He Will Be Missed

Paul Haines died yesterday (the 5th of March) after a protracted battle with cancer. Paul was a larger-than-life character in the Australasian speculative fiction community.

Born and raised in Auckland, Paul graduated from Otago University and moved to Melbourne in the 1990s, where he is survived by his wife and young daughter.

Over the past decade in particular, Paul showed himself to be a master of the horrific, albeit one possessed of a keenly-honed black humour. Paul’s writing is characterised by an unflinching willingness to peer into the darkest corner, but also by a genuine warmth and compassion, and these are attributes which showed through in his personality as well. The quality of his work is typified by the many accolades he received–numerous Ditmar Awards, two Sir Julius Vogel Awards, three Aurealis Awards, a Chronos Award; among many others, he was also nominated for a James Tiptree, Jr Award, and according to anecdotal evidence came very close to being shortlisted for a Hugo (for his masterful, brutal novella ‘Wives’). His writing deserves to be read, and read widely; but he will be missed for the man, not just for the writer.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends.

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