gcreptile 11,069 Posted March 12, 2015 I like his style... He had the tweet already written and as he collapsed to the ground, his head hit the "send" button. Obviously a big miss for the list. I wasn't aware that his health was bad enough to lead to such an early death. "Early onset-Alzheimers" can't be that bad alone, or can it? I've never read one of his books, but always wanted to. I've never known where to start... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,645 Posted March 12, 2015 I like his style... He had the tweet already written and as he collapsed to the ground, his head hit the "send" button. Obviously a big miss for the list. I wasn't aware that his health was bad enough to lead to such an early death. "Early onset-Alzheimers" can't be that bad alone, or can it? I've never read one of his books, but always wanted to. I've never known where to start... It doesn't really matter but the earlier ones tend to be better. Mort is often a good place. The Colour of Magic isn't unless you are obsessive about reading them in order. Wyrd Sisters is ano her good starting point. My fav is Masquerade. This one has really knocked the breath out of me. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,942 Posted March 12, 2015 Should never have been dropped. Yet more proof the committee is shit 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,365 Posted March 12, 2015 He did have a cardiac arrest in a taxi a few years ago I seem to recall.I feared he may gave up when he could no longer make public engagements but didn`t put him on any of my lists.I thought he would last another 2 years or so. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom 2,550 Posted March 12, 2015 I like his style... He had the tweet already written and as he collapsed to the ground, his head hit the "send" button. Obviously a big miss for the list. I wasn't aware that his health was bad enough to lead to such an early death. "Early onset-Alzheimers" can't be that bad alone, or can it? I've never read one of his books, but always wanted to. I've never known where to start... I'll have to check out the Twitter site later as it's blocked at my work. Best to start at the beginning, but then again I got as far as "Men at Arms" before I lost interest in them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,645 Posted March 12, 2015 Should never have been dropped. Yet more proof the committee is shit He gave the impression that he was coping. He gave interviews and was still working. Like Shaun of the Dead said I thought he had a couple of years yet. Whilst I am not on the committee I was one advocating dropping him. I am not sorry but with Nimoy and Simon also going in quick succession are we facing the nerd apocolypse. Who next Stan Lee? Tom Baker? George Lucas? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,645 Posted March 12, 2015 Publisher confirms that it was not suicide End of story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youwanticewiththat 611 Posted March 12, 2015 SOMETIMES I HATE MY JOB. DEATH 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Zorders 1,272 Posted March 12, 2015 My mum loved this guy, round here it's gonna be like that special time in North Korea after one of their leaders dies - for the next few days, anyone not caught looking sad enough is gonna be "for it" or summat. Mad cow......... refuse to ever read anything she likes that much, I'm volunteering to pour petrol on his corpse if he wanted cremating. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockhopper penguin 2,265 Posted March 12, 2015 “You’re dead,” he said.Keli waited. She couldn’t think of any suitable reply. “I’m not” lacked a certain style, while “Is it serious?” seemed somehow too frivolous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ankou 17 Posted March 12, 2015 I like his style... He had the tweet already written and as he collapsed to the ground, his head hit the "send" button. Obviously a big miss for the list. I wasn't aware that his health was bad enough to lead to such an early death. "Early onset-Alzheimers" can't be that bad alone, or can it? I've never read one of his books, but always wanted to. I've never known where to start... It doesn't really matter but the earlier ones tend to be better. Mort is often a good place. The Colour of Magic isn't unless you are obsessive about reading them in order. Wyrd Sisters is ano her good starting point. My fav is Masquerade. This one has really knocked the breath out of me. I like the novels featuring the Night Watch the most. Samuel "Sam" Vimes is so badass that Chuck Norris is his bitch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deathray 2,942 Posted March 12, 2015 I read the colour magic and the gnome series, might delve into some of the other discworld series. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lady Grendel 139 Posted March 13, 2015 I am really sad to see Terry Pratchett has gone a big miss for the DL. I wonder why he was taken off the list given that he had to withdraw from public life last July. Alzheimer's is extremely aggressive, from personal experience my father went from being able to speak and hold conversations to not being able to do much more than repeat what we said to him in the space of 12 weeks and stopped speaking entirely 6 months later. It's an extremely nasty disease. 