The Sword and Laser discussion

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...

What a wonderful author and man.

Just this second saw the story on the BBC; very sad news.

At least he was still able to think and communicate when he died. I know that was important to him.

His publishers have set up a JustGiving page for RICE here https://www.justgiving.com/Terry-Prat...

Perhaps consider a Pratchett for a forthcoming pick.

Quite an unique author. Will miss him.

I think I will go find a new Prachett as an in memoriam.

:-(

Too soon. RIP Pratchett.

:(

HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

He definitely gave us that. And that gift will keep giving for many years.

Very sad to hear this, he got me to fall back in love with fantasy.

Peter F. Hamilton (Facebook)
2 hrs ·
So sad. Comedy, especially good comedy, is the hardest thing to write. The way he carried on after being diagnosed is remarkable. Terry Pratchett, RIP.

I'm going to re-read , my favourite Discworld book, starting tonight, to honour him. He's a very big part of the reason why I write as well as read. Certainly,he is one of the greatest comic genre authors there ever was.

"The candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long" (sorry PK Dick fans) and he burned so very, very brightly -for me at least.

I haven't read any Discworld for a while but had been enjoying The Long Earth series... he will be missed.

BBC Radio have put up a selection of programs in his honour. I don't think you need to be in the UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02ltvn2

David wrote: "I haven't read any Discworld for a while but had been enjoying The Long Earth series... he will be missed."

I'm kinda hoping Baxter finishes the last two books. He already has the notes anyway.

Rob Secundus wrote: "HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

He definitely gave us that. And that gift will keep giving for many years."

I've been seeing that, and the quote about Death and Cats all over the place, but the one that made me tear up is a friend who posted this, in lilac:

"All the little angels rise up, rise up.
All the little angels rise up high!
How do they rise up, rise up, rise up?
How do they rise up, rise up high?
They rise heads up, heads up, heads up, they rise heads up, heads up high!"

One of the authors that ignited my reading interest as a teenager. Amazingly witty and clever man. RIP Terry.

Jo Walton reminisces about Terry as friend: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2015/03/sir-...

Tis a sad day, no more new Discworld to come and I have always felt they were getting better and better with age...
R.I.P. Terry

An old write up about the brilliance of Pratchett from Brandon Sanderson
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/04/terr...

Sad day for literature

Nick wrote: "An old write up about the brilliance of Pratchett from Brandon Sanderson
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/04/terr..."

That's crystallized something for me that I've felt but could not express. I've heard some say that message is paramount. I've heard some say that entertainment is paramount. I saw "why not both?" and point to Discworld.

Paul wrote: "Perhaps consider a Pratchett for a forthcoming pick."

I second this.

If we pick one, Guards! Guards! is a great Discworld book that reads well as a stand alone.

library_jim wrote: "If we pick one, Guards! Guards! is a great Discworld book that reads well as a stand alone."

I came here to say the exact same thing.

He was one of the few authors that I've followed since (almost) the beginning and always picked up his latest when it came out safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't regret it. I enjoyed every single one.

RIP Sir Terry

I've been in a bit of reading funk lately, and have been debating all week what to read next after finishing The Goblin Emperor on Sunday. After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. It already had me cracking up a few times reading last night.

I know there are charts and suggestions on how to read the series, but I'm a publication order type of person, and there are so many books in Discworld it's just been so overwhelming to think about reading the series.

Nothing wrong with reading in publication order, that's what countless fans did as and when they came out.

Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.

Guards! Guards! is when I think the series shrugs off some of its last generic fantasy trappings and really comes into its own and has a firm sense of what it is. The first couple books are still good, but not quite as amazingly fantastic as they are starting with that one.

Joanna wrote: "Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.."

Yes, I have and it is.

I bought books 1-5 on sale for Kindle awhile ago, but have only read the first book so far. It didn't really grab me a whole lot to want to jump into book two.

