Pratchett - Not Dead... Yet.

[El Spurioso]

I used to be a biiiig fan of Pratchett's.  Less so now, but even so -- some very sad news:

Link: http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/3689" target="_blank">Early Onset Alzheimers.

[Richmond Clements]

Shit.

[Matt Timson]

Shame.  Alzheimer's is terrible.

[Bico]

I used to be a massive pratchett fan, too, but not being a teenager anymore (or a woman), the books have become less essential a read as time went on.  I'm about fifty pages from the end of Hatful of Sky, which I shall now feel compelled to finish so I can catch up with other books I haven't got around to just yet.  I'd never go so far as to describe his work as 'classic', but it was a big part of my teen years when I was actually learning to enjoy reading, which makes it more important to me than actual classic literature.

It must be a terrible prospect for a writer to know their mind's going to go at some point in the near future.
In these days when anyone vaguely connected to the family estate can end up writing sequels to classic literature (DON'T read Night Of The Triffids), and given Discworld is moving into the realms of being a semi-mainstream franchise, I suspect Pterry might be just as worried that the books will continue without him.  His daughter's a journalist or something, isn't she?  That's probably not a promising sign.

[SamuelAWilkinson]

Well, that's put something of a downer on my day. Much like others, I was a huge fan during my formative years, and even now find myself buying the hardback versions of the new books, mostly I think out of nostalgia and respect for the man who got me into the whole 'writing' buzz.

Here's hoping he's with us for a good while yet.

[Ignatzmonster]

Fucking hell. I would wish death on a man before alzheimers. Its like an emotional nuke lands in the middle of your family.

[The Amstor Computer]

If true, very upsetting. I haven't read Pratchett regularly since I was in my late teens but have always meant to catch up on the books I've missed. Terrible news.

[Adrian Bamforth]

As long as you've got your elf, that's the main thing.

[SamuelAWilkinson]

This from the Grauniad:

The author has published a statement on a website calling the diagnosis "an embuggerance". Pratchett, who is 59, says that he is taking the news "fairly philosophically" and "possibly with mild optimism". He adds that the statement, posted yesterday on the website of his illustrator Paul Kidby, "should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'" and says that he expects to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments.

If he can do the mild optimism thing, so too, I guess, can the rest of us.

Link: http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2226306,00.html " target="_blank">Embuggerance, indeed.

[TordelBack]

What igantzmonster said.  There's almost nothing worse that can happen to a human being and their family.

Against all reason, Pratchett has only improved with time - despite being on (roughly) Book 36.  After a repetitive patch (Discworld discovers... rock'n'roll, cinema, Australia etc.) some time after the magnificent Wyrd Sisters, he really hit his stride with the later Vimes novels, and the Tiffany Aching "kids" series.  Night Watch, his time-travel caper, is as gripping a genre novel as I've ever read. I think he's underrated as an author simply because of the setting, but he's created some wonderful characters and some pretty clever political and social commentary.  There's more than a little Waugh in there if you look.  More importantly, if his style of humour is your thing, he's still riotously funny.

Here's hoping his Third Thoughts keep him together.

[Bico]

I have a sneaking suspicion that he's under-rated because he's successful in his field.  Kind of like with JK Rowling, where the more vocal criticism seems disproportionate to the shortcomings of the author's material - you wonder where the bitterness comes from that some observers (journos and writers, mainly) seem to muster.

[McNulty]

I'm a great fan of Terry Pratchett's work. This is terrible news and I really feel for him and his family and friends.

[scutfink]

posted by His Lordship rac on 12 Dec 07 at 14:53:

Shit.

At the risk of sounding glib with an unintentional pun,

I Second that Motion...

[Trout]

I was very sorry to hear this. His stuff's always entertaining, and it's too young an age to be looking at something so horrible.

- Trout

[worldshown]

I was very saddened to read of this.

I first learnt of Terry Pratchett's books in the mid 80's when Your Sinclair magazine ran a review of the text adventure of the Colour of Magic. They gave it a good review and I wanted to know more about the book.

The next weekend, I went to our local library. In the paperback section, facing straight at me as I walked in, was their copy of the Colour of Magic, almost as if it was waiting for me.

No hesitation. I took out the book, went home and read it cover to cover. The first of many books by him I have enjoyed.

One can only hope this illness does not cause him and his family too much suffering.