Author Janet Kagan Dies

Author Janet Kagan died 29 February 2008 of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) after a long illness. She was 63 years old, and is survived by her husband, Eric “Ric” Kagan, and myriad friends.
Kagan won the Hugo for Best Novelette in 1993 for “The Nutcracker Coup,” and was the author of the classic Star Trek novel Uhura’s Song, the novel Hellspark, and the fix-up novel Mirabile.
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Gardner Dozois, who bought many of her stories while editing Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine, wrote: Her “Mama Jason” stories such as “The Loch Moose Monster” and “Return of the Kangaroo Rex” were some of the most popular stories ever published in Asimov’s, and were eventually gathered in the collection Mirabile.
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Asimov’s story, “The Nutcracker Coup,” won her a Hugo Award in 1993. She wrote one of the most popular Star Trek novels ever, and one of the best, Uhura’s Song. Her single solo non-Star Trek novel, Hellspark, was also widely popular. In fact, readers who liked Janet’s work really liked it; she had many devoted fans, and I’m sure that if she had been able to continue writing, she’d have added several more Hugos to her bag by now.
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Long-time friend Susan Casper wrote: One thing Janet was passionate about was the November Is National Writers month, and she would try to write something every November for NaNoWriMo. She was also passionate about encouraging new writers and giving her expertise to the writers online trying also to write for the month. She was an excellent teacher.
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Janet Kagan was one of the first authors I met when I started working at Asimov’s, and instantly became a friend. I remember a science fiction gathering soon after we met, she and several other authors spent a few hours sitting with me, probing my knowledge of the field (and clucking their tongues over the classics I hadn’t yet read). While reminiscing about the books, they gave me a reading list that I simply had to read if I was going to be a professional, and I set out to do just that.
I also remember several wonderful parties at Janet and Ricky’s home. He is a wonderful cook, and would explain the intricacies of the dishes he prepared over the fire pit they’d built in their kitchen (all of them delicious). Afterwards, there was clean-up, and (since these were usually Christmas Eve tree-decorating parties) the decorating of the tree (along with lots of talking, laughing, and friendship). They would attract the most wonderful diversity of people.They were remarkably easy to be with, whether at their home, mine, or at conventions, and had an incredible range of interests and experiences.
I’ve missed seeing them over the past several years. Janet suffered greatly from Lyme disease, but always had a smile for me, and would ask about my family, as if it had only been days since we’d seen each other, rather than months. I’ll miss her.
—Ian Randal Strock

4 thoughts on “Author Janet Kagan Dies

  1. dcw

    Janet Kagan would e-mail me from time to time. She was wonderful to reply to an unknown fan. I loved to hear from her, although very often she only caught up on her e-mail when feeling under the weather, or “up to my eyes in alligators.” I will miss her brief touch in my life and shall treasure the postcards she sent me for donating blood. There will be more red pints for Tocohl!

  2. Karen Hiatt

    Rick — and Readers:
    I am sorry for your loss — I kept the e-mails Janet sent me — and my own, which always ended — thanks for reading this, — but STOP reading and responding! Please write another book!
    I love Janet Kagan books, have bought multiple copies as gifts, and also to replace my own that I read-to-pieces.
    She was a scholar, too — knew Schmitz’s works, and shared her knowledge with readers.
    Her list of books that she read and liked gave me a year’s worth of pleasure, as I located them and read them for myself. I didn’t find an author I liked as well as Janet Kagan.
    I am sorry for MY loss, too.
    Warm regards,
    Karen

  3. Claudette

    Rick-
    Today I lost the one who seemed my best friend. For many years I didn’t have the internet and only returned to it in the last year and a half. When I finally had the guts to Google Janet’s name, my worst fears were found accurate.
    I’m so sorry for your loss and for that of the rest of the reading world. Janet’s writing has filled my reading time with laughter and envy for many years as I continue to reread her books. As a writer I know that I haven’t the same quality of imagination that Janet exhibited nor the ability to tell the same deeply integrated stories that she poured out to readers. Would that I could have known her in person.
    Please accept my sincere condolences for her departure from this solar system.
    Warmest regards,
    Claudette

  4. Mary Harmon

    I just re-read Uhura’s Song for the fifth time. I wanted to find Janet Kagan and tell her just how much I loved that book. It was my favorite Star Trek book. I am a cat lover and this book brightened my day no matter how many times I have read it. The Sivaoans were an amazing group of beings. I wish that Jinx and Brightspot were real because they would be amazing friends. Janet Kagan was an amazing writer who brought a world to life in the pages of her book. Uhura’s Song will always be one of my favorite books, both in and out of the Star Trek universe.

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