It was only recently that I wrote about hearing the news that Iain Banks was (very) ill, then yesterday heard the news that he’d passed away.
Damnit.
He was an enormous influence on my reading from the late 80’s and early 90’s. A new book by Banks (M. or not) was always an event, and something to be anticipated, savoured and enjoyed. His books have long been a staple foundation of my bookshelves, often in multiple copies as they fall victim to much re-reading and passing around.
There was an outpouring of grief and condolences on my twitter feed yesterday (though, interestingly, virtually nothing on FB – Twitter, you have exceptional taste).
Lots of people wrote lovely things about Iain – Nick Harkaway’s “So long, IMB, I never knew ye” and Neil Gaiman’s “Iain Banks. With or without the M.” being the first of many which come to mind.
There’s also a truly fantastic collection of quotes on GoodReads from Iain and from his books. If you’ve never read any of his stuff, start there. Find a quote you like, then go buy the book. Or, if you’re already a fan, buy a book for someone who’s never read any of his work. As Neil himself puts it:
Even the bad ones were good, and the good ones were astonishing.
Me? I can only echo what everyone else has already said, in many other places, and far better than I am able.
Farewell, Iain. Here’s to you and your stories.
Related articles
- Iain Banks, RIP (whatever.scalzi.com)
- Too soon (affable-lurking.org)
- Iain Banks, 1954-2013 (boingboing.net)
- Neil Gaiman: ‘Iain Banks was one of us, whatever that meant’ (guardian.co.uk)
espresso coco 
I have coincidentally been reading one of Nick Harkaway’s novels so thanks for the link to his post. I have only read a couple of Banks’ work but I’m actively seeking out more now.
Which one of Nick’s books? They’re all great though…