Death has long been interested in the lives of mortals and got a chance to meet them face to face. The authorities decided that Death was no longer fit for his duties and sent the grim reaper of the Flat World into retirement. Now he works on a farm for six pennies a week. Meanwhile, an excess of life force doesn’t know where to go: the wizards of the unseen university are trying to figure out how to kill a dead wizard, and in Ankh-Morpork strange little balls appear.
In 1987, after finishing the novel “Mort” (English Mort), Terry Pratchett decided to leave his job at CEGB and devote all his time to writing. Pratchett’s books were rapidly becoming bestsellers, winning more and more popularity. In 1996, the novels “Maskerade” and “Interesting Times” entered the British top ten bestsellers. Published in 1995, “Soul Music” (English Soul Music) spent four weeks at number one on the best-selling “paperbacks” list. “Reaper Man” became the eighth fastest-selling edition in the UK over the past five years. “Hogfather” and “Maskerade” spent two weeks at the top of the bestseller lists in both “softcover” and “hardcover” editions at the same time. “The Last Continent” remained in first place for eight weeks.
In 1998 Terry Pratchett was awarded the rank of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contribution to literature.