Terry Pratchett

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In particular, L-Space contains the Annotated Pratchett File, being a repository of all the references anyone could suss out from about 1992 on, usually verified by asking Pterry himself if he'd meant to do that or not. There is also a set of annotations available in a crowd-sourced format through the Lspace Wiki.

No one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away—until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.

–“Reaper Man”

‘Haven’t you ever heard the saying “Man’s not dead while his name is still spoken”?’

–”Going Postal”

People will always remember the songs he never had the chance to sing.   And they will be the greatest songs of all. Live your life in a moment. And then live forever.  Don’t fade away.

–“Soul Music”

The last Discworld books feel like Sir Terry was making sure he was leaving the Disc in a better way than how he found it: establishing a just, multiracial police force; working towards resolving the biggest racial tensions between dwarves and trolls; bringing up the destitute goblins; "modernizing" the telecom system and transportation infrastructure; putting in a young, able successor for Mistress Weatherwax.

He was 23 when his first novel was published. After six years of writing professionally every single day. The Carpet People was a lovely novel, from a lovely writer, but almost all of Terry’s iconic truth bomb lines come from Discworld.

The Colour of Magic, the first ever Discworld novel was published in 1983. Terry was 35 years old. He had been writing professionally for 18 years. His career was old enough to vote, get married and drink. We now know that at 35 he was, tragically, over half way through his life. And do you know what us devoted, adoring Discworld fans say about The Colour of Magic? “Don’t start with Colour of Magic.”

It is the only reading order rule we ever give people. Because it’s not that great. Don’t get me wrong, very good book, although I’ll be honest I’ve never been able to finish it, but it’s nowhere near his later stuff. Compare it to Guards Guards, The Fifth Elephant, the utterly iconic Nightwatch and it pales in comparison because even after nearly 20 years of writing, half a lifetime of loving books and storytelling Terry was still learning.

He was a man with a wonderful natural talent, yes. But more importantly he worked and worked and worked to be a better writer. He was writing up until days before he died.  He spent 49 years learning and growing as a writer, taking so much joy in storytelling that not even Alzheimer’s could steal it from him. He wouldn’t want that joy stolen from you too.

Terry was a wonderful, kind, compassionate, genius of a writer. And all of this was in spite of many many people telling him he wasn’t good enough. At the age of five his headmaster told him that he would never amount to anything. He died a knight of the realm and one of the most beloved writers ever to have lived in a country with a vast and rich literary tradition. He wouldn’t let anyone tell him that he wasn’t good enough. And he wouldn’t want you to think you aren’t good enough. He especially wouldn’t want to be the reason why you think you aren’t good enough. 

You’re not Terry Pratchett. 

You are you.

“Yes,” I said.  “But I like seeing how authors grow.”

This is a Terry question, not a GO specific question; I recall while we were both on twitter, just after Terry passed, you corrected a fan who had presumed he was a whimsical, silly lil guy. You said Terry was angry, perhaps even said he was always angry. My question is, as his close friend, did you ever observe how Terry avoided being consumed by anger during his life? I too am quite angry and rather debilitated by it of late, and would enjoy a dose of your pointed advice if it suits you.

Here's an article I wrote about that before Terry died, and my answer to your question is in there.

Round 2 Part 2 Poll 2

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Neil in blue

Supporting the WGA strike is the right thing to do