RIP Dan Simmons

I did not expect to hear this news.  I have a handful of influences on my own works over the years and Dan Simmons is one of them.  Most of it came down to "How come I didn't think of that?" followed by "He executed that so well there is no point trying my own.". Anytime a writer finds someone's work that forces you to think bigger and work harder is a boon to your own output.  Dan Simmons did that for me.

He really is that good.  There's a few of his collections I haven't read and three stand alone novels I haven't touched.  Also I should give the latter half of the Hyperion Cantos a chance again sometime.

There is a succinct tribute to the author from another writer named Jon Del Arroz.  I am sure there will be many more in the future.

Depending on the genre you like chances are you'll find something you like from his forays into science fiction, crime, historical adventures, and horror.  Sometimes his books encompassed at least three of those.  If you haven't discovered his writing yet, I envy you.