Ms. Mayer reported on Comic-Con and contributed to Book Concierge, NPR’s literary recommendation tool. She gravitated toward science fiction, romance and fantasy.
Petra Mayer, a books editor for NPR and self-described “resident nerd” who delighted readers with her musings about science fiction, comics and cats, died on Saturday at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md. She was 46. Her death was confirmed by her mother, Elke Mayer, who said on Sunday that the cause was a pulmonary embolism. Ms. Mayer joined NPR’s books team in 2012 and worked on the culture desk, according to the public radio network, which reported her death on Saturday. The announcement prompted an outpouring of tributes to Ms. Mayer, who reported on Comic-Con and contributed to Book Concierge, NPR’s literary recommendation tool. “Petra was NPR through and through,” Nancy Barnes, NPR’s senior vice president for news, said in an email to the staff on Saturday that was reported by the public radio network. In a statement on Sunday, NPR said that Ms. Mayer had left an indelible mark. “This is a heartbreaking loss for all of us at NPR, our member stations and the millions of listeners in the public radio family,” the statement said.
