posted March 12, 2015 07:14 PM            

Sir Terry Pratchett, fantasy author and creator of the Discworld series, has died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

"The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds," said Larry Finlay of his publishers Transworld.

The author died at home, surrounded by his family, "with his cat sleeping on his bed", he added.

Sir Terry wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book last summer.

He "enriched the planet like few before him" and through Discworld satirised the world "with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention," said Mr Finlay.

"Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely," said Mr Finlay.

"Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come."

Sir Terry leaves wife Lyn and daughter Rhianna.

The announcement of his death was made on Sir Terry's Twitter account on Thursday afternoon, with Rhianna later writing: "Many thanks for all the kind words about my dad. Those last few tweets were sent with shaking hands and tear-filled eyes."

Despite campaigning for assisted suicide after his diagnosis, Sir Terry's publishers said he did not take his own life.

BBC News correspondent Nick Higham said: "I was told by the publishers his death was entirely natural and unassisted, even though he had said in the past he wanted to go at a time of his own choosing."

Fellow author and friend Neil Gaiman was among those paying tribute to Sir Terry, writing on his website: "There was nobody like him. I was fortunate to have written a book with him, when we were younger, which taught me so much."

Gaiman added: "I will miss you, Terry, so much."

posted March 15, 2015 05:51 PM            

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