Very Sad News about Iain M Banks

[starman03]

Just found out that Iain Banks, creator of the Culture and numerous non sf works, has announced that he has terminal cancer and is unlikely to live beyond the year

I'll post the link to the statement on his website:

http://www.iain-banks.net/2013/04/03...om-iain-banks/

Devastating news, I'm gutted. Banks is a genius and I wish him all the very best.

[Andols]

Thats terrible news. Im not a Culture fan but he's been a staple in recent sf and a terrific writer in general. Hope he has an amazing time with what time he has left.

[Ropie]

Terrible news.

[Sipwood]

One of my favorite authors. Very sad news.

[Noumenon]

Coming across The Player of Games was a turning point in my life as a reader, it's one of the books that lies on the boundary of my adulthood. However much longer he has, he'll deserve more.

[Cirias]

I loved Walking On Glass and my wife is a massive fan of his and was selected to advance review Stonemouth ahead of its publication. His website seems to be down at the moment, but I read somewhere that there's due to be a new website where fans can post messages for Iain. Really sad news.

[Hobbit]

Just changed the title to make it a little clearer, starman. Hope that's OK.

This has been a major shock. Can't believe I was sat at a table having a chat and a curry with Iain at Novacon about 18 months ago. Totally wonderful. His enthusiasm & sense of humour was just a joy. Iain discussed anything and everything, from politics to computer games to TV, as well as SF. But what got me most was his willingness to listen, even when he didn't agree. He was generally interesting in just chatting. ("I don't get out much when I'm writing", was his excuse, if I remember right.)

Iain has done *so* much in the UK in defending SF to all those literati who wondered when he was going to stop writing 'that space stuff rubbish'.

Always great to listen to. If you're not sure, try Iain on Desert Island Discs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features...41e86#p009446p


The website is also up and running: http://friends.banksophilia.com/ Go to the Guestbook if you want to leave a message.
Still in shock over this, personally.

[Danogzilla]

Wow. This is awful. Sounds like he's taking about as well as one can. He's a brilliant writer, one of my favorites. I'm not sure what else to say. This is very sad.

[Rulkez]

This is saddening

Banks is the author that kindled my love of books and reading, he will be a massive loss to UK Sci-Fi.

[algernoninc]

thanks Hobbit for the link. He's still here, so the best we can do is to show our support and appreciation for the many wondrous moments he gave us.

[Jerjo]

Heartbreaking news. He brought me back to reading space operas. His Culture universe was the likes of which we will never see again.

[kged]

Genuinely upset by this. Damn it.

[Cyn]

Terrible news indeed. The Wasp Factory was one of the first 'proper' novels I read and have enjoyed many of his works since. Actually I'm halfway through The Algebraist right now.

He always seems a top bloke in interviews too.

[Loerwyn]

Banks is a name I'm certainly familiar with, but sadly one I've never read. But when I saw this story hit I was saddened quite a lot by it, and the impact it's had on people was visible straight away. I must have seen seven or eight back-to-back tweets about it at one point.

In what's ultimately a hollow gesture, I picked up Consider Phlebas today. It won't change anything, I know, but it seemed like the right thing.

My thoughts are with Banks and his family, and I hope they can make the most of the time available to them.

[Lucas Thorn]

i'm shattered. i'd pretty much given up on reading scifi a long long time ago (in a galaxy far...). i admit to always having been a bit more of a fantasy person. then i was given a proof copy of the algebraist (loved working in bookshops). it sat on my bookshelf for a year.

one rainy day (as the stories go), i was kind of bored and thought i'd give it a shot. three weeks later, i'd read everything i could from him. drank it down like it was a really fine bottle of wine.

i still don't know any other scifi authors who really grab me like he does. i don't know that i can cope without a culture book to look forward to.