Ian M Banks is dying - TTLG Forums

Vivian on 3/4/2013 at 15:23

Well, this is cheery: (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100210315/for-years-iain-m-banks-has-done-for-sci-fi-what-george-rr-martin-did-for-fantasy-he-is-two-of-our-finest-writers/)

Cancer, less than a year to go. He'd gone off the boil a little recently, and he definitely unashamedly abused (mind you, some would say he defined it, so fair enough) the 'combat drone and a sexy lady' trope, but he wrote to my mind the best firm sci-fi in the business. Without a doubt one of my top five authors, maybe even my favourite. Motherfucker.

Thirith on 3/4/2013 at 16:23

Wow. Didn't see that one coming. Thanks for the info, even though I wish it were a tasteless, untimely April's Fools joke.

faetal on 3/4/2013 at 17:40

Damn. Oddly enough, I was turned on to Ian Banks when my band was signed to a record label I found out was named after one of his books. But yeah, sad he is on his way out :(

Ulukai on 3/4/2013 at 18:33

Never read any of his books :(

Recommend a good one to start with?

Vivian on 3/4/2013 at 18:40

Player of Games, probably.

nicked on 3/4/2013 at 18:45

Iain. Not Ian.

And damn.... this is the worst news I've had in a while. :(

Vivian on 3/4/2013 at 18:48

Me getting his name wrong isn't exactly the worst thing happening to him at the moment.

demagogue on 3/4/2013 at 19:10

Stating the obvious, but terminal illness is especially bad to hear happening to a good author. You just think of all the works they still have in them & won't be able to finish. Well I guess this should be a call for me to finish Use of Weapons already.

nicked on 3/4/2013 at 19:13

Yeah... sorry, nitpicky force of habit.

I need to get around to reading some of his non-SF stuff. I've got through the vast majority of the Culture novels and that's just half his output. I'd say Use of Weapons or Excession are my favourites. Excession because it somehow manages to be a gripping and often hilarious page turner consisting mostly of just AI bickering with each other. And Use of Weapons for being the the most human, bleakest, most unrelenting gut punch of a story I've ever read.

ToolHead on 4/4/2013 at 04:45

Nonononono... :(