Writers we lost in 2013
Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing died Nov. 17 at age 94. Born in Iran, raised in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and later settling in London, Lessing “reveled in her status as a contrarian,” the Los Angeles Times’ David L. Ulin wrote. Lessing -- feminist, realist, experimentalist, science-fiction writer and more -- was best known for her novel “The Golden Notebook.” (Martin Cleaver / Associated Press)
Two Nobel Prize winners, a pulp writer made good, an irreplaceable L.A. poet, a young adult author gone too soon and many more: A look back at the writers who passed away in 2013.
Elmore Leonard published his first book, the Western “The Bounty Hunters,” in 1953. When he died Aug. 20 at age 87, he was still writing -- he was partway through his 46th novel. Moving away from Westerns into crime fiction with memorable characters and tight dialogue, Leonard’s books eventually found fans in Hollywood. His best-known novels include “Get Shorty,” “Freaky Deaky,” and “Out of Sight.” He may also be remembered for his “10 Rules of Writing,” which include: “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.” (Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)
Tom Clancy authored bestselling military thrillers that were a perfect fit for the late Cold War -- and were, in fact, a favorite of President Reagan. His novels “The Hunt for Red October,” “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger” were made into Hollywood blockbusters, and his works were also adapted into successful video games. Clancy died at age 66 Oct. 1 in Baltimore. (Vince Lupo / Associated Press)
Scottish writer Iain Banks wrote more than two dozen science fiction and social novels, including “The Wasp Factory,” “The Crow Road” and “The Culture” series. Known for his dark humor, he wrote that after learning he had a terminal illness, he proposed to his partner, Adele, asking “if she will do me the honor of becoming my widow.” He died on June 9 at age 59, just two months after announcing he had cancer. (Yui Mok / Associated Press)
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Nigerian-born writer Chinua Achebe died March 21 at age 82. Best known for his 1958 coming of age novel “Things Fall Apart,” Achebe was a public intellectual who worked at the nexus of art and politics. His critique of Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” the lecture and published piece “An Image of Africa,” is a seminal work of post-colonial literary studies. Achebe, who came to live and teach in the United States in the 1990s, was a winner of the Man Booker International Prize. (Craig Ruttle / Associated Press)
Irish poet Seamus Heaney was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1995 for “works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.” He died in Dublin on Aug. 30 at age 74. His last words were a text message in Latin: “Noli timere,” or “Do not be afraid.” (Jan Collsioo / AFP/Getty Images)
