NPR books editor Petra Mayer dies at 46

Petra Mayer was known for covering Comic-Con for National Public Radio. | NPR photo

A pulmonary embolism is believed to be the cause of death for the journalist, a fan of science fiction and comics.

Petra Mayer, books editor for National Public Radio, died Saturday of what’s believed to be a pulmonary embolism, the news organization said. She was 46.

Mayer is remembered for her reporting at Comic-Con and helping put together NPR’s Book Concierge, an annual interactive guide that filters titles based on interest to recommend to readers. She was an occasional guest on “Pop Culture Happy Hour” podcast episodes, and her colleagues said she was a proud nerd who loved science fiction and comics.

NPR’s senior vice president for news, Nancy Barnes, said in an email to staff that she died suddenly at Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland.

“Petra was NPR through and through,” Barnes wrote.

Mayer joined NPR Books team in 2012 after working as an associate producer and director for “All Things Considered” on the weekends, handling the show’s books coverage.

Her biography on NPR’s website said she first joined as an engineering assistant in 1994 while attending Amherst College, but left a few years later for a news writing job at Boston’s WBUR and for a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. She returned to NPR in 2000.

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