The end of an era

"So here is my story, may it bring 
Some smiles and a tear or so, 
It happened once upon a time, 
Far away, and long ago, 
Outside the night wind keens and wails, 
Come listen to me, the Teller of Tales!" 
-Brian Jacques (Lord Brocktree)


If you have not yet heard, this past weekend, the world lost one of its great authors, as well as a personal favorite of mine.  On February fifth, Brian Jacques died of a heart attack at the age of 71.  Those of you who are not aware of who he is, here is a brief overview.  He is a British author who is most well known for the Redwall series, a series of books accounting the adventures of the animals of Mossflower on an almost Lord of the Rings scale.  Recently, he was also working on a series called Castaways of the Flying Dutchman, which is also superb.  His books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 27 different languages.


Beyond the straight facts, he was also one of my favorite authors, as well as a favorite among many others.  A great deal of my childhood was spent stooped over his book, following the adventures of the Long Patrol, the denizens of Redwall and Salamandastron, the Guossom, and many others.  He will be deeply missed.