Vale, Terry Bisson

I did not know Terry Bisson. In fact, I barely recognised his name when I saw John Scalzi’s post about his passing. On a whim, I did a little research. I’m glad I did. I may not have remembered his name, but I loved his work.

Terry is perhaps most famous for his They’re Made Out of Meat short story. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend that you track down a copy. There have been numerous theatrical and cinematic adaptations (including this one), but the original is always the best (well, except for The Hunt for Red October – fight me!). It’s a masterpiece, delving deep into the human condition.

He also wrote comic adaptations for Roger Zelazny’s Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon. They are the first two books in the Amber Chronicles, which is dear to my heart. I remember the comics as very enjoyable and quite faithful to the original. It’s a pity the other novels weren’t also adapted.

He was one of the great storytellers. Even if he wasn’t a household name.

Featured image by George Kelly CC-By – trimmed.