Ad Astra: Noting the sad passing of M. Christian, visionary writer and managing editor at Future of Sex

Readers, friends, and colleagues grieve.

We are so sorry to make this announcement, but our managing editor and longtime contributor, M.Christian—born Christian Allan Muncy—died suddenly from a heart attack on New Year’s morning, in Springfield OR. This tragic news has stunned countless readers, colleagues, and friends who have enjoyed their vibrant, off-beat perspectives and visionary creativity—through work spanning decades. 

According to their Future of Sex bio, “M.Christian (they/them) loves nothing better than exploring the intersections of sex and technology—and speculating on the future of both. A highly regarded erotica writer, they have six novels,12 collections, 100+ short stories, and 25 anthologies as an editor to their name. Their non-fiction regularly appears in many sites, but they’re most proud of being a regular contributor to Future of Sex.” 

Loved working with Future of Sex

As a writer and managing editor, Chris had an extremely disciplined work ethic, come rain or shine. So it is not surprising that, in spite of recent ill health, they completed what was to be their last article for Future of Sex, scheduled for publication on January 1st.

Ross Dawson, publisher and owner of Future of Sex, said:

Chris was an exceptional editor of Future of Sex. They were an excellent writer and editor, passionate and super-positive about the potential of technologies to augment sexuality, extraordinarily open-minded, and exceptionally imaginative, which is evident in the fantastic sex science-fiction stories they wrote and contributed to the site. More than that, they were a great person, a wonderful human being, spreading positive vibes in all his interactions.

Relentlessly creative and prolific

Chris wrote for and frequently worked for and alongside publishers Jean Marie Stine and Frankie Pauncevolt Hill, of Digital Parchment Services, Renaissance E Books, and Sizzler Editions, forging devoted friendship and creative collaboration over many years.

Catherine Lundoff, publisher of Queen of Swords Press, said, 

I was fortunate enough to work with Chris as a writer for several of their anthologies and other projects, as an editor and finally as the publisher of a new edition of their gay vampire novel, Running Dry. Chris was a terrific writer, a consummate professional and a lovely human; they will be sorely missed.

According to a Facebook post, Lundoff said she had just nominated Running Dry for the “SSBA Awards in the Horror category” when she heard the news of Chris’s passing.

Aside from their literary, editing, and publishing accomplishments, Chris was a popular community sex educator with many classes and conference presentations to their credit. Chris also enjoyed creating visual art through graphics, ceramics and 3-D printing. In recent years they developed an entire miniature “Cosmos Corp” world of vehicles, beings, and planet-scapes using 3-D printing and computer assisted design.

Ralph Greco, who collaborated with Chris on their Licking Non-Vanilla podcast, described them as one of his “bestest buddies, best erotica writer, fantastic fantasist, my partner in books, this website and its podcast, lover of life, science fiction aficionado, rapscallion, one of the few who understood all my literary as well as 70s TV references.” You can read more about Ralph and Chris’s friendship and collaborations here.

Chris also collaborated with me during two seasons of my former Love’s Outer Limits podcast and always gave a shout-out to Future of Sex during our introductions.

Always genial and kind

Known among their friends and colleagues as one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, Chris always found time to offer help and fellowship to people in their circle. If you were their friend, they always had your back. If you were a fellow writer, Chris would boost your work with an Amazon review. If you were a fellow creator, Chris was eager to know you and up for any collaboration you might care to suggest.

Chris was devoted to their cat, Sweetpea, also known as “Fuzzy Butt,” who fortunately now has a new home. Chris is survived by their brother, Samuel Addison Muncy of the San Francisco Bay Area, and many, many heartbroken friends and colleagues

And I am one of them. I am so sorry to lose you, dear friend, but so glad I was lucky enough to know you. Thank you for everything you have done for me. The world is now a drearier place without you, but a larger cosmos awaits. Ad astra—to the stars!

Please see M.Christian’s bio and website for more about their work and background. 

Image Sources: Evy Eleanor Briggs, M. Christian, Sizzler Editions, Queen of Swords Press.