Word came down today that prolific horror/scifi writer Dan O'bannon has passed away. One of his biggest successes was writing the screenplay for "Alien" (1978), but he's also well known to horror fans for writing and directing "Return of the Living Dead", "Life Force", "Dead and Buried" and "Total Recall", among others.
His contribution to the genre was undeniable. Check out his credits and see for yourself.