Science fiction giant Ray Bradbury, 91, died Tuesday night in Los Angeles after a long illness, his grandson Danny Karapetian and biographer Sam Weller confirmed to i09. Bradbury, author of more than 600 short stories, and 30 novels including classic works such as THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES and FAHRENHEIT 451, had only this year made those two books and other novels available in digital editions, published by Simon & Schuster. “If I had to make any statement, it would be how much I love and miss him, and I look forward to hearing everyone’s memories about him,” Karapetian said. “He influenced so many artists, writers, teachers, scientists, and it’s always really touching and comforting to hear their stories. Your stories. His legacy lives on in his monumental body of books, film, television and theater, but more importantly, in the minds and hearts of anyone who read him, because to read him was to know him. He was the biggest kid I know.”
Author, journalist, and archaeologist Paul Sussman, 45, died on May 31 from a ruptured aneurysm, his wife wrote on his Facebook page. His first novel THE LOST ARMY OF CAMBYSES was an international bestseller; his fourth thriller, THE LABYRINTH OF OSIRIS, will be published next month by Grove/Atlantic.
At the Hay Festival yesterday Ian Rankin revealed his next novel, STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN’S GRAVE, would mark the return of his series character Inspector Rebus after a five-year-hiatus. He said there was “unfinished business between the two of us” before adding: “He had never really gone away but was working for Edinburgh’s cold case unit. And I knew I had a story that was a perfect fit for him.” The book will be published by Orion and Reagan Arthur Books this November.
Founder of Publishers Lunch children’s review feature “Jonah’s Picks”–which started with a prescient pre-publication rave for Christopher Paolini’s ERAGON in the summer of 2003–Jonah Cader graduates from high school today. Congratulations to him, and to all the COP (children of publishing) graduating this month.