Celebrity | obituary Thorn Birds Author Dubbed 'Overweight' in Obit Backlash is swift over Colleen McCullough's obituary By Evann Gastaldo Posted Jan 30, 2015 10:57 AM CST Copied In this March 1, 1977 file photo, Australian author Colleen McCullough laughs during a news conference in New York. (AP Photo/File) Colleen McCullough wrote "the highest-selling novel in Australia's history," Time reports. She also happened to be a neurophysiologist. But even so, when the Australian reported on the Thorn Birds author's death this week, it led with this: "Colleen McCullough, Australia’s best selling author, was a charmer. Plain of feature, and certainly overweight, she was, nevertheless, a woman of wit and warmth." Reaction was swift: "It may be possible for this obituary in The Australian to have a more offensive opening & tone. I can't imagine how," tweeted fellow author Neil Gaiman. In the Sydney Morning Herald, Joel Meares offers up 11 alternative obituaries for male authors. For example: "Smirky, and certainly too fond of tanning, Ian Fleming nevertheless could write about spies and stuff." And on Twitter, users used the hashtag #MyOzObituary to tweet their own obituaries Australian-style, Vocativ reports. Sample: "Heavy of head and lean of frame, he nevertheless remained vertical for much of his life." And another, from author Jennifer Weiner: "Thin of hair and thick of thigh. Strident. Per NYT, lacked ability to sleep way to top. Puzzlingly, also #1 NYT bestseller." Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Report an error