Gilbert Adair (1944-2011)

Scottish writer, critic, and translator Gilbert Adair, 66, died December 8, 2011 in London.

Adair was born December 29, 1944 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is best known for his non-fiction work on contemporary culture, including books like Myths and Memories: A Dazzling Dissection of British Life and Culture (1986), The Postmodernist Always Rings Twice: Reflections on Culture in the 90s (1992), and Surfing the Zeitgeist (1997). He also wrote fiction, including non-genre adult work, and young-adult books with fantasy elements: Alice Through the Needle’s Eye (1984) is a sequel to Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Peter Pan and the Only Children (1987) is a sequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. He also worked as a translator and editor, including anthology Wonder Tales: Six French Stories of Enchanment (1994, with Marina Warner).

For more, see Adair’s entry in the Science Fiction Encyclopedia.