Wed 4 Apr 2007
Obituary: MICHAEL DIBDIN (1947-2007)
Posted by Steve under Authors , Crime Fiction IV , Obituaries / Deaths Noted[5] Comments
After the news of Donald Hamilton’s death late last year was confirmed two days ago, the world of mystery fiction has been rocked a second time this week. Michael Dibdin, creator of the deeply idiosyncratic Venetian police detective Aurelio Zen, passed away last Friday, March 30th, only eight days after his 60th birthday.
Rather than duplicate the effort, I strongly recommend you visit The Rap Sheet, where J. Kingston Pierce has done his usual excellent job of putting together a series of links and quotes about Mr. Dibdin, who certainly left us far too young.
While his first book was a well-regarded Sherlock Holmes pastiche, one in which the master detective confronted Jack the Ripper, Aurelio Zen is the character Mr. Dibdin’s career has been centered around ever since. And from what critics around the world have said, his reputation, were it to depend on only this one creation, is secure for a long time to come. I’ll quote only one section of the obituary in the Telegraph, as posted by Jeff at The Rap Sheet:
Michael Dibdin was born in England but lived in the Seattle area in the US since his marriage in 1995 to fellow mystery writer K. K. Beck. The following bibliography of his crime fiction, as expanded from Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin, lists only the British editions:
# The Last Sherlock Holmes Story (n.) Cape 1978 [Sherlock Holmes; London; 1888]
# A Rich Full Death (n.) Cape 1986 [Florence; 1855]
# Ratking (n.) Faber 1988 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Italy]
# The Tryst (n.) Faber 1989 [England]
# Vendetta (n.) Faber 1990 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Italy]
# Dirty Tricks (n.) Faber 1991 [Oxford; Academia]
# Cabal (n.) Faber 1992 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Rome]
# The Dying of the Light (n.) Faber 1993 [England]
# Dead Lagoon (n.) Faber 1994 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Venice]
# Dark Spectre (n.) Faber 1995 [U.S. Northwest]
# Cosi Fan Tutti (n.) Faber 1996 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Naples]
# A Long Finish (n.) Faber 1998 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Italy]
# Blood Rain (n.) Faber 1999 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Sicily]
# Thanksgiving (n.) Faber 2000 [Nevada]
# Medusa (n.) Faber 2003 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Italian Alps]
# Back to Bologna (n.) Faber 2005 [Insp. Aurelio Zen; Bologna]
Again according to the Telegraph: “Back to Bologna was Dibdin’s most recent title, but he has an 11th (and probably last) Zen novel, End Games, due out in the UK in July and in the States in November.”
April 5th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Surely a sad death because it came so early. The name Aurelio Zen may provide a clue in addition to the one Jeff cites. Here’s part of what I wrote about Dibdin on my blog’s very first post, in September:
“‘Zen’ is a name characteristic of the protagonist’s native Venice, but it also has overtones of the detachment with which this Zen moves through the sometimes deadly worlds of Italian officialdom and gangsterdom. Of course, the character’s other name, Aurelio, is another clue that he is wise and given to occasional musing, if not outright meditation.”
(Aurelio is the Italian form of Aurelius — as in Marcus Aurelius.)
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
>> Peter, as usual you are right on target with your observations, beginning with your very first post! –Steve
April 5th, 2007 at 2:51 am
Sad. I’ve not read much by Mr. Dibdin. But I do remember The Last Sherlock Holmes Story from years ago.
April 7th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I’ve read Dirty Tricks in addition to a number of the Zen novels. Dibdin was clever in the best sense.
Peter
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Detectives Beyond Borders
“Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home”
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:08 pm
[…] Aurelio Zen series, about which you can read more in an obituary for the author which I posted here on the blog early in […]
June 2nd, 2020 at 3:57 pm
I WAS SHOCKED AND SADDENED TO LEARN OF MICHAEL
DIBDIN’S PASSING. HE WAS A FAVORITE AUTHOR OF MINE, AND I ACCESSED THE NET TO LEARN MORE OF HIS LIFE. THE SHARING BY THOSE WHO KNEW HIM PERSONALLY OR ENJOYED HIS LITERARY EFFORTS
ARE A LOVELY AND WELL DESERVED HONORING OF MR.
DIBDIN AND HIS LEGACY. I FEEL HIS LOSS, AND EXTEND MY WARMIST REGARDS AND CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY,FRIENDS AND HIS COLLEAGUES. I SENT COPIES OF HIS ZEN BOOKS TO MY BROTHER, WHO ALSO ENJOYED THEM VERY MUCH. HE WILL BE MISSED. MY
ONLY CONSOLATION IS THAT I STILL HAVE SEVERAL
OF HIS BOOKS ON MY BOOK SHELF AS YET UNREAD.
I HAD NOT INTENDED TO WRITE THIS MISSIVE ENTIRELY IN CAPITALS, BUT IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE
FOR MR.DIBDIN–A LIFE WELL LIVED, BUT TOO SOON
DEPARTED FROM US. FAREWELL.