John Brunner by Jad Smith

[james_davis_nicoll]

John Brunner by Jad Smith

A brief examination of speculative fiction author John Brunner's life and career.

Comments

[autopope]

I was at that convention.

I know a bit about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Authors: if your GP puts you on medication for blood pressure that gives you brain fog and leaves you unable to write, go complain to your GP and ask for different meds, don't just randomly stop taking them so you can finish the novel.

A huge, and entirely evitable, loss.

[james_davis_nicoll]

The same thing killed Cyril Kornbluth, as I recall.

[voidampersand]

I was there too, and remember when the word came to the at-con newszine office. I knew Brunner through his writing, but many of the fans knew him personally. His death hit them hard. A cloud of grief and sadness came down over the convention.

Also, Charlie, you have given this advice before, and you'll be happy to know I am following it. After my BP seriously frightened my physician, I went on medication. Thanks to your advice I was alert for possible side-effects, but also not worried. So far, it's all good. My BP is under control, and my brain is no worse than usual.

[autopope]

Glad I could help.

I not only knew John: he put me in touch with my first writers' workshop (aged about 18) and was graciously welcoming to a new and somewhat irritatingly nerdy wannabe writer in the 1980s. I considered him one of my objects of emulation: not so much these days, but he was a better human (and writer) than many of his contemporaries.