Andrew J. Offutt (1934-2013)

Writer Andrew Offutt, 78, died April 30, 2013. Offutt wrote and edited more than 75 books, including fantasy, SF, and erotica. He was twice president of SFWA, serving from 1976-78.

Andrew Jefferson Offutt V was born August 16, 1934 in Louisville KY. He often wrote under the byline “andrew j. offutt,” and work also appeared as by Andy Offutt, A.J. Offutt, and assorted pseudonyms and house names. Offutt’s first story was “And Gone Tomorrow” (1954), winner of an If magazine contest, but his professional career began in earnest with “Blacksword” in Galaxy (1959).

He published erotic novels beginning in the late ’60s, but the first SF novel under his own name was Evil is Live Spelled Backwards (1970). He co-wrote the War of the Wizards trilogy with Richard K Lyons (1978-81), and wrote the War of the Gods on Earth trilogy (1979-83). In the ’70s and ’80s he wrote several novels about Robert E. Howard’s characters Conan and Cormac Mac Art, and contributed significantly to the Thieves’ World shared universe in the ’80s and ’90s. He also edited several volumes of the Swords Against Darkness anthology series in the late ’70s. As John Cleve he wrote or co-wrote over 40 erotic novels, many SF.

Offutt married Jodie McCabe in 1957, and they had two daughters and two sons, including author Christopher Offutt. He is also survived by five grandchildren.

For more, see his entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. See the June issue of Locus for a complete obituary.