Terry Pratchett has passed away

[murdoc]

http://www.pjsmprints.com/

It is with immeasurable sadness that we announce that author Sir Terry Pratchett has died at the age of 66.

Larry Finlay, MD at Transworld Publishers:

"I was deeply saddened to learn that Sir Terry Pratchett has died. The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds.

In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him. As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: he did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention.

Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely. Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come.

My sympathies go out to Terry's wife Lyn, their daughter Rhianna, to his close friend Rob Wilkins, and to all closest to him."

Terry passed away in his home, with his cat sleeping on his bed surrounded by his family on 12th March 2015. Diagnosed with PCA1 in 2007, he battled the progressive disease with his trademark determination and creativity, and continued to write. He completed his last book, a new Discworld novel, in the summer of 2014, before succumbing to the final stages of the disease.

We ask that the family are left undisturbed at this distressing time.

https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036888190038016

[K9]

FUCK THIS NEWS

[satael]

He was one of my favorite authors (and I have over 50 of his books on my shelf). Also Terry Pratchett: Living with Alzheimer's is a pretty frank documentary on his illness and well worth the watch if you happen to come by it. 

[Teleku]

 

Fuck.

Looks like a bad year to be a Nerd icon.

[Ironwood]

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/12/terry-pratchett-author-of-the-discworld-series-dies-aged-66?CMP=fb_gu

Sadness.

 

[Thrawn]

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=24749.0

[Hammond]

Oh my....

 

[RhyssaFireheart]

 

[IainC]

Rest in peace Sir Pterry.

I found that his writing mirrored the evolution of Douglas Adams quite closely. The first couple of books were all about slapstick, farce and shoe-horning in puns; later they became much more thoughtful and pointed, lampooning and stabbing at their targets while keeping the same sense of humour.

[Kitsune]

I'm frankly glad that he went rather than lingered with his mind gone.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone, much less someone as awesome as he was.

[Ironwood]

Apologies, the original thread simply wasn't there when I posted.  I checked, even in the lesser death thread (in case someone was MENTAL) and useless news.


I'm sure the lovely Trippy will perform the necessary merge asap.

[Chimpy]

 

RIP

[Xuri]

FUCK THIS NEWS

This :( He was... no, he IS my favourite (with a 'u') author, of any genre. 

[apocrypha]

Very sad :-(

Loved his work, and while a lot of it was very 'easy reading' (not meant in a derogatory sense in the slightest) his later books started to get very interesting, really felt like he had something more to say.

I'm also sad that he didn't have more success in campaigning on assisted death laws in the UK, but also glad that AFAIK his Alzheimer's hadn't got to the stage where his life became unbearable for him and those around him.

[Bzalthek]

"Death does have it's positive aspects you know. It's easy to do lying down. Also, have you ever considered saving on food, rent, and clothing?"

I'm gonna go cry a little now.

[Mattemeo]

To say I am not coping with the news would be an understatement of elephantine proportions.

My favourite author from age 11 onwards, one of my two 'surrogate father-figures' (the other being the late John Peel, both fully approved of by my actual father) and one of the nicest people I have ever met. I even completely changed my university thesis to write about dealing with Alzheimer's and Dementia in Children's Books when the news came in that Pratchett had started suffering from it, it shocked me so much.

I knew this was coming, but it hasn't made the result any less devastating. At least he's gone before Alzheimer's took everything from him, which is what he wanted. I feel like someone's pulled the ground out from beneath me.


+++Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot+++

[Kail]

 

He's one of the few authors I read that my parents also like.  They get me a couple Pratchett books for Christmas most years, and I was just reading through The Long Earth this morning.  That's pretty sad, he was one of the funniest authors I've ever read.

[Engels]

The last I read was Monstrous Regiment, and I don't think I'm gonna read anything by him any time soon again, simply because I don't want to spoil that perfect memory of a perfect book. At the back of my mind I knew it was over, and I agree its best that he went before it became unspeakable torture, but fucking GUT PUNCH.

[Ingmar]

I can't think of any other author who has so many relevant quotes about death to have put in his obituaries.

One of my favorites, sad day. 

[eldaec]

Fuck.

And you should read past Monstrous Regiment. The Moist Von Lipwig stuff in particular has some fresh ideas that make Ankh Morpork interesting again.

[Mattemeo]

The last I read was Monstrous Regiment, and I don't think I'm gonna read anything by him any time soon again, simply because I don't want to spoil that perfect memory of a perfect book.

Outside of Good Omens which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman (which stands as my most treasured book) Monstrous Regiment is my favourite Discworld novel. His ability to use satire in such a meaningful, politically on-the-nose discourse about human rights, journalistic ethics/propaganda, feminism and the effect of war on small countries presented in that book elevates it into something completely incredible.

[Engels]

Agreed. And I will, eventually, read on past that, but today it just hurts.

[ezrast]

I've never felt such strong mixed feelings about a celebrity death. He knew his mind was leaving him and was pretty concerned at the prospect of lingering for years as a husk. It's a relief that he went out with peace and dignity, but still... a world without Pratchett is a world substantially less worth living in.

Rest in peace, you magnificent bastard. Bring an apple for Binky.

[Miasma]

It's hard to imagine someone so clever being mortal.

Thread title should have been in all caps.

[tar]

The end of an era 

I like to think that Terry is one of those authors who won't just be remembered for a lifetime but for as long as human literature is known.

[ezrast]

I like to think that Terry is one of those authors who won't just be remembered for a lifetime but for as long as human literature is known.

For 30th-century anthropologists wondering what contemporary life is like, I can't imagine a better source.

[Miasma]

I like to think that Terry is one of those authors who won't just be remembered for a lifetime but for as long as human literature is known.

For 30th-century anthropologists wondering what contemporary life is like, I can't imagine a better source.

Turtles, all the way down.

[NowhereMan]

 

[Morat20]

Well, shit.

I mean I'm glad he went before he degenerated too far, but damn -- I wasn't really for a world without new Pratchett books, you know?

First Banks, and now Sir Terry? Damn.

I think I'll go ahead and but the whole Tiffany Aching collection for both my nieces. Neither one can read yet, but when they get there -- the books will be waiting.

[Cyrrex]

AH FUCK NO.

I stopped reading his new books probably 7 or 8 years ago.  The only reason I did that was because after marathon reading them one after the other, I decided I couldn't stand reading any of the new ones and then continually having to wait for the next one to come out.  I wanted to build up another backlog so that I can read those back to back as well.  I guess it is soon time to do that.

A magnificent, hilarious genius.  And here's hoping that his legacy goes on well past his own lifetime, because it damn well should.

[DraconianOne]

 

[Ironwood]

Good Ole Neil Summing it Up.

This content should not come  as news to those who read his books properly.   

[Korachia]

Yeah sad to see him leaving with Death already.. 

[HaemishM]

I'll admit that the only thing I ever read of his was Good Omens (though I expect to change that this year). I only read it once and that's been close to 20 years now. But holy shit, that book was so incredibly funny and good that there are parts of it I still remember to this day.

[Ironwood]

I find that really, really odd.