Iain Banks Dies at 59

Two months after announcing he had terminal cancer, Scottish author Iain Banks has died. He was 59. From The Guardian:

In an email to friends, his widow said that he had died peacefully and was in no pain. The couple had been hoping for a few more months together.

His friend and fellow writer, Ken MacLeod, told BBC News: "He was still in good spirits and concentrating on his plans and projects and expecting to have another few months. But his situation took a turn for the worse." 

He added: "What Iain brought to his writing was himself. He brought a wonderful combination of the dark and the light side of life, and he explored them both without flinching.

Just a few weeks ago, Banks submitted his final novel, The Quarry, to his publisher. The book will be released in June of this year. The Guardian says that The Quarry “describes the final weeks of the life of a man in his 40s who has terminal cancer.”