Ce zoologiste de formation a écrit une vingtaine de romans de fantasy, dont la série multiprimée « La forêt des Mythagos ».L’auteur de fantasy britannique Robert Holdstock est décédé le 29 novembre des suites d’une infection qui avait nécessité une hospitalisation il y a dix jours. Il était âgé de 61 ans.Après des études en zoologie médicale, Robert Holdstock a signé une vingtaine de romans de fantasy. Le premier tome, éponyme, de sa tétralogie « La forêt des Mythagos » a remporté le prix British science-fiction 1984 et le prix World fantasy du meilleur roman 1985. Lavondyss, le deuxième volume, a été récompensé par le British science-fiction du meilleur roman 1988.L’intégrale de cette saga, complétée par le roman La femme des neiges, grand prix de l’imaginaire 2003, vient d’être rééditée en deux tomes chez Denoël après épuisement de la première édition parue en 2001.La forêt des Mythagos s’ouvre sur l’histoire de la famille Huxley, installée dans le Herefordshire, au bord d’un petit bois qui donne vie aux rêves des hommes.

The saddest moment of the trip was lunchtime today, and a call from Roz Kaveney to let me know that our friend Rob Holdstock had died, of an e.coli infection. He was only 61. When I stumbled into the world of SF and Fantasy, over 25 years ago, as a young journalist, Rob, already a successful and award-winning author, was absolutely friendly, welcoming and encouraging. A big, affable man, with a knack for putting people at their ease, he was always one of the Good Things about the British SF world. His book Mythago Wood was one of my favourite novels of the 1980s. I saw him less and less since I've lived in the US; like too many UK friends, I'd see him mostly at publishing parties and book launches. He died too early. My condolences to Sarah, his partner.

Rob was that fairly rare combination of fine writer and immensely likeable person. I had great respect for him and admire his books. Little I can say that hasn't been said. An enormous loss. Linda shares my feelings. Please pass on our love and sympathy to Sarah.Should anyone not be familiar with Rob's work, perhaps the best one to start with is Mythago Wood. As Robert Gould has suggested, nobody had Rob's sense of the 'wild wood' and its echoes in our deep consciousness. Jim Cawthorn and I included it in our 100 Best Fantasies all those years ago and I have been pushing it onto people ever since. Not one reader has ever been disappointed.His was an original talent which could be said to have created its own special genre. Yet even if you had not read a word of Rob's fiction your life was brightened by knowing him. A man of great substance and a nice, ordinary bloke at the same time.Jim -- You gave us a very moving tribute to a brother and a friend and it is a privilege for us to have you share your thoughts here. Thanks.Robert G -- your tribute, both in your letter to me and here, was extremely moving. You and Rob had many sensibilities in common and I can imagine what his loss means to you in personal terms.Rob and I shared Howard Morhaim as an agent and a friend and Howard was a great enthusiast for Rob and Rob's work.We are only just beginning to realise what a great loss to the world we have suffered. It has been a terrible eighteen months for the death of old friends and I had hoped and prayed there would be no more losses for a while. Rob's death is therefore pretty shattering. Rob wrote in the tradition of some fine English writers, including Chesterton and Charles Williams. His sense of place and mystery extended to the city as well as the country yet he never imposed any theories or 'philosophy' on his friends and the main impression one got from him was of a sweet-natured, interesting man in whose company one's time was never wasted, always enhanced. At moments like this I bitterly regret being away from England for so long and not being able to see more of the likes of Rob.