Michael Stakepole is a sci-fi author that I discovered sometime in the mid-to-late 80s. He wrote some truly foundational work in the Battletech universe (specifically the “Warrior Trilogy” but also countless others), and honestly, he is one of the main reasons I got into writing sci-fi myself.
He’s a craftsman. His books are clever, clean, and approachable without feeling childish. His stories had many strong female characters, and despite the setting being equal parts cliche and silly, he still managed to make really compelling, interesting plots.
And last week at Adepticon I got to meet him! Only for a moment, and he caught me very flat-footed (I wish I had known he was going to be there!), but it was an honour to meet him and get him to sign a copy of one of his books I bought on the spot. I’m looking forward to tackling it before too long… I have a backlog of books to read (when has THAT not been true!?), but his has moved to the top after I finish the current book I am working on… which is a compilation of short stories, several of which were written by Stackpole!).
It was a truly nice moment, and honestly the highlight of the convention for me. I hope one day I can have a fraction of the impact on the industry that he has had. Great guy, 10/10, no edits.
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!