My Life With Terry Pratchett
I first met Terry Pratchett in the early 90s. I was trolling the aisles at Half Price Books when I found him in the fantasy section. No, he wasn't wedged on the shelf made of raw pine 2x4s. Acres and Acres of Books had the same shelves. I consider it the mark of a serious bookseller/hoarder when they could give a shit about staining the wood just put the damn things up; they have piles of books waiting to be rescued. Wyrd sisters was facing out toward the aisle, just daring me to read the blurb. One of the only US editions of his novels available at the time. I bought it. Pratchett's words are like taking a hit of crack. You ride the high until the last page then you must have more. There was none to be had. I scoured the countryside until I found a wonky little comic book/anime shop hidden in a strip mall in Arlington TX. I could order his paperback books from the UK for the precious sum of $15. Mind you, I was a college student with a cashier job. I couldn't afford my ele...