Mystery fans are mourning the loss of Robert B. Parker, creator of the Spenser and Jesse Stone detectives series. One of the best-selling mystery writers of our day, the 77-year-old reportedly died at his desk in his Boston-area home -- the prolific author wrote every day. Parker is survived by his wife and two sons. There are still several of his books scheduled to be published -- including the next Jesse Stone novel, Split Image, which hits shelves in February. UPDATED: We've added more links to news stories and testimonials at the bottom.Related links:
Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind -- updated
Robert B. Parker left a mark on the detective novel (LA Times)
Mystery Writer Has Died at 77 (ArtsBeat NYT)
Spenser' author dies at age 77 (Entertainment Weekly)
'Spenser: For Hire' author dies at 77 (USA Today)
A Writer's Life
Mystery Fanfare
The Education of a Pulp Writer
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine
My Little Corner
Jen's Book Thoughts
Detectives: Robert Parker's SPENSER
Murderous Beginnings: 40 Detective Fiction Firsts
PAGE TO SCREEN: JESSE STONE
RobertBParker.net (Official Site)
Wikipedia
"RIP, Robert Parker. 90-percent of us who write wisecracking detectives admit he was a major influence. The other ten percent lie about it." -- Harlan Coben (Caught)
"He didn't concern himself with looking back. Instead, he wrote, and in the process irrevocably altered American detective fiction, forging a link between classic depictions and more contemporary approaches to the form." -- Sarah Weinman (LA Times)
"Between Parker, Westlake, Kaminsky and Crumley, the last year+ has sadly seen the passing of several crime writing titans." -- Jason Pinter (The Darkness)
"I'm in shock. My friend Robert B. Parker is dead." -- Joseph Finder (Vanished)
"Looking back, I can think of no better writer with whom to fall in love with mystery, poetry, depth, the resonance of language, than Robert B. Parker." -- Gerald So (Thrilling Detective)
3 comments:
Not forgetting Spillane, I always so Parker as the link between Chandler and the current writers in the genre. I used to joke that it took as long to read a "Spenser" as it did to write one, but that really wasn't fair. Parker's writing appeared effortless at times, but that was really an illusion. It was just that there were no wasted words. His work seemed as much haiku as mystery.
I won't pretend to have read his books, but I definitely see the evidence of his influence. And he appears to have touched the lives of many other writers. Thank you for this comprehensive tribute.
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
Damn. Crime fiction has lost one of the giants. I loved the books. I'll miss eagerly awaiting new Spenser novels. Damn.
Robert B. Parker influenced me in many ways. I have read his fiction, of course, but also his academic writing and essays on crime fiction. I quoted and/or referenced Parker/Spenser more than any other source.
He was the standard-bearer. We shall all miss him. Thanks for all you gave us Robert B. Parker. I enjoyed every word and was hooked on the series from the very first page.
Jill Edmondson
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