The world of Terry Pratchett
The late great Sir Terry Pratchett was a force to be reckoned with in the domain of fantasy novels. While his contributions to the world of literature are innumerable, Pratchett's life encompassed a lot more than just the art of writing books.
In 2007, when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, Pratchett took a step in a different direction by publicly announcing his diagnosis. Pratchett's casual acceptance of his illness, along with his nonchalant humour on the issue, helped bring to light a disease that wasn't as popular back then.
While dwelling on the passing of Sir Pratchett is almost heartbreaking for me, there is definitely a reward in being able to introduce readers to the world of fiction which he created.
Without further ado, here's a list compiling some of Pratchett's greatest literary works.
THE LONG EARTH SERIES
The Long Earth series is one of Pratchett's later endeavours, having first been published since 2012 onwards. All of the five books were co-authored with Stephen Baxter, the mind behind the Xeelee Sequence series. Quintessentially science fiction, the books deal with the idea of parallel worlds. The title, "The Long Earth", refers to the parallel earth that has no constraint on its supply of land, thus making it an almost utopia-like place of residence. Throughout the course of the series we see the countless effects of humans discovering the infinite lands of this alternate earth.
JOHNNY MAXWELL TRILOGY
Aside from science fiction, Pratchett also showcases his skill at writing fiction for children in his Johnny Maxwell trilogy. The books follow the main character Johnny Maxwell, who is an ordinary boy, except for the fact that he can see aliens, ghosts, and some other weird entities. The best bit about the Johnny Maxwell series is Pratchett's portrayal of children and the struggle they face in a domestic environment that isn't particularly peaceful. Johnny along with all of his friends are all brilliantly written and well-developed characters over the course of the three-part novel.
GOOD OMENS
Not much needs to be said about Good Omens except that it is a series about an Angel and a Demon teaming up to deal with the oncoming apocalypse. If that description alone doesn't get you hooked, the comic approach with which Pratchett along with co-author Neil Gaiman pen each chapter will definitely do the trick. With the TV show adaption of the book releasing later this year, now is definitely a great time to pick up the book.
THE DISCWORLD SERIES
Last but not least, we have Pratchett's Discworld series. Upon the time of his death, the series stands at around 41 different novels, all written within the same universe. The Discworld is, by Pratchett's definition, a flat planet balanced on four elephants who in turn are standing on the back of a giant turtle. The Discworld series saw its inception in 1983 with The Colour of Magic, and has since then continued till the last book, The Shepherd's Crown, released in 2015. The series encapsulates Pratchett's brilliant humour, along with his ability to write masterpieces, while not taking things too seriously. And while an entire article could be written just around the Discworld series, maybe a series that has successfully dominated the fantasy genre for almost 36 years now with around 41 books will be enough information to get you into the series.
Pratchett spent his life writing, almost effortlessly, books for children and adults of all ages. And if nothing else, his body of work continues to entertain and captivate audiences to this day. So whether it's to celebrate his life, or just because you need a book to read, go give Terry Pratchett's works a go. Happy reading!
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