Alexei Panshin was an American writer and science fiction critic born in Lansing, Michigan in 1940. He established himself in the science fiction field through both creative works and critical analysis of the genre. Panshin is best known for his 1968 novel Rite of Passage, which won the Nebula Award. He also collaborated with his wife Cory Panshin on The World Beyond the Hill, a major study of science fiction that received the Hugo Award in 1990. Through these works, he made significant contributions to both science fiction literature and its critical examination. Panshin passed away in Pennsylvania in 2022.