Fantasy Author Robert Holdstock Dead at 61

Well known and loved fantasy author, Robert Holdstock died today. His Web site reports that he had been in intensive care since November 18th, when he collapsed due to an E. coli infection. From the Web site:

Rob was one of the best fantasy writers of his generation, and a man with a huge appetite for life. There was nothing he liked better than the company of good friends, a cracking meal, drink and laughter. His departure at only 61 years old is a tremendous loss.

Holdstock was first published when he was just 20. The short story, “Pauper’s Plot,” was published by New Worlds magazine. His first novel, Eye Among the Blind, was published in 1976. Though he created a large and critically acclaimed body of work throughout his career, he is best known for the Mythago Wood cycle of novels. The first book in the series, Mythago Wood, won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1985. The most recent book in the Mythago Wood Cycle, Avilion, was published in July of this year.