A science fiction writer who for decades wrote a column in the Naples Daily News has died. Ben Bova, 88, died Sunday, his niece Kathryn Brusco announced on Twitter. "My Uncle Ben...by marriage...science fiction icon, author, adventure lover, story teller, futurist, and my son's namesake, Ben Bova, has passed away this morning from COVID-19 related pneumonia and a stroke," she wrote in a Tweet on Sunday. "Needless to say, he will be missed terribly by us and the world."

Bova achieved fame internationally for his science fiction yet he's known to many Neapolitans for his columns that ran for years in the Daily News."Ben had a really good, loyal following," said Jeff Lytle, a former Daily News editorial page editor who edited Bova's columns that often ran in the Perspective section.