Sad news about Terry Pratchett

[SpiderMatt]

My grandfather died just 3 weeks ago from Alzheimer's. It's a terrible thing to see. I voluneetered at a hospice a few years ago and helped out people with Alzheimer's. It's a very sad disease (although I've yet to find a "happy disease").

I cried when Douglas Adams died. I maintain that no one, to this day, has said or written anything that made me laugh more or harder than the works of Douglas Adams. Terry Pratchett is also up there, though. Luckily, he's not dead yet and it could be years still before that day comes. So let's all celebrate the fact that there are still more books coming! There are so few libertarian fiction writers (especially comical ones), though, and I will be sad when he is gone.

In a July 24, 2001 interview on the German Web site, www.schmoekerecke.de, Pratchett was asked if there was any politician who was similar to him. No politician "could be like me," Pratchett responded, "because MY parents were married."

[JohnnyD]

The Colour of Magic actually made me laugh out loud, on a train... I've been hooked ever since

Favorites:
- The Nac Mac Feegle
- The witches (all three of them, including Margrat)
- The wizards
- ...and the rest

[badgoodDeb]

Oh, I've found it to be dangerous to read Terry Pratchett in public. So *much* of each book makes me laugh out loud. I save him for private reading!

[SpiderMatt]

What's so frightening about laughing out loud in public?

[NatCh]

Not nearly as scary as doing so in a public restroom.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by NatCh

Not nearly as scary as doing so in a public restroom.

[...as Marc files this quote away for some out-of-context use in some future conversation...]

Cheers,
Marc

[NatCh]

[HarryT]

My favourite has to be "Small Gods". Especially funny if you know a little about the ideas of the Greek philosophers.

[nekokami]

I started Small Gods, but it didn't hook me right away the way the various witches stories did. I'll have to give it another try.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by nekokami

I started Small Gods, but it didn't hook me right away the way the various witches stories did. I'll have to give it another try.

The same goes for me; I did finish it the first time, but didn't think much about it. Some years later I read it again and that time it was a totally different matter! I guess you should read it at a lower pace, the story isn't as quick as the stories which came before, but it does give you a lot of wonderful detail! And a good story besides....

[snookums]

Originally Posted by wayspooled

I think I'd recommend Wyrd Sisters, Guards Guards, Reaper Man or Moving Pictures.

Those aren't the first books by any means but as I mentioned elsewhere a while ago, TP's first 3 or 4 Discworld books I thought were more "feeling the way" into this new world he was creating. I started to read them first in order and wound up putting them aside for a few years and then happened to read one of the later books which knocked me almost out of my chair laughing. At least that was my experience.

My favorite characters are Gaspode the dog, Death, Granny and all of the Nac Mac Feegle.

The first few books got repetitive by falling back on the dungeon dimensions one too many times, but he moved away from that and even had the guts to make a crack about it in one of his later books. It was the one where they had the dwarven printing press. Vetinari came and started poking around to make sure there wasn't anything eldritch about it. He said that he had learned that anything new everyone was talking about would open up a door to the dungeon dimensions.

[bbusybookworm]

Love his books, Indeed have every book in the Series, Most of the recent ones in Hard Cover. We can just pray that he is able to continue doing what he and all of us love as long as possible.

What I often suggest to people who don't like one or the other of his books is to go and read some of the others. Once you are truly hooked to his wit go back and reread the ones you didn't like. More often then not you will enjoy it quiet a bit more.

And as for the Colour of Magic movie(s), saw it over Easter. Would definitely say it is a must see for fans. And while not everything was as I pictured, they have made great attempt to stay faithful to the books, for They cover both the Colour of Magic and the Light Fantastic.

Am waiting for it come out on DVD so can buy my own copy.

[RobbieClarken]

I love all of Terry Pratchett's novels but the Watch stories are definitely my favourites.

Although I enjoyed The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, I actually found the story line a bit confusing. However I was pretty young back then so perhaps they would make more sense to me if I reread them.

The only problem with Discworld books is that I can't help but laugh out loud when I'm reading them... as a result I've got some odd looks from people on the bus.

[StephanieP]

I just bought The Colour of Magic from fictionwise in anticipation of reading it on my Cybook when it arrives later this month.

I've watched the Hogfather movie (actually I own it ) I've been meaning to read his books for a while now, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[joblack]

Have played the Discworld Computer Adventure games. Very nice indeed.

He should relax - modern medicine will finde a cure sooner or later.