It is with much sadness that we are reporting that renowned fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett has passed away due to Alzheimer’s. He was 66 years old.

Pratchett has been battling Alzeheimer’s since being diagnosed in 2007 but that has not stopped the author from continuing his love of writing and completed his final book, a new ‘Discworld‘ novel, last summer. Best known for his ‘Discworld’ series, Pratchett has written over 70 books over his lengthy career and most recently his collaboration with Neil Gaiman on the novel ‘Good Omens’ was adapted into a radio play which aired on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.

Pratchett’s family took to Twitter to inform his fans of the author’s passing:

In a statement today by Larrry Finlay at Transworld Publishers:

“I was deeply saddened to learn that Sir Terry Pratchett has died. The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds. In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him. As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: he did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention. Terry faced his Alzheimer’s disease (an ’embuggerance’, as he called it) publicly and bravely. Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come. My sympathies go out to Terry’s wife Lyn, their daughter Rhianna, to his close friend Rob Wilkins, and to all closest to him.”

The author passed away at home, surrounded by his family with his cat sleeping on his bed.

In honor of his memory, a Just Giving page donating to the Research Institute to the Care of Older People (RICE) has been set up in his memory: https://www.justgiving.com/Terry-Pratchett.

We here at ScienceFiction.com are deeply saddened by the news and have enjoyed many of Pratchett’s books. Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go out to his family, friends and fans.