Sad News for SciFic Fans - Ian Banks has terminal cancer

[GroobySteven]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22015175

Author Iain Banks has revealed that he has late stage cancer and is unlikely to live for more than a year.
The Scottish writer posted a message on his official website saying his next novel The Quarry, due to be published later this year, would be his last.
The 59-year-old's novels include The Wasp Factory, The Crow Road, Complicity and the Culture series.
The statement said his health problems came to light when he saw his doctor, suffering from a sore back.
He was diagnosed with jaundice, before further tests established the full extent of his illness.
In the personal statement on his website, Banks said he had asked his partner Adele to marry him and was now on a short honeymoon.
Continue reading the main story Iain Banks' career

Bank's first novel The Wasp Factory was published in 1984 and introduced the Fife-born writer as a dark new force in British literature.

Considered one of Scotland's foremost writers, most of whose books are set in his home country, the writer ventures further afield in his parallel career as a writer of science fiction under the guise of Iain M Banks.
Using his middle name of Menzies - on the advise of his publisher who said it looked "more American" for a US market - several of Banks' sci-fi works are set in the Culture universe, a semi-anarchist utopia.
His most recent work in the so-called Culture series - The Hydrogen Sonata - was released last year. In its review - the Independent praised Banks' "taste for the absurd".



Fellow Scottish author, Ian Rankin, said the news of Banks' terminal cancer was "just awful".


He Tweeted: "Typical of Iain to propose marriage to his partner Adele with the words 'Will you do me the honour of becoming my widow?"
Banks, who lives in North Queensferry, Fife, said he had cancelled all future public engagements.


He said: "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."
He said the disease had spread to both lobes of his liver, and possibly his pancreas and lymph nodes.


He said there was little chance of surgeons being able to remove the tumours because of how far they had spread.


He has asked his publishers to bring forward the publication of his new book to "give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves."
Banks also praised NHS staff who have looked after him - and said he may undergo chemotherapy to extend his life when his jaundice clears up.
He said: "We're all just sorry the outcome hasn't been more cheerful."
Born in Fife, Banks studied at Stirling University before publishing his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984.




In 2008, he was named one of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945 in a list compiled by The Times.

[LibertyHarkness]

sad indeed his books are fantastic .. great resolve at handling the mortal dilema he is in though have to respect a person that is taking their demise head on

[shemalefritzie]

its sad to loose such a talented author x

[GroobySteven]

sad indeed his books are fantastic .. great resolve at handling the mortal dilema he is in though have to respect a person that is taking their demise head on

Agreed on both counts.

[Prospero]

That is horrible news. I love his non-sci fi books and I know his sci-fi books are even more popular. He is too f'ing young. Sad sad sad.

[bluesoul]

sad news indeed. i absolutely loved his 'state of art' collection of shorts.

[BeardedOne]

This was all over my Facebook feed this morning as he is friend-of-friends to many people I know. Very sad news.

[robertlouis]

As my antecedents came from Fife, Iain and I "shared" an aunt - a family friend.

Lovely guy, very unassuming, knows his scotch too. And The Crow Road resonates more with me than almost any other piece of Scottish fiction in the last 50 years.

Such a sad day. Thoughts with Iain and Adele.

[robertlouis]

You may have already heard, but Iain Banks passed away on 9th June. Sad, sad day.

[Prospero]

RIP Ian. Lovely obit on the radio yesterday from his pal and fellow writer Ian Rankin. He sounded like a very nice guy.