I can't bring myself to "skip ahead" to Guards! Guards! no matter how many people recommend I do/tell me it's fine/best to start there. I have a need to read them all in publication order.

So I'll read the first 7 most likely unless I just really don't like them, in which case I may just try Guards Guards before giving up on teh series completely.

So far I seem like The Light Fantastic better than The Color of Magic though, so I'll likely continue on.

Bought The Color of Magic today to honor Sir Prachett. RIP.

How sad.
Rest in peace, Sir Pratchett.

http://xkcd.com/1498/

xkcd did a beautiful tribute.

I admit I cried yesterday when I saw that Terry Pratchett had died. This made me both cry and laugh today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/3186721...

Rob wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.."

Yes, I have and ..."

Technically, you wouldn't be "skipping ahead". Confusingly, Discworld is one universe but has many different arcs which are each stand alone and distinct from each other. You can technically start at any of them.

The reason people recommend starting at a different arc is because they're afraid you'll give up on Pratchett since Colour of Magic is his weakest starter novel. (Though, technically all of his starting books are the weakest books in an arc.)

I think I'll write a guide to Terry Pratchett for Sword and Laser.

Rob wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.."

Yes, I have and ..."

If you've read and liked the Color of Magic and are reading and liking the Light Fantastic, there is no reason to skip ANY Discworld book. I kind of envy the experience that you have ahead of reading them for the first time.

Rob wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.."

Yes, I have and ..."

Pat wrote: "He was one of the few authors that I've followed since (almost) the beginning and always picked up his latest when it came out safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't regret it. I enjoyed every singl..."

You need to get over your OCD and listen to the people trying to help you ;)
By reading them in order you are just delaying getting into the really good stuff...
There are two periods in Discworld :
- Before and After the introduction of the City Watch.

That doesn't mean you can't go back to the earlier books later, but seriously, try one of the recommended books first.

I would add Small Gods to the list of real good Discworld books that can be read without any knowledge of the world either...

I was devastated when I heard about this yesterday. I feel like I’ve lost a close friend, a favorite teacher, a beloved uncle, someone who was always there for me when I needed him. And yet we never met.

The next new Terry Pratchett story will be the last. The Discworld is ending. This saddens me more than I can say. But his books will endure. They are sitting on my shelves now, waiting to be revisited. I look forward to returning to the Disc. Perhaps I’ll notice something I missed the first few times I was there or recall something I had forgotten. There will be no new stories of Discworld, but the old ones are timeless.

Yeah. Not going to happen. I'll read them in publish order. lol.

Christina wrote: "I admit I cried yesterday when I saw that Terry Pratchett had died. This made me both cry and laugh today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/3186721..."

That was an awesome tribute.

It has left me blue since I heard yesterday. I was at work and a friend just strolled in my office and told me. I only had my copy of Raspe's "Munchausen" on me at lunch, and I couldn't focus on it. Normally that lifts my spirits, but not yesterday. I feel like I have lost a dear old friend.

I'm going to take you Discworld pros' advice and start with Guards! Guards!.

As a librarian, I can only offer a plaintive "Oook" while caressing my collection of Discworld novels.

I read them basically in the order I was able to find copies in the first time. I only read them all the way through in publish order a couple years ago. They're all great, but the earlier ones are just a little less great. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't read them, though.

Rob wrote: "Joanna wrote: "Rob wrote: "After this news, I decided to go with The Light Fantastic. "

Had you already read The Color of Magic? I thought that was the first one.."

Yes, I have and ..."

I also read in published order. While I enjoyed The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic, I thought the series became great with book #3, Equal Rites.

Mark wrote: "I thought the series became great with book #3, Equal Rites."

So Equal Rites is great, but I have trouble getting past the fact that Granny Weatherwax is different from the way she is portrayed in the later books.

With Equal Rites he really started to chisel away at roundworld topics that he felt were important. It's not so apparent in the first two, but it just gets better from then on.