Brad Linaweaver

Brad Linaweaver
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Role:	Co-author, Battlestar Galactica continuation novels
BSG Universe:	Original Series
Date of Birth:	September 1, 1952
Date of Death:	August 29, 2019
Age at Death:	66
Nationality:	USA
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IMDb profile

Bradford Swain "Brad" Linaweaver (September 1, 1952 – August 29, 2019) was an American science fiction writer, film producer, actor, and magazine publisher who co-authored four Original Series continuation novels with actor Richard Hatch. Over a 40-year career, he completed a body of work including novels, short stories, and screenplays, winning two Prometheus Awards and earning a Nebula Award nomination.

Early Life and Education

Linaweaver was born September 1, 1952, in Washington, North Carolina. He attended Florida State University and obtained his MFA degree from Rollins College. Although he spent much of his career in Hollywood, he eventually returned to Florida, settling in Apopka.

Science Fiction Career

Linaweaver began publishing science fiction in 1980 with the short story "The Competitor." His alternate history novella "Moon of Ice" (1982) was nominated for the Nebula Award. In all, he published more than 50 stories, some of them collected in Clownface (1999).

Linaweaver later expanded "Moon of Ice" to novel length in 1988, winning his first Prometheus Award. The novel featured endorsements from Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and William F. Buckley, Jr.

Other novels include The Land Beyond Summer (1999) and Prometheus Award finalist Anarquia (2004) with J. Kent Hastings.

Linaweaver shared a second Prometheus Award in 1998 with Ed Kramer for co-editing Free Space, a libertarian science fiction anthology from TOR books. His novels Anarquia with J. Kent Hastings and Sliders (based on the television series) were also Prometheus nominees.

Media Tie-In Novels

He also wrote various tie-in works, including Prometheus Award finalist Sliders: The Novel (1996), four Doom video game tie-ins with Dafydd ab Hugh (1995-96), and four Battlestar Galactica novels with Richard Hatch (2003-5).

Battlestar Galactica Novels

Linaweaver co-authored four Battlestar Galactica continuation novels with actor Richard Hatch between 2003-2005, set in the Original Series universe:

• Battlestar Galactica: Paradis (2003)
• Battlestar Galactica: Destiny (2004)
• Battlestar Galactica: Redemption (2005)
• Battlestar Galactica: Discovery (2005, unpublished)

These novels continued the story of the original Battlestar Galactica series, following the fleet's ongoing search for Earth while being pursued by advanced Cylon forces.

Collaboration with Richard Hatch

Linaweaver's partnership with Richard Hatch began in 2003 when Edward E. Kramer introduced them, believing Linaweaver could bring more to Hatch's novels than his previous collaborators. Their first meeting took place at Hatch's Studio City apartment, where Linaweaver discovered Hatch's detailed outlines for the novels.

Linaweaver described their working method: Hatch provided elaborate plots while Linaweaver enriched the dialogue and narrative flow. They would meet and review each chapter together, with Linaweaver promising never to rush a first draft simply to meet deadlines.

Hatch praised Linaweaver's ability to write the villain Baltar, stating that no one, including every writer on the original TV series, had gotten inside the character's head as effectively. The collaboration extended beyond novels to include convention appearances at Dragon Con and San Diego Comic-Con, where Hatch ensured Linaweaver was included on panels about the reimagined series despite being a tie-in novelist.

Their friendship was built on open exchange of ideas despite different political perspectives, with Linaweaver noting they "sometimes forgot which side we were supposed to be taking" during debates.

Film and Web Productions

Linaweaver had original story credits on a number of films, including The Brain Leeches and Jack-O for Fred Olen Ray. According to his IMDb profile, Linaweaver worked as producer, actor, and writer on numerous independent films.

Linaweaver wrote and produced online content, including the award-winning web series Silicon Assassin, starring Richard Hatch.

Silicon Assassin Web Series

The Silicon Assassin web series was developed through a bequest from Linaweaver's friend Chuck Hammill, who died in December 2006. The bequest required Linaweaver to complete the project within a specified timeframe or the funds would go to charity, with the California Attorney General's Office overseeing the arrangement. Linaweaver noted the irony that "the government would therefore make sure I did an anti-government science fiction epic about overthrowing the government."

Richard Hatch agreed to star as the title character and directed the first episode, "Problem Child." The series featured different directors and styles across episodes, with Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray directing "The Wall" and "Window of Opportunity," and Edward L. Plumb directing "Dead Reckoning." The cast included Paula LaBaredas, Vicki Marie Taylor, and Brinke Stevens as President Medusa.

The series won multiple awards, including the Australian Webstream Award for Best International Series for the episode "Window of Opportunity," which Hatch accepted while in Australia. "Dead Reckoning" won six awards and was part of a midnight showing at the Chinese Theatre Hollywood during the HollyShorts 9th Annual Film Festival.

Non-Fiction Work

His non-fiction appeared in National Review, Chronicles, Reason, The Agorist Quarterly, and Famous Monsters of Filmland. In 2004, he co-authored Worlds of Tomorrow with Forrest J Ackerman, a hardcover coffee table book that spotlighted science fiction cover art from the Golden Age.

Linaweaver was also publisher of Mondo Cult magazine, featuring literary contributions from and articles about his celebrity friends and contacts, including Battlestar Galactica actor Richard Hatch, science fiction author and collector Forrest J. Ackerman, conservative commentator William F. Buckley, Jr., and poetry from Ray Bradbury.

The Heinlein Cannon

One of Linaweaver's proudest possessions was a small brass cannon once owned by Robert and Virginia Heinlein. For nearly 30 years the Heinleins fired it every July 4 at their residence. Virginia bequeathed the cannon to Linaweaver when she died in 2003. He restored it and in 2007 made a video of it being fired several times (with very small charges).

Death and Legacy

Brad Linaweaver died on August 29, 2019, of cancer at his home in Apopka, Florida, at age 66. He would have been 67 on September 1, 2019.

SFWA President Mary Robinette Kowal stated: "The family of Science-fiction and Fantasy writers and readers have suffered a loss with the passing of SFWA lifetime member Brad Linaweaver. He leaves us too soon, but with a legacy of words that, I hope, will bring comfort to his family, friends, and fans."

Awards and Nominations

• Nebula Award nominee for "Moon of Ice" (novella, 1983)
• Prometheus Award winner for Moon of Ice (novel, 1989)
• Prometheus Award winner for co-editing Free Space (anthology, 1998)
• Prometheus Award finalist for Sliders: The Novel (1997)
• Prometheus Award finalist for Anarquia with J. Kent Hastings

Bibliography

Original Novels

• Moon of Ice (1988)
• The Land Beyond Summer (1999)
• Anarquia with J. Kent Hastings (2004)

Battlestar Galactica Novels (with Richard Hatch)

• Battlestar Galactica: Paradis (2003)
• Battlestar Galactica: Destiny (2004)
• Battlestar Galactica: Redemption (2005)
• Battlestar Galactica: Discovery (2005, unpublished)

Doom Novels (with Dafydd ab Hugh)

• Knee-Deep in the Dead (1995)
• Hell on Earth (1995)
• Infernal Sky (1996)
• Endgame (1996)

Other Media Tie-In Novels

• Sliders: The Novel (1996)

Short Story Collections

• Clownface (1999)

Anthologies (as editor)

• Free Space with Victor Koman (1997)
• Worlds of Tomorrow with Forrest J Ackerman (2004)

External Links

• Brad Linaweaver at the Internet Movie Database

• SFWA In Memoriam: Brad Linaweaver
• Locus Magazine Obituary
• File 770 Obituary

References