He Aten't Dead

For the past week or so, I've wanted to post something about the saddening news that the author Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with Altzheimers and to take the opportunity of saying how much I enjoy his work.

Some of you might not know Pratchett's work - this would tend to indicate that you are either someone who doesn't like the fantasy genre (a big group) or someone who has had their head down a rabbit hole for over twenty years (hopefully a small group, although meeting some people you have to wonder).

...Alternatively you could be one of those people who doesn't like the fantasy genre but reads JK Rowling and Philip Pullman novels claiming that they are not fantasy, and calling them something like 'magical realism' - a snobbish act of denial that makes them feel better about themselves. These people should really appear on some form of police register....

Back to Pratchett. Mr TP writes funny and accessible books that both satirise the excess of the fantasy genre (the silly names, the dramatic conventions, the gender inequalities and so forth) and yet also uses the fantasy genre to examine our own history, morals and attitudes. Ironically, the most popular character in his books is probably Death. But TP's death is a grim reaper with some very human failings (especially a love of cats).

It's become rather popular to have ago at TPs books and readership - a lot of people see him as a wannabe Rowling (despite the fact he's been writing far longer). The literary elite such as Late Review and, more recently, the normally placid Stephen Fry have also laid into both the books and the fans but it's difficult to see why - TPs books are not great literature but then he's never claimed to produce great literature. What he has produced are books that are relatively short, funny and enjoyable to read but, like the best humour writing, also manage to touch on human emotions and failings. Scratch beneath the surface in some of the more recent works and you'll also find quite a lot of intelligent research behind the parody.

Although Pratchett's books don't have the full power of publishing's marketing giants behind them they are still the second most popular series in Britain after those of JK. His books have given me a lot of pleasure over the years and they've also given me support as a schoolchild, as a student and as an adult. As someone who has lost a few loved ones over the years I have also derived a great deal of solace from the idea of death as a skeletal and vaguely eccentric cat lover.

I actually met the great man myself at a book signing where he asked how I spelled my first name. When I told him that I 'd though that there was only one way of spelling my name he looked at me, sighed and said "You'd be surprised. Having done these things as long as I have, I've learned that there are also about 50 different ways of spelling 'Bob'".

Of course, TP has been at great pains to point out on websites that "he isn't dead" and that he still hopes to write despite his illness. He's also stated that:

"it's a very human thing to say "Is there anything I can do", but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry".

Fair enough, so i'd just like to use this blog to wish TP all the best.

Guess WHO came to the museum...

This weekend is the 150th anniversary of the opening of the museum where I work at it's current site (the museum is acyually 160 years old this year). To celebrate we had a Time Travel themed event in the building and I thought I'd share the photographs....