Books Iain Banks...

[DaGaffer]

...has terminal cancer.

 

[Tom]

It just fucking sucks, mostly for him, but also for everyone who loves his books as much as I do

 

[leggy]

Really sad to read this. The Crow Road and the Culture novels are some of my favourite books of all time. I didn't rate his new books much but really I owe him (and his early writing) for my love of reading.

The full extent of his diagnosis really must be indescribably painful.

 

[Zarjazz]

Even a bad Culture novel was still better than most of those written today in that genre. Sad news indeed that we'll never get any more in the series.

 

[Tom]

If you enjoy the Culture novels (I love them), you may well find Peter F Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy entertaining. They're very, very good books.

 

[Chilly]

 

[TdC]

fuck

 

[Chilly]

His books are some of the only ones I genuinely get excited about and get impatient for.

 

[Athan]

Bugger, as PTerry said upon his own early onset alzheimers diagnosis.

 

[Athan]

Oh, and is it a further mark of how much we love his books that we were all too distraught to point out the missing "i" in Ia(i)n ?

 

[Yoni]

His books are some of the only ones I genuinely get excited about and get impatient for.

Me too. He is my favorite author ;/

 

[dysfunction]

My favourite author too. Was hoping for loads more books from him.

I see he has asked his partner to become his widow (wife for a little bit first I guess)...

 

[Yoni]

I still remember reading the wasp factory for the first time wide eyed and in disbelief. He rally knew how to trigger my imagination ;/.

 

[russell]

I read alot of his old stuff..wasp factory was a big deal for me. Poor family...he seems a very brave man. Now i want to go ouut and get some of his newer stuff. Are you feeling better Yoni?

 

[Yoni]

Better this morning, went to bed at 9ish and slept soundly till 5 ;/

 

[leggy]

I read alot of his old stuff..wasp factory was a big deal for me. Poor family...he seems a very brave man. Now i want to go ouut and get some of his newer stuff. Are you feeling better Yoni?

His most recent novel was really cringy for me. Gave up early as there is something odd about a 60 year old man trying to sound like a 20 year old scottish ned. The Steep Approach to Garbadale was decent though and quite like Crow Road in it's plot and characters. Still no where near the imagination and skill of his earlier stuff.

 

[Zede]

So damn sad. Just reading the only culture novel i've not read - Excession. No more, that's difficult to contemplate.

 

[Chilly]

excession is a masterpiece. The way he gets inside the...er..minds of the Minds is really good.

 

[dysfunction]

Apart from Peter F Hamilton who is a good alternative to Iain Banks? I can't really find anyone similar.

 

[Chilly]

alastair reynolds

 

[Zarjazz]

excession is a masterpiece. The way he gets inside the...er..minds of the Minds is really good.

Player of Games was always my favourite, then it's a toss up between Excession and Use of Weapons. Oddly I was never a fan of Consider Phlebas but I continued with the series anyway.

Apart from Peter F Hamilton who is a good alternative to Iain Banks? I can't really find anyone similar.

There aren't really any other "good" modern space opera series in a similar vain that leap to mind. The closest I could suggest would be something like the Gap Series by Stephen R. Donaldson.

Edit: Alastair Reynolds gets my vote too.

 

[Raven]

Reading the Wasp factory at the moment, it's pretty badly written so far but as it's his first book I will give it a chance.

Tried to read consider phlebas but thought it was shit.

 

[rynnor]

I liked excession and player of games but after that they got very samey and I stopped reading them.

Those 2 alone are a great achievement though.

 

[Lamp]

Sad news. Poor sod.
I could never get into his books. Maybe I'll give them another go

 

[TdC]

alastair reynolds

he's ace, for sure!

 

[Athan]

It's been confirmed that Iain [M] Banks died this morning .

From twitter, https://twitter.com/cstross/status/343740022924648448

Charles Stross
‏@cstross
Others have already tweeted this, so just to confirm ... I am told by family friends that Iain Banks died this morning. RIP.

I'm sure many drinks will be raised to him

 

[Jupitus]

RIP

 

[TdC]

RIP Mr Banks

 

[Athan]

At least

From Adele “Iain died in the early hours this morning. His death was calm and without pain.”

from: http://friends.banksophilia.com/28-2/

 

[Athan]

Oh and if that's overloaded all but the latest entry (I'll quote it below in full) is available in google cache: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://friends.banksophilia.com/28-2/

09 Jun 2013
TOO SOON.

admin

Dear Friends of Iain,
From Adele “Iain died in the early hours this morning. His death was calm and without pain.”
We will update this site shortly. Please leave messages here, he absolutely loved them.
For now, a fond farewell to our friend.
Martin


info: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/09/iain-banks-dies"