J. G. Ballard RIP

[ellen_datlow]

I knew he was ill for a long time, but he's too young to be gone. His science fiction, particularly the work pre- Empire of the Sun, was very important to me.

Cult author JG Ballard dies at 78

Added: I realize that I should really urge everyone to read his work if you haven't. His short stories absolutely, not only for "The Assassination of JFK Considered as a Downhill Motor Race" and "Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan" but also for his more traditional stories. The novels The Drowned World and Crash oh yes.

I very much wanted to reprint his early stories on SCIFICTION, but his UK agent said no (even though his US agent was eager to do so) and he didn't want to go against her. The agent didn't want his work on the net, thinking it would lower its value (I guess).

Comments

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Oh bugger.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

78 is too young, especially for such a great mind as his. Terrible loss.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

As signified elsewhere, Mr. Ballard was extra-fine in my book.

RIP.

Love, C.

[robinbailey.livejournal.com]

Why does that headline, "CULT AUTHOR," grate so much? I've just posted about Ballard on sff.net, on my own livejournal page, and also on Chris McKitterick's page. The saddest thing, in my opionion, is that today I'm seeing more discussion of Ballard and his work than I've seen in a decade. I mentioned in a couple of places that it was disheartening to find that he had published at least four novels about which I've heard nothing. I don't even know who Flamingo Press is. My own shortcoming, perhaps. I read almost all of his pre-EMPIRE works and a coule of later ones. I most admire TERMINAL BEACH.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I know--if he had read that when I alive he would have been heartily offended. He's certainly not what I'd consider a cult author. I believe that his work has found its place in both the sf canon and the mainstream.

Flamingo is the paperback arm of a major UK publisher.

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

I am really sorry to read that. Ballard's work made me think about SF and what it can do in an entirely new way when I first encountered it.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes. The first book I ever read by him was The Drowned World--I really enjoyed many of his stories, and remember being whacked over the head by "The Assassination of JFK as a Downhill Motor Race."

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Sad news. I always meant to read more Ballard.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

You still can and you should!

[fishsanwitt]

The first book I ever read of his was 'Highrise' and I never forgot it. I was so sorry to hear of his passing.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That one I didn't like at all, but I have a feeling it was that I read it doing a very particular period of my life...I found it too disturbing( yes, way more than Crash--possibly because High Rise was a more realistic depiction of a possible future).

[fishsanwitt]

I think that's why I loved 'Highrise' - because it was so realistic. I also loved 'Crash' - I kept thinking, 'why don't they call for help?'

[mlamprey.livejournal.com]

High Rise was awesome. Some of my favorite Ballard is the stuff that has been collected by RE/Search in their various Ballard-themed publications. He had a huge influence on me--mainly the short stories though. Concrete Island was great, but not quite as great as the concept itself.

And Empire of the Sun is phenomenal. So powerful that I could read it even after seeing the Spielberg movie and yet it's the book I remember...the movie almost wholly obliterated.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. RE/Search was great--I used to love it.

Yes, I forgot to mention Empire of the Sun --great novel.