Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter


2

'Cult' Writer JG Ballard Dead at 78

Share

(Newser) – British author JG Ballard died this morning "with great sadness" after many years of poor health, his agent said today. The 78-year-old novelist and short story writer was most famous for his semi-autobiographical book Empire of the Sun, later made into a film by Steven Spielberg, and his controversial novel Crash, adapted for the screen by David Cronenberg.

Empire of the Sun recounts Ballard’s boyhood in Japanese-occupied Shanghai; Crash revolves around the sexual desires aroused by car accidents. Ballard's "acute and visionary observation of contemporary life" gained him "cult status," his agent said. Others called his work science-fiction, but Ballard said it was "picturing the psychology of the future," the BBC reports. More recently, Ballard authored Super-Cannes and Millennium People.

Author JG Ballard died this morning after years of poor health, his agent said.
Author JG Ballard died this morning after years of poor health, his agent said.   (Wikipedia)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
OFF THE GRID
11.6.09
Galleon Scandal: Shocked, Shocked by Insider Trading
11.5.09
Rupert Murdoch Is Mad but Cute
2 comments
VIEWING:
 
Robert_Dada
Apr 19, 09 7:27 PM CDT
Yeah right, no comments. One of the most brilliant writers of our day passes and no one fucking comments. It kind of validates what he wrote about for decades. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
0
Jojo
Apr 19, 09 9:21 PM CDT
Hey I started commenting on Newser like 6 months ago and at that time NO ONE ever commented. I think the majority of posts still get no comments. I'm sure there are many places around the web you could find plenty of comments about his death. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
0
LEAVE A
COMMENT Comment Policy
Facebook ConnectPost this comment to Facebook?

After connecting you will have the option to post your comment on your Facebook profile.

 

Related Newser Stories

59 Stories

INTERVIEW

 Gore Vidal: 
 Hillary Would've 
 Been the Better Prez 

Onetime supporter bashes Obama, who needs more of Lincoln's 'chill'

Sep 30, 09 8:51 AM CDT
(Newser) - Gore Vidal is 83 and uses a wheelchair now, but the legendary American writer hasn't lost any of his strong opinions—not least on Barack Obama, who is doing "dreadfully" and has "fucked up" health reform. Vidal supported Obama after originally backing Hillary Clinton, but now thinks... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • gay marriage • homosexuality • novelist • author • Gore Vidal • Katharine Hepburn

 Danielle Steel 
 Aide 'Fesses to 
 $400K Ripoff 

Author claims assistant stole $2.7M

Sep 29, 09 6:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - A long-time assistant has pleaded guilty to embezzling $400,000 from best-selling romance queen Danielle Steel. Kristy Watts admitted depositing checks for Steel into her own bank account and using the author's credit card points to obtain gifts and airline tickets. Steel, who has written 76 best-selling novels, claims Watts... More »

MORE ABOUT:
novelist • author • writer • romance • embezzlement • novel • best seller • Danielle Steele

obituary

Times Columnist William Safire Dead at 79

Ex-Nixon speechwriter, Pulitzer winner was forceful voice on right

Sep 27, 09 1:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist William Safire died today outside Washington, the paper reports. He was 79 and suffered from cancer. A onetime speechwriter for Richard Nixon, Safire, a self-described "libertarian conservative," used his background as a reporter and love for English usage to punch up his... More »

MORE ABOUT:
cancer • New York Times • obituary • Pulitzer Prize • Richard Nixon • journalism • death • grammar • political coverage • word usage • William Safire • New York Times Magazine • wordplay



  Tim Russert's Dad Dies 



WWII veteran, preceded in death by son Tim Russert, dies of natural causes

Sep 25, 09 5:54 AM CDT
(Newser) - Tim Russert’s father Timothy, subject of Tim’s book Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons in Life, died yesterday. Russert, 85, was also the grandfather of NBC News correspondent Luke Russert, Mediabistro reports. “While he was affectionately known to the world as ‘Big Russ,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obituary • death • Tim Russert • book • Luke Russert

OBITUARY

 Carter Confidant,
 Press Secretary 
 Powell Dead at 65 

Aide helped engineer Ga. governor's rise to the White House

Sep 14, 09 6:23 PM CDT
(Newser) - Former White House press secretary Jody Powell, a longtime aide who helped engineer Jimmy Carter's run to the White House, died today after apparently suffering a heart attack at his Maryland home, the Washington Post reports. He was 65. A member of the "Georgia Mafia" that stormed the capital... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Jimmy Carter • White House • obituary • death • press secretary • Jody Powell • Carter administration

59 Stories


More about Ballard
Wikipedia


World  •  Arts & Living 
TwitterFollow @NewserWorld on Twitter

 
obituary • British • death • novelist • author • writer • novel • JG Ballard

from our news partners

Associated PressAssociated Press