5 months before my dad died he was unable to feed himself, recognise his surroundings or communicate at all, it was so fast, he was bedridden and in the end started to aspirate when being fed as he had forgotten how to swallow. It was a lower respiratory infection that took my wee dad and I see the official cause of death for Mr. Pratchett is 'chest infection', much the same thing. In response to questions about where to start with Terry Pratchett's books I don't know, how long is a piece of string. I can give you my experience and it's up to you where you want to start. Back in 1987 I was off work with full on dose of flu, still living at home and I was bored and miserable and making my parents and my siblings lives misery. One of my brothers, chucked The Colour of Magic at me and said 'you should read this it might make make you smile and give us all a break'. I retreated to my bed and read it and just could not put it down, I loved it thought it was great. I passed it onto my dad who thought it was brilliant and then to my mum who just loved it. My brother was happy to pass on the sequel to us 'The Light Fantastic' and we all eagerly awaited the release of Equal Rites in paperback. I was almost first in the bookstore in Glasgow - no internet then it was John Smith's in St. Vincent Street and greedily took it home when it was first released. I was disappointed, I have never reread it and perhaps I should. I have had over the years had a hit and a miss love affair with Pratchett's Discworld. I loved Guards! Guards! and hated Soul Music. I adored Mort and enjoyed Wyrd Systers and Moving Pictures. I grew tired of a new book every 6 months and stopped getting them for birthday and Christmas presents well over 10 years ago. They lay in my bookshelves unread. When I moved most made their way to a local charity shop but I have kept my brother's original copies of The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic that he lent me 28 years ago, they are squirreled away in my collection. My mum recently picked up a copy of 'The colour of magic from a charity shop and enjoyed it just as much as she did in 1987. Not sure if this helps with choices of where to start. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,645 Posted March 13, 2015 The man had an incredible work ethic often two Discworld books a year plus other each supported with an intensive signing tour. Later on you could only order signed copies from the specialist website but as a result we have many signed first editions. I still have Dodger & Raising Steam to read along with The Long Earth trilogy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bibliogryphon 9,645 Posted June 12, 2015 Good news on the family integrity front. His daughter Rhianna has said that after the last books have been published later this year there will be no more Diskworld books. This is in the contrast to other children of literary parents who think that it is fine to publish endless inferior books to exploit the parents fame Brian Herbert and Adam Hargreaves spring to mind 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Creep 7,071 Posted August 31, 2017 In an attempt to avoid having family release unfinished works, the late Terry Pratchett apparently told his longtime friend Neil Gaiman that he wanted whatever he was working on at this death to be destroyed, this week Pratchett’s estate followed through on that request by letting a steamroller crush his computer’s hard drive. The manager of Pratchett’s estate tweeted a picture of an intact hard drive in front of a waiting steamroller a few days ago along with a caption about fulfilling an “obligation to Terry.” He then shared another photo of the same hard drive shattered and scratched—presumably beyond any hope for repair. SC Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,536 Posted August 31, 2017 Saw that on the BBC. Seemed a bit too show-offish for my liking. But then I never liked Pratchett. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,232 Posted August 31, 2017 I've tried a couple of his books, but don't get it. It all seems a bit juvenile and not as funny as I was led to believe, given his massive popularity. I've got the book he wrote with Gaiman on the shelf (charity shop buy) so will give that a go, as Gaiman can be very good. I haven't liked everything of his though, so not getting my hopes up too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spade_Cooley 9,629 Posted August 31, 2017 I can think of another reason why a man might want his hard drive destroyed after death.... 1 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charon 4,943 Posted August 31, 2017 Heard that on the transistor this morning, but the roller didn't kill it. Broke the concrete blocks underneath but the hard drive had hardly a dent. They had to finish it off in a crusher. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
