it is easy to dismiss terry pratchett as just another fantasy author. (after all, what else can he be if he writes about a world that travels through space on the backs of four elephants that stand on the back of a giant turtle?) this guy is a bloody genius, that's what he is. he is a master storyteller, with an intensely creative imagination (where does this guy get his ideas? i want to drink whatever he's drinking!), and magical way with words.
he is regarded as one of the most significant contemporary english-language satirists, pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an officer of the british empire “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received four honorary doctorates. his acclaimed novels have sold more than 45 million copies (give or take a few) and have been translated into 33 languages. only j.k. rowling has outsold him, but pratchett still holds the record for being the most shoplifted author in the u.k.
his books are funny, they make you laugh out loud. everytime i read one, i start to question why i bother reading other books at all! (ok, well, there's no blood and gore in his books so maybe that's why.) and i annoy everyone around me by quoting entire passages to them. hehehehe (in other words if you see me holding a pratchett book, run for your life!) but what i really like most about them is that i actually learn so much! more than just fantasy books, they are actually satires about real world issues like politics, religion, economics, war, and everything in between. why, i even learned everything about banking systems in the novel "making money" that my professor of economics at UP failed to make me understand! seriously.
but most of all, he uses words like he loves them. he's brilliant writer and i wish he could keep writing. sadly, he has been diagnosed with early-onset alzheimer's disease. which is only the worst thing that can happen to a mind like his. already i am mourning the fact that there will only be 38 discworld novels. (oh, did i mention he's also very prolific?)
these are my favorite titles in no particular order (out of all that i have read):
1. night watch (about politics, social justice, rule of law)
2. thud (about prejudice, and doing what's right)
3. wytches abroad (a parody of all fairy tales)
4. the light fantastic
5. the amazing maurice and his educated rodents (a must-read)
6. thief of time
7. hogfather (this was made into a movie. saw the film. loved it too. it's the best argument for letting kids believe in fantasies like santa claus and the tooth fairy.)
some of the characters appear in more than one book, and i have also come to love them like they were my friends. =)
*** that shelf full of discworld novels is sadly, not mine. one day, i'll own them all.
