Sir Terry Pratchett is the Greatest Writer of All Time
Terry Pratchett is irrefutably the best writer of all time. He created one of the most vast, intricate, and complete universes in the fantasy/fiction genre. His understanding of the human condition and of how different kinds of people think, feel, and deal with everyday life allowed him to create amazing and deep characters. Most of all, his wisdom pertaining to religion, politics, relationships, and morality paired with his hilarious sense of humor makes his books some of the most fulfilling to read. Also, he was a complete and utter badass.
The most notable reason for my assertion that Terry Pratchett is the greatest writer of all time is the depth and intricacies of the universe that he has created. Most of his books and stories take place in a universe called Discworld, where the earth is shaped like a disc and sits upon the backs of four elephants, who stand upon the shell of a mighty turtle named A’tuin as he or she makes his or her way through the endlessness of space.
Discworld is one of the most brilliantly thought out fantasy universes of all time and is my personal favorite. Not only does it encompass all of the things a reader could ever want in fantasy (dwarves, witches, dragons, wizards, and anthropomorphic personifications), but it also has all of the things that we see every day in our reality, allowing the reader to feel connected to his world.
Human beings make life so interesting. Do you know, that in a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to invent boredom.
— Terry Pratchett
One very important part of a good narrative is having good characters. There is no shortage of different, interesting, wacky, or completely off-the-wall characters roaming about in Discworld. The main protagonists that Terry Pratchett chooses are however some of the best. Pratchett writes his protagonists and main characters with beautiful thought put into them. They are all very different but share many characteristics.
Between Commander Vimes of the City Watch, Granny Weatherwax, the formidable witch, and Death of … people dying fame, they all have major internal struggles that they deal with, their own questionable coping mechanisms, and their own often mind-blowing philosophical ideas. The thing about these characters is that they grow and change as you follow their stories, and they seem real. I swear I know a few people in my personal life who could probably be the Earth version of Vimes.
Most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally evil, but by people being fundamentally people.
— Terry Pratchett
Aside from his ability to draw you into his world and keep you there, reading until your eyes bleed, it’s rather the way he uses language that makes me truly consider him to be the best writer of all time. Terry Pratchett is well known for his humor and his wit. While that can definitely attract certain readers to his books, it doesn’t do him justice to just say that he’s witty.
Not only do his books keep the reader stuck between quietly giggling to themselves and cackling loudly, drawing the attention of onlookers, but it also makes them think. His satirical take on the human (or dwarven) condition, religion, and politics can be inspiring, depressing, or downright eye-opening. Between the laughter and weirdness, he throws in amazing, brilliant points of view that always make me stare at the wall and reflect upon my own behavior, and upon the world around me.
Here’s some advice boy. Don’t put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That’s why they’re called revolutions.
— Terry Pratchett
If tales of his literary prowess aren’t enough to draw you in and convince you to pick up a Discworld novel the next time you’re out and about, it may get you there to know that Terry Pratchett is a certified badass, as well. I should have been referring to him as Sir Terry Pratchett all of this time because he was knighted in 2009.
In 2010, he was granted his own coat of arms. Upon being knighted, Sir Terry decided that he needed his own sword as well. What is a knight without his mighty sword? So he forged his own sword out of meteorite. Seriously. Then, when he died at age 66, he live-tweeted his own death. Posted a play-by-play right up until the end. Like I said, this man was not only brilliant, but he was also a total badass.
Here, I confirm Sir Terry Pratchett to be the greatest writer of all time and insist that anyone reading this go out immediately and snatch up one of his many amazing Discworld novels. If you want to read an amazing story written by a seriously awesome knight who forged his own sword, which will make you laugh until you cry while simultaneously making you consider writing a letter to Congress, it’ll be perfect for you.
Personally, I’m considering starting a movement to elect his ghost as the next president of the US. Think that could work? Message me if you can talk to ghosts. Let’s ask him about his platform.
It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it.
— Terry Pratchett
