And it came to pass that in time the Great God Om spake unto Brutha, the Chosen One: “Psst!”
Terry Pratchett
- Life
- 1948-2015
- Occupations
- writer, novelist, journalist
- Notable works
- Good Omens, Nation, Discworld
Facts: Wikidata (CC0), as of 2026-07-09
Bishops move diagonally. That’s why they often turn up where the kings don’t expect them to be.
Terry Pratchett
Brother Preptil, the master of the music, had described Brutha’s voice as putting him in mind of a disappointed vulture arriving too late at the dead donkey.
Terry Pratchett
Brutha tried to nod, and thought: I’m on everyone’s side. It’d be nice if, just for once, someone was on mine.
Terry Pratchett
Dhblah sidled closer. This was not hard. Dhblah sidled everywhere. Crabs thought he walked sideways.
Terry Pratchett
Genius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up.
Terry Pratchett
Give anyone a lever long enough and they can change the world. It’s unreliable levers that are the problem.
Terry Pratchett
Gravity is a habit that is hard to shake off.
Terry Pratchett
Guilt was the grease in which the wheels of the authority turned.
Terry Pratchett
“He says gods like to see an atheist around. Gives them something to aim at.”
Terry Pratchett
History, contrary to popular theories, is kings and dates and battles.
Terry Pratchett
“I like the idea of democracy. You have to have someone everyone distrusts,” said Brutha. “That way, everyone’s happy.”
Terry Pratchett
In fact, no gods anywhere play chess. They prefer simple, vicious games, where you Do Not Achieve Transcendence but Go Straight to Oblivion; a key to the understanding of all religion is that a god’s idea of amusement is Snakes and Ladders with greased rungs.
Terry Pratchett
In fact, no gods anywhere play chess. They prefer simple, vicious games, where you Do Not Achieve Transcendence but Go Straight to Oblivion; a key to the understanding of all religion is that a god's idea of amusement is Snakes and Ladders with greased rungs. Wyrd Sisters
Terry Pratchett
In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded.
Terry Pratchett
It’s a god-eat-god world.
Terry Pratchett
It's not enough to be able to pick up a sword. You have to know which end to poke into the enemy.
Terry Pratchett
“I used to think that I was stupid, and then I met philosophers.”
Terry Pratchett
Men should die for lies. But the truth is too precious to die for.
Terry Pratchett
Most gods find it hard to walk and think at the same time.
Terry Pratchett
Not a man to mince words. People, yes. But not words.
Terry Pratchett
Pets are always a great help in times of stress. And in times of starvation too, o’course.
Terry Pratchett
Probably the last man who knew how it worked had been tortured to death years before. Or as soon as it was installed. Killing the creator was a traditional method of patent protection.
Terry Pratchett
“Slave is an Ephebian word. In Om we have no word for slave,” said Vorbis. “So I understand,” said the Tyrant. “I imagine that fish have no word for water.”
Terry Pratchett
“That’s right,” he said. “We’re philosophers. We think, therefore we am.”
Terry Pratchett
The labyrinth of Ephebe is ancient and full of one hundred and one amazing things you can do with hidden springs, razor-sharp knives, and falling rocks.
Terry Pratchett
The people who really run organizations are usually found several levels down, where it is still possible to get things done.
Terry Pratchett
The trouble was that he was talking in philosophy, but they were listening in gibberish.
Terry Pratchett
The trouble with being a god is that you’ve got no one to pray to.
Terry Pratchett
“What’s a philosopher?” said Brutha. “Someone who’s bright enough to find a job with no heavy lifting,” said a voice in his head.
Terry Pratchett
When the least they could do to you was everything, then the most they could do to you suddenly held no terror.
Terry Pratchett
When you can flatten entire cities at a whim, a tendency towards quiet reflection and seeing-things-from-the-other-fellow's-point-of-view is seldom necessary.
Terry Pratchett
Words are the litmus paper of the minds. If you find yourself in the power of someone who will use the word “commence” in cold blood, go somewhere else very quickly. But if they say “Enter”, don’t stop to pack.
Terry Pratchett
You can’t trample infidels when you’re a tortoise. I mean, all you could do is give them a meaningful look.
Terry Pratchett
YOU HAVE PERHAPS HEARD THE PHRASE THAT HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE? “Yes. Yes, of course.” Death nodded. IN TIME, he said, YOU WILL LEARN THAT IT IS WRONG.
Terry Pratchett
"You're not one of us."
Terry Pratchett
You're not one of us. "I don't think I'm one of them, either," said Brutha. "I'm one of mine."
Terry Pratchett
You're not one of us. "I don't think I'm one of them, either," said Brutha. "I'm one of mine." Small Gods
Terry Pratchett