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Eric Flint

Eric Flint studied African history; worked as a machinist; drove trucks; wrote, edited, and published books and short stories; and was a union organizer. He was married to Lucille Robbins and had a daughter, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren. He once posted a picture of himself wearing a shirt that said "Grumpa."

I think Eric liked to come across as grouchy. You could quickly see how much time he spent helping others out, though. That might be when he was risking his personal safety helping the unions or something as simple as taking a couple hours to make sure you understood where he wanted to go when he offered you a co-writing opportunity.

Eric's first novel was published when he was fifty years old. I count at least 69 novels as well as numerous anthologies, collections, novellas, and short stories. He wrote in several genres but was probably best known for alternate history. He didn't just write; he worked with others, especially helping new authors get started. Between the 1632 series and The Grantville Gazette, he helped over 200 authors be published. For about three-quarters of us, it was our first professional sale. That's aside from everything he did at Writers of the Future and the Superstars Writing Seminars.

As he often pointed out himself, the 1632 universe was less than half of Eric's writing. Of his many alternate history, science fiction, and fantasy universes, it's the one he opened to anyone who wanted to write in it. Sometimes he'd look bemused at the directions people took with it, but he'd let them do it, as long as it wasn't interfering with his own plans.

We are excited to help carry that legacy forward.

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Framed