Bibliogryphon 9,582 Posted October 19, 2017 5 hours ago, Gooseberry Crumble said: John Le Carre. 86 today! One of Britain's most successful authors John Le Carre turns 86 today and I think he's reaching an age, such is his fame, that he should at least be on the committees radar for consideration even vaguely! Recently intervied on R4 Today programme. Very alert no indication of any lingering condition. Yes he should be on the radar but I think he will make 90. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,140 Posted October 19, 2017 Philip Pullman is signing copies of his new book at Blackwell's in Oxford today. I did think of going along but the tickets went too quick. There are some videos of him talking about the book on the BBC site, so that will have to do for form study. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41670890 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,327 Posted October 19, 2017 Wasnt Pullman really ill a while back? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,582 Posted October 19, 2017 9 minutes ago, Sean said: Wasnt Pullman really ill a while back? He was walking with a stick when the BBC did a kids book photo shoot a few years back but he outlasted Terry Pratchett. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,472 Posted October 19, 2017 14 minutes ago, Sean said: Wasnt Pullman really ill a while back? Yes, but no idea what was up exactly ie anything from cancer to lung issues. Neil Gaiman said he was quite ill a year or two back and he was doing the old "NHS done a lot for me recently" thing during the last election. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spade_Cooley 9,527 Posted October 19, 2017 Jacqueline Wilson vs Philip Pullman has always been the cognoscenti's poll of choice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,472 Posted October 19, 2017 I always preferred RL Stine, tbh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spade_Cooley 9,527 Posted October 19, 2017 Ah I meant in terms of who's about to drop dead from their long-running health issues first. RLS is not in any troubles as far as I'm aware, and is still ornery as ever on his Twitter acct. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,582 Posted October 19, 2017 56 minutes ago, Spade_Cooley said: Jacqueline Wilson vs Philip Pullman has always been the cognoscenti's poll of choice. Don't think JW will be going any where soon. Of course if the question which one of them is the most over-rated then it would be a close run thing. Though compared to J K Rowling they are both second division. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,140 Posted October 19, 2017 Meh. I really enjoyed the first two books of His Dark Materials, but the third one jumped the shark for me. Haven't read any other PP books. I liked the early Harry Potters, but then they became too bloated and derivative. Didn't like JKR's detective novel. Never read any JW. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,472 Posted October 19, 2017 Tbh I thought the best British kids book of the 90s was Scribbleboy. Came out same summer as first Harry Potter. Really bad timing, in retrospect. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,046 Posted October 20, 2017 US Science Fiction author Julian May has died aged 86. http://www.sfwa.org/2017/10/memoriam-julian-may/ Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_May DDP pick. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youwanticewiththat 611 Posted October 22, 2017 Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. DDP pick for me - loved The Many Coloured Land etc when I was a young 'un. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,646 Posted October 22, 2017 Rayya Elias - partner of Elizabeth Gilbert continues to breathe despite her terminal diagnosis, right? Just thought I'd mention it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joey Russ 7,227 Posted October 22, 2017 There’s a couple of locks that are still breathing at this point and time (Elias, Bracknell, Michael). Surely not all three of them will make starting line next year, right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 10,972 Posted October 22, 2017 On 19.10.2017 at 13:27, Sean said: Wasnt Pullman really ill a while back? The man himself: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/philip-pullman-la-belle-sauvage-657211 Some surgical procedure. A coronary issue? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spade_Cooley 9,527 Posted October 23, 2017 Liz Gilbert is making very, very few social media posts at the moment (only the "here's where to donate for the victims of Hurricanes/degenerate vegas gamblers" type). My assumption is that's because Rayya will be out of here before the advent calendars go up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,582 Posted October 23, 2017 On 21/10/2017 at 00:46, YoungWillz said: US Science Fiction author Julian May has died aged 86. http://www.sfwa.org/2017/10/memoriam-julian-may/ Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_May DDP pick. Loved Julian May's books read all her SF and fantasy from The Many Coloured Land onwards. Got into them by accident my GF bought MCL from a second hand stall on Leeds market after he had her money the stall holder revealed that Julian May was actually a woman which put her off reading it so I read it instead. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Creep 7,070 Posted October 27, 2017 Donald Bain, the pseudonymous author of the “Murder, She Wrote” novels, Margaret Truman’s “Capital Crimes” mysteries and “Coffee, Tea or Me?,” the supposed memoir of two saucy airline stewardesses, died on Saturday in White Plains. He was 82. The cause was congestive heart failure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 10,972 Posted October 28, 2017 Victoria "Vicky" Holmes has cancer. She's part of the "Erin Hunter" collective, basically the founder of that group: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Holmes Go to facebook to find out more (but there's only her own statement there). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Creep 7,070 Posted November 7, 2017 Nancy Friday, a dissatisfied daughter of the sexual revolution whose best-selling books aimed to liberate women from embarrassment over their erotic fantasies and from fraught relationships with their mothers, died Nov. 5 at her home in Manhattan. She was 84. The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease.Placing an anonymous advertisement in newspapers and magazines, she received hundreds of letters and conducted scores of interviews that formed the basis of “My Secret Garden,” a survey of female sexual fantasies that aimed to show women that there was nothing shameful or embarrassing about such daydreams — and to show men that women’s sexual imaginations existed. Goddamn, I should place such an ad. SC 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,140 Posted November 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Sir Creep said: Placing an anonymous advertisement in newspapers and magazines, she received hundreds of letters and conducted scores of interviews that formed the basis of “My Secret Garden,” a survey of female sexual fantasies that aimed to show women that there was nothing shameful or embarrassing about such daydreams — and to show men that women’s sexual imaginations existed. Goddamn, I should place such an ad. SC The book's still in print, so you could buy a copy in the meantime. Careful you don't order this one by mistake though. 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thatcher 2,416 Posted November 8, 2017 Pat Hutchins (IMDb), an award winning English author and illustrator of children's books, has died aged 75. Additionally, she presented and played the role of the narrowboat owner on the children's series Rosie and Jim. Edit: The Guardian obituary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 10,972 Posted November 13, 2017 Thomas Keneally (Booker prize winner) with a fairly morbid interview: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/11/thomas-keneally-death-is-not-the-fly-in-the-cosmic-ointment-it-is-the-cosmic-ointment Far down there he also mentions his diagnosis of oesophageal cancer two years ago. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,472 Posted November 13, 2017 Thomas Keneally, writer of Schindler's Ark (Schindler's fucking List) for that. Just answering any daft "oh will he obit?" questions ahead of time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
