Terry Pratchett passes on

[emt_911]

One of the few authors that will truly be missed by so many people of the world and so many generations.

 

I was first introduced to his writings with Good Omens. I've had several copies as it was the one book that went everywhere during 17 years in the forces.

 

I've also just introduced my 9 year old to the fantastic works of TP. He has the advantage of having a lot of reading to do.

 

RIP Terry Pratchett.

 

(or is he in a different trouser leg of time?)

[steve1]

Somehow I picture Death sitting waiting, making a fuss of the sleeping cat, and then looking round on hearing a noise. "AH, ARE YOU READY NOW?"

Spot on Andi.

 

steve

[Guest spet0114]

Very sad news.

 

For over a decade, a personal Christmas tradition has been an hour or two around mid-afternoon spent making a start on the latest Discworld book, received as a present earlier that day.  The fact that he used to write two a year (on average), means that I have about half the series! :-)

[30801]

http://m.xkcd.com/1498/

[SRman]

I have been a fan of his for some years. His talents will be very sadly missed.

Funnily enough, I was just watching The Hogfather two days ago on DVD, still one of my favourites.

[PaulRhB]

For over a decade, a personal Christmas tradition has been an hour or two around mid-afternoon spent making a start on the latest Discworld book, received as a present earlier that day. The fact that he used to write two a year (on average), means that I have about half the series! :-)

I salute your willpower, when I was introduced to his Discworld books I read the first three in a week had to slow down to one every six months or so after that

I bought the Discworld Bradshaw guide last week and I think I may now need a visit to the Emporium over at Wincanton.

Rather nice piece on their website from Bernard 'The Cunning Artificer' Pearson.

http://www.discworldemporium.com/a%20message%20from%20the%20heart

It's a lovely shop where they're just as interested in talking Terry and Discworld as actually selling you something. You get the impression it's fun and they need to get the ideas out

[Nile_Griffith]

Buggrit!

"Hand and Shrimp"

 

A sad loss indeed.

[Nile_Griffith]

Think all of the previous comments some up more than adequately my own views. Personally i think I learnt more about the human condition from his books than I could possibly have done undertaking a psychology doctorate and at least enjoyed a few laughs along the way.

 

I think what hits home more than anything else is that for me at least. Is that it's not just the very sad demise of one of life's much needed "Better" people, but also the sad demise of all those fantastic and wonderful characters who became just that little bit more than amusing fictional folk, occupying a few pages of some book. I shall miss the notion to look in some book shop window to see if the new Pratchett has arrived.

 

Maybe I should open a hot dog van in the great man's honour and call it "Dibbler's"

[PaulRhB]

. I shall miss the notion to look in some book shop window to see if the new Pratchett has arrived.

 

Yes one of those little happy moments when you spotted a new one, nicely said

 

I've just popped out and bought one of the 'old style' fabric covered editions of Mort as my little tribute and I stumbled on his latest children's book 'Dragons at Crumbling Castle' so picked that up too so I can have a smile

[Pacific231G]

That's very sad news. I'm just in the middle of re-reading Going Postal and it's hugely enjoyable- I loved his way of creating a very weird but totally internally consistent world to satirise the real world and his description of the whole working culture of the Clacks was brilliant .

 

About twenty years ago I was involved with an amateur production of Wyrd Sisters (adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs) and thanks to the forums and the fan sites it generated our largest ever though probably our strangest audience. I recall that we had a very supportive letter from Terry Pratchett and he struck me as just being a really great guy.

 

I think we really need people like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams to look sideways at the world and so reveal it more clearly.  Lipwig, Vetinari and Dearheart are still out there somewhere but now we may never know about their further manouevres.

[Worsdell forever]

 

Maybe I should open a hot dog van in the great man's honour and call it "Dibbler's"

 

'Sausages! Inna bun!'

 

Genuine pork products?

[Dave47549]

.

[Reorte]

That's very sad news. I'm just in the middle of re-reading Going Postal and it's hugely enjoyable- I loved his way of creating a very weird but totally internally consistent world to satirise the real world and his description of the whole working culture of the Clacks was brilliant .

