Writing about a childhood bard

[trenchkamen]

Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall series, has passed away. Sudden heart attack, apparently.

I was obsessed with those books in about fourth, fifth grade. Obscenely obsessed. I had a crappy AOL website and tons of fanfiction and everything (none of which made it online; yes, all of which I still have; no, I am not showing it to you). I was a Long Patrol hare for Halloween one year. Yes, the costume sucked, but what mattered was that at the time I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

I grew out of his books--they are one of the few things I did grow out of. I retained a lot of childhood fandoms. But re-visiting them upon the onset of adolescence, I found them simplistic. Pulpy adventure stories, sure, and feminist (which was a huge plus), but, still, very straightforward good-vs-evil type stuff where good and evil tend to be species demarcations. I still have a huge soft spot, rooted in nostalgia, and remembering how completely that world engrossed me.

Mr. Jacques, thank you for all of the fond memories, and for being one of the (if not the most prominent) figure who inspired me to read and write prolifically. Those gifts never left me.

Comments

[kiraqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh my god.

I am seriously crying over here. Redwall WAS my childhood at about the same age it was yours. I can't believe it.

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

I just ruined your day, didn't I?

[skuldchan.livejournal.com]

The first three books were quite good, and at age 9 I found them quite engrossing. I still think Redwall really rivals Watership Down in terms of greatness, it's just really sad that he wrote more and totally ruined the magic and the atmosphere of the originals. D:

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

I never got through Watership.

[phisinfinity.livejournal.com]

I've been in a funk all day over it ._. I just haven't been able to bring myself to do anything but talk to people about it. Hell, I'm listening to a an audiobook of the Long Patrol right now.

I just feel like a part of my childhood is gone, which is silly because I can always go back and read the books and there are still numerous more that I haven't touched yet, but it's still so sad. There won't be any more. Those books brought me so much joy and all but consumed my imagination when I was younger.

I've never met the man, but I'm going to miss him dearly.

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

I haven't read anything after Marlfox. Or Legend of Luke, whichever came last.

And he seems like a thoroughly nice fellow. The world is poorer for his departing.

[air-and-angels.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, dude. I was never a Redwall fan but it's going to hit me hard when Diana Wynne Jones dies. She's got lung cancer and has discontinued chemotherapy, so, yeah. Eesh.
And Terry Pratchett! With his Alzheimers!
WHY DO WRITERS WE LOVE HAVE TO GET OLD AND SICK.

[trenchkamen.livejournal.com]

WHAT.

I still haven't read any of her works, but that makes me sad.

When Terry Pratchett dies, it's going to be... bad... around here.

[air-and-angels.livejournal.com]

I knowwwwww.
Though I do like to think that when his time comes, Death is going to ask him to sign a copy of Mort.

IT'S NOT FOR ME.