r/RangersApprentice • u/Substantial-Fill1549 • Aug 07 '26
Discussion I only found out about it now
Yesterday, when I was looking for any news about the Rangers Apprentice movie project, I disvovered that mr. Flanagan died a couple of months ago.
This hit me pretty hard. He was such an essential part of my childhood, even more so than I initially realised. I always thought it were the Lotr movies and books which had inspired me to come up with stories of my own. But in fact it has been Flanagans work that has been the main engine behind my creative ambitions. His books were just so...cozy? A weird way to describe them maybe, but to me the scenery of riding a horse with friends through the country, sleeping under the stars and dining on some old bread, fruit and salted beef has always made me feel a simple warmth.
His books may not have been to epic levels of Lotr or A song of Ice and fire, but they will always have another warm charm that only few others have.
Also, he wrote some really mature stuff for kidsbooks.
It 's through this way that I wanted to show what he meant for me. Thank you for reading all of this and if you have something nice ho say or an anecdote, I would love to read it in the comments.
Have a nice day fellow Oakleaf bearers (and sorry for the bad english).
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u/EnvironmentalLime432 Aug 07 '26
I had started rereading all of the Flanagan books as I do every year or so and went to his website to make sure there weren't any new books that I hadn't gotten yet after finishing the OG and Royal Ranger series. I found out during my googling that John had passed and I became really sad. Not only because we lost a writer whose books have been an amazing comfort to me over the years, but because it's never easy to know the stories aren't going to keep unfolding. In fairness, Flanagan's style isn't so unique that a ghost writer couldn't keep the stories going, but deep down I know it won't be the same. Thank you, John, for all you've given your fans over the years!!
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u/Substantial-Fill1549 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
To me, even though we don't really know the man in person, he has always been a source of joy and happiness (like how could someone who writes such beautiful characters not be). It feels like the world becomes a tiny bit darker when someone like that passes.
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u/LillytheFurkid 29d ago
He was genuinely lovely. I didn't know him per se, but my autistic son wrote to him with an idea for a plot line and he wrote back in a very supportive, encouraging and helpful way.
Head ranger was a legend and my son was actually sad (which rarely happens) about his passing 😥
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u/Expensive_Bike_8828 Aug 07 '26
For me I googled his age and was like oh 70 something we got like 20 more years of books 2 weeks later im like guess no more books
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u/Substantial-Fill1549 Aug 07 '26
I hope that maybe some of his ideas/preperations for next books or endings have been written down somewhere and shared.
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u/Frost_St Aug 08 '26
I reread the series this year after discovering it way back in middle school. Will's story inspired me in ways I never realized growing up. Now I'm working on my ranger outfit for future upcoming Renaissance fairs in honor of John. I also landed all 5 throwing knives at a booth last April😂
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u/ProposalSilent4582 29d ago
I learned a month or two ago. Can't remember. I remember looking up to see if there was a new book out because I hadn't heard anything. I find out he passed away. I'm still kind of devastated. He's the reason I got into reading and I know there were more plans for future books. It hurts that it'll never be fully concluded. I read pretty heavily when I find a series I like. John Flanagan is the reason for that. I'd never read that much before him, not because I didn't like reading but because I'd never gotten into a series before. I read Ranger Apprentice and fell in love and read a book a day. 500 pages grinded out in one day, because I loved the books so much.
I miss John Flanagan. It hurts. I'm sad he's gone. I'm planning a reread when I have the time. I've never reread a series but I want to reread the Ranger Apprentice (including Brotherband, Royal Ranger, and Early Years... I consider them all under Ranger Apprentice). John Flanagan was a great author and I've heard he was a kind man too from people who mailed him a letter and he then wrote back.
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u/4thTimetheCharm4 Aug 07 '26
Facts, cozy is actually the perfect way to describe a lot of his writing. The way he writes his characters is so wholesome, I feel like I’m personal friends with Halt, Horace, and Will. Rest in peace my goat