Sad news today, as author Iain M. Banks has announced that he has been diagnosed with late stage gall bladder cancer. In a personal statement posted on Orbit’s website, Banks shared the news with fans that he is not expected to live beyond a year and that his latest novel, The Quarry, will be his final book.
Banks’ statement, which you can read in its entirety here, also mentions that he will be cancelling all public appearances in order to spend his remaining time with loved ones, friends, and family. Fans and friends can now check in on his progress and leave messages at Banksophilia: Friends of Iain Banks. In the meantime, our hearts and best wishes go out to Iain and his partner Adele.
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When Banks chose a song to pass on to the next generation, he picked Jackson Browne’s “For a Dancer”. It’s worth listening to it now.
Very, very sad news. I haven’t gotten around to reading his fiction (yet), but his Culture series is the most consistently interesting, thought-provoking, humorous, and all-around well-written sci-fi I’ve run across in years, if not ever.
This is terrible.
devastating. His Culture novels are the best. He is only 59. I hate cancer – it steals the best minds.
That suck, sorry to hear this.
One of my favourite authors :(. My best wishes to him and his family, may he be able to have as much decent time remaining as possible.
Awful. Just Awful.
Our generations single best Science Fiction writer.
He will be greatly missed.
And he has never won a Hugo.
Get this man a Hugo Award pronto!
Wife, not partner. It is a more precise description of the current status.
Never read any of his work (it’s actually next on my to read list). But this is seriously terrible. I hope that it ends up being a case where the person lives much longer than what the doctor projects.
@chris heinz: I mean, it’s an odd thing to quibble about, but they weren’t married at the time of this posting. We hope they have a wonderful honeymoon, though…
:( First Pratchett, then Banks.
I remember picking up Player of Games at a friend’s hostel room back in college days, intending to just read a couple of pages…and then spending the night at his room reading it and listening to “the sound of music” in the background, while he slumbered. That was a decade and a half back, and not much I have read since has matched it.
What can I say? Thanks for adding Culture to my life, Sir!
~lakesidey
I’ve read all his science fiction, not his other works. I can always rely on his novels for a good read. Here’s hoping for some better news for his medical condition, otherwise hopefully we can benefit from his storytelling again after the singularity, and see what the real AIs think of his ‘Minds’. ;)
This made me cry. Iain is one of my top five favorite SF authors ever and this is tragic horrible news. The Culture novels can be read again and again, they’re that wonderful.
My best wishes to Iain and his family; Hope springs eternal.
The one good thing in all of this is that you get to see how many lives Iain’s work has touched. Most authors get forgotten, most books go out of print after the author’s death but comments like these give me hope that his works will live on.