I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan, and I have to say that my heart is broken after learning that he passed away yesterday. He was one of the best satirical writers I have ever come across, and I would be hard pressed to pick any single one of his works as a favorite. He had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's about 8 years ago, but he continued to use his writing to keep him going as the disease progressed. It's said that he passed away peacefully, surrounded by family. Death, one of his best Discworld characters, treated him kindly in that respect.