DEATH came for him

[Gob]

Sir Terry Pratchett, fantasy author and creator of the Discworld series, has died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.



"The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds," said Larry Finlay of his publishers Transworld.

The author died at home, surrounded by his family, "with his cat sleeping on his bed", he added.

Sir Terry wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book last summer.

He "enriched the planet like few before him" and through Discworld satirised the world "with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention," said Mr Finlay.

"Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely," said Mr Finlay.

"Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come."

Sir Terry leaves wife Lyn and daughter Rhianna.

The announcement of his death was made on Sir Terry's Twitter account on Thursday afternoon, with Rhianna later writing: "Many thanks for all the kind words about my dad. Those last few tweets were sent with shaking hands and tear-filled eyes."

Despite campaigning for assisted suicide after his diagnosis, Sir Terry's publishers said he did not take his own life.

BBC News correspondent Nick Higham said: "I was told by the publishers his death was entirely natural and unassisted, even though he had said in the past he wanted to go at a time of his own choosing."

[Econoline]

He "enriched the planet like few before him" and through Discworld satirised the world "with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention," said Mr Finlay.

I can't add anything to that. 66 is much too young for such a talented and witty fellow to leave.

I met him once at a science fiction convention in Chicago (he was on a panel about "Humour in Science Fiction and Fantasy" along with Connie Willis--now that was a real hoot!) and he was every bit as intelligent, good-humored and quick-witted in person as he came across in his writing.

[BoSoxGal]

It seems so entirely cruel for someone of such intellect and imagination to die of Alzheimer's. Not that it's okay for anybody, but I would have to say it's the #1 way I would NOT want to die.

[Gob]

The final Discworld novel written by Sir Terry Pratchett before he died last month at the age of 66 will be released later this year, his publishers have said.

The book will be called The Shepherd's Crown and will feature Tiffany Aching, a witch-in-training who has featured in four of Sir Terry's books to date, first appearing in The Wee Free Men in 2003.

The novel, which is based in the fictional realm of Discworld - a flat disc balanced on the back of four elephants and a giant turtle roaming through space - will go on sale in September.

I LOVE the Tiffany Aching series.

[Daisy]

Me too, proper brilliantly dark fiction that's almost too good for kids.

I'm introducing my 10yo niece to Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men is part of her birthday box this year.

[Gob]

Nice one!

[wesw]

strange, I ve never heard of him. I haven t read much science fiction since the 70 s and 80 s, but I read a lot of it back then....

crap, I d go thru 5 books a night and a couple of Ellery queen or Hitchcock magazines back then. I started with Asimov s Foundation trilogy and got hooked. my mom worked weekends .at some place called Delmarva news , where they ripped the covers off unsold books and were supposed to discard the rest . we could pick a genre and she could bring them home by the boxful

so maybe I have read his stuff

[Gob]