sir terry pratchett obe (terence david john pratchett; 28 april 1948 – 12 march 2015) was an english author. he was known for his fantasy works, including the famous "discworld" series. his first novel, "the carpet people", was published in 1971. he was the uk's best-selling author of the 1990s. he was born in beaconsfield, buckinghamshire, england.