“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?" - Going Postal
(First lines from the first book The Color of Magic)
(Last lines from the last book The Shepherd's Crown)
Today marks a year since Terry Pratchett passed away. I can't even put into words just how much Pratchett and his books mean to me, but I'll try.
Seeing all the memorial posts on Facebook made me tear up and realize that his passing is still a difficult thing to deal with. Pratchett was my hero. His books got me through a lot of hard stuff over the years and gave me so much hope. They reminded me that there's always good and humor in the world even when things look bad. Especially when things look bad because no matter who you are, you can make a difference. That optimism isn't a bad thing to have, even if it is coupled with a healthy dose of realism. ;)
His books also gave me what a lot of other authors don't seem capable of writing: optimism, humor, and hope, the same things that helped my life so much. It sadens me so much that I won't have more Discworld books to fill that literary void, but with over 40 books just in the Discworld series, Pratchett gave us something we can enjoy over and over again. He left behind a huge legacy of amazing writing and that's something I can't forget. There won't be new books, but I can always return to my old friends and feel like I'm home. I realize now that Discworld has been my home even more than Middle Earth and that's saying a lot!
Pratchett was also my biggest influence in wanting to become an author. I doubt I'll ever be as great with words as he was, but I'm going to carry on writing and do my part to contribute more optimism, humor, and hope into a world that so desperately needs it.
GNU Terry Pratchett. "A man is not dead while his name is still spoken." Your name will forever be spoken and your words forever loved.
~Meri
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