Wonderful news, I recently finished reading Sir Terry's book, Nation, and it was a fantastic novel (non-discworld). I'm an avid fan and am really pleased that he now shares the same title as Sir Wogan....

Congratulations Sir Terry, may you write lots more books because genius like you is really once every several generations.

What took them so long?

Hurrah! Occasionally, just very, very occasionally, "the establishment" do something right. About time too.

What, for showing the world that you can still sell even if you lack talent? We have Britney Spears, Robert Ludlum and 50 Cents for that.

I first learned of his Alzheimers on the Reg, and now it's also the first place where I've heard of his knighhood. It's well deserved (the knighthood that is, not the alzheimers).

I for one welcome the arrival of our new knighted creator of discshaped worlds.

I'd bet Sir Samuel would be proud ;)

If long overdue.

Arise Sir Terry Pratchett Note Spelling Of Broadchalke!

Purely on the basis of how many smiles and laughs his work generates. Sir Terry indeed!

GLAD THEY GOT TO HIM BEFORE I DID.

This is the only gong I've ever been genuinely happy to see awarded. Good on ya, Mr Pratchett!

Time for a decent university. No-one deserves a knighthood more than Terry Pratchett the only bad? thing he is guilty of is making some of the corniest jokes ever, otherwise all he has ever done is make people laugh and be happy. Well done Sir Terrence!

Ye gods... was this article penned by the Bursar or something?

"a voice for all those who cant shout so loud...." - because they are stoned out of their heads on the nursing home equivalent of dried frog pills perchance?

...so and so chipped in... so that'll be the tezumen suicide note reference then

TP is one of my favourite writers and its sad he has this condition but £500k wouldnt even run a decent sized lab for 15 minutes... you've got alot more money than that laying about, and, unless you are the Agatean Emperor you cant take it with you....

Knowing TP I wouldnt put it past him to use one of these classic quotes on his tombstone...

++?????++ Out of Cheese Error. Redo From Start.

-or- (and this is my personal favourite)

Morituri Nolumus Mori (We, who are about to die, Dont want to...)

I think the last one would be apt for NASA's new logo

Oook, Oooook, Ook, Ooooooook, Ooooook, Ok, Ooookkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

* Well done Terry, much deserved, now please pass the peanuts the shows about the start...

Thankfully.

I second/third/fourth that emotion. Hopefully his few words with HMtQ will be along the lines of "Buggerem, Millenium hand and shrimp..." or a rousing chorus of "A sceptre has a knob at the end".

Next up - Iain Banks, one would hope. Another class act.

Come, come, now. Maybe *you* don't like Terry Pratchett's writings but a lot of us think very highly of them. Not only for their sheer corny entertainment value, but for the sly commentary they make on modern times.

To contrast Pratchett-fantasy with Tokien-fantasy: who cleans the sewers in Gondor? Is there a garbage dump in Rivendell or in The Shire? Do elves and hobbits use condoms to control their fertility and if so, who makes them? The dwarves? Or are they gray-market imports from Mordor?

I admit that the same criticism applies to every other fantasy writer I can think of, bar Sir Terry of Ankh-Morpork. Let's have three cheers for infrastructure fantasy.

Icon of Gates-with-halo: is that the one ring to rule us all?

Wonderful news... Sir Terry's books will one day be considered classics..

And $5 American to anyone who can convince him to show up late, shouting "Where's My Cow?"

Finally some great news on the last day in 2008

Couldn't happen to a better chap

... and Mistress Weatherwax was nowhere around honestly

... Sir Terry!

And, iamapizza, if you think Terry Pratchett "lacks talent" or could be compared to those you mention, just stick to the books with the big pictures and the short words and don't bother trying to engage your brain (which you obviously didn't do in the first place).

Well done, that man, you have brought me alot of happiness,

Even if, as is often the case, they gave it to him because his sand seemed to be running dangerously low...

I had the great pleasure of meeting him once at a book signing, and managed to have a small lil 5min chat with him. He was a wonderful fellow & a more kind, generous and rumour filled fellow I tihnk it would be impossible to find.

He thought me a new word too, Cornucopia. Reading his book is always a pleasure & I was greatly saddened by the news of his condition, it is good for the whole world he is carrying on his works.

Well deserved and by far too long delayed.

Well done Sir Pratchett :) You are the greatest & hopefully long may you continue.

p.s. I do so hope you get to tie up Death in knots & riddles, hopefully you can get Binky on your side ;)

Marry, t'will keep his ears warm in bed, forsooth. </mangled quote>

"about time to - his books vertuley alone are the only reasion I learnt to read..."

... and some day hopefully someone's books will provide you with 'reasion' to learn to write

Agree.

Time for Banks and Hamilton now.

Especially Hamilton with his portrait of post-apocalyptic Nu Labour as the prelude to the Mandel trilogy.

Michael is dyslexic.

Even if you didn't know that, it should have crossed your mind as a possibility. Then again, you don't seem to have bothered to engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear.

As far as Terry Pratchett goes, I've enjoyed his writing immensely, I'm just not sure that a knighthood is warranted for doing your job well. I've been making sure you get electricity on demand for the last 35 years, but I'm not expecting an award for it.

for services to shop-lifting... ;)

But seriously - I've read just about every single word this man has published, and he is quite possibly the greatest living British author - his social commentary is most certainly on a par with Dickens and the like, but his humour lifts his work to another level entirely.

Well done, Sir Pterry of Ankh-Morpork

I think Terry Pratchett richly deserves his knighthood. Happy New Year Terry!

...TP's coat of arms! Or is this not high enough up the honours scale to get one?

If he is eligible can you imagine it? Elephants, a turtle, an orang-utang, luggage...

Totally and thoroughly disapprove of the honours system normally but I'm more than happy to make an exception on this occasion when finally somebody deserves it. As for those who are just trying to start a fight (AC @ 16:15 on 31st), the only reason his books haven't made it into film (I exclude the "made for-TV" adaptations) is because he has integrity and won't let Hollywood meddle with the story. I mean, seriously, how can anybody except a Hollywood producer suggest losing Death in a film of Mort?

enough said.

..such a universally positive, unflamey and happy response to a story on the Reg. Rightly so, as well. He has made so many people nearly piss themselves laughing, and underneath it all he seems to have a humanitarian streak a mile wide. He really is a much-loved figure.

My respect for him only increased when he proved what a stubborn bastard he is in the face of Altzheimers, I really think he's doing sterling work to increase understanding of dementia- a lot of other people would just have wallowed in private. His bloodyminded and very public response to it made me grin. All-round good bloke, innit?

So yay, big ups to Sir Pterry. Raise a glass of apple-based* drink to a real one-off. Nice hat, too.

- The Invisible Opera Company

*Well, mostly apples.