SF writer, Phillip Jose Farmer dead
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63232)
United States
February 28, 2009 11:04pm CST
Not so well known as many writers, but he was well known by fans in the science fiction circle.
He was best known for the Riverworld series, but he also wrote many other books that I read and enjoyed over the years.
http://www.pjfarmer.com/
He had an amazing out put of books. Everything from pulp type classics to real think peices like the Riverworld books.
If you like sf and have never read Farmer, well, you can't get an autograph anymore, but you can still enjoy his books.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
1 Mar 09
OMG, no! That's awful news. I remember reading some of his stuff when I was in my early teens, back in the 80s. He had a wicked sense of humour and a really nice, easy style. Admittedly, I won't miss his work a lot as I haven't read any for ages, but his passing is definitely a major blow to the SF genre: he was one of the real 'foundation' guys. It'll be odd not seeing any new titles from him. 
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63232)
• United States
1 Mar 09
I honestly can't say the last time I saw a new book out by him, but after he stopped doing the Tarzan and Holmes type stuff, and his Barnstormer in OZ, I really didn't look that hard for his stuff. I read the Riverworld books, but wasn't really thrilled with them.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63232)
• United States
1 Mar 09
Since you aren't an SF fan, you might enjoy The Adventure of the Peerless Peer where he had Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes team up or A Barnstormer in Oz where he writes an original Oz story - that one doesn't follow Oz canon, but is still pretty good.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45414)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Mar 09
I know I must have read some of his short stories in Amazing and other such digests, but because of a bit of memory loss indirectly as a result of SF that I won't go into... all I can safely say I've read was Venus on the Half-Shell, where he wrote in the voice of Kilgore Trout (a Vonnegut character). But, you know, in keeping with that memory loss, I don't remember what it was about. Maybe I should hunt down a copy and reread it...
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45414)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Mar 09
Right now I'm wading my way through The Salmon of Doubt...
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@snowcat46 (2322)
• United States
2 Mar 09
I don't have any of his books, but I've read some. He was a master. I hate that so many of the great ones are leaving us. I hate losing them.
