David Gemmell was a British author, born in London in 1948, the acknowledged master of modern heroic fantasy.
A journalist and newspaper editor before he turned to fiction, he wrote fast, muscular adventures built around flawed, ageing and morally serious heroes - stories of honour, courage and redemption that, by his own Christian conviction, refused mere 'mindless savagery'.
His breakthrough was Legend, the tale of the old warrior Druss defending a besieged fortress against overwhelming odds; it opened the thirteen-book Drenai saga that would define his career, and was followed by favourites such as Waylander. He ranged more widely too, into the Celtic-flavoured Rigante cycle and a historical reimagining of the Trojan War in his Troy trilogy - the last volume of which was completed by his wife, Stella, after his sudden death at his desk in 2006.
Enormously influential on the writers who followed him, he is honoured by the David Gemmell Legend Award, established in his memory - a fitting tribute to a writer who did more than most to keep the flame of old-fashioned heroic storytelling alive.
