Just heard from his wife Diana Gottfried that writer Jeff Carlson is dead at age 47 from lung cancer. The obituary below is from her.
He was one of those transition authors who started out being published in magazines and by traditional publishers and struck off into his own with self-publishing.
He was a writer of talent and ambition who wrote a variety of stories, and I’ve reviewed several of his works though I have not read any of his Frozen Sky novels.
In my few email exchanges, he was a personable sort sometimes was frustrated by the reactions to his work.
Here are the links to his works that I reviewed:
- Long Eyes and Other Stories
- Plague Year
- Plague War
- Plague Zone
- Interrupt
Jeffrey Gustav Carlson
July 20, 1969 – July 17, 2017
Jeff Carlson was born in Mountain View,
California on the same day as the first
manned moon landing and died in Walnut
Creek, California three days before his 48th
birthday. He was strong and fought hard to
survive, but he could not defeat an
extremely virulent cancer.
Given his birthdate and a love of science fiction by his father, mother,
and maternal grandfather, it’s not surprising that Jeff became an avid
reader and successful science fiction author. He had a fabulous mind
and an infinite imagination. He wrote and published 7 novels and a
collection of short stories. His books have been published in 17
languages. Jeff’s prolific career ended too soon. There were so many
more tales to tell…
Jeff’s biggest pride and joy were his two sons. He loved traveling with
his family and enjoyed many outdoor activities, especially snow skiing
and competitive youth soccer as played by his boys.
Jeff is survived by his beloved wife of 17 years, Diana Gottfried, and
their sons John and Ben. He is also survived by his parents, Gus Carlson
and Patti Kelly, and his brother Derek, niece Kylie, and nephew Sam.
Jeff’s other relatives and friends number in the hundreds, his fans in the
many thousands.
His quick wit, exuberant energy, and loving devotion to his family will
be deeply missed.
Remembrances in Jeff’s name may be made to Lung Cancer Alliance,
www.LungCancerAlliance.org.
A Celebration of Jeff’s Life is planned for Saturday, August 12 at 2 PM at
the Danville Community Center, 420 Front Street, Danville, California
94526, (925-314-3400).
