A tribute

Was in MPH Great Eastern Mall the other day during lunch time, and suddenly came across the 2nd and latest trilogy by one of my all time favourite authors, David Gemmell. Although it was in large version paperback, I did not hesitate to buy. He is one of the very writers I would not think twice about buying a book by, and would just grab and savour his weaving of easy yet descriptive passages, bringing me to a totally different plain of sci-fi (fantasy) world.

However, as I was looking up as to when the third and final trilogy would be released, I came across news of his demise, four days shy of his 58th birthday. It is saddening to think that the sci-fi literature world would be without his great contribution going forward. I am sure I am not the only avid fan of his.

Have been journeying with his series since so many years back, and I began appropriately with Legend. The Drenai series is simply captivating, and my all time favourite character, Tenaka Khan, lived within the superbly created world of the Drenai. I lent it once (Legend) to one of my cousins who wanted to have a read, but sadly, the book was never returned. Yet, I bought another just as a replacement for my collection. That is how serious I am with his books. I have also particularly enjoyed the Rigante and the Greek series, and not forgetting to mention, the individually titled series. Simply brilliant.

So, as a special tribute:

David Gemmell (August 1, 1948–July 28, 2006)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Early career
Born in West London in the summer of 1948, he was expelled from school at the age of sixteen for organizing a gambling syndicate. He became a day labourer and a nightclub bouncer in Soho. He also worked as a freelance writer for the London Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, and Daily Express. One rejection letter he received in the early 1960s read: "You mention in your resume that you are working as a lorry driver's mate for Pepsi Cola. This is an occupation not without merit. Good luck with it."

Later Career
He published his first novel, Legend, in 1984 but continued as a journalist. He was an editor of newspapers in Sussex, but this career ended after the publication of his third novel, Waylander, in 1986, in which he used his work colleagues' names for characters in the story. Recalling the event he stated "The managing director regarded it as a poisonous attack on his integrity,".
At this point Gemmell became a full-time writer and published 28 books under his own name, all of which have remained in print. He also published a novel White Knight, Black Swan under the name Ross Harding, a thriller based on his own personal experiences growing up in London which to this day is his only novel out of print. His most recent release was Troy: Shield of Thunder, the sequel to 2005's Troy: The Lord of the Silver Bow. This will be probably be the final novel released under his name. His novels have also appeared in some collected editions and graphic novel form.

Death
A heavy smoker, he died at the age of 57 of coronary artery disease, on Friday 28th July, 2006, two weeks after undergoing heart bypass surgery. In his words "I tried to quit smoking and found that the years of polluting my brain with nicotine meant that I couldn't string a reasonable sentence together without filling my lungs with smoke. I went three months without a drag, took a good look at the crap I was writing and lit up." He died due to graft blockage secondary to advanced coronary artery disease, 2 weeks after a heart bypass operation.

Works
Drenai Series
Legend (1984) (Originally published in the USA as Against the Horde, re-released as Legend)
The King Beyond the Gate (1985)
Waylander (1986)
Quest for Lost Heroes (1990)
Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf (1992)
The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend (1993)
The Legend of Deathwalker (1996)
Winter Warriors (1996)
Hero in the Shadows (2000)
White Wolf (2003)
The Swords of Night and Day (2004)

Rigante Series
Sword in the Storm (1999)
Midnight Falcon (2000)
Ravenheart (2001)
Stormrider (2002)

Sipstrassi Series
Wolf in Shadow (1987) (Published as The Jerusalem Man in the USA)
The Ghost King (1988)
Last Sword of Power (1988)
The Last Guardian (1989)
Bloodstone (1994)

Hawk Queen Series
Ironhand's Daughter (1995)
The Hawk Eternal (1995)

Individual Fantasy Titles
Knights of Dark Renown (1989)
Morningstar (1992)
Dark Moon (1997)
Echoes of the Great Song (2002)

Greek Series (alternate history)
Lion of Macedon (1990)
Dark Prince (1991)

Troy Series
Troy: The Lord of the Silver Bow (2005) featuring the events leading up to the battle for Troy.
Troy: Shield of Thunder (due- Sep 2006) ·
Troy: The Fall of Kings (due- Sep 200?).
Although David passed away before completing the final novel in his Troy trilogy, Transworld announced that around 70,000 words were completed shortly before his death. They report that his wife, Stella, will complete the remainder of the book, working from his chapter notes. Stella Gemmell has been involved in the research and creation of the trilogy since its inception in 2003.