Vernor Vinge.

[nixie]

Not an author I know much about but I saw a post on Facebook by Raymond E Feist saying he had passed away.

Vernor Vinge, science fiction writer and creator of the concept of the technological singularity, has died at the age of 79.

According to Ars Technica, Vinge, a professor and computer scientist who was well-known for his hard science fiction novels such as A Fire Upon the Deep and Rainbow’s End, passed away yesterday. A truly excellent author, he postulated that AI will one day surpass the understanding of its human...

www.theverge.com

 

[Ursa major]

I saw it on John Scalzi's blog (forwarding an announcement by David Brin).

I've only read two of Vernor Vinge's novels, A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky, but I enjoyed them both.

 

[Swank]

One of the people that brought us the Singularity. Amazing author. Sucks.

 

[Parson]

Indeed one of the best hard SF authors of this generation. I read A fire on the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. I just went to look at what else I might have read and returned with a KU of The Peace War.

 

[Foxbat]

Haven't read much of his but I really enjoyed Fire Upon The Deep and A Deepness In The Sky. Another great mind gone

 

[Rodders]

I've only read one of his books, but it was spectacular.

RIP Vernor. Your talent will be very much missed.

 

[Montero]

I love those and the Peace War. Great shame he is gone. His construct of the pack mind was a really astounding alien character - not just the idea but how he got it across. Though I must admit I had one or two "do what" moments as it unfolded.
Strangely enough I am currently reading Catspaw by Joan D Vinge - looked her up and she is his ex-wife.

 

[Parson]

I am currently reading Catspaw by Joan D Vinge

I thought he was a very interesting character and I was surprised when I found out that Joan was Victor's wife. I'll bet they would have had very interesting discussions. I would call Victor an A lister in the SF field, and I can't see her as less than a solidly above average author.

 

[Fiberglass Cyborg]

Vernor Vinge has had a gigantic influence on science fiction depite a relatively modest prescence on bookshop shelves - I have 4 of his novels and a book of short stories, but I've never even seen any of the others in print. He seems to mainly be appreciated by other SF writers. I heard of him via Charles Stross's blog, which led me to the astonishing (and oddly heartwarming) "Rainbows End".

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

Vernor Vinge has had a gigantic influence on science fiction depite a relatively modest prescence on bookshop shelves - I have 4 of his novels and a book of short stories, but I've never even seen any of the others in print. He seems to mainly be appreciated by other SF writers. I heard of him via Charles Stross's blog, which led me to the astonishing (and oddly heartwarming) "Rainbows End".

I reckon Vinge was also an inspiration to our tech-bro overlords, and a perceptive critic of world and power structures they were/are bringing about (Rainbows End)

 

[SilentRoamer]

A Fire Upon the Deep might be one of my favourite all time novels - just packed to the brim with big ideas and great characters, as stated above the concept of the "pack mind" is a fantastic idea and brough to life so vividly.

I have the Peace War in my TBR pile, think it just got moved up!

 

[Fiberglass Cyborg]

I reckon Vinge was also an inspiration to our tech-bro overlords, and a perceptive critic of world and power structures they were/are bringing about (Rainbows End)

Must admit, I have mixed feelings about that. I have that edition of "True Name" with all the essays from tech gurus in the back, and my God but some of them are insufferable specimens.

 

[smellincoffee]

I saw it on John Scalzi's blog (forwarding an announcement by David Brin).

I've only read two of Vernor Vinge's novels, A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky, but I enjoyed them both.

His True Names was an imaginative look at cyberspace and a lot easier to read than say Shockwave Rider or Neuromancer. Published in 1981.

 

[Peter V]

Started A Fire Upon the Deep yesterday and had not realised that Vernor had recently passed. Hearing this has brought reading it a different sense of perspective and more than a little sadness.
The pack mind science creation that people are referring to is innovative and from what I have read so far, truly a masterpiece of creativity - I can't help but wonder if its sheer alien-ness may have inspired Hamilton's Motiles / Immotiles from Pandora's Star

 

[Ursa major]

and a lot easier to read than say Shockwave Rider or Neuromancer.

I've never read Shockwave Rider, and I don't recall any difficulty in reading Neuromancer (here's my post in the Difficulties with Neuromancer thread) and went on to read Count Zero (mentioned here as "easy to read") but not the third book in the trilogy.