Today we lost one of the world’s most beloved Authors. If Shakespeare taught us what it means to be human, Terry Pratchett taught us how to laugh at the human condition. The Guardian, in their tribute to Sir Pratchett said it best:
The emphasis was always on the comedy, the foibles and peccadilloes of the characters, a gentle cynicism about the ways of the world, a joy in puns, a love of irritating footnotes, and relish for the bathetic puncturing of the bombastic.
While popular success often equates to ill-written or lazy speak, Pratchett’s success was due to his intellectual yet accessible style of writing. Between his puns that make you do a double take, to his use of classic literary references, Pratchett showed us that humor could be adroit and charming.
Perhaps this is why I am so sad. Why I’ve been holding back my tears all day. There is no one quite like Sir Pratchett. No one who is able to at once poke fun at human foibles while making us think and laugh at the same time. His world was our world. And now, with his passing, we mourn as one. I am at a loss for words.
I can think of no better tribute to Pratchett and his work than to let him have the final say.
I give you five of my favorite Terry Pratchett quotes.
“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
“The female mind is certainly a devious one, my lord.”
Vetinari looked at his secretary in surprise. “Well, of course it is. It has to deal with the male one.”
“The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it.”
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn’t as cynical as real life.”
“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?”
Long live Terry Pratchett. May you now be swimming with the Turtle
The View From Sari's World 
As a late convert I’m sad that I’ve come so late to him, but better late than never. In fact I had read some Pratchett before Mort — Good Omens co-authored with Neil Gaiman, and a short story in Diana Wynne Jones’ collection Hidden Turnings — but never the man himself in full flow. I look forward to a lot of catching up.
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