Given that he had a rare form of early onset Alzheimers, his death at 66 may have been a mercy. But damn. He was the best. The best since Mark Twain. Maybe (we could argue about this) better.
ADDED: It bugs me that the obits are calling Pratchett a “fantasy novelist.” That’s like calling Twain a “writer of adventure stories for boys.” Pratchett’s books, especially the Discworld series, are hilarious social and political satires that just happen to be set in a world populated by vampires, trolls, golems, witches, werewolves, one six-foot-tall dwarf, and let’s not forget that terribly scruffy talking dog, Gaspode.
Let’s hope somebody pins a card for the Fresh Start club inside the coffin lid.
I had to go look that one up. Good one, RustyGunner.
http://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Fresh_Start_Club
And …
http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/File:Fresh_Start_Club.jpg
In the words of another “pretty good” author:
I shall not look upon his like again.
I enjoyed his works but didn’t know he was a fantasy novelist. It seemed like his works were based on reality and I have met many similar characters while wondering this earth.
A sad day. He will be missed.
I was sad to see him go but given the announcment of his fight with Alzheimers I expected to hear it at any time. I read my first discworld book (The Light Fantastic) back in ’89 and could not get enough of it. Reading it out of order I had to find a copy of The Colour of Magic as soon as I could. He was such a freash look on the old fantasy stories because it was exactly as you called it. Satire set in a fantasy world. Very much like Douglas Adams. I met Mr Prachett once at a book signing. Very funny and seemed genuinly happy to interact with fans. I will miss his wonderful mind.
Grenadier — What a wonderful account. (Oddly, I also read The Light Fantastic before The Colour of Magic, back before I knew the Discworld books were a series. Since then I’ve tried to read in order, but however you read them, aren’t they wonderful?) Neat that you got to meet Pratchett once. I never did, but from everything I’ve ever read or heard about him, he seemed like a genuinely nice, humble person without the big, pompous ego so many writers have.
Did you see the “Hi, I’m Terry Pratchett” tee shirt he once wore to an event? I’ll go see if I can find the picture. It’s hysterical — and not at all the kind of thing most writers would do.
Here it is:
https://i.imgur.com/Dn8QOuN.jpg
I gather that wearing it to conventions & such was a regular thing for him.
XKCD had an excellent tribute: http://www.xkcd.com/1498/
HA! That shirt is awesome. He was in Atlanta a number of times which is the big city near me but oddly enough I actualy drove to Chatanooga TN to his book signing. It was a small convention called “Chatacon” and was mostly Sci-fi and comics, but tucked into a dark corner of the hall was this little round table. There sat this gray hair bespeckled man and only a few people lined up to speak with him. I talked with him for a short while but I dont like to be “that guy” so I left him alone. Got my copy of “The Colour of Magic” and “The Light Fantastic” signed. I hope he was at peace at the end. Something like
“What happened?”
“HELLO”
“Oh its you…”