RIP Thomas M. Disch: Sci-Fi Writer

[3113]

A science fiction writer that some here may have read. He was a phenomenal writer with an amazing intellect, his stories, often weird and strange and scary, were usually very concentrated examinations on the nature of reality.

Thomas Michael Disch (2 February 1940 – 4 July 2008) was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for best related book in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nominations and nine Nebula Award nominations to his credit, plus one win of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, a Rhysling Award, and two Seiun Awards, among others.

Disch was born in Des Moines, Iowa. In the 1960s, his work began appearing in science-fiction magazines. His first novel, The Genocides, appeared in 1965. He soon became known as part of the New Wave, writing for New Worlds and other avant-garde publications. His critically acclaimed novels of that time included Camp Concentration and 334. In the 1980s, he moved from science fiction to horror, with a series of books set in Minneapolis: The Businessman, The M.D., The Priest, and The Sub. His latest novel The Word of God will be published by Tachyon Publications in the Summer of 2008.

In 1999, he won the Nonfiction Hugo for The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, a sardonic look at the field, as well as the Michael Braude Award for Light Verse. Among his other nonfiction work, he has written theatre and opera criticism for The New York Times, The Nation, and other periodicals. He has also published several volumes of poetry.

He committed suicide on 4 July 2008.

He had lost his long time partner, and, evidently, had always battled depression. So very sad

 

[rgraham666]

Well, crap.

 

[TE999]

Another one down, another one gone...

Vya con Dios Thomas.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Another one down, another one gone...

Vya con Dios Thomas.

This has been a bad year for writers, hasn't it?

 

[TE999]

This has been a bad year for writers, hasn't it?

It almost makes one want to stop writing...almost.

 

[john-the-author]

I'm saddened. I just read his bio on Wikipedia. It's just too damned bad.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Disch died? Oh damn! I really liked him! That is so bad.

--Zoot