It is hard to believe that within the span of just a few weeks, we have lost two pillars of the literary world: Mary Higgins Clark and now the great Clive Cussler.
I was privileged to have reviewed a handful of Cussler's titles, and they were highly enjoyable works of adventure fiction. His lengthy career started in the early 1970s with the Dirk Pitt series. My first experience was picking up a copy of RAISE THE TITANIC! because I was always interested in the ocean and seafaring adventures. Well, there was no better literary swashbuckler of an author than Clive Cussler. I eagerly dove into many more of his releases over the years and was never disappointed.
I reviewed the last few novels that he penned with author Boyd Morrison. I corresponded with Boyd during this time and learned that he fully collaborated with Clive, often writing together (usually capped off by some celebratory drinks when complete). I reached out to Boyd again after learning of Clive's death and was happy to learn that the final book in the Oregon Files series will be released on October 27th.
I also read Boyd's Facebook tribute to Clive, and was delighted to find that he, too, tore through RAISE THE TITANIC! He shared that Clive's work sparked his lifelong love of adventure thrillers. Not only did these phenomenal stories get Boyd through both good times and bad, they really did change his life. He aspired to write the same kinds of novels, which led him to become an author.
I am sure that there are many other writers and countless legions of readers who feel the same way, and I share in their pain at the loss of this literary giant.
