Sir Terry Pratchett, we will miss you

I started reading Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels about fourteen years ago. I realize this was arriving late to the party, but what can I tell you? Somehow no one had told me about them until I was in college. Once I read the first one recommended to me, I was hooked. I made up for lost time very quickly. Within a few months of starting I had read almost all of them. I have now read all of the books that take place in the Discworld (for the uninitiated that's over 30 books).

If you haven't read them, you should. I suppose there's a type of person who wouldn't enjoy the Discworld books... but it's not a person I'd like to spend time with. You may not enjoy the entire series, but chances are good there's one group of characters that you'll enjoy. Terry Pratchett had an amazing ability to wrap every theme, genre, and setting imaginable into his Discworld.

No, really!

If you like crime novels/mysteries you'll enjoy the Sam Vimes book, if you like anti-heroes read the Rincewind or Moist von Lipwig books, if you enjoy coming of age and strong women read the Tiffany Aching novels, if you like satire and an outsiders' perspective on humanity read the books starring Death. There's really something for everyone in the series: vampires, werewolves, political satire, assassins, thieves, wizards, witches, dragons, police, mysteries, music, movies, the post, orangutans, libraries, magic, villainy, quite a lot of grey area, trolls, goblins, chess, gods, elephants, pyramids, Death, death's horse, the Death of rats, Nobby Nobs, questionable street food, a giant turtle, and... well everything else too.

The greatest thing about the Discworld books is that they're all humorous, they all poke fun at humanity in an intelligent and insightful sort of way, and they're all standalone novels. No cliff hangers at the ends of any of them, they all tell a complete story. The only reason to read the other books in the series is to dive back into that world, enjoy some of the same characters, and to say hi to Death. After all, he is the only character that you can be positive will be in every single Discworld novel.

Much as in the real world, Death is the only constant.

Terry Pratchett understood that quite well, I think.

So, today, as I'm crying quietly for a man I've never met but who I feel that I know on some level because I've read and loved so much of what he had chosen to write, I think he is most likely walking with Death and having a lovely chat about... the weather? How silly humans are? How nice it is not to have to worry about a cumbersome thing like a body? The proper temperature of the perfect cup of tea? I don't know. Maybe they're just catching up. After all, in many ways Sir Terry Pratchett and Death are old friends. But surely they're walking through a darkened landscape and chatting away, and Death is enjoying the discourse, pleased to have some company that isn't so set in his beliefs as to be instantly carried away to whatever afterlife he has been sure of his whole life, but rather who has time to wander, and talk, and keep Death entertained a while.

It is, I think, a good day for Death. Death will be quite pleased to have such a good friend join him. Though, chances are good he'll be sad too. Who will tell us Death's stories now that Sir Pratchett is with him?

I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY MY HAND AT WRITING.

"Ack! You scared me."

SORRY.

"It's alright, I just wasn't expecting you."

...

"Are you sure that's a good idea though, entire novels in all-caps?"

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ALL-CAPS?

"I, uh... Nevermind... I'm sure you would work something out. Do you have a plan for a book, a memoir or something?"

THE DEATH OF RATS HAS TOLD ME MY EXISTENCE WOULD MAKE A FINE TALE.

"Didn't Sir Terry Pratchett already tell us most of it?"

THIS WOULD BE FIRST PERSON.

"Right..."

AND HE LEFT OUT SOME OF THE GOOD BITS.

"I see."

AND HE PROMISED TO HELP ME WRITE IT.

"You mean... he... I can't believe... He's going to ghostwrite Death's memoirs?"

QUITE LITERALLY.

"I... You... You came here just for that didn't you?"

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS. TIMING IS EVERYTHING. TERRY SAID SO.



Well, I'm not sure what to make of that... but I am sure that the world has lost a brilliant mind, a fantastic writer, and good soul. Thankfully, he left us thousands of pages to remember him by. I, for one, have plans to reread most of them in the near future.

Goodbye, Sir Terry Pratchett. I wish I could have met you in life. Perhaps Death could introduce us when the time comes. Thank you for all that you've given us. You will be sorely missed.

THAT CAN BE ARRANGED.

"Ha. Not any time soon though, right?"

...

"Well, that's reassuring..."