Genres: Comic fantasy
Notable work(s): Discworld, Good Omens
Influences: P. G. Wodehouse, G. K. Chesterton, Lloyd Alexander
Terry Pratchett wrote is first story at the age of 13 which was published in the school magazine. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971. This book was followed by the science fiction novels The Dark Side of the Sun and Strata, published in 1976 and 1981, respectively.
Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels. He wrote his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, during that time and it was published in 1983. He took up writing as a full-time job in 1987 and since then has been one of the most critically acclaimed and universally loved authors of all time.
Since his first Discworld novel, he has published 37 Discworld novels as of October 2009, four of which were marketed as children's or "young-adult" (YA) books. Apart from these he has written six short stories based in the Discworld and 20 other books related to the Discworld domain.
Pratchett won the British Science Fiction Award in 1989 for his novel, Pyramids, and the British Book Awards' 'Fantasy and Science Fiction Author of the Year' for 1994.
His novel, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the 2001 Carnegie Medal for best children's novel (awarded in 2002). Night Watch won the 2003 Prometheus Award for best libertarian novel.
In 2003 Pratchett joined Charles Dickens as the two authors with five books in the BBC's Big Read 'Top 100' (four of which were Discworld novels). Pratchett was also the author with the most novels in the 'Top 200' (fifteen). The three Discworld novels that centred on the character Tiffany Aching 'trainee witch' have each received the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book (in 2004, 2005 and 2007).
He received the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2008 for Making Money and was the recipient of NESFA's (New England Science Fiction Association) Skylark Award in 2009.
Pratchett received a knighthood for "services to literature" in the 2009 UK New Year Honours list. He was previously appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, also for "services to literature", in 1998.
Pratchett’s been one of those authors who will out do himself in every new story or book that he writes, giving his fans every reason to flock and stand for hours in long queues whenever he releases a book. A must add to your shelf, if you love humor, imagination and great story-telling.