Joel Lane

[Masonwire]

I interviewed him some time ago and we exchanged a few mails. He showed such an insight and kindness.
He will be sorely missed.

[Draugen]

What truly awful news. Shocked. No words.

[Freyasfire]

What shocking and heartbreaking news. And so soon after winning his World Fantasy award.

RIP Joel.

[Druidic]

I never read much of Joel’s fiction but I have no doubt it was of high quality. I’ve read a considerable amount of his poetry. It was excellent work, genuinely admirable stuff. Joel was a fine poet.
I like to think the sadness we feel is for ourselves. That Joel is at peace and free of all suffering. I would like to think that awaits us all.
He once stated in print that the book he would like to be buried with would be a hardback copy of Ray Bradbury’s The October Country with the original illustrations by Joe Mugnaini. A fine choice, indeed.

[Michael]

This is horrible. Oh my God, Joel was always an incredibly nice guy on the Network. It actually took me awhile (right up til he won the WFA) to realize "Joel" and Joel Lane were one and the same on the network. He will be very very much missed.

I am shocked and horrified by this news. I first met Joel back in 1994 at the London launch of his first collection The Earth Wire. Thereafter I suspect we've met seven or eight times at various conventions and writers' gatherings, shared a lot of drink, fascinating talk on all manner of subjects--though generally revolving around opinions on weird fiction and its purpose. In the last four years our individual perspectives regarding the weird fiction community divided sharply, and I stopped attending such meetings anyway, but all I can think of, now he's gone, is what a bloody fool I've been not to have tried harder to try and repair the friendship that existed between us before it became too late to do so. Now all the tomorrows have run out.

At moments like this it's the shared face-to-face interactions that one recalls and which come flooding back. This news is a hammer blow, has really knocked me sideways, and left me with a hollow feeling of numb disbelief. He had so much more to do. The man was a consummate stylist, a true master and lasting influence in our field, and I am conscious not only of the acute loss to literature but the despair all of his family and many close friends must be feeling. It's an awful day.

Mark S.

[nomis]

Joel's passing is devastating to me. As Mark says, he had so much more to do, and never shall. I think time will prove he was one of the best of this generation; it's a pity he wasn't as appreciated as much as he should have been. I'll mourn him deeply, but I'm proud to have shared this plane with him if only for a while.

[g]

Such a tragedy and such a loss. So upsetting.

[Allyson]

I'm in disbelief. Such a great friend.

We co-edited NEVER AGAIN together and he worked hard to raise awareness on what is wrong with our world. A brilliant writer. Loved by us all in the genre.

So well said, 'A titan of Integrity. The conscience of our literary genre died with him. Everything is now permitted.'

He wrote to me at the end of last month saying his long email to me had been deleted unsent (damn computer of course). He would have written again soon. I'll never now what was in the email but it will have been support. As consolation I've been reading old emails which make me laugh and cry in turn.

[Derek]

A very moving tribute to Joel by his friend Simon Bestwick.

Joel Lane This Is Horror