"Dickens, as you know, never got round to starting his home page"

The quote "Dickens, as you know, never got round to starting his home page" by Terry Pratchett is a clever play on the intersection of historic literary figures with modern-day technology. At its core, the quote juxtaposes the classic nature of Charles Dickens' work with the ephemeral and quickly altering digital landscape of the internet, symbolized by the notion of a "web page."

Charles Dickens, an essential 19th-century novelist, produced a few of the most enduring literary works, such as "A Tale of Two Cities", "Great Expectations", and "Oliver Twist". His stories are commemorated for their brilliant characters, social criticism, and complex plots. Dickens was a master of serialized storytelling, releasing his books in parts in magazines-- a precursor to modern episodic material. This practice ensured that his work reached a broad audience over a continual duration.

Pratchett's tongue-in-cheek referral to Dickens' absence of a "home page" humorously alludes to the reality that Dickens, who lived in a pre-digital period, didn't have the technological methods or chance to engage with this distinctly modern principle. A "web page" in today's terms is the digital 'front door' through which audiences gain access to content, representing an author's existence in the online world. Pratchett welcomes us to picture an anachronistic scenario where Dickens may take advantage of digital platforms to reach even larger audiences. The humor occurs from the incongruity of Dickens dealing with innovation far removed from his own time.

The quote also discreetly discuss the changing methods authors and creators reach their audiences. While Dickens depended upon serialized print publications, contemporary authors typically depend on digital tools for distribution, marketing, and interaction. Pratchett's remark conjures an appreciation for how writers, regardless of the period, adjust their approaches to the available communication suggests.

Ultimately, this light-hearted quote underscores the enduring nature of storytelling throughout various mediums and eras, inviting readers to muse on the classic workmanship of Dickens while recognizing the transformative effect of technology on literature today.