MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Statment from his website below.
He's obviously not someone I know but it makes me sad that the world will be losing his talent so soon.
[i]
I am officially Very Poorly.
After a couple of surgical procedures, I am gradually recovering from jaundice caused by a blocked bile duct, but that - it turns out - is the least of my problems.
I first thought something might be wrong when I developed a sore back in late January, but put this down to the fact I'd started writing at the beginning of the month and so was crouched over a keyboard all day. When it hadn't gone away by mid-February, I went to my GP, who spotted that I had jaundice. Blood tests, an ultrasound scan and then a CT scan revealed the full extent of the grisly truth by the start of March.
I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.
The bottom line, now, I'm afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I'm expected to live for 'several months' and it’s extremely unlikely I'll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.
As a result, I've withdrawn from all planned public engagements and I've asked my partner Adele if she will do me the honour of becoming my widow (sorry - but we find ghoulish humour helps). By the time this goes out we'll be married and on a short honeymoon. We intend to spend however much quality time I have left seeing friends and relations and visiting places that have meant a lot to us. Meanwhile my heroic publishers are doing all they can to bring the publication date of my new novel forward by as much as four months, to give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves.
There is a possibility that it might be worth undergoing a course of chemotherapy to extend the amount of time available. However that is still something we're balancing the pros and cons of, and anyway it is out of the question until my jaundice has further and significantly, reduced.
Lastly, I'd like to add that from my GP onwards, the professionalism of the medics involved - and the speed with which the resources of the NHS in Scotland have been deployed - has been exemplary, and the standard of care deeply impressive. We're all just sorry the outcome hasn't been more cheerful.
A website is being set up where friends, family and fans can leave messages for me and check on my progress. It should be up and running during this week and a link to it will be here on my official website as soon as it’s ready.
Iain Banks
[/i]
Oh no! That's very shit news 🙁 *shoots messenger*
Damn. Just about my favourite modern author.
😥
Sad news.
+1
Pass me the tank buster.....
🙁
Very sad indeed... The Crow Road is my favourite book, I've read it so many times my copy is falling to pieces.
I shall look forward to savouring his last book...
🙁 🙁 🙁
Read just about all his stuff from Wasp Factory on..............*is very sad*
His Culture novels have got me through some rough times, very upsetting and an extraordinary talent to loose so early 🙁
Damn. Just about my favourite modern author.
+1
Cancer is a horrible thing. 🙁
That's terrible, great writer, in both the With Space Ships and Without Space Ships categories.
🙁
Very talented man, even that statement is exceptionally well written. Sad news.
that's a shame. I remember seeing him standing at Inverkeithing station shortly after I'd read The Bridge, which was quite surreal.
I am absolutely gutted about this.
A truely talented author. I have read a lot of his stuff.
Bollix.
What everyone else has said. The first Author whose books I'd eagerly await. Such imaginitive writing, coupled with use of local geography/places make all his books a pleasure to read.
Crow road, The Bridge, Dead Air.
cancer sucks.
Apparently he wrote the wasp factory in his GCSE study leave. If this is true it is amazing.
I would, however, have been very worried if I was his parents.
My favourite writer what awful news
truly awful news, just bought stonemouth a few weeks ago for my wife, very sad.
Shite. Just a wee bit of Hydrogen Sonata left to go, and it is brilliant. I only started reading Banks as we went to the same High School, what a wonderful writer. I am enjoying Sonata tremendously.
Hope he has a fabulous year.
Kev
The culture novels are amongst my favourite, truly sad news.
Oh for *'s mother*ing sake! Can cancer please just *ing *off!!
Really sad news, I think I've read every book he's published, just finished "Walking on Glass" which I somehow missed when it first came out. Gutted.
Damn. Damn damn damn damnf***ingnation! That is just desperately sad news. I absolutely love the Culture books, and look forward to the next one even as I read the latest. My heartfelt best wishes to Iain and his family. 🙁
Gutted, one of my favourite authors 🙁
Very ,very sad news.
Read most of his books since Wasp factory,and went to a few of his book reading/signings ,funny man and very entertaining.
I must dig out Espedair Street for another read.
The news appears to have crashed his website.
I am aware of, but haven't read, his books - I keep meaning to.
I hate (and fear) cancer. I'm sorry at the news.
crap news, just finished Hydrogen Sonata (had saved it for a weeks break away), throughly enjoyed it as always. Great great shame for him, his family & us fans.
****. **** **** ****.
A brilliant author, and a truly nice bloke too from other stuff I've read by and about him.
so sad.....my made did his dissertation on his Culture novels for his English degree, i had to type them all up on a computer for him, i ended up reading just about everything he's written.
Very sad news 🙁
Damnation, this cancer stuff keeps taking, whoever you may be. A great writer. Excession is the one novel I keep going back to for new angles on the story but Use of Weapons and Surface Detail are challengers after the latter's ending!
I feel a [url= http://www.justgiving.com/TheBullheartJOGLE2010 ]Bullheart [/url]donation coming on.
Edit: Ah, a redirect to another site...
Aw shit, always an interesting and entertaining writer read most of his books without m. The Crow Road is one of my all time favourites. I will be heading to the library this afternoon to get some of the Iain M Banks books. At least we have a new one to look forward to.
Just heard this on the radio. I'm not sure I even want to believe it. Damn bloody disease.
just heard this on the radio. am just reading 'stonemouth'. this will be the tremendous and sad loss of a great writer and a chap who's always come across as a thoroughly nice bloke.
bugger.
As mentioned in his letter a new site is up and there's a guest book;
[url= http://friends.banksophilia.com/ ]http://friends.banksophilia.com/[/url]
Gutted, far and away my favorite author.
I consider myself lucky to have met him at a few book launches. At least he's keeping his sense of dark humour intact with the "asked her to be my widow".
