British science fiction and fantasy author Terry Pratchett, whose Discworld novels have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, died on Thursday at the age of 66, his publisher said.
"Terry passed away in his home, with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family," said Larry Finlay, managing director at Transworld Publishers, saying the world had lost one of its "brightest, sharpest mind". In 2007, Pratchett announced that he was suffering from a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.