21st Century Literature discussion

Which, if any, author's death has hit you the hardest?

Most recently it would be Hilary Mantel.

Absolutely Hilary Mantel

I think Octavia Butler's death actually hit me the hardest because I had only recently "discovered" her and started to read her right around the time of her death so therenwas a really high level of excitement hit by sorrow. I've been spacing out reading all her works so I don't finish them any time soon.

Norman Mailer. I can't explain.

JD Salinger - I read catcher … so many times in my late teens. The book left an impact.So did the subsequent novels and short stories.

Roald Dahl as well. He died a week after I finished reading Danny the Champion of the world. I was 11 at the time.

I know both men were particularly nasty but their writings did a influence me.

Lark wrote: "Norman Mailer. I can't explain."

He seemed to have a larger-than-life personality and once played a big role in the public eye from what I understand... Almost representing a whole era from what I've read.

Yes, that's it. Thank you, Marc.

Here is a related, beautiful essay published in the NYT today. This is a gift link so it should not be paywalled:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/30/op...

Péter Esterházy's death, without doubt.

Terry Pratchett and Brian Doyle

Marc wrote: "I think Octavia Butler's death actually hit me the hardest because I had only recently "discovered" her and started to read her right around the time of her death so therenwas a really high level o..."

You reminded me that this is likely the one that hit me hardest as well. A good friend and I were / are both huge fans of her work. She also lived locally, which added more immediacy to her death, I always used to look for her when I frequented Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, where she was also a patron. Alas, no sightings.

Her death was also so stupid. She tripped on her back porch and hit her head. I always pictured myself getting an opportunity to go back in time for 30 seconds, and showing up outside her house yelling "be careful, slippery!".

Since the initial reports, though, it's been suggested her fall was actually caused by a stroke, so even the time machine may not have helped much.

Whitney wrote: "Marc wrote: "I think Octavia Butler's death actually hit me the hardest because I had only recently "discovered" her and started to read her right around the time of her death so therenwas a really..."

I thought about Octavia Butler but I did not first read her until after her death. I have read everything she wrote. What she might have done ......

The deaths of Toni Morrison, Joan Didion and Shel Silverstein saddened me the most as far as authors go.

Musicians’ deaths are harder for me, for some reason. Jerry Garcia and Prince were poets and storytellers with their music and their instruments, and I was crushed when they passed.

I have to admit musician death hit me hard - David Bowie was a bad one and last weekend Television’s Tom Verlaine made me a bit glum. In my youth I must have played Marquee Moon 10 times a day

For musicians (and someone who was also an author), it would be Leonard Cohen. Pure genius that man.

LindaJ^ wrote: "For musicians (and someone who was also an author), it would be Leonard Cohen. Pure genius that man."
I agree. I felt a visceral loss at his death. I count his musical output as part of his poetry.

For novels, I was saddened there would be no more from Robertson Davies.

LindaJ^ wrote: "For musicians (and someone who was also an author), it would be Leonard Cohen. Pure genius that man."

That was a tough day. So was David Bowie. I remember posters in our high school library of David Bowie reading. So cool.

I was really into Roger Zelazny's original Amber series, and when he died in 1995 not long after publishing the (unfortunately not as good) sequel series his death hit me hard. The series was finished prior to his death so all the books were published, but it still made me feel kind of empty, knowing that I was reading some of his final words.

I agree about Hilary Mantel, as well as Joan Didion—I craved more. Iain Banks’ death also hit hard.

The stupidity of Irène Némirovsky's death who was murdered by the Nazi's. Her books were so good.