Rick Lai, RIP

Another bit of sad news to share, Flinch fans. We have learned of the recent passing of Rick Lai, a prolific writer and historian, and a widely recognized figure in the pulp fiction community.

The Flinch team encountered Rick at Pulpfest nearly every year since the very first conventions in Columbus in 2009 and 2010. It was just one of the numerous spaces – physical, virtual and print – where he shared his seemingly limitless wealth of knowledge about the history and mythology surrounding The Shadow, H.P. Lovecraft, Doc Savage, Robert E. Howard, Philip Jose Farmer and so many other characters and writers from the classic pulp era. Rick also authored a significant body of fictional work, most notably the Shadows of the Opera series and the Major Sabbath universe, which served as a storytelling platform for himself and several other modern-day pulp writers.

“Rick was quite possibly the nicest guy I’ve ever met, and everyone felt that way,” said Mike Davis, host of The Lovecraft eZine Podcast, where Rick was a regular panelist. “He forgot more about genre fiction than most of us will ever know. There was a reason why we called him ‘Mr. Encyclopedia.’ We’ve lost a dear friend.”

We here at Flinch Books extend our sincerest condolences to Rick’s family and his vast network of collaborators and friends.