RIP: Stuart Shiffman (1954-2014)

It is with a heavy heart that I have to report that Stuart Shiffman has passed away. Stuart was one of the original alternate historians. He was a Sidewise Award for Alternate History judge since 1999 and one of the many contributors to Uchronia. He is also the author of "Saks & Violet", a humorous tale to Shetterly and Stone's Captain Confederacy, set in an independent New York City in the late 1800s in Captain Confederacy Vol. 1. Besides his work in alternate history, Stuart also was a renowned fan artist and won the Best Fan Artist Hugo Award in 1990 and the Rotsler Award in 2010. You can learn more about his amazing career here.

Like with many of you, my interaction with Stuart was primarily through the Internet. He was active on my alternate history Facebook group: Alternate History Online. He even submitted a story once to one of our writing contest called "Herzltown, and environs, from the 1946 Fyodor's Guide to the Australian Confederacy". I remembered Stuart always being friendly and easy to talk with and I regret I never got to meet him in person. I could say more about Stu, but I think my friend Kier Salmon said it best:

Folks... Dream! Share, create. Stu could not have been the wonderful, kindly, gentle, talented person he was without the community he belonged to. And we all belong to that community. Dream, share, remember that every kindness propagates and grows and spreads.