November 26, 2019: John M. Ford Is Returning To Print

Long-time fans of SJ Games will know the name John M. Ford, who hung out on the discussion groups on the web version of Pyramid and the Illuminati BBS before that and who contributed to GURPS Third Edition books including Time Travel and Y2K. (Ford also wrote the Star Trek novel How Much for Just the Planet, a farcical tour de force combining Gilbert and Sullivan, film noir, and golf that I have owned since I swiped a copy from the band hall in high school . . . a longer time ago than I am prepared to admit . . . and incorporating concepts from his earlier The Final Reflection, an examination of Klingon culture that is as serious as Just the Planet is hysterical.) He passed away, tragically young, in 2006, leaving behind friends, family, and a collection of writing that would do any author proud . . . much of which went out of print almost immediately after his death.

Isaac Butler wanted to find out why. In the process, he managed to put the right people together to bring much of Ford's work back into print starting late next year. The fascinating story can be found in this Slate article.

Mr. Butler, from Ford's many fans at SJ Games, thank you for your diligence and your reportage.

-- Andrew Hackard

P.S. If you want to know what Steve thought about Ford, go read the encomium he wrote right after Ford died. It's a good one.