Sir Terry Pratchett: Imagination, not Intelligence, Made us Human

Overview

The world of fantasy literature has mourned some staggeringly talented people lately, like Diana Wynne Jones and Robert Jordan. Thankfully Sir Terry Pratchett is still with us, and what's more he's coming to the Opera House to prove it. Whereas the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy pioneered humour in sci-fi, Terry Pratchett took some of the early piss out of fantasy, starting in the early seventies. His career really took off with the first in his still-running Discworld series in 1983, where Death is one of the many contenders for protagonist. The series remains unfinished, in the sense that his life, too, is unfinished.

What started as pure satire began to change eight books in. He introduced Dickens-like undercurrents about politics, the mechanics of how cities work, and a sure-footed humanist bent. He's gone from the author of some fringe, funny books to one of the UK's top selling authors. April 17 he'll be claiming Imagination, Not Intelligence, Made us Human in front of fellow author Garth Nix. It's booked out in Melbourne, and it's getting close to it here in Sydney. And while he's not dead yet, who knows when he'll be back again to prove it to you?

Image of Terry Pratchett by Moroboshi.