# Did an SF author die today or yesterday? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050 "2002-06-02T22:46:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/1 "2002-06-02T22:46:21Z")
(My apologies if this is a duplicate thread. The first one apparently didn’t go through.) I was just at Ralph’s getting stuff for Sunday dinner. Ralph’s, at least the one in our neighborhood, now has video screens at the register that show advertisements and a news ticker. (And I’m not ashamed to admit that I don’t mind this. As a child of the '70s, I crave constant stimulation.) Only thing is, they’re flat-screen, so if you’re not looking right at it, you can’t see everything. I looked up just in time to see this headline: “Science fiction auth--------dies”. The headline changed by the time I got in a direct line with the screen, and the people behind me either weren’t looking at all or were watching an update about the Lakers. Not that I blame them: this is going to be **some** game. But I still don’t know who died. Or if anyone did; maybe I read it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/2 "2002-06-02T23:14:39Z")
John Middleton Murry, aka Richard Cowper, died 6/1. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/3 "2002-06-02T23:47:43Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/4 "2002-06-03T00:52:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by a35362 \* > \*\*John Middleton Murry, aka Richard Cowper, died 6/1. \*\* 😕 Who is he? What did he right? 😕 I’m not “up” on my SF authors. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/5 "2002-06-03T01:49:17Z")
A British SF writer, mostly active in the 70s - 80s. There’s a bibliography at [http://www.sfsite.com/isfdb-bin/exact\_author.cgi?Richard\_Cowper](http://www.sfsite.com/isfdb-bin/exact_author.cgi?Richard_Cowper) However, Cowper died April 29, so it wouldn’t be mentioned this weekend. I haven’t heard of anyone this weekend yet, but I’ll see if I can find out more. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/6 "2002-06-03T02:08:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > However, Cowper died April 29, so it wouldn’t be mentioned this weekend. > > I haven’t heard of anyone this weekend yet, but I’ll see if I can find out more. Actually, the [_New York Times_](http://www.nytimes.com) has an [obituary for John Middleton Murry(Richard Cowper)](http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/01/arts/01MURR.html)\* dated June 1, which notes he died April 29. I’m not sure why the delay. \*Will probably require a free registration to access. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/7 "2002-06-03T03:19:22Z")
No, the news stories say “…he died **after suffering a stroke on April 29**.” Confusingly written. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-an-sf-author-die-today-or-yesterday/112050/8 "2002-06-03T06:24:47Z")
Hmmm…the _Times of London_ obit (dated May 31) says “He died from a stroke on April 29, 2002”; the _New York Times_ obit (dated June 1) says he “died on April 29”.