It is with shock and deep grief that we heard today that Louis K Lowy, one of IFWG’s most prolific and long-standing authors, has unexpectedly passed away just prior to his 71st birthday. He kept his illness mostly secret for about a year, and while it appeared he was beating it, he developed complications and lost his courageous battle.

IFWG published five of Louis’ novels, each very different from each other, which perfectly showcased his amazing versatility in writing: first came Die Laughing, a noteworthy science fiction novel that perfectly balanced comedy and tragedy, set in McCarthy-era USA. To Dream, a hard science fiction novel, was the first in a planned series titled ‘Anatomy of a Humachine’ and was the second Lowy novel that we published – a serious and award winning title. Next came the reprint of a literary piece, Pedal, that explored the strength of the human spirit. A few years ago we published a thriller/supernatural fantasy novel, The Second Life of Eddie Coyne, a dramatic change of genre and style, which courted the universal theme of ‘second chances’. Finally, only a few months ago, we published what we believe to be his best work, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde in America, a superbly researched novel that successfully continues the R.L. Stevenson’s horror classic.

I took the time to outline Louis’ immense and varied work to give those who are unfamiliar with his catalogue, an idea of his work ethic and versatility. He was a consummate professional, but more importantly, an amazing human being. A mensch. On top of all of this, he was a professional firefighter for many years serving his community, and was a long-time musician. We know he had a loving family life.

IFWG’s author community is in many ways a family and Louis was one of our longer tenured members. His passing to us is more than just a loss of a writer – we have truly lost a dear friend.

Vale, Louis.