Stieg Larsson...
Thank you for bringing me back to fiction after a long time. The joy that your Millennium series (or 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' series) gave me was only followed by despair when I learned that you died shortly after delivering the 3 manuscripts. The despair doubled on knowing that you had a series of 10 books planned. Tripled when I realized that your real life experiences provided a fertile ground which you could mine for any number of books. The series shows how satisfying fiction can be when the author is more than just a career writer; An idealist, feminist, expert on neo-nazi right wing terrorism, editor-in-chief of a magazine and involved in politics.
Just when my heart was about to leap with joy on learning that you wrote enough of the fourth book that your partner could put it together, I learn your family and her are feuding over the control of your literary estate.
They say your diet consisted solely of coffee, cigarettes and hamburgers. The reason for your death - a massive heart attack. Oh dear Larsson, couldn't you have touched a green vegetable now and then..?! :-(
How I wish you were around to see the success of your books; we could hear from you directly and not rely on second hand accounts; you wrote more books.
*sigh
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/magazine/23Larsson-t.html?pagewanted=all
