Harry Harrison (1925-2012)

There is general mourning in sf circles for the loss of Harry Harrison, who died on 15 August (circa 1am) in the East Sussex nursing home where he’d been ill for so long. He was 87. His best-loved creations were the Deathworld, Stainless Steel Rat and West of Eden series, plus Bill, the Galactic Hero (first book only). Standout solo novels include Captive Universe and Make Room! Make Room!, the latter loosely adapted to film as Soylent Green. There are many more, plus a mass of notable short fiction. Harry’s wisecracking presence – usually with Brian Aldiss as his stand-up comedy partner – enlivened a great many UK conventions over several decades. Farewell.