"So much universe, and so little time". RIP Terry Pratchett

“AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER”

“Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.”

“The End”.

 

With those final words Sir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE left  us with the same style and dignity that he had always shown throughout his too short life on this mortal coil.

 

It's fitting I guess that thousands of lines of text will now be written about a man whose career and huge body of work showed the enormous power of the written word - and how it can inspire, enlighten, educate and entertain millions across the world.

 

Far better people than I will be able to explain the huge impact Terry had on the literary world and the fantasy genre. Others will speak eloquently about his tireless campaigns for better understanding and support for sufferers of early onset Alzheimer's and for the right to die at a time and place of one's own choosing.

All I can do is offer my own personal memories.

 

I was lucky enough to meet the man himself several times at events and books signings. He was always kind, friendly and pleased to see you, with a boundless enthusiasm for his work and his fans.

Two moments stand out in my mind from the very early days, before he became mega famous.

 

The first time, my friend Neill and I were standing in line to get our books signed (I think Mort had just come out in paperback). This was the time when Josh Kirby was painting all the UK Discworld book covers. Other publishers were leaping on the "comic fantasy" bandwagon and in an attempt get some of the Pratchett readership had also commissioned Kirby to do the covers for the books by American author Craig Shaw Gardner.    

Gardner's books were fantasy parodies similar to the first couple of Discworld novels (personally I think his "Cineverse Cycle" is much more original). Anyway as a bit of a joke, we took one of the Gardner books along to the signing. Terry took it from Neill and turned it over in his hands. "Hmmmm..." he rumbled, then looked up at us with a big grin  - and wrote something in the book and signed it with his usual flourish (he had more time and less signatures to do in those days). After a brief exchange of how much we liked his books and what was he working on next, we moved along and let others have their turn. Curious as to what Terry had written, we waited til we were outside and opened the book. "Nice cover...." it said. *** The second time the actual meeting was much briefer (although Terry did remember us as the ones who had made him sign someone else's book). However what stood out was the talk Terry gave before the signing. He did the usual stuff talking about the latest release and what was coming up (including a reading from the unpublished "Wyrd Sisters" I seem to recall). But then he started to talk about "Mapworld". Now my memory is a little hazy so I can't recall all the details, but consider that this was before Nomes, Jonny Maxwell, Tiffany Aching and The Long Earth - even before most of the Discworld novels were published. This was going to be Terry's new series. "Mapworld" was going to be a kind-of-standard fantasy domain, much like the early Discworld. The difference was that it really *was* a map. The lands huge mountains and valleys were caused by the creases in the pages of The Map. The far north was dominated by The Compass and in the middle of the countryside there were two gigantic steel structures from the dawn of time known as The Staples... Terry enthused about this idea for several minutes. He had obviously put a lot of thought into it and a book or something must be coming soon we thought -  otherwise why would he share it with us all there? But as the months and years passed, "Mapworld" never materialised and I have not been able to find any reference to it on the 'Net. I guess Discworld became so popular that maybe Terry felt he could write the kinds of stories he wanted to tell just within that world. There was no need for another one. Still I always wonder if the remains of the idea are sitting unnoticed in an obscure folder of Terry's computer or in a forgotten folder on a dusty shelf. I guess now we may never know... *** Terry Pratchett's was one of the most popular British authors of all time and his novels and his effect on people's lives will endure. Like the Discworld he created, he transcended his humble beginnings and become so important to so many. I will always remember him for being just a thoroughly nice bloke. To end with, a quote from "Small Gods" seems very apt:

  

"Mountains rise and fall, and under them the Turtle swims onward. Men live and die, and the Turtle Moves. Empires grow and crumble, and the Turtle Moves. Gods come and go, and still the Turtle Moves."

 

Rest in peace Terry - and thank you.

Oh and the Alzheimer's Research UK website is here. Go and donate in Terry's memory.