Iain M. Banks passes away from Cancer at age 59

Akratic Wizardry alerted me first (he seems to have a hotline to recently deceased author news) and a full story is right here. I was unaware that Iain Banks had cancer so this was news to me, and it's very sad as he was a prolific author, and a very important contemporary SF force behind the development of high-concept transhumanist fiction and space opera. His Culture novels are excellent, complex and deep reads, and it is distressing to know that Iain is gone, and his future potential along with him. He will be missed.