Terry Pratchett, the British author best known for his clever and satirical fantasy novels, has passed away at the age of 66 after an 8-year battle with Alzheimer’s. Pratchett is the author of more than 70 books, including the much-loved Discworld series of fantasy novels. Pratchett was knighted in 2009 for his services to literature (so it’s “Sir Terry Pratchett” to us!) and has won several other literary awards. He also sponsored his own award, the Terry Pratchett First Novel Award. His death was reported on his Twitter account.
Pratchett campaigned for assisted suicide after his diagnosis, but sources say that he did not take his own life. Throughout his illness, the author maintained a positive outlook on life that well suited a man known for his humor.
Grab your favorite Terry Pratchett book off the shelf today and take a moment to remember the great work that he did while he was still with us. We’ll leave you with a quote from Pratchett that provides the kind of witty observation that typified his books, and the kind of perspective that his fans can all use now: “Death isn’t cruel – merely terribly, terribly good at his job.”
Terry will be sorely missed. You can read more at BBC.com.