I Am Very Sad
Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series, has anounced that he has a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s. (Via Eating Bees.)
I thought it was bad when Thomas Covenant died. I’m going to be crying for days.
Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series, has anounced that he has a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s. (Via Eating Bees.)
I thought it was bad when Thomas Covenant died. I’m going to be crying for days.
14 Comments
mmm, this is of course, disturbing. but, as he said, this isn’t to be interpreted as ‘dead’. he expects a few more books.
pratchett is a wonderful author, and his discworld is a joy to behold. some of the few books I’d ever re-read.
but, living in a linear time stance - it happens. Terry will missed, indeed. Egads, I never expected him to BE Cohen the Barbarian!
::sigh::
Ack! The most important thing is to not count him out yet. Refering to some one in past tense is burying them before their time. Enjoy what you can of whats left of his art, and cherish everything about his works that you enjoy. Its the best way to honor him, both know and when he has passed on.
there is nothing i can say, but i love Terry Pratchet very much… you know what i mean…
I’ve only ever cried for two people whom I have never met in life when I had heard that they had passed.
Jim Henson - The Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Fraggle Rock, how could you NOT love what that dude brought to the table? I still watch The Dark Crystal, and the Muppet Movies are timeless for kids for all eternity.
Vincent Price - Not too many actors had as many films in his/her career as Vincent Price. Price was synonymous with the many Tales of Edgar Allen Poe and a voice that both was immediately familiar and spin-chilling. His movie career began in 1938 (Service de Luxe) and ended in 1990 (Edward Scissorhands). Even those who may amazingly be unfamiliar with his films should in the least remember his unforgettable contribution to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video.
“Darkness Falls Across The Land
The Midnite Hour Is Close At Hand
Creatures Crawl In Search Of Blood
To Terrorize Your Neighbourhood
And Whosoever Shall Be Found
Without The Soul For Getting Down
Must Stand And Face The Hounds Of Hell
And Rot Inside A Corpse’s Shell
The Foulest Stench Is In The Air
The Funk Of Forty Thousand Years
And Grizzy Ghouls From Every Tomb
Are Closing In To Seal Your Doom
And Though You Fight To Stay Alive
Your Body Starts To Shiver
For No Mere Mortal Can Resist
The Evil Of The Thriller….”
I kinda like what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is ‘So it goes’. This from Vonneguts Slaughter House Five. Since the Tralfamadorians weren’t linear in nature, and saw all their lives, at the same time - beginning and end - they knew when they would die, and all they said was ’so it goes’.
yeah, so it goes. I know that he’ll be reborn as something pretty nice - me, I’ve been bad enough that I prolly don’t qualify for an animate rebirth - perhaps something like a very weathered fence post in northern Montana, or such.
Just to be clear, he’s not dead yet and I’m not writing him off. But I’ve lost several family members to Alzheimer’s and my mother is currently suffering from it. To think of what he’s going to be going through … makes me very sad.
I’m -really- sad. Pterry is my favorite author, hands down. :( I’m glad we’ve got a few years left with him, but… gah. Life sucks.
[For starters--not many people read Stephen R. Donaldson's work--ten cool points for referencing a self-deprecating leper.]
But as our dear friend from Monty Python and the Holy Grail would tell us… “I’m not dead yet!” Yes, Alzheimers is a debilitating disease, but with treatment, its progress can be slowed to a very mild degeneration, similar to old-age senility. I still hold out a shred of hope for our friend Mr. Pratchett (as well as hope for some awesome new books.)
And for that matter, weren’t you sad when Robert Jordan died?! I mean, c’mon… Wheel of Time… most epic fantasy series ever, and the author up and dies on us geeks? I was in mourning all the way up through the release of Confessor by good ol’ Terry Goodkind!
Covanent is dead?? Thanks for that spoiler…i was waiting for the next Donaldson book for christmas :((
It was this year that one of my dear mates introduced me to Terry’s books properly. Unfortunately when I was younger, I read ‘Only you can save mankind’ and was put off (mainly by the lack of pictures, but that was just me at the ripe old age of 10) So, 12 years later I finally read the discworld books and find I like them muchly. Terry has a wicked sense of humour and a way of spinning a yarn, the likes of which I’ve not seen before or since. It’s deeply saddening he has early on-set Alzheimer’s - but don’t you dare strike him off yet! I don’t think he’s the sort of person to give in that easily!
Also, I think he could see the humour in writing a book, rambling though it and then forgetting what the whole thing was about right at the end. :)
Well, I don’t know about you lot, but I’m going to send the man a christmas card.
Sorry for the spoiler, Si, but I figured that if someone got the reference they would probably already know about the event, considering that it happened in a book published in 1983. :>
I heard it the other day, through a friend of mine. It’s sad, but I think I’ll keep the same spirit he does. He’s not over and done with yet.
As for Covenant…how I loathed that character.
I’m sure that Terry will give us a few more Discworld books before he packs it in, maybe even a trilogy or a big finale with EVERYONE. I don’t know him personally, but from everything I DO know about him, he will take this for what it’s worth and make the most of the time he has left. He’s given us more top-notch entertainment than any other author this century, I don’t expect he’ll give up now. And I am pretty sure he’d smile and thank us for our concern and request that we save our tears until he’s actually gone. ;)
wow… why must people die?!? *sigh* I hope you live tho if your reading this Pterry I hope you live (and give us some new books :P)
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