Hunter S. Thompson DEAD

[STASHONE]

Author Hunter S. Thompson reportedly dead, from a self inflicted gun shot wound in his home in Colorado.


ASPEN, Colo. - Hunter S. Thompson, the acerbic counterculture writer who popularized a new form of journalism in books like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself Sunday night at his Aspen-area home, his son said. He was 67.


"Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," Juan Thompson said in a statement released to the Aspen Daily News.


Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis, a personal friend of Thompson, confirmed the death to the News. Sheriff's officials did not return calls to The Associated Press late Sunday.


Juan Thompson found his father's body. Thompson's wife, Anita, was not home at the time.


Besides the 1972 drug-hazed classic about Thompson's time in Las Vegas, he is credited with pioneering "gonzo journalism," purposefully slanted writing full of the writer's opinions.


Other books include "Hell's Angels" and "The Proud Highway." His most recent effort was "Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and The Downward Spiral of Dumbness."


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What a horrible shock, this just knocked the wind out of my sails... We've lost one of the true great individuals of our time and a personal hero of mine.

What is more soul crushing then that man killing himself at 67 years old... theres something uniquely life-denying and horrific in an old man killing himself. Id like to believe Hunter had his reasons to end his life like this, but what a damn tragic shame.


What a marvelous mind he was. I hope this brings new attention back on his work and he gets the respect he deserves from the literary world.

My favorite author and truly one of a kind..








R.I.P. to dear friend and fellow star-crossed child.

[Luke]

It's sort of surprising that he lived this long, based on all the wild (drug-induced) adventures he seems to have had. And yet, 67 isn't really that old. Kind of unexpected. He was writing for ESPN.com lately, I believe. I haven't read enough of his stuff, but it's certainly one-of-a-kind and very immersive.

I'll never forget his performance as "Man at Curb" on the New Year's "Pete & Pete" episode either!

[orestes.]

I was shocked hearing the news that both him and Sandra Dee passed away. I'm always shocked though. I'm always sad too. Both lived long-ish lives but I feel anything below 75 is not long enough.

[STASHONE]

Luke, you should really get a hold of some of his writings to familiarize, I'm 3/4 of the way through Kingdom Of Fear right now and I honestly believe that Hunter Thompson was one of the most poignant and honest writers of our generation. He had a way of putting you in a time and place through his words and perspectives with brazen trueness and yet almost gracefully sardonic. He used drugs as a filter. Write the truth of the matter, not what actually happened. Reject the bland repetition of 'objective' history and get right the fuck in there. Rip open the story's chest and tear out its heart with bloodied hands to count the beats before it stops. That's what gonzo journalism was about.

Everyone has their favorites but in my opinion his first two publishngs of letters were the most intense. It was really through his published letters that I became intrigued and it cast so much more light onto the way he lived his life, how he wrote and his politics. I remeber lending a friend this enemorous book of his letters, and he gave it back a few months later... I marked that book up with props and the intreseting way he signed off his letters, really in awe of this mans unapologetic choices, how he could be such a brillant ass... it was unique and something I couldnt touch.

I first came accross The Great Shark Hunt during a History research class in my high school library and felt the same way a kid would from finding a porn in the alley beside a convenience store. I finally got around to reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a few years later and thats when I really started to understand him. I plowed through The Proud Highway, Fear and Loathing in America, Better than Sex and The Rum Diaries over a period of about two years and am just finnishing Kingdom Of Fear now. Actually, I started reading it a couple of months ago and got into some other books but after the shocking news of this morning, I've gone back to it and plan to finnish it off this weekend.

If youre interested though, I suggest you check out this obscure biography on him named Hunter, I forget the name of the author. After reading that in college, I went out and collected all of his stuff that I could and he became my favorite author from that point on.


Anyways, The man hadn't slowed down since he was 22 in Puerto Rico, but I'm certain his mind had, and its likely his body had too. Half his friends are dead, the other half have grown into wealthy retirees. He was a man out of time, trapped in the wildness of his own legacy. I almost imagine him finding out he was sick then killing himself.. he may have had terminal cancer for all anyone knows. I guess it was the only way he could go out, I guess that's the "logical" end for a man who based his life work on self-destruction and finding meaning in a surreal world. He had control of every facet of his life all the way to the end, and did it his way, I dont mean in death. The only thing that could kill Hunter was himself.

I just can't believe how much this has actually messed my head up though. I hear about johnny Carson and feel very little... even Marlon Brando didn't really mess me up... and I really like Brando a lot. But this.... damn. I almost feel like my friend just died or something.

[MickeyMousePal]

Rest in Peace Hunter S. Thompson

[Mehe]

Rest well, HST, and let no one say you didn't know what you were doing.