hen you sit down to write something as a tribute, you're always at a loss at to where to begin, do you talk about how a person made you feel? Do you start with how they came into your life? Or do you begin as every story does at the beginning?
For me, two authors have always had a huge influence on my life, the first, was David Gemmell, a person who as his characters were "a man to walk the mountains with." The second, and the author of this tribute, was Terry Pratchett, a writer who taught me that it was good to laugh at life and even when you think you don't fit in, there is indeed a place for you and to find the humour within it.
Many were huge fans of his Bromeliad Trilogy, or his Johnny Maxwell series but for me, it was his Discworld where I felt safe and at home.
Who couldn't love the many characters who populated his world, from an old man out of his time struggling to live with his own legend (Cohen the Barbarian), though to a man just trying to make a living any which way he could (Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler) or just one of the myriad of others who populated the packed Disc riding upon the shoulders of four elephants who stand upon th eback of the Great A'Tuin, a turtle that travels through space.
Each character took a place in your heart, each outing a special adventure that felt it had been written just for you and whether it was poking fun at things like the Movie Industry (Moving Pictures), having the personification of Death trying to understand the world (Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music & The Hogfather) or even just the City Guard (Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch) who struggle to become a force to Police the unpoliceable city that disrespects everyone with a wink and a nod (and in some cases a knife in the back), you knew that you were among your literary friends with each release.
So much so that if you spotted another person reading a Pratchett book, you always gave them a friendly nod when you caught their eye.
Each release saw you running to the bookshop or library, hoping that you'd be amongst the first to dive into the pages, each page was treated like Gold dust as you struggled between the struggle of devouring or savouring to eek the story out for some extended period so you could talk to your friends about it or just feel smug that you've had the chance to read the latest before everyone else. And so this pattern continued for years until a time when there were no more new adventures.
We felt that loss as we struggled through life seeking that light from a well written adventure that made us laugh or cry (at times) that had us asking questions or just giving us all the courage to get through another tough day when it felt like all life was doing was running up to you and giving you a good kick in the nether regions and then patting you on the back so you'd stand up straight, straight for another boot.
Each year we get further from his influence and his love of the ridiculousness of life, each year the world feels darker with no one to poke fun at the world and help it make sense, which when you consider that a fantasy world makes way more logical sense than the one you live in really says something for how well its been crafted.
For me, I love to remember the first reads I had with his books, and whilst many remember life through music or films, I also remember it with the fondness of a new Terry title. Each book that is associated with his world is something I have to have, I love the whimsical way Paul Kidby brings the world to life with his art, the way that the Christmas productions of TV bring the world to a new medium alongside viewer and whilst I know that I'll never have that next Adventure, I do know that by sharing his work, a new generation will get to enjoy them all anew and with the same wonder and fulfilment as we did on our first read. All I can say is rest well Terry, the world may be darker but your light shines on.
Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby
October/November 2026
Doubleday
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