Terry Pratchett has Alzheimer's

[DotCommunist]

Wintersmith takes place on the Discworld... The rest I'd class under the same hat of comedy/fantasy...

Small Gods and Jingo are a bit more than comedy/fantasy jaed

 

[Orang Utan]

His favourite charity is The Orangutan Foundation

All the more reason to be pleased at his upcoming demise

 

[Stigmata]

The Discworld stories vary from very good to forgettable (some of the latest ones have been among the very best in fact), but the Johnny Maxwell books were absolutely my favourite in my early teens. I can't think of anyone else who's written 12-13 year old characters so brilliantly. Most writers make them too childish or too cynical, he got it just right IMO.

 

[SpookyFrank]

He'd be a legend if he'd wrote the first few books and then stopped and worked on something completely new. One-trick-pony, miking it for the mortgage...

Hmm, I wouldn't agree with that. A lot of his books are quite formulaic but they're all imaginative and even some of the most recent ones have been up to the standard of his early stuff, particularly 'thief of time' and the Tiffany Aching ones. There are maybe a dozen relatively forgettable discworld books out of 35-odd, which is a pretty good hit rate for such a prolific author.

As for the people prematurely declaring good riddance, is this thread perhaps not the place to slag him off? If you don't like his books don't read them FFS

 

[psycherelic]

This is actually bringing a tear to my eyes, I dropped an onion in the kitchen when I heard this announced on the news.

Pratchett was one of the first things that I really loved, he is still one of my favorite authors.

I'm sure he's far too low brow for most of the people on here and will be dismissed by many as a childrens author, but he is so much more than that!

I'm the first to admit that he's not the greatest writer, he's not a writter of great literature by any means, but he creates great charecters, writes fantastic jokes, and is a great philospher with a wonderful outlook on the world. The diskworld is a genius creation, world and mirror of worlds.

Death is fantastic, so is Granny weatherwax, as for sam vimes well I just don't know where to start, the great a'tuin, Rincewind, Ventinari, Carrot, Nanny Ogg, I could go on and on, there's just so much good stuff.

And he's a lovely guy, alt.fan.pratchett was one of my first forays into the world of internwet discussion boards of he used to post and replied to a couple of my posts.

All the bastards that are slating a man who has just been diagnosed with a terminal brain condition can can frankly fuck right off and I've been asked to add twilight pilgrims name to that statement.

Will probably post more later but I have guests now so must be sociable



*Buys an electronic banana daiquiri for pterry*

 

[likesfish]

shame and archer is in rude health

 

[DotCommunist]

Ennit. Kevin J Anderson wandering around fine, doing god-awful hack work. Just not fair

 

[ViolentPanda]

OK, I'll bear in mind that humour is verboten here

Thanks for the heads up. Presumably you police all matters of taste, or is it a partial policy, based on who it's about?

Alex B labours under the delusion that anything he has to say (which, by the way, is usually picayune criticism of others, pissant that he is) should be listened to.

Most other board users treat him with amused contempt.

 

[ViolentPanda]

He'll be alright for a few years yet.

AS reported in novembers "Discworld Monthly" mailing list.

 

[fogbat]

I'd still argue that there's massive variety in his books.

A large number of them just happen to be based on the same world.

News sucks

 

[Strumpet]

Awww poor tel.
Just about to start reading his Discworld stuff. .. ..

 

[scifisam]

It is a shame - and I hope someone checks his work so that nothing post-Alzheimer's don't get published. I read a couple of Agatha Christie books that had been written when she was well into Alzheimers; it was quite distressing, really, because, when she was in her right mind, there's no way she'd have wanted that to happen

It'd be sad if that happened to Pratchett too, along with the usual horrors of Alzheimer's.

All of those who went out of their way to post here and say that they're glad about someone being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, come over here please, so I can piss in your beer.

 

[janeb]

It is a shame - and I hope someone checks his work so that nothing post-Alzheimer's don't get published. I read a couple of Agatha Christie books that had been written when she was well into Alzheimers; it was quite distressing, really, because, when she was in her right mind, there's no way she'd have wanted that to happen

It'd be sad if that happened to Pratchett too, along with the usual horrors of Alzheimer's.

All of those who went out of their way to post here and say that they're glad about someone being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, come over here please, so I can piss in your beer.

Agreed, it's a bloody shame and a rotten thing to happen to anyone

 

[SpookyFrank]

Ennit. Kevin J Anderson wandering around fine, doing god-awful hack work. Just not fair

A perfect example of an author who actually does deserve the levels of hatred some people around here reserve for Mr Pratchett. Alzheimer's be buggered, I'd shoot that fucker Anderson myself

 

[Orang Utan]

Hey, we can joke about him if we want, it's not as if we know him or as if as he's a real person. He's fair game. Silly people.

 

[jæd]

All the bastards that are slating a man who has just been diagnosed with a terminal brain condition can can frankly fuck right off and I've been asked to add twilight pilgrims name to that statement.

No-one is slating the man... Its just how many allegorical stories on a comedic fantasy world does one need...? We've got the point, now do something *different*... Its not quantity makes the author, its quality and breadth of imagination...!

