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Fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett has died aged 66, having had Alzheimer's disease for eight years. "The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds," said Larry Finlay of his publishing company, Transworld. Best known for the Discworld series, Sir Terry wrote more than 70 books over his lengthy career. He was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2007, but continued writing, completing his final book last summer. The author died at home "with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family," Mr Finlay said.

Sir Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld comic fantasy series of novels, has died aged 66. Publishers Transworld announced the news “with immeasurable sadness”. Managing director Larry Finlay, said: “The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds.” The author of more than 70 books died at his home “with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family” earlier on Thursday. Pratchett, who had early onset Alzheimer’s disease, leaves his wife, Lyn, and their daughter, Rhianna. He had, said Finlay “enriched the planet like few before him”.

Three and a half years ago, Terry Pratchett, the beloved author of the Discworld series, announced that he has early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Now he's made an even more startling announcement. Pratchett, who has campaigned in his native United Kingdom for the right of assisted suicide, has begun the formal process of assisted suicide in Switzerland, one of the few countries in the world to legalize euthanasia. Specifically, this would take place at Dignitas, a clinic that provides qualified doctors and nurses to assist with the patients' suicides. Dignitas has sent Pratchett the paperwork he needs to sign to begin the...

The BBC has received hundreds of complaints from views over a program it aired Monday night showing an assisted suicide of a person killing himself at a suicide tourism facility in Switzerland. The program featured footage of a man dying at a Dignitas suicide tourism clinic in Switzerland and it was hosted by Sir Terry Pratchett and it showed millionaire Peter Smedley taking a lethal cocktail of drugs that resulted in his death. Almost 900 people contacted the BBC to complain while just 82 supported the showing of the program. Four senior peers complained abotu the program and accused the...

Fury at suicide on BBCA DESPERATELY ill man will be shown on TV choking and begging for water before he dies in a suicide clinic. The harrowing scenes to be screened by BBC2 on Monday are set to spark outrage. Millionaire hotelier Peter Smedley, 71, was filmed swallowing a lethal dose of the barbiturate Nembutal - helped down with a praline chocolate. He gasps for breath. Within a minute his face turns red and he chokes as he pleads for water. The documentary Choosing To Die shows an "escort" at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland holding on to Peter as...

My name is Terry Pratchett, author of a series of inexplicably successful fantasy books and I have had Alzheimer's now for the past two years plus, in which time I managed to write a couple of bestsellers. I have a rare variant. I don't understand very much about it, but apparently if you are going to have Alzheimer's it's a good one to have. So, a stroke of luck there then! Interestingly enough, when I was diagnosed last December by those nice people at Addenbrooke's, I started a very different journey through dementia. This one had much better scenery, interesting...

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fantasy author Terry Pratchett has admitted that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease -- but says he plans to continue writing his multi-million selling Discworld books.