Michael F. Flynn (20 December 1947–30 September 2023), who also wrote as Rowland Shew, was a prolific writer of science fiction, poetry, essays, and blogs. He used his experience as an engineer and statistician to explore the world, working the results of his constant learning and passion for debate into his fiction. 

A regular in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Flynn was nominated seven times for a Hugo Award, won the Prometheus Award twice, and won the Robert A. Heinlein Medal in its first year, 2003. Flynn was the author of the Firestar sequence and follow-up series Spiral Arm, and multiple standalone novels, including Eifelheim and In the Belly of the Whale, forthcoming. Many of his shorter science fiction works appear in multiple collections, including 1997’s The Forest of Time and Other Stories. 

Paul Levinson, a past SFWA President (1998–2001), shared, “Michael was a soft spoken, gentle being with a powerful, crystal clear mind.  He educated me in medieval history, scientific method, and life at large in every conversation we had.” 

Michael F. Flynn lived 75 years.