Peter Benchley - RIP

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Hammerhead

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This is eery - I change my sig on Friday. By the following Monday, the man I'm quoting has snuffed it.

Don't annoy me. I'll put your name in my sig...:D

From the BBC -

Jaws author Peter Benchley dies

Peter Benchley had a lifelong fascination with the sea
US author Peter Benchley, whose novel Jaws was made into one of Hollywood's most famous films, has died aged 65.

He died of complications from pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive scarring of the lungs he had been diagnosed with last autumn, son-in-law Chris Turner said.

"It was peaceful," Mr Turner added, saying that the writer's wife Wendy and other family members were by his side.

A Harvard graduate, raised in New York City, he was once a speechwriter for President Lyndon B Johnson.

He also worked as a journalist before becoming a novelist and publishing Jaws in 1974.

Mr Benchley, who lived in Princetown, New Jersey, and had two grown-up children, said he had been interested in sharks since his childhood days spent on the island of Nantucket off Massachusetts.

His novel, about a great white shark that terrorises a town off Long Island, sold more than 20 million copies.

He made a cameo appearance as a reporter in the 1975 film of his book directed by Steven Spielberg.

An avid environmentalist and diver, his lifelong fascination with the sea also continued with other books such as The Deep and The Island.

Despite writing books about the terrors of the deep, Mr Benchley wrote that he had "never been hurt by a sea creature, except for jellyfish and sea urchins.

"If you're careful, you don't have to worry about being attacked by sea creatures," he wrote on his website.
 
Wow sad news to hear. Went to HS with his daughter.

Larry, remind me to ask you not to quote me in your signature in the future...
 
Sad news indeed.

They showed "The Deep" on free-to-air last night, what a coincidence.
 
his book created a lot of shark hatred and fueled an amazing fear of sharks and the sea in millions of people - many of whom inherited this fear from their parents who watched the film in the 70s...

then he worked to change that perception... and his efforts have allowed us to understand even more the magic of these predators

'tis sad news indeed

Jag
 
it is sad news indeed. btw his novel jaws really messed me up. i was even scared to swim in the pool. scuba diving though has changed that
 
I finished reading Jaws just sunday - I wanted to prepare myself for a divetrip to South Africa, which btw should let me dive with tigers, GW,Bulls, hammers and many more:).- Just to get an feel of myth vs reality.

He sparkled my interest - well him and mr spielberg- which I will always be grateful for

RIP
 
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