Discworld Author Sir Terry Pratchett Has Died At 66

[Fanghawk]

Discworld Author Sir Terry Pratchett Has Died At 66

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036888190038016]Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, best known for his work on Discworld and Good Omens, passed away after suffering from Alzheimer's for eight years.

Beloved fantasy and comedy writer Sir Terry Pratchett has died at the age of 66, following an eight-year struggle with Alzheimer's. Pratchett was widely acclaimed for his work on over 70 books, including the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108476-Pratchett-Gives-Thumbs-Up-to-Discworld-Cop-Show>popular Discworld series and the novel Good Omens he co-authored with Neil Gaiman. The author passed away at home with his family.

"In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him," Transworld Publishers' Larry Finlay said. "As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: He did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humor and constant invention."

In recent years, Pratchett was also a strong supporter of Alzheimer's and dementia research, due in large part to his own 2007 Alzheimer's diagnosis. "Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely," Finlay continued. "Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come."

In a roundabout way Pratchett wasn't a stranger to Death, who appeared as a character in most of his books. In Discworld, Death was a seven-foot tall skeleton with a pale horse and friendly fascination for humanity, tasked with guiding souls into the next world. That explains why, if you go to Terry Pratchett and Rob Wilkin's shared Twitter account, Terry's meeting with Death is represented as a story.

"AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER," <a href=https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036599047258112>one post reads in Death's typical all-caps style. <a href=https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036726046646272>Another continues the tale with "Terry took Death's arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night." The exchange is also posted <a href=https://twitter.com/rhipratchett>on the account of his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett.

Farewell, Sir Terry. You will be deeply missed.

Source: <a href=http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31858156>BBC

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[Ralancian]

Really quite a sad by this a brilliant man who has made me laugh countless times.

 

[Setch Dreskar]

This is a very sad day indeed, a great man is now gone from us and the world is a darker place in his absence.

 

[Zhukov]

[sub]WELL, DAMN.[/sub]

I loved his books and from what I've heard he was a generally fine fellow.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-ZAAi4UQQ

This is what he wanted to play during his funeral.

Nothing more to say at the moment, to be honest. I don't have his way with words.

 

[dragongit]

well, that sucks. I've never actually had the chance to read or listen to any of the books in full but I am familiar with the setting to some degree. 2015 takes another from us.

guess it goes to show you, even at 66 an aging fantasy author with less then optimal health conditions could die on us at any moment...*glares at George RR Martin*

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Just heard this on the radio. That man's sense of humour coloured my entire childhood.

 

[gigastar]

So he didnt get to commit suicide like he said he would?

Small mercies i suppose.

 

[Grahav]

Not much to say. It is a pity.

 

[Muspelheim]

Deyr fé,

Deyja frændr,

Deyr sjálfr et sama;

Ek veit einn,
At aldri deyr:

Dómr um dauðan hvern.

 

[Aerotrain]

Alzheimer's is a cruel way for any man to go, especially one like him. It saddened me deeply when I first heard about him having the disease and even more today. I'm thankful that I got to read what he wrote and enjoy his sense of humor which shaped a fair bit of my young personality at the time, perhaps more than I give it credit for. A very sad day indeed.

 

[NeutralStasis]

His books gave my life joy when I was despondent. His work lives on.

 

[Callate]

A sad loss for his readers, his family, and the writing world alike. Rest in Peace, Mr. Pratchett.

 

[Shinkicker444]

So sad.

Time to go read all the Discworld books I have again.

 

[jurnag12]

I will never cease to find it heartbreaking that a man whom's life consisted for such a great part of giving the world such a wide fantastical world to find joy in, was struck by a disease that destroys your mental capabilities.

Honestly, after 8 years of this, I think this would be well-placed:

[sub]LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?.[/sub]

May you find peace on the other end of the desert, Terry. You'll never be forgotten on this one.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I have to say, that tweet is EXACTLY what Pratchett would have done if he could speak beyond the grave. And thus goes Discworld, the final book, the Shepherd's Crown, will be out this fall.

 

[WarpedLord]

...and now I'm very, very sad.

He was truly one of my favorite authors and seemed like a very genuinely nice man when I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly at a Con a few years back.

As Shinkicker said, I guess it's time to go re-read the Discworld books again.

 

[The_Darkness]

First Nimoy, then Pratchett... Gah.

Well, my Christmas was never complete without a reading of the Hogfather. And both of Thief of Time and Night Watch are books that I keep with me at all times...

(On the twitter page, there's a link being shared: bit.ly/1b4HFM6
Is that link working for anyone? My laptop just redirects me to http://127.0.0.1/ which appears blank.

EDIT: I'm guessing it's a case of 'Too busy'. Which isn't a surprise; he was much beloved.)

 

[Denamic]

I grew up reading his books. In fact, it was his books that started making me prefer reading books (everything else) in their original language version rather than their translated versions. I wanted to read one of his books, but the Swedish version wasn't available in the library, so I got the English version instead and I was blown away by how much better it was. I later also reread the Hitchhiker's Guide, and it cemented the notion that translations suck balls, and I haven't read a book in Swedish since.

It's always such a pain to see your favorite authors go. He will be severely missed.

 

[default]

In the past month or so I had been moved to pick up Pratchett's Discworld work and begin reading it. I am absolutely adoring it so far. Very few people can create a world so beautiful, vibrant, colourful and so cerebrally creative.

I'm sad I've only just begun to enjoy his work, and now he's gone. I was just delightedly discussing with my dad last week about how I'm reading Pratchett now, who is one of his favourite authors. I'm going to redouble my efforts to buy and read as much Discworld as I can.


Here's my salute Pratchett. Rest in peace.