already published so many works.

When she nailed a Nebula award, I wasn’t surprised. She deserved it. And she deserved better than what happened over the weekend.

After a battle with cancer, Eugie passed away on the 27th of September. That sucks. That really, really sucks. I hate it for her husband. I hate it for spec fiction, which has lost a rising star. I hate it for everyone who knew her and worked with her.

I’m going to repeat what Eugie’s family and friends are broadcasting in the wake of this loss: If you liked Eugie’s work, don’t send flowers. Buy some of her books.

R.I.P., Eugie. May your fiction endure and your memory never fade.