I've been looking forward to the second installment of Gemmell's masterpiece, Troy, for months now. My order has been in with Play.com since it was first announced. Some writers are like that for me, you simply HAVE to have everything they have ever done, day of release to devour it. Gemmell was like that for me. I say was - and boy is is hard to type that in the past tense. I heard today that one of my heroes died and suddenly instead of looking forward to that next Gemmell release I am dreading it because part of me knows that's it, the end. There is no more tucked away, no more Drenai, Druss, Waylander, Decado, Skillgannon, no more Troy. A mutual friend told me that David passed away typing at his computer, working on the final part of the Troy trilogy. I am sure he couldn't have asked for a more fitting end but damn it did it have to be so soon - 57 is no age. From an entirely selfish point of view I wanted that man to live for ever. You see Gemmell said it best in his own works - Heroes Never Die, not truly.

I interviewed him last year, met him several times during my fanboy days, and find his influence in everything I write today. He's there on my bookshelf at home. His words are there for me to revist whenever I want to. So in that, he's right, heroes never die.

Tonight I am going to revist one of his creations and remember him as he should be remembered - for his words.

Lord of the Silverbow Interview