Ian M. Banks has been
diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Banks, as I assume many readers already know, is one of the leading science-fiction authors of our generation. He is the creator of
the 'Culture' universe. He also wrote a wide variety of non-SF novels, and a non-fiction book on whisky (
Raw Spirits).
Banks's Culture novels helped to make life bearable for me during the 1990s. His novels
Use of Weapons and
Player of Games especially stand out: I remember being amazed, thrilled, and horrified by both of them. Indeed, most of Banks' novels left a strong impression on me, even his lesser known ones (e.g.,
The Bridge, Inversions).
This is very sad news. The SF community will be poorer with his passing.
