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Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2007
    Duki wrote: »
    The Cat wrote: »
    >.>

    man, its one of the many reasons I'm glad of the public library system. I can read all sorts of horrible tripe and nobody will ever know.

    except the internet... D:

    He's right about the librarians. We judge you.

    And if you use self-issue machines we just distrust you because we know the reason you're doing so is so we don't see what you're getting out.

    It's terrible, but it's true.

    Also, whenever an old lady returns or gets out around 20 "sexy" category Mills & Boom romance novels, I cringe and hope to God they're not wet when i handle them.

    Yeah, I worked in a library once. This is all true.

    The Cat on
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    ShintoShinto __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    Woah.

    Shinto on
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    GlalGlal AiredaleRegistered User regular
    edited December 2007
    shryke wrote: »
    Glal wrote: »
    shryke wrote: »
    "The Colour of Magic", which is the very first Diskworld book btw, is a great place to start.
    Not sure I'd agree with that. The first books haven't aged too well, and I've seen people get turned off by the series when they read them first.
    How do they age at all? Their nothing but send ups of fantasy tropes.
    Exactly.

    Glal on
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    joshua1joshua1 Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    How did this move to Anne McCaffery? That being said, I don't mind a bit of Anne McCaffery, it allows me to get a dose of Romance in a Sci-Fi Setting, so I still feel like half a man. Except some of those romantic subplots occur between regular men and brains encased in a spaceship capable of FTL travel. So's im guessing no one else is pleased about the Obernwytn (or however you spell it) news?

    joshua1 on
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2007
    joshua1 wrote: »
    How did this move to Anne McCaffery? That being said, I don't mind a bit of Anne McCaffery, it allows me to get a dose of Romance in a Sci-Fi Setting, so I still feel like half a man. Except some of those romantic subplots occur between regular men and brains encased in a spaceship capable of FTL travel. So's im guessing no one else is pleased about the Obernwytn (or however you spell it) news?

    I kind of am, but its been so long since I read the first books i barely remember them. Also, they're in the kiddy section here. Are they actually good?

    The Cat on
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    joshua1joshua1 Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    It may have been years since i read them too but I always found the world of "Post Apocalypse" + "Mind Powers" = Yes Please! I think the language was fairly mature...... i should dig them up and read them again.

    joshua1 on
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    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Shinto wrote: »
    You own all those books, don't you Cat.
    I've bought and rebought every single Pratchett book minus The Science of Discworld ones because I cannot find them. They've all been given away because I just can't keep it to myself.

    For those wondering where to start I also recommend Small Gods. Another good one would be Monstrous Regiment.

    I also agree with Cat that Making Money wasn't as good as his past books. But this simply makes it very good rather than excellent in my opinion.

    Quid on
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    Sunday_AssassinSunday_Assassin Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Well this really does suck. His books are some of the few that I find myself regularly re-reading, in the same way that I'll watch an episode of Arrested Development or something when I feel like cheering up. I can only read 'serious' novels maybe a couple of times, and feel done with them, but the enjoyment I consistently get from Pratchett goes on and on.

    Personal favourite: Pyramids. Pretty much stand alone and pretty much awesome. Also I tend to forget the details relatively quickly for some reason, so each new reading is always fun.

    Going to need some Discworld tonight, I think. Sad, sad news.

    Sunday_Assassin on
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    SaskwachSaskwach Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Wow. I feel terrible because only two weeks ago while throwing things out to move house I got rid of a lot of my Pratchetts. I reasoned that I'd read them, enjoyed them and if I ever got the itch again (which was doubtful) I could return. And now he's got Alzheimer's. This cannot be some cosmic coincidence.
    Quid wrote: »
    I've bought and rebought every single Pratchett book minus The Science of Discworld ones because I cannot find them.

    I'll be doing that right now. Plus the Sciences because they're still with me.

    Saskwach on
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    DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I have one of the Science of Discworld books that I managed to find at a second-hand book store. I don't think they were ever put on the mass market here in the US.

    DarkPrimus on
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    DukiDuki Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    The Science books are really really fun too. The Discworld stories in them are kind of short and stuff, but they're still nice. The actual science in them is fascinating though, and this comes from a dude who knows very little about the physics and biology they talk about. Pretty illuminating stuff.

    Duki on
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    DarkCrawlerDarkCrawler Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I still like the first books. I read the Colour of Magic at least once in two years...

    My favorite Pratchett book is Small Gods, though.

    DarkCrawler on
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    BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I already talked about this on my LiveJournal and since it went on LiveJournal it is clearly depressing and poorly written and emo, so I will spare you all my thoughts on this that go any farther than: completely depressed.

    My favorite is probably Lords and Ladies. My first one was Mort, and is the one I suggest to everyone starting out.

    I was never able to get into the Night Watch books, though. I don't know why.

    Blackjack on
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    3DS: 1607-3034-6970
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    MikeManMikeMan Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Everybody who likes Pratchett should read Strata.

