Iain Banks, the author of the Culture novels and more down to Earth stories such as The Wasp factory and The Crow Road died yesterday, from gall bladder cancer. His last novel will be published on the 20th, which is a shame as he was pushing the publisher to release it before he went.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/09/iain-banks-dead-tributes-author-scotland http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338372/Iain-Banks-dies-cancer-59-just-weeks-marrying-girlfriend-realised-terminally-ill.html

My personal opinion, we have lost a rare thing, an author with original and inventive ideas, but also a man with a great and seriously dark wit and humour.

Known not only for his science fiction and 'Scottish' novels, he also wrote a fine factual account of his tour of Scotland's distilleries, for anyone interested in a wee dram.

RIP, modern literature is a poorer thing for this.