Terry Pratchett is a beloved fantasy author, best known for his work on the legendary Discworld series. His career was more than just Discworld, however, as he wrote a number of fantastical short stories, as well as other series such as Johnny Maxwell and The Nome Trilogy.

Pratchett began his writing career as a journalist in the 1960s, and following a fateful interview with the co-director of a publishing company, began focusing on novels as well. His first book was The Carpet People, published in 1971, which was followed by science fiction books The Dark Side of the Sun and Strata.

The Colour of Magic was the first Discworld novel, and was published in 1983. There would go on to be 40 books in the Discworld series in total, plus a number of companion books and tie-ins. The series has since been adapted for the stage a number of times, as well as for radio, television, and film. Discworld helped Pratchett become the UK’s bestselling author of the 1990s.

Pratchett was awarded numerous honors over the years, including nine honorary doctorates, the 2001 Carnegie Medal, and a number of British Book Awards. But his highest honor was being knighted for services to literature in 2009, which followed a previous appointment to Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

In 2007, Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, called posterior cortical atrophy. He then donated much of his wealth to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, as well as worked with the BBC to make a documentary series about his illness. Complications from the disease are what led to his death on March 12, 2015.

Pratchett’s final book was completed in 2014.