Wednesday, 3 April 2013

Iain Banks






Iain Banks has issued a press statement. He has terminal cancer.

Iain is one of the greatest British novelists of his generation. The Wasp Factory and Consider Phlebas are two of the finest novels written in my lifetime.

16 comments:

  1. I was saddened to hear this on the news today. Player of Games is one of the all-time great sci-fi novels

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  2. Feersum Indjin ? Same author with an extra letter ?

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    1. Yes, the M signified an SF novel.

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    2. I remember it being un-put-downable. Strange choice, the M.

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    3. It was just to distinguish his literary novels from his SF. The Booker people might have palpitations if they read Space Opera.

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  3. I love Bank's Sci Fi stuff. Consider Phlebuas is brilliant and Player of Games is another. I got into his work via his short story collection, State of the Art. Utterly brilliant.

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    1. Consider Phlebas is one of my favourite novels. Must have read t half a dozen times. What I would give to write like that.

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  4. Very, very sad news. I love "Against a Dark Background", and the "Player of Games" as my favourite Banks. "The Wasp Factory" is a brilliant book, but it wasn't really a book I loved. It's desperately sad, all the same. Best wishes to him.

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    1. Wasp Factory is not a fun read but it is superb.

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  5. That is very sad news and I do love the Wasp Factory but it is very hard read

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