Life, the Universe and Everything

[hicklit]

Don't know how often this has happened to people but earlier this year I was reading an absolutely superb novel - 'Industry of Souls' - by a writer new to me, Martin Booth. Wow, I thought as I came towards the end of this gripping tale, I can't wait for this bloke's next one. Taking a short respite from the page-turner I started to peruse the newspaper - and there, on the Guardian Obituary page, it was: Martin Booth, novelist, dies aged 58. The poor chap had keeled-over in mid-novel, as it were. And when I mentioned this to a friend she said that she once had to abandon a book, distraught, when the author, Douglas Adams, sadly passed on when she was half-way through one of his.

This got me wondering whether there was some strange, mystic power of life and death that readers can exert over novelists. And, yet, could this force possibly be harnessed for the good of mankind?? And, if it can, should we all start reading Ben Elton's latest??

[Bill]

:D It's surely worth a try.

Here's the book hicklit was talking about:

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I was recently given a book to read, called Revolution In The Head by Ian MacDonald (not the MOD chap who told us that Britain had sunk the Belgrano in a monotone). It's an interpretation of Beatles lyrics. I got it home, thought I'd do a bit of research into the author and found out he'd committed suicide a year ago.

Not quite the same, but nearly.

[jebbie74]

Sort of the same but not quite....I had a read a few true funny stories by man named Peter MacDonald who wrote abou the funny things you hear in Canada's courts (Return of the Court Jesters.) After finishing two of his books, I was telling my Mum how funny he was while flipping through a newspaper at the dining room table. I was shocked when I stumbled across an article on his untimely death that same weekend.....too creepy!

[Deinonychus]

I suppose we could add dear ol' Peelie to this thread: he was a third of the way through his autobiography when he keeled over on holiday in October. The book is, thankfully, to be finished sometime next year - and will doubtless be a better read than the slew of ambulance-chasing unauthorised texts that seem to have hit the shelves in time for Xmas...

[Purity]

Stephen King had written 5 out of the 7 Dark Tower books when he was hit by a truck near his home. Thank God he was ok and went on to finish one of the greatest series ever written (IMO!)

[caldron]

whilst we're on the subject; who here has found themselves incapable of re-reading Stephen King's 'The Stand' without inexplicably starting to sniffle and present with other 'flu-like symptoms . . ?

(from my own sick-bed, although no sign of SK to be found . . )

[Claire]

For a similar effect - try mentionning nits, (aka head-lice) in the school playground - and see how long it takes till all the parents are itching their heads :D

[Tess]

Stephen King had written 5 out of the 7 Dark Tower books when he was hit by a truck near his home. Thank God he was ok and went on to finish one of the greatest series ever written (IMO!)

Not only did Stephen King live to continue on the series but that truck incident had a huge impact on the story, I won't mention how but those who have read the series will know exactly what I am talking about. As a huge DT fan the 'what ifs' don't bare thinking about, I'm grateful that someone was watching over King that day ;)

[Ian]

NNNNOOOOOO!

I simply cannot read any more Ben Elton books, please, there has to be an easier way to get rid of him

This got me wondering whether there was some strange, mystic power of life and death that readers can exert over novelists. And, yet, could this force possibly be harnessed for the good of mankind?? And, if it can, should we all start reading Ben Elton's latest??