    Really old book, one of his first.

    Not that funny.

    But really good and creative ideas.

    And boo at this news.

    MikeMan on
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    HacksawHacksaw J. Duggan Esq. Wrestler at LawRegistered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Well, this is easily the worst news I've heard all week.

    Hacksaw on
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    Rufus_ShinraRufus_Shinra Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I met him in person after he gave an hour long speech at a local library. The guy was hilarious in his speech and incredibly warm in person. I missed his book signing session at the beginning, but he still signed my copy of Night Watch after his talk.

    My favorite part of his speech was when he was talking about his success with the Discworld series.
    So with my new economic resources, I've been able to put together a superb writing studio. The walls are lined with books, and my computer is set up with four monitors. My friend asked why I needed all of those monitors, to which I responded, "Need!?"

    edit: Small Gods is my favorite and I highly recommend it as a standalone masterpiece

    Rufus_Shinra on
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    Captain RonCaptain Ron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    No offense intended towards Pratchett, as he is definitely one of my favorite authors, but I always considered him a little demented anyways so the Alzheimer's diagnosis seems more like a clarification than a death sentence.

    I'd imagine that being an author would be of great benefit in providing mental stimulation to offset the progress of the disease. After all, you're constantly taking notes to remind yourself of where you're going with your stories.

    At least with the diagnosis he's got a better chance of ensuring that he recieves the best care, so he'll be able to continue shipping out the products of his (now officially) demented mind for hopefully years to come.

    Captain Ron on
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    TachTach Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I'm actually re-reading Mort again right now...

    I really hope he's able to do what he loves for as long as he can. He's my favorite author, humorist, and satirist. He's created a whole world for us to enjoy, and every visit (or re-visit) is a feast for my brain.

    Viva Pratchett.

    Tach on
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    SamphisSamphis Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Damn. Every time I'm about to start a series, something happens to the author.

    I'm glad they found it pretty early, though.

    Samphis on
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    DarkCrawlerDarkCrawler Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    It's not really that kind ofa series...in fact, most books are standalone novels which can be read as long as you know the basic things about Discworld...it's more like a series of books that focus on the same world but with different characters.

    DarkCrawler on
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    Rhan9Rhan9 Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Terry Pratchett has Alzheimer's? Fuck...
    This is terrible, I hope it's manageable due to being found so early. I haven't read all that many Discworld novels, but I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I have gone through.

    This is the worst news I've heard this week.

    Rhan9 on
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    ShintoShinto __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    He's not dead yet. I'm sure he'll be functional for years and years.

    Shinto on
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    jotjot Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Damn. That ruined my day.
    No offense intended towards Pratchett, as he is definitely one of my favorite authors, but I always considered him a little demented anyways so the Alzheimer's diagnosis seems more like a clarification than a death sentence.


    What the fuck?

    Also, Quotes

    jot on
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    AroducAroduc regular
    edited December 2007
    Quid wrote: »
    Shinto wrote: »
    You own all those books, don't you Cat.
    I've bought and rebought every single Pratchett book minus The Science of Discworld ones because I cannot find them. They've all been given away because I just can't keep it to myself.

    For those wondering where to start I also recommend Small Gods. Another good one would be Monstrous Regiment.

    I also agree with Cat that Making Money wasn't as good as his past books. But this simply makes it very good rather than excellent in my opinion.

    I'll third this. Moist was just totally passive almost the entire novel, and the antagonist was a complete joke. I kept expecting there to be something more to him, but nada.

    Aroduc on
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    UndefinedMonkeyUndefinedMonkey Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Dear Alzheimers Disease,

    You got the wrong Terry. I realize it may be difficult because they both write fantasy books, but you're still a prick.

    Love,

    A very angry Pratchett fan


    Seriously, though, this is pretty much the worst thing since Douglas Adams' heart attack. I know the big question on everyone's mind is what's going to happen to the universe, but his daughter has already proven that she'd at least be a capable successor. I just hate to think that he's going to have to go through this. Hopefully they've caught it early enough and can at least slow things down for a good long while.

    UndefinedMonkey on
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    Salvation122Salvation122 Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Kipling217 wrote: »
    I have to say that part of me is in the grief mode already, First trying to deny it to myself, then trying to bargaing that the OP is a Cockwad that will be banned for making false threads. But Life is never that fair and this is real isn't it?
    It's okay, man. Here and now, he is alive.

    Salvation122 on
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    Captain RonCaptain Ron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    jot wrote: »
    Damn. That ruined my day.
    No offense intended towards Pratchett, as he is definitely one of my favorite authors, but I always considered him a little demented anyways so the Alzheimer's diagnosis seems more like a clarification than a death sentence.


    What the fuck?

    Also, Quotes

    You wouldn't consider Terry's writing a mild form of dementia?

