Dead at 59: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/09/iain-banks-dies
Iain’s stuff (or rather Iain M’s) was the first “adult” material I ever read and sparked the first real book binge I ever had when I was 13 (same time I was listening to Dark Side and World Coming Down I was reading Consider Phlebas). When I hear Whip & Chain, that book is the first thing that springs to mind.
He lived a pretty ideal life up until his illness and death. He’d write furiously for about 6 months or so and take the rest of a year to enjoy himself and follow other pursuits. He was a real whiskey (whisky, as it was for him I suppose) man.
His sci-fi material has potential to make epic sci-fi cinema (not shite like Star Wars).
Adios, dude
