Author Aaron Allston Has Passed Away

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It is with heavy hearts that we report the death of veteran Star Wars author Aaron Allston, who collapsed earlier today at VisionCon in Springfield, Missouri, from what is believed to be massive heart failure. He was 53.

The news was first reported on Facebook by Sean Patrick Fannon:

Post by Sean Patrick Fannon.

Aaron Allston was born in Corsicana, Texas, and wrote his first novel at the age of 16. His earliest Star Wars novels were part of the X-wing series, to which he contributed four books in 1998 and 1999. He also wrote two books in The New Jedi Order series, two short stories, and three books each for the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series. He then returned to the X-wing series with Mercy Kill in 2012. It was his last Star Wars novel.

Fellow Star Wars author Timothy Zahn wrote on Facebook that Aaron "was a wonderful author, a devastating punster, an erudite teacher, and -- most of all -- a wonderful friend."

"His humor in the midst of his pain and medical difficulties was an inspiration to everyone around him," Zahn wrote, "and I will always remember the panels he and I (often with Mike Stackpole) did together. The Aaron, Mike, and Tim show, as we called it, has come to a sad close."

Shelly Shapiro, Del Rey's editor-at-large, called Aaron "humble, sweet, funny, a consummate professional, a team player, and--certainly not least!--a wonderful writer with a huge imagination and a wealth of ideas he readily shared." She also said that he "made an indelible mark on a universal icon, and in so doing, made many, many friends and touched many, many lives."

The thoughts and prayers of all of us at TheForce.Net, Rebelscum.com, and The ForceCast are with Aaron's friends and family. No words can adequately express our feelings of sadness and loss.

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