    Captain Ron on
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    Rhan9Rhan9 Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Indeed. He's not dead, and most likely isn't going to be for years. Doesn't mean that the situation doesn't suck though.

    Rhan9 on
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    FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited December 2007
    jot wrote: »
    Damn. That ruined my day.
    No offense intended towards Pratchett, as he is definitely one of my favorite authors, but I always considered him a little demented anyways so the Alzheimer's diagnosis seems more like a clarification than a death sentence.


    What the fuck?

    Also, Quotes

    You wouldn't consider Terry's writing a mild form of dementia?
    Medical dementia is a little bit different than absurdity.

    Fencingsax on
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    Captain RonCaptain Ron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    jot wrote: »
    Damn. That ruined my day.
    No offense intended towards Pratchett, as he is definitely one of my favorite authors, but I always considered him a little demented anyways so the Alzheimer's diagnosis seems more like a clarification than a death sentence.


    What the fuck?

    Also, Quotes

    You wouldn't consider Terry's writing a mild form of dementia?
    Medical dementia is a little bit different than absurdity.

    There's no chance that the absurdity stems from the earlier onset of dementia?

    Captain Ron on
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    KalkinoKalkino Buttons Londres Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Filthy illness this, I had a couple of aunts get it about 15 years ago and it wasn't pretty. The one bright side is that at least he will be able to afford to be looked after properly. Having seen the amount of care that is needed I wouldn't wish it on any family member.

    Kalkino on
    Freedom for the Northern Isles!
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    Golden YakGolden Yak Burnished Bovine The sunny beaches of CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited December 2007
    jot wrote: »
    Also, Quotes

    Oh God...
    Terry wrote:

    One day I'll be dead and THEN you'll all be sorry.

    -- (Terry Pratchett, alt.fan.pratchett)

    *sob*

    Golden Yak on
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    BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    This one made me D: too
    Pterry wrote:
    I always call it 'Tour Flu', because two or three weeks in hot bookshops with hundreds of people usually produces an ailment of some kind. Going on tour is like a box of rare diseases -- you never know what you're going to get.

    Blackjack on
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    Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    Who the fuck is Terry Pratchett?

    And why do I feel like crying all day?

    Oh god. This is horrible!

    Death of Rats on
    No I don't.
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2007
    There's no chance that the absurdity stems from the earlier onset of dementia?
    No, you complete fool. Go sit in wikipedia and think about what you've done.

    The Cat on
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    ÆthelredÆthelred Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    It's a shame humour is the most under-appreciated form of English literature there is; Pratchett deserves to be up there with the best of them.

    Æthelred on
    pokes: 1505 8032 8399
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    DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    edited December 2007
    I have Alzheimer's on both sides of my family, and have seen people I love waste away under its effects... to the point where they realized that they were a shadow of their former selves and wished to die. I can't imagine being that betrayed by my own mind.

    I can't imagine that any benevolent diety would want us to suffer by gradually losing our identity, no matter what sins we might have on our souls. I have to believe that science is what we're given to solve this problem on our own.

    Good Omens is my favorite book of those of Pratchett's I've read. I'll be hoping for some good omens for Mr. Pratchett and his family. At least they caught it early.

    Dracomicron on
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    Captain RonCaptain Ron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    The Cat wrote: »
    There's no chance that the absurdity stems from the earlier onset of dementia?
    No, you complete fool. Go sit in wikipedia and think about what you've done.

    No, seriously... Prattchet rocks.

    I can not stress that enough.

    But I think he's always been slightly demented. His sense of humour should prove to be ample evidence.

    Captain Ron on
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2007
    The Cat wrote: »
    There's no chance that the absurdity stems from the earlier onset of dementia?
    No, you complete fool. Go sit in wikipedia and think about what you've done.

    No, seriously... Prattchet rocks.

    I can not stress that enough.

    But I think he's always been slightly demented. His sense of humour should prove to be ample evidence.

    I don't think you know what dementia means. Here's a clue: the popular use of the word has nearly no relationship with the actual medical symptoms. Dementia is not about being oddball. Which is why I recommended that you go educate yourself. Go. Now please.

    The Cat on
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    Captain RonCaptain Ron __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2007
    The Cat wrote: »
    The Cat wrote: »
    There's no chance that the absurdity stems from the earlier onset of dementia?
    No, you complete fool. Go sit in wikipedia and think about what you've done.

    No, seriously... Prattchet rocks.

    I can not stress that enough.

    But I think he's always been slightly demented. His sense of humour should prove to be ample evidence.

    I don't think you know what dementia means. Here's a clue: the popular use of the word has nearly no relationship with the actual medical symptoms. Dementia is not about being oddball. Which is why I recommended that you go educate yourself. Go. Now please.

    I take it you've never found his writing style a little disorienting?

    I'm not trying to make light of Mr. Pratchett's illness, I just think it's a shame to mourn the man when he's still alive, kicking, and cracking jokes.

    Captain Ron on
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