 

[scifisam]

No-one is slating the man... Its just how many allegorical stories on a comedic fantasy world does one need...? We've got the point, now do something *different*... Its not quantity makes the author, its quality and breadth of imagination...!

Then don't read them.

The stories themselves are all very different, in my opinion - and they've actually become more varied in the past few years. They're all comic fantasy, but hey, comic fantasy is a genre. I guess every writer who's only written in one genre is a a bit shit then?

To be honest, I don't care whether you like Terry Pratchett books or not. My GF doesn't get them either, and that doesn't bother me. I just don't get why anyone would go out of their way to slate stuff like that. I've said this before WRT Orang-Utan. But now he's actually wishing the writer dead, which is slating the man rather than the books.

Erm, Orang-Utan, I've never met you either. But it would be just a little bit out of order for me to start wishing you were dead, wouldn't it?

You really, really, really need to get interested in politics or something. You have all this hate that you feel the need to express, and for some reason, instead of directing it towards serial killers and politicans or serial-killer politicians, you direct it towards ... writers of comic fantasy books.

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm sure he'd be first to make light of the horrors of Alzeimer's and the inevitability of death

 

[jæd]

Then don't read them.

I don't anymore. They used to be good, but up until recently the last few the quality dropped of. So I stopped because I want to remember Pterry as a decent author.

I guess every writer who's only written in one genre is a a bit shit then?

A one genre author is an average author. If you can do a multiplicity of them then you're a legend.
[/QUOTE]

 

[scifisam]

@jaed - why is writing in more than one genre so important? Genuine question, btw. If that's your opinion, then, fine, I'll just agree to disagree on that - but I'm curious as to how you came to that opinion.

I'm sure he'd be first to make light of the horrors of Alzeimer's and the inevitability of death

I take the piss out of my own illnesses, too. I don't appreciate other people doing so.

 

[Orang Utan]

Do you really think I wish him dead or hate him? You must be pretty stupid if you think that. Or at least obtuse, so as not to let sense get in the way of your outrage. I quite like the man, after seeing the programme he made about orang utans. I wish him all the best but reserve the right to take the piss. Best to joke than despair.

 

[Gromit]

Its a damn shame. Ah poot!

 

[scifisam]

Do you really think I wish him dead or hate him? You must be pretty stupid if you think that. Or at least obtuse, so as not to let sense get in the way of your outrage. I quite like the man, after seeing the programme he made about orang utans. I wish him all the best but reserve the right to take the piss. Best to joke than despair.

Well, like I said, I don't know you and your intentions or whether you like the books; perhaps your tone wasn't as clear as you thought it was.

I only have your Urban posts to go on, and I remember you jumping into threads a few times to say how much you hate that particular author, book or whatever. So you posts on this thread don't seem that out of character from where I'm sitting.

Aaaanyway ... Someone else on another board has pointed out that Pratchett's has half the royalties for each book and it's unlikely that they'd continue publishing books after he'd gone utterly doolally.

It's such an unpleasant condition. Horrible to think about it happening to anyone. Think I'll go read something funny instead.

 

[psycherelic]

He plans a long way ahead, he's vvery pragmatic and his wife has a fair amount of influence I doubt he continue writting into any kind of losing it stage.

Hopefully he'll plan ahead and make sure he finishes of any lose ends (is that a very selfish hope?)

Will Carot get the top job? What's the full story with Ventinari? a book that really explores him in depth is well over due.

 

[Gromit]

I'll be surprised if he stops writing. He'll just write during moments of clarity and not when he is ill.

It may take longer but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't kick out two more before he hangs up his typewriter. Probably something about Anhkmorpork's first hospital or something.

When you've wrote as many as him its a vocation not a job. Its something to do innit.

 

[Orang Utan]

I only have your Urban posts to go on, and I remember you jumping into threads a few times to say how much you hate that particular author, book or whatever. So you posts on this thread don't seem that out of character from where I'm sitting.

It's not out of character for me to make tasteless jokes, but I take exception to you saying I 'jump' into threads, or go out of my way to say bad things - it's the internet, it's only a few clicks and a type to make a comment - it's hardly going out of my way. It's a shame that you haven't noticed all the things I've praised - perhaps you're the one who's being negative?

 

[jæd]

@jaed - why is writing in more than one genre so important? Genuine question, btw. If that's your opinion, then, fine, I'll just agree to disagree on that - but I'm curious as to how you came to that opinion.

Because it shows adaptability and imagination. And yep, I've read Terry Prachett science fiction stories, and I wish he would do more of them...

(This kind of contradicts my original point, but mainly because I forgot what a good author Terry is. The sci-fi story I was reading this morning by him had more inventiveness and imagination than most novels... but then, if he can write good stuff in other genres why does he keep to the comedy-fantasy books... )

 

[butterfly child]

Hey, we can joke about him if we want, it's not as if we know him or as if as he's a real person. He's fair game. Silly people.

I know him , actually, and I'm find ing it quite offensive.

 

[Orang Utan]

I know him , actually, and I'm find ing it quite offensive.

Welcome to the internet

 

[Sue]

Never read any of his books. But Alzheimers is such a fucking horrific thing (as anyone with any experience of it will know) that I feel incredibly sorry for him and his family and friends.