Baen Books Fantasy Author Howard Andrew Jones Passes Away

Howard Andrew Jones, a fantasy author for Baen Books well known for this Chronicles of Hanuvar series, has passed away, as reported by his close associate Sean Korsgaard on Twitter this morning.

The author has been working primarily in sword & sorcery, coming to fame for writing Pathfinder tie-in novels for Paizo. He had an interest in the old pulps, creating a magazine of short fiction to promote new works from authors who exemplified the stylistic greatness of past fantasy works. Most recently, he has been working on a five-book series for Baen Books in the sword & sorcery subgenre of fantasy, which has met with acclaim from fans.

Sean CW Korsgaard posted to X, “Howard Andrew Jones has died. I will have plenty to say later… and I won’t be alone. But for now? Thank you for everything, my friend. May your memory be a blessing.”

It was reported by Howard’s family in September 2024 that Howard had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer with a prognosis of a few months left to live. In the time since the announcement, Howard remained silent on social media in the care of his family.

The announcement read:

Dear friends and Colleagues,

I have been diagnosed with brain cancer—multifocal glioblastoma. People I trust—my doctors and my family—inform me it will be fatal, and we are deciding now on a course of action to make the most of the time I have left.

Many of you have been reaching out with well wishes, and I am greatly appreciative. It’s heartening to know that so many people are cheering me on. I am surrounded by family and friends, and they’re taking good care of me.

For now,if you are looking for updates and details about my condition, you should contact John O’Neill,whom most of you know, or Mark Rigney, whose contact information is below. Between them , they will serve as a conduit to me and my wife, Shannon.

Thank you for all your support, not just now, but down the years, and I hope this message finds you well.

Howard.

He only had five short months after this announcement to live, as we’ve learned today.

His new book series, Chronicles of Hanuvar series, began via Baen books in 2023 with the book Lord of a Shattered Land. The fantasy series, inspired by Howard’s love of history, mixed classic Sword & Sorcery with a Roman empire flair and starred Hanuvar, a fallen general fighting an empire to rescue what remained of his people. The most recent book in the series, SHADOW OF THE SMOKING MOUNTAIN, was published by Baen Books in October of 2024.

We at Fandom Pulse extend our sincerest prayers and condolences to Howard’s family and friends at this time. May he rest in peace.

Have you read Howard Andrew Jones and his epic sword & sorcery books? Leave a comment and let us know your experiences with his work.

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