Author Terry Pratchett posted a message on Paul Kidby’s Discworld News website revealing that "I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer’s, which lay behind this year’s phantom ‘stroke.’ We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism… All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers. Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there’s time for at least a few more books yet :o)"
Pratchett went on to reassure readers that any serious consequences of this diagnosis "maybe further off than you think – it’s too soon to tell. I know it’s a very human thing to say ‘Is there anything I can do,’ but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."
Having been enthralled by a TV movie of Pratchett’s novel Hogfather the last couple days (actually our first exposure to the author’s Discworld), we have held him very much in the forefront of our minds, and wish him and his family the best during this difficult time.
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I'd already heard about Terry's brain problems, but I wish someone had mentioned Hogfather earlier. I have the book, of course, but I'd like to see the movie, too. I'm currently reading his Johnny Maxwell Trilogy, his only SF, for bookgroup on Saturday.If you decide to read Discworld, let me know. There are a lot of subsets in the books and many people like only one or two sets. Plus, the first two books are the weakest. I can tell you which you might want to try first. Oh, and there's animated UK video sets of two other books. I don't know if there's DVDs.
ION will probably rerun Hogfather on a regular basis through the holidays — but I thought it was awful. I love the Discworld books, but the teevee movie was four hours of my life I'll never get back.
there's also Dark Side of the Sun and Strata from before he started the discworld if you're looking for Pratchett sci-fi. But start with Guards Guards or Witches Abroad, I reckon – they're the point where he started writing Discworld novels instead of not-that-funny-fantasy
I've read all his books — including the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy and Truckers, Diggers, Wings, plus Good Omens with Neil Gaiman. And since you're replying so much later, I did get the DVD of Hogfather.
Personally i'd say start with the Death books (Mort [a tribute to which Mercedes Lackey slipped into her book"The Fairy Godmother"], The Reaper Man, Soul Music…) The Witch books (especially Witches Abroad) might be good, too.
The Death books is the way that I got into them, quickly followed by the Witch books! Quickly followed by an obession and an overflowing bookshelf. Luckily my folks had plannd a trip to Canada at a time when the Corgi published books weren't so easy to come by in the US and I was able 'complete my run' in one trip to a bookstore (and for some reason I want to say it was a supercheap even for Canada store). Although aesthetically, they clash with the Harper books…But I had orginally discovered the series when Colour of Magic was turned into a comic book in the early 90s.
I quoted a line from "Witches Abroad" when i reviewed "Pirate's Pantry", a Louisiana Junior League cookbook – that Nanny Ogg had always thought that she was a good cook, but now she realised she'd just been not starving as pleasantly as possible…
All of mine came from the Science Fiction Book Club, including Where's My Cow?.
I like the Guards subset, too, although they tend to be more political satire compared to the other variations of satire. And DEATH makes a brief appearance in Johnny and the Dead.
Mom throwingout my comics was a 'classic' childhood trauma I never had to suffer, since my mother had suffered through various forms of having her childhood treasures tossed out on her (including a while she was sleeping raid on her toys AND learning all the stuff they'd told her they'd trown away when she moved out was in fact still in the attic when her grandmother sold the house)
And I have found out that Hogfather will be shown on ION (formerly Pax) on Sunday, 12/23, at 7pm.