Thomas M. Disch

Tom Disch died on the 4th July.

I loved his work. The first novel of his I read was actually his first novel,  The Genocides. Great post-alien invasion novel unlike anything I had read  at the time - Earth is planted out with enormous alien plants and the  remnants of humanity scrape an existance living among the roots, trying to avoid alien pest control!

I read several of his other novels: Camp Concentration, The Puppies of Terra, 334 (probably my favourite; I was looking at the the other day, wondering whether to re-read it or not), On Wings of Song, The M.D. and others, but it was really his short stories I most enjoyed.  The collections I have at home all have top stories in them… too many to pick a favourite.

He often addressed weighty themes, and didn’t shy away from down-beat endings, but he was also responsible for writing the story behind a great, uplifting animated movie - The Brave Little Toaster, a wonderful parable featuring household goods on a quest!

I understand he was depressed and took his own life; but he’ll always remain a great writer, and one of my favourite authors both when I was discovering science fiction, and beyond, once I knew a bit about ‘the good stuff’.

I guess I will read 334 now.