Homer News staff writer Michael Armstrong, also a science fiction writer, has been honored for his service to the Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a national writers organization. He will receive the Kevin O’Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA award at SFWA’s Nebula Awards banquet in San Jose, Calif., on May 17.

A longtime resident of Homer, Armstrong graduated from New College of Florida in 1977, and earned a master’s of fine arts degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1986. His thesis novel sold to Warner Books and was published as “After the Zap” in 1987. He is the author of numerous short stories as well as other novels, including “Aqviq: The Whale,” “The Hidden War” and his most recent work, “Bridge Over Hell.” 

A sampling of his service to SFWA includes:

• Contracts Committee (late 1980s-late 1990s; chairman, 1997);

• Western Regional Director,
1997-2000;

• Bylaws Committee, 1997-2000;

• Nebula Awards Juror, short fiction, 1996, 1997;

• Nebula trophies “rocks wrangler,” 1998, 1999, 2000, and the author of several “History of the Nebulas” articles for the Bulletin during this time,

• Grievance Committee, novel specialist, 2000-present.