That's what made him so great. He's made some great jokes and satires, and whilst the Discworld may have started off looking like a fairly routine spoof fantasy it became something so much more impressive, turning in to something that could still deliver laughs yet remain believable (no small an achievement with such a setting) and tackle just about any subject matter, get quite dark at times, and tell stories that are outright good stories even without the rest. That's an incredibly impressive balancing feat.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

My wife - possibly an even bigger fan than I am - on hearing the news from me started wondering if he will prove to have written his own funeral service.

...Maybe I should open a hot dog van in the great man's honour and call it "Dibbler's"

Don't forget the 'Est.'. Part of the deal is that it must look like bankruptcy is imminent, and when the business does fail it has to be for some unexpected reason.

[Kenton]

Never having read any of his books - just not my literature interest - So I cannot comment or begin to understand some of the comments made.

 

However, I thought his campaigning on the subjects of Alzheimers and assisted dying were of great credit and heroic. At the age of 66 any death starts to feel too close for comfort and his perhaps more so. I didn't appreciate his writing but somehow feel compelled to give it another go.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I would like to suggest 'Making Money'. Conjouring humour out of the 'dismal science' is a rare feat. But probably best to start with 'Going Postal' for a little context, and then proceed to MM.

[30801]

I would like to suggest 'Making Money'. Conjouring humour out of the 'dismal science' is a rare feat. But probably best to start with 'Going Postal' for a little context, and then proceed to MM.

Ha! I was going to suggest Going Postal.

 

A petty criminal is given the choice between execution and fixing the Post Office.

[Vanders]

There will be no more Long Earth or Discworld books, ever. Nor will we see a future Tiffany Aching, would she have become another Granny Weatherwax? we'll never know.

 

So many much-loved characters, no more.

Well...good news I guess. There's at least one more Discworld novel to be published, which is supposedly Raising Taxes. He finished that one last summer.

 

Then there's his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, who will continue to author Discworld novels with her fathers blessing. So in theory we can continue to enjoy the Discworld for some time to come.

 

Oook?

[30801]

Well...good news I guess. There's at least one more Discworld novel to be published, which is supposedly Raising Taxes. He finished that one last summer.

I read there was (also?) 'The Shepherd's Crown', a Tiffany Aching novel.

[Vanders]

I read there was (also?) 'The Shepherd's Crown', a Tiffany Aching novel.

Oh I hope that's true. Despite being pitched as young adults novels, Tiffany Aching is some of his nicest writing, in my opinion. 

[PhilJ W]

I think we really need people like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams to look sideways at the world and so reveal it more clearly.  Lipwig, Vetinari and Dearheart are still out there somewhere but now we may never know about their further manouevres.

I have never read his books having always thought of him as a children's author but it looks as if I will have to start reading some of his works.

[enginelane]

And of course had the pleasure of reading a Pratchett book about steam engines

[iL Dottore]

Well...good news I guess. There's at least one more Discworld novel to be published, which is supposedly Raising Taxes. He finished that one last summer.

 

Then there's his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, who will continue to author Discworld novels with her fathers blessing. So in theory we can continue to enjoy the Discworld for some time to come.

 

Oook?

I look forward to Raising Taxes (presumably with Moist von Lipwig). I wish RP all the luck in the world, she's a mighty big pair of boots to step into.

 

iD

 

p.s. yesterday I stumbled across Terry Pratchett's "Richard Dimbleby Lecture" on YouTube, introduced by TP and read by Tony Robinson. Moving, thought-provoking and yet funny at the same time. It encapsulates TP. I reccomend it, a little bit of Terry Pratchett that should be better known

[Dagworth]

I wish RP all the luck in the world, she's a mighty big pair of boots to step into.

 

Seven league boots? http://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Seven_League_Boots

 

A

[JeremyC]

Like many others I'll miss waiting for the next Terry Pratchett book to appear. The more recent ones like Thud, Snuff and Raising Steam were interesting commentaries on some of todays serious problems.

 

Well...good news I guess. There's at least one more Discworld novel to be published, which is supposedly Raising Taxes. He finished that one last summer.

 

Then there's his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, who will continue to author Discworld novels with her fathers blessing. So in theory we can continue to enjoy the Discworld for some time to come.

 

Oook?

 

I think I'll withhold judgement until I read one. It's not always successful when a someone takes over an established series; when Todd McCaffery took over Anne McCaffery's PERN series the books were pretty dire.  

 

Jeremy