Science fiction author Greg Bear passed away on Saturday due to complications following heart surgery, as reported by GeekWire. He was 71.
The author died peacefully in a hospital in the Seattle area. He had lived there since 1987, having originally been from San Diego.
Greg first got published in 1967, and became a full-time author in 1975. Throughout his career, he wrote over 50 books. He is considered a very influential author in the hard science fiction genre.
He won several awards throughout his career and was nominated for many more. Hardfought won a Nebula for Best Novella in 1984; Darwin’s Radio won a Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1999; Blood Music won the Hugo and the Nebula for Best Novelette, as well as the Prix Apollo award; Tangents won the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Short Story; Moving Mars received the Nebula for Best Novel; Dinosaur Summer won the Endeavor Award in 1999. Bear also won the Monty Award and the Heinlein Award in 2006, and the 2016 Galaxy Award in China for Most Popular Foreign Writer.
Beyond his writing, Greg also helped found the San Diego Comic-Con, and also served as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America.
Greg is survived by his wife, Astrid, and their two children, Chloe and Alexandra. Astrid is the daughter of Poul Anderson and Karen Anderson, who were both science fiction authors as well.