yeah.. very much a shock. I'm not sure on his new novel as... there isn't much of a point but, he was the better writer of Grant Naylor. His third Red Dwarf Novel 'Backwards' is FAR better then Doug Naylor's 'Last Human'. And while it was an okay show, without him (after the big falling out) it was a worse show in my view.
I also highly recommend his first original novel 'Colony'. (lesser degree 'Incompetence'. It's pretty okay but it's more just satire with little plot (taken from 'The third man'))