Andre Norton, a talented, ground-breaking science fiction writer, has died.
Born Alice Mary Norton on February 17, 1912, in Cleveland, she wrote more than 130 books in many genres during her career of nearly 70 years. She used a pen name -- which she made her legal name in 1934 -- because she expected to be writing mostly for young boys and thought a male name would help sales.

Norton requested that she not have a funeral service, but instead asked to be cremated along with a copy of her first and last novels.

My first sf author was Donald A. Wollheim. Then I discovered Asimov's Lucky Star Books, then Heinlein's. But the one author that really grabbed me was Ms. Norton. The Stars Are Ours, and Star Born. Night Of Masks. The Zero Stone and the Uncharted Stars. The Solar Queen novels (the less said about the new ones by that new author, the better). The Beast Master books, the time agent books, and many more. I haunted the library and books stores looking for her books, which I reread to this day.

And 35+ years later I still remember this:

Frontiers of any kind, physical or mental are but a challenge to our breed.
Nothing can stop the questing of men, not even man.
For if we will it, not only the wonders of space, but the very stars are ours.

The heavens now have a new star.

David.