I Miss Terry Pratchett

The author reflects on Terry Pratchett's profound influence on their teenage reading life, particularly through characters like Rincewind and the City Watch, whose humor and intelligence offered a counterpoint to the self-serious fantasy of the era. Pratchett's pocket-sized books were perfectly suited for secret classroom reading, and his core thesis—that the universe is both large and ridiculous—treated young readers with respect during a formative time when adults were dismissive. The author emphasizes how Pratchett's wit and perspective became formative memories that continue to shape their thinking about the world.