July 20, 2022: Eric Flint

We are very sorry to report that Eric Flint, creator (among many other things) of the Ring of Fire series, died July 17 from complications of pneumonia. He was 75.

I didn't know Eric well enough to write the obit he deserves. I met him at LibertyCon and liked him immediately. He liked to play at being a "crusty old man," but dropped it immediately when something interesting came around . . . and Eric was interested in everything. As an author of hundreds of thousands of words of alternate history, he had a use for any piece of info that came his way. I had really looked forward to getting better acquainted as the GURPS Ring of Fire project progressed, and now that won't happen. (We definitely intend to move forward with GURPS Ring of Fire; I'm just sorry he won't be around to see it.)

The thing that impressed me most about Eric was his commitment to helping other writers. He came into the field late in his life, as a winner of the "Writers of the Future" project, and he wanted to give others the same kind of chance. Faced with a torrent of fan response – and fanfic! – for his bestselling 1632 series, he didn't close his door. Instead, he innovated! His Grantville Gazette e-zine and anthology series has introduced a number of new writers to print . . . while paying them a competitive rate and turning a profit, guaranteeing that it can continue.

People want to write, and people need to read! Eric knew that. All honor to him.

-- Steve Jackson