Michael Francis Flynn (December 20, 1947 – September 30, 2023) was an American science fiction author. Nearly all of Flynn's work falls under the category of

hard science fiction Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...

, although his treatment of it can be unusual since he applied the rigor of hard science fiction to "softer" sciences such as sociology in works such as ''In the Country of the Blind''. Much of his short fiction appeared in ''

Analog Science Fiction and Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William Cla ...

''.

Early life and education

Flynn was born in

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...

to his parents, Joseph and Rita (Singley) Flynn. He had a brother, Dennis, who died in childhood. Flynn attended and graduated from Notre Dame High School, then located in Bethlehem Township."Obituary of Michael Flynn"
Lehigh Valley Live] He earned a Bachelor of Arts, B.A. in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

from

La Salle University La Salle University () is a private university, private, Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and named for St. Jean-Bapt ...

in Easton, and an

M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

topology Topology (from the Greek language, Greek words , and ) is the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of a Mathematical object, geometric object that are preserved under Continuous function, continuous Deformation theory, deformat ...

from

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. He began but did not complete a Ph.D at the

University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...

Career

Prior to become a science fiction author, he was employed as an industrial quality engineer and statistician with Coors Container Corporation and Stat-A-Matrix/Oriel.

Bibliography

Awards

;Hugo Award nominations * 1987

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

''Eifelheim'' * 1988 novella '' The Forest of Time'' * 1995 novella ''Melodies of the Heart'' * 2005 novelette ''The Clapping Hands of God'' * 2007 novelette "Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth" * 2007

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

'' Eifelheim'' (based on the 1987 novella) * 2015 novelette "The Journeyman: In the Stone House" ;

Prometheus Award The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the Best Novel category for the award in 1979; however, it was not award ...

* 1991 ''In the Country of the Blind'' (won) * 1992 '' Fallen Angels'' (won) * 1997 ''Firestar'' (finalist) * 1999 ''Rogue Star'' (finalist) * 2001 ''Lodestar'' (finalist) * 2002 ''Falling Stars'' (finalist) * 2009 ''The January Dancer'' (finalist) * 2013 ''In the Lion's Mouth'' (nominated) * 2024 ''In the Belly of the Whale'' (finalist) ;Other awards * ''Fallen Angels'' also won the

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Nihon SF Taikai, Japan Science Fic ...

, and was co-written with

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...

and

Jerry Pournelle Jerry Eugene Pournelle (; August 7, 1933 – September 8, 2017) was an American scientist in the area of operations research and ergonomics, human factors research, a science fiction writer, essayist, journalist, and one of the first bloggers. ...

. * The novelette "House of Dreams" won a

Theodore Sturgeon Award The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust and the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best short science fiction story ...

in 1998. * The novelette "Quaestiones Super Caelo et Mundo" tied with

Kristine Kathryn Rusch Kristine Kathryn Rusch (born June 4, 1960) is an American writer and editor. She writes under various pseudonyms in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, and mainstream. Rusch won the Hugo Award for Best Nove ...

's novella "Recovering Apollo 8" for the

Sidewise Award for Alternate History The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were established in 1995 to recognize the best alternate history stories and novels of the year. Overview The awards take their name from the 1934 short story " Sidewise in Time" by Murray Leinster, in w ...

in 2007. * First winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Medal.

Death

Flynn died at his childhood home in

, on September 30, 2023, at age 75. He is interred at New St. Joseph's Cemetery in Easton. He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Margie.

References

Sources

*Flynn, Michael. ''The January Dancer''; Macmillan, (2008).

External links

Biography
at Spectrum Literary Agency
Flynn's blog
*
"Obituary"
at ''

The Express-Times Founded in 1885, ''The Express-Times'' began as The Easton Daily Express, a daily newspaper based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The newspaper provided national news and extensive local news coverage of the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Michael 1947 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American short story writers American male novelists American male short story writers American science fiction writers Analog Science Fiction and Fact people La Salle University alumni Marquette University alumni Novelists from Pennsylvania Sidewise Award winners Writers from Easton, Pennsylvania