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RIP Terry Pratchett


Werthead

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http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-31858156

http://arstechnica.com/the-multiverse/2015/03/terry-pratchett-finally-meets-the-reaper-man-at-the-age-of-66/

Reading about Alzheimer's treatment with ultrasound yesterday made me think that Sir Terry might have a shot at returning to his writing with more success. I read about half of his Discworld series when I was a child, so his books were quite formative for me. Rest in peace.


Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.

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Oook. :(

Well put. :crying:

First book of his that I read was Mort, in the early 90's. As soon as I was done with one I grabbed the next, and the next etc, for some time. I'm glad I still have more left to read, and a bunch to reread. He's still with us that way.

Au revoir, Sir.

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I can't take credit for this, but I saw it on another board and I thought it was appropriate:




One Cecil Wormsborough St. John Nobbs caught pilfering from the deceased.


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I have to say I still haven't read any of his books, but his name has lingered on my mind for years. I have heard many great things about both himself and his works... so that when I finally heard about his passing, I actually surprised myself because of how touched and sad I felt. I guess it has to do with the fact that I generally admire literature and I'm an amateur writer so I identify with other writers a great deal.



I have to admit I still haven't fully got over Robin Williams, then there was Nimoy and now Pratchett. :(



Now I will definitely have his books on my summer reading list (at the latest). No excuses.


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Awful news :(.



So, what was the first Pratchett book you read? What was your favorite?


First Pratchett book was Guards! Guards!, followed almost immediately afterwards by Men At Arms (which I think must have just come out at the time).



Favourites ... well, I still like both those two books a lot, but I'd also add Small Gods, Reaper Man and Hogfather (though I'm not sure that last would be a universally popular choice). I remember being surprised by how much I liked Nation as well.


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My first Pratchett book was the Wee Free Men (due to the age I started reading his stuff). Then the remainder of the Tiffany Aching stories (at the time I think this might have been up to Wintersmith, but I'm not sure. I recall reading the hardback edition of Wintersmith though, so I certainly read that not too long after it was released.) I even went out and bought I Shall Wear Midnight when it was released, because I'm so taken with that arc (plus, Granny Weatherwax :) ).

My first Pratchett story outside of the Tiffany Aching stuff was The Colour of Magic, because I worked on the assumption that starting from.the beginning was the best option. I didnt stick to the.published order though, so I've read in a rather patchwork fashion. Some were better than others, but I have still enjoyed them all. His work is unlike anything else I read, and will always have a special place in my heart.

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I read Witches Abroad, Pyramids and Guards! Guards! within a few months of each other in my early to mid teens, and wasn't sure whether I liked them, then bought Men at Arms and decided I definitely liked them (MaA gave me a new appreciation for Guards! Guards!, and the Watch series became my favourites). We now have two copies of most of the Discworld adult books, one originally mine and one originally MCGeek's - the exceptions are The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, which I have never owned so we only have MCG's, Snuff, which we felt was weak, and Raising Steam, which we enjoyed from the library but haven't bought yet.



Pratchett was for about a decade the one author our family would buy in hard copy - we'd then negotiate in which order we'd read the newest acquisition: both my parents, my sister and me, plus my sister would sometimes read the book to our dyslexic younger brother after reading it herself. My ongoing very strange relationship with Hogfather is due to my mother having died while halfway through it.


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There are only two things I want to add to this thread:



1. A Terry Pratchett novel was the cure to unhappiness, failure, frustration and heartache for me so often in my teenage years that I feel bereaved.



2. It's hard to be consistently funny and even harder to be consistently wise. Terry Pratchett was both, and made it look effortless. If there was justice in the world, there would be statutes of him on every street corner in England, as there undoubtedly are in Ankh-Morpork.

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Mrs. McGarry looked up at the stars.

"In the olden days," she said, "when a hero had been really heroic, the gods would put them up in the stars."

THE HEAVENS CHANGE, said Death. WHAT TODAY LOOKS LIKE A MIGHTY HUNTER MAY LOOK LIKE A TEACUP IN A HUNDRED YEARS' TIME.

"That doesn't seem fair."

NO ONE EVER SAID IT HAD TO BE. BUT THERE ARE OTHER STARS.

He was one of my heroes and one of my favorite authors, and I wish he was still with us. The world is a poorer place without him.

RIP Sir Terry. I hope the stars above the black desert are kind.

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A space station named "Pratchett's Disc" has also been added to the game Elite: Dangerous. I think he'd have appreciated that, as Pratchett was a big video game fan.



He'd probably have been happier if someone had actually made the game he once (jokingly) designed: Tomb Stocker, in which a hapless handyman has to traverse dangerous, labyrinthe levels, placing collectables in awkward locations and leaving ammo, weapons and keys helpfully strewn around locations for the player to find later on.


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