Terry Pratchet diagnosed with Alzheimers

link to BBC news

I have to admit Terry is one of my favorite authors, we own all the Discworld books, and I have been thinking about getting his children's book for the little one. I was very sorry to hear this news, and I'll keep him in my thoughts, since I do not pray anymore.


Anyway, I thought I'd share the news, I know this site is aimed at RPG games but I know a lot of people here are avid readers as well, and I take it most of you are familiar with his work.

Oh, bugger.

That would explain why his writing has been going downhill fast lately.

You could always pray to Offler the Crocodile God. Or Anoia (rattle her drawers!). I'm sure Pratchett would appreciate the gesture.

A great shame indeed I don't think his recent stuff has been too bad, except for Monstrous Regiment.

Noooooooo … Damn it!

I'm in the middle of reading Thud! at the moment and I have read all the other Discworld novels and enjoyed them immensely.

"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME"
Ain't that the truth, otherwise he would have had to get his leg amputated or suffer from back pains or the like - not a brain disease.

This is so very sad I think I'm going to start crying soon

Heard about this, so tragic for such a rich imagination to be chipped away by disease like that.

So sad .

We lose Robert Jordan. Now Pratchett's sick. Eddings last turned out the Dreamers series, which was criminally awful. Asprin hasn't been right since he got divorced and dried out. David Gemmell died last year.

I might as well give up reading.

I didn't know Jordan had died! I told my Mom several years ago that I was going to stop reading Jordan's books because I thought he'd die of old age before he ever finished the series. My Mom kept buying them as they came out. She died in 2004 and I inherited her book collection. I've been buying every series that she had started to buy before her death, so I think I have all of his books. I haven't read them past book 8 or so, but it's sad to hear that he did die before he finished his great work. I've read (a few minutes ago) that someone else is going to finish the series based on a set of tapes he recorded when he was sick.

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I didn't know Jordan had died! I told my Mom several years ago that I was going to stop reading Jordan's books because I thought he'd die of old age before he ever finished the series. My Mom kept buying them as they came out. She died in 2004 and I inherited her book collection. I've been buying every series that she had started to buy before her death, so I think I have all of his books. I haven't read them past book 8 or so, but it's sad to hear that he did die before he finished his great work. I've read (a few minutes ago) that someone else is going to finish the series based on a set of tapes he recorded when he was sick.

Robert Jordan is not dead, he's "just" dying.

Übereil

Originally Posted by Ubereil
Robert Jordan is not dead, he's "just" dying.

Übereil

No, Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and is therefore "just" dying as you say, but Robert Jordan died last month.

Originally Posted by fatBastard()
…but Robert Jordan died last month.

I see. I missed that.

Übereil

It's bad, but Terry is a cool guy and he'll get better.

In any case, I'll start rattling my drawers.

Actually Jordan, may he rest in piece, died in September. Brandon Sanderson (he's had nothing published in here so he's the unknown in the equation) has been picked up by Hariet to finish Memory of Light.

I thought Harriet picked Robert's nephew to do the writing, or is that the same guy?

Originally Posted by Arma
It's bad, but Terry is a cool guy and he'll get better.

I hate to break this to you, Arma, but you don't get better from Alzheimer's. The best that can happen is that you get worse more slowly.

That is terribly sad, and especially sad that it should hit someone known for his scintillating wit and easy intelligence.

But I just rattled a drawer too, just on the off-chance that it'll help. I'm fairly certain it won't do any harm.

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
The best that can happen is that you get worse more slowly.

Some would say that the best thing that could happen is to die of a heart attack or something similar before you become a lost soul within your own body.

This has been a sad year … and while the deaths of some older writers (like Vonnegut) have struck me, this is a real tough one because it is a 'living death'.

Originally Posted by txa1265
Some would say that the best thing that could happen is to die of a heart attack or something similar before you become a lost soul within your own body.

Indeed. He is on such friendly terms with Death that he would deserve to be in full possession of his spirits for their date.

This has been a sad year … and while the deaths of some older writers (like Vonnegut) have struck me, this is a real tough one because it is a 'living death'.

And Norman Mailer just went too.

Ach, Crivens !



Besides, Lloyd Alexander died in May this year.

Ouch, it really has been a bad year to be an author.

I think I'll give up writing!!

This is sad news indeed. I read some of the Discworlds novels, from "The Colour of Magic", up to "Interesting Times". Very funny stuff, although I sometimes get the impression I'm missing some of the jokes because they alludes to things I don't know.