Just heard it this morning, and a real shock. Not that he (probably) reads STW*, but still, incredibly sad for such a talent.
*he might - see the "anyone famous" thread! 😉
That's a real shame - intelligent guy, a talented writer with his heart very much in the right place. Always loved the way he brought Scotland alive in his books, giving you a real sense of the place. He seems set to continue in the same vein and live what life he has left to the full. All the best to him.
The culture novels offer such a brilliant vision for the future of mankind, theres no denying that the man was gifted and a champion for humanity and altruism
(if that makes any sense, it does to me)
Just heard this on the radio.
Very sad indeed.
Met him at a book signing in Manchester a few years ago - he was either a genuinely nice bloke or a very good actor.
Just reading Raw Spirit again at the mo - I hope he's still got a few decent bottles stashed away.
Gutted. Just finished reading Excession, couldn't put it down.
Cancer is a bitch.
Very talented man, even that statement is exceptionally well written. Sad news.
Completely agree.
Very sad. As has been said already, cancer really is a 'kin evil disease.
Don't forget Raw Spirit.
Takes concepts that many STWrs will understand quite well- mixing a road trip around Scotland with Whisky.
'Aye, you'll be needing some help with that..'
He ain't gone yet, so I wish him many many happy days out and about in the best wee country in the world.
Terrible news :(, Complicity kick started my reading as an adult and Crow Road and Espedair Street are two of my favourite books.
Gutted...He's probably the one writer who I've stuck with throughout my life. I read the Wasp Factory as a semi-feral pre-teen growing up on the Welsh coast. The Crow Road as a waster student, and Complicity the year I got my first proper job. Devoured Raw Spirit on a bike tour of the Western Isles.
Losing him is going be like losing a close friend.
This'll sound daft but one of the first things I did when I got internet access was to join the Banskie mailing list culture@busstop.org, it was my first internet cult... and the effect the ideas I heard there and the arguments I've had, and the brilliant people I met from there have had on me over the years- almost half my life! None of that without him, inspiring isn't the word for what this guy's meant to me, so much more than words... Ah, I'm just gutted, talking crap. Cancer's a dick.
That's poo!
Just started reading my first Culture novel and loving it.
Cancer is a bitch, in the last 4 years we have lost five friends and family and two others are in remission from breast cancer.
I shall continue to read his work in my own, small, "two fingers to you" salute to cancer,
This is bad news for him, his friends and family. A good author whose work has entertained me through many hours. His work will be missed...
Raise a glass of Leapfrog...
He ain't gone yet, so I wish him many many happy days out and about in the best wee country in the world.
Well said.
Like everyone else I started with the Wasp Factory, mainly as I lived opposite his parents and through them I got a copy which he duly signed ! I have a shelf of his work and am gutted to hear this news, a nicer more genuine man you could not meet and a rare talent. Crow Rd is my face, a beautiful story told with humor and a great view of the world. I'm sure he will enjoy his last few days, weeks and months but still a sad piece of news.
How sad. 🙁
I heard him speak on that Radio four programme where readers ask authors questions and he was well funny and down to earth. Discovered him relatively late so at least I still have quite a few of his books left to get through. 😕
espedair street is my favorite of his books very sad news
Heard this morning. Terribly sad.
An author who's books I genuinely look forward to.
I've read his Culture novels many times. And now there will be no more.
For those who have just started reading them, I envy you.
Very sad news, hope he enjoys his time left!
Gutted, awful news. Seems like a nice bloke and always looked forward to the next Culture novel and another apocalyptically powerful ship walking softly (or not) with a big stick (or series of sticks), loved the detail in them.
The NHS need effectors.
Spotted a great post on his tribute site, someone wished him good luck with the Subliming - I hope he does.
Wow, just reading the posts on here and the mention of everyone's favourite books reminds me of some of the excellent things he has written. He has been the one constant author in my reading for the past past 25 years, sad news indeed.
he laughed at me once when I asked him why he made he names of his characters in the culture series books so difficult to read (at least for a thicko like me). my favourite author bar no other. sad news
First I'd heard of his condition was opening this thread, thought it would just be a "how great is he" type gush and it's turns out he's not got long left for this planet. It's terribly disappointing news as I truly love his writing and look forward to each and every publication.
While he's unlikely to read it, my best wishes to him and his family and I hope he has a wonderful year or so.
Best of luck Iain.
Dammit.
No more Sheradenine Zakalwe turning up at unexpected moments, no more super sentient warships...Boo.
Still, he's enjoying his remaining time hopefully with some suitably dark humour and good whiskey and has a great deal to show for his life.
Thanks Iain for "The Bridge" the Culture and "Against a Dark Background", everything else was a bonus,.
Right, I'm off to savour and enjoy The Hydrogen Sonata.
Think I'll pick up my copy of Espedair Street tonight.
RIP sad to hear of such a great writer dying
I re-read Crow Road when he announced his terminal condition a couple of months ago. Superb.
It's a shame they did not manage to hurry his last book to print in time.
In a weird way I'm glad it did not drag on too long - not a nice place to be.RIP
A sad day.
RIP
He was absolutely riddled with it by the sounds of it.
🙁
A true giant of his era.
RIP
I read a lot of his early books and enjoyed them immensely, thou latterly I never kept up with his writing prowess never really liking any of his ScFi meandering.
But boy, great author.
😥
So sad
Such a sad loss
😥
bugger
Gutted but inspired by his life. Wonderful man. Left a mark.
RIP.
Brilliant writer RIP
Will be greatly missed. RIP.
have never read any of his books,but cancer is a ****.my condolences to his family/friends 🙁
Guess it was official then, him being very poorly. RIP.
I'm not much of a reader but he's the only writer I would always read his new stuff. Sad sad loss.