George R.R. Martin Pays Tribute to Carrie Fisher and Richard Adams

The worlds of Game of Thrones, Watership Down & Star Wars are united in grief, while the fantasy master wishes 2016 away.

It’s often said that nothing brings a community together quite like tragedy, and the old adage holds true for writers. 2016 has been fraught with the loss of artists of all stripes, beginning with the death of the enigmatic literary legend, Harper Lee in February. Shortly after, Alan Rickman, the half-blood prince of the Harry Potter franchise, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Now, in the final week of what has popularly been deemed the worst year in recent memory, the world is collectively mourning the latest creative casualty, beloved Star Wars princess, Carrie Fisher.

George R.R. Martin, a titan in the realm of fantasy authors, took to his blog to express his heartfelt grief:

There is not much I can say about the death of Carrie Fisher that a thousand other people have not said already. She was way too young. A bright, beautiful, talented actress, and a strong, witty, outspoken woman. Princess Leia will live as long as STAR WARS does… probably forever…

Along with her extraordinary talent for acting, Fisher will also be remembered for her touch with the written word. Throughout her career she penned several scripts, along with five novels, and three memoirs.

In his post, Martin likewise lamented the recent loss of another literary great, Richard Adams. The author of the classic adventure novel, Watership Down, passed away at 96. Martin wrote:

Adams was not ‘one of us,’ in the sense that he was never a convention-goer or part of our genre fantasy community, which may be why he was never honored with a life achievement award by the World Fantasy Convention. Nonetheless, he deserved one.

He regrets that now he will never have an opportunity to meet Adams, whom he admired greatly.

While we wish it were under happier circumstances, it is moving to see the unification of the fantasy worlds of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Watership Down in Martin’s blurb. No matter what 2017 may bring, writers will have to continue to stick together and fight against the power.