Terry Pratchett - 10 years.

[LadyFlumpalot]

I can't remember where I found this post - but I wanted to share it today, ten years after his death.

"I would like my pudding now nurse. And then I think I'd like to... write... something... I don't remember what."

Standing in the corner, he waits. The sand slowly flows, but it nears it's end. The old man still glows, as thousands of threads spread away from him.

SQUEAK.

I AGREE. IT IS A SHAME TO SEE HIM THIS WAY.

SQUEAK.

NO. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.... BUT I CANNOT WAIT TO ASK HIM HOW IT ALL ENDS.

The old man looks up, through them at first... and then he sees them. For once, the smile on the hooded figure's skull is genuine.

"I... I remember you. The anth... ant..."

ANTHROPOMORPHICPERSONIFICATION.

"Yes, that. We knew each other?"

ONCE. AND WILL AGAIN, SIR.

He so rarely said it, and these feelings... remembering his young aprentice, and beloved daughter. The beautiful child they have.

"There... is a girl, yes?"

SHE IS SPEAKING TO THE AUDITORS, SIR. THEY ARE UNWILLING TO LISTEN.

"Well then. You know what they say, two things you cannot avoid. Taxes and..." He looks into the firey blue eyes, and becomes aware.

SQUEAK.

"Quite right. Is it time already? I have so much left to do."

YOU HAVE GIVEN ALL YOU CAN SIR.

"No, not cancer. Alzheimers."

I AM AWARE.

"So, where is the boy? I remember a boy."

CARRIAGE ACCIDENT.

"Ahh. Never much trusted cars. Or horses."

THEY GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

"Must I?"

SOON. BUT WE MAY SIT HERE AWHILE.

SQUEAK

DO YOU HAVE ANY BISCUITS?

"No. Shame really."

YES.

"Is it truely turtles?"

ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HAVE SEEN THEM.

"Ahh. I would love to see it. Perhaps a small trip before?"

IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE.

"The light is slower there... and there's a monkey...."

ORANGUTAN. SAME PRINCIPLE.

"Yes... will they remember me?"

SQUEAK.

"What was that? I could not hear you."

HE SAYS WE WILL, SIR.

"I never much liked the trouble people had with you. You seem like a nice fellow."

I HAVE MY DAYS.

"Don't we all?"

SOME LESS THAN OTHERS.

"Is it quick?"

YES. AND I BROUGHT THE SWORD. CEREMONY DICTATES IT.

"Ahh. How about a cup of tea?"

I WOULD ENJOY IT. DO YOU PLAY CHESS?

"No. how about checkers?"

And so they sat, two old friends regaling each other, though the old man could not remember all of the details, the cloaked man and his rat filled him in, when it was needed."

GNU, PTerry.

Ah, I've found my people. DH thinks I'm daft but I'm not ready to read The Shepherd's Crown. I nearly was, a few years back, then my Dad died and, just, no. I've avoided most blatant spoilers but I have an inkling and I just don't think I want to go there.

I'm working my way through all of the books again, on audiobook this time. I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed listening to CoM - it's not one of my favourites. My first was Witches Abroad; the Witches have always been my favourite series, along with the Guards, although I do have a soft spot for Death.

The Witches are my absolute favourites & re read regularly.

Ah, Sir Terry. He died not long after my Dad and I remember being very emotional about it. Discworld is one of the threads connecting me back to happy times. I read them when I want a comfort blanket... except The Shepherd's Crown. I can't bring myself to read it, the time never feels right, somehow.

just brilliant for things like this :

I also cried while at my desk on a late shift at work seeing it on the BBC news!

I thunk I started with one of the witches books ans when I tried to go back , I went in order and couldn't get on with it. I must go and read in "my" order. I absolutely LOVED the Vimes books but felt i needed to get the scene set before re reading them as I have the memory of a goldfish so can't remember any details. This thread has inspired me to make that effort.

When sir Terry died the world lost not only a great author but a great observer of human nature.

I love the social media post that goes round quite often (well on my social media because the algorithm is used to me by now) about how you think you are reading a police procedural and yet it ends up teaching you ethics. He was a genius and I like to think that reading his books has made me, on balance, a better human being. What a skill to have had.

GNU Sir Pterry.

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett

My first was The Hogfather and is my go to whenever I want to remember. He was a brilliant author and a really decent chap.

Timely... I started a full reread a few weeks ago. I've read them all a few times, but not for quite a few years and never done the whole lot in order, usually just pick up whichever one I fancy.

I'm up to Sourcery now.

I'm fond of the early ones. They're maybe not as polished or as fully realised as the later ones, but they're still very funny to me and remind me of when I first found the series as a young teenager.

I'm actually really looking forward to Moving Pictures, which doesn't tend to get a lot of love, but it's one of the first ones I read, and I love the movie references.

And Reaper Man too because I don't think I've read that one in ages. I remember finding the whole shopping cart thing so weird and intriguing as a young girl who mostly used to read Sweet Valley High 😅. Discworld literally changed my reading life. I hoovered them up and always bought the new ones as they came out.

I can't believe it's ten years. Can't bear to read the last one yet either. Like other's have shared, he's also the only public figure whose death has made me cry. I always have lilac in my garden.

Raging PMT right now and this thread has set me off sniffling. I reread them on a regular basis and the audiobooks were an incredible comfort to escape with during the fear and anxiety of lockdown. I wonder what he would of thought about Boris and all the pan bashing performative nonsense.

Soul music got me into discworld as a teen but the vimes books, and the witches are the ones I come back to most frequently and i always seem to find something new to appreciate.

His characters were incredible and he must have had huge emotional intelligence to write such a range of unique perspectives. I don't know if I can think of another male author that wrote strong diverse female characters so well. I use Esme style headology every day at work🤣

I often wonder if in a hundred years time his work will be viewed as classics. Incredible legacy !

I think the first books I read were Strata and The Dark Side of the Sun, although I may have read the Colour of Magic first. I know I was a student when I read that, and the Light Fantastic - it was the late 80s, I was at university a long way from home, very depressed, and they felt like a ray of light in the darkness.

I read lots more over the years, although I didn't keep up fully, so probably still have some to read. I will always associate Terry Pratchett with having been a lifeline when I was so unhappy.

We have the fan edition got pics of my oldest 2 kids in my hubby's huge fan gbnf x

My hubby's nick name is mort

To be fair to economists I'm pretty sure that has been a economic concept since economics began.

But it is so well put.

That's his thing. Taking complex and boring concepts from varied sources like economics, sociology, philosophy, history and psychology, and making them funny and accessible. You're reading about a silly tourist and suddenly you understand geopolitics and insurance!

Don't you mean "since reflected sounds of underground spirits" began?

I've never read any Pratchett, but have found this thread very moving, probably because I feel sad about the late, wonderful Christopher Fowler.

Derail over.

I'll give Pratchett a go.