Ian Watson (author)|Ian Watson

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Ian Watson, a man whose wit, warmth, and boundless curiosity left an indelible mark on all who knew him. Those who cherished him best remember not just his accolades as a British science fiction author—*The Jonah Kit*, *Chekhov’s Journey*, and *Queenmagic, Kingmagic*—but the way he could make you feel like the hero of your own story. Ian had a laugh that bubbled like soda water, a mind that danced between galaxies and the mundane, and a knack for turning even the driest topic into a cosmic adventure. I’ll never forget the time he spent hours debating the ethics of AI over tea, only to pivot to explaining quantum physics using nothing but a sock puppet and a biscuit tin. He was a man who believed the universe was full of magic—and he’d spend his last penny to prove it. Ian’s love for his family was the compass of his life. Married to the sharp-tongued and endlessly patient Margaret for over five decades, their home was a haven