Much-loved fantasy author Terry Pratchett is suffering from a rare form of early-onset Alzheimers.
The 59-year-old creator of best-selling Discworld series revealed the diagnosis yesterday, describing it as an "embuggerance".
In a letter posted on the website of his illustrator Paul Kidby, he said that he was taking the news "philosophically" and "possibly with a mild optimism".
The author, who has sold 55 million books worldwide, said that the statement should be interpreted as meaning "I am not dead".
He wrote: "I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while.
"But because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news."
The author said work was continuing on his latest works, Nation and Unseen Academicals, and that there was "time for at least a few more books yet".
"All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments.
"Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful," he continued, saying it was "too soon to tell" if the condition was immediately life-threatening.
"I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think.
"I know it's a very human thing to say 'Is there anything I can do?' but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."
Feeds