As the year closes, we lose Larry Roberts, 81, to a heart attack.
As a manager of the US Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, ARPA, Roberts oversaw the development of Arpanet, the major forerunner to the World Wide Web. On October 29, 1969, the first message (“Login,” but only “lo” got through) went from UCLA to Stanford. Roberts later went on to work in the burgeoning computer industry.
Nicholas Roeg has passed away at the age of 90.
The influential British filmmaker first made his name as a cinematographer, working on such classics as Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and Fahrenheit 451. He got his directorial career off to a rocking start with the controversial Performance (1970) starring Mick Jagger. Roeg was no stranger to genre; his films include The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and The Witches (1990).1 Many people remember him for the movie we’re reviewing as a memorial, Don’t Look Now (1973). The cryptic cult classic combines Hitchcockian style and psychological horror with twists supernatural (or science-fictional, I suppose, depending on your interpretation of the film).
Rest in Peace.
It’s questionable whether the characters in this film can.
Multi-talented author and screenwriter William Goldman has died at the age of 87, of colon cancer and pneumonia. He had many successes, but he will be best remembered by Bureau-crats and other nerds as the author of The Princess Bride.
Steve Ditko has passed away at age 90. He will always be deservedly known for his contributions to the creation of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange above all else, but I also have a soft spot for Speedball, Squirrel Girl, the Question, and so many more.
Harlan Ellison, the outspoken, prolific author of stories, novels, screenplays, TV, and comics, died in his sleep this morning at the age of 84. Ellison wrote many a beloved and thought-provoking SF story including Trek‘s “The City on the Edge of Forever,” and won, in the words of Rick Green, “every coveted award– except Miss Congeniality.” Stephen King opined today that “If there’s an afterlife, Harlan is already kicking ass and taking down names.” John Scalzi has offered his own perspective on the irascible Mr. Ellison.
SF will miss him.
The world’s best-known theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, died this morning at the age of 76. He will be remembered for his contributions to science, and his affable appearances as himself in various media.
“I’m not afraid of death,” he once said, “but I’m in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first.”
Rest in Peace.
One great masters of genre fiction has passed away today. It’s difficult to put into words just how influential and powerful a voice she was in the genre.
Haruo Nakajima, the stunt actor who stomped to fame as the original Godzilla, has died from pneumonia at 88. A kind of low-tech predecessor to Anthony Serkis, Nakajima played the Monster King in 12 movies, and also performed a number of other famous Japanese feature creatures.
Leaving behind a massive filmography, June Foray has died just weeks short of her 100th birthday. Foray is best known for her work as Granny and Witch Hazel on “Looney Tunes” and as Rocky and Natasha on “Rocky & Bullwinkle.” Her spanned decades and genres and included:
A tireless advocate for animation, she helped establish the Annie Awards as well as getting the Academy Awards to add the Full-Length Animated Feature award in 2007. Her autobiography, “Did You Grow Up with Me?” was published 2009.