Discworld

[tegan]

They're short stories. I've never seen them in print anymore, but I'm pretty sure they're available online legally since Pratchett's such a big internet guy.

[tegan]

Ankh-Mopork via Google Maps:

 

[DanJW]

I'm a big big Pratchett fan (I used to hang out on #afp back in the day).

 

 

I'm going to this next month: http://brightondome.org/event/3725/sir_terry_pratchett_and_friends/

 

 

Anyone got any questions for him if I get the chance?

[Ucantalas]

Ah, I had no idea he had Alzheimers. Reading that page just made me feel really sad.

[DanJW]

In his own words; Terry Pratchett has not developed Alzheimers, Alzheimers has developed Terry Pratchett and it's going to regret it...

[elmuerte]

Terry is really awesome with words.

[Vonbrown]

My enjoyment of Discworld books is directly correlated to the amount of footnotes the book contains.

[DanJW]

So I went to the audience with Terry Pratchett & Friends yesterday and it was great.

 

We were read extracts from the next Discworld novel (steam power!) and there was news about upcoming screen projects (A City Watch based full length TV series - Terry apparently re-wrote the opening scene on stage to the slight consternation of the producer - and then maybe Reaper Man.. and maybe a feature length movie - they were very coy about all of this). Oh and a screen version of Good Omens! They spoke about the conditions while making Terry's orang-utan doc and there were some fun Q&A's. Plus Terry just got an honorary doctorate from Open University.

 

It was a little bit sad seeing how difficult it is for Terry to articulate long recollections now; he clearly still remembers it all, he just has trouble communicating it and the other guys helped him out a lot. Talking about the present seemed easier and he is still sharp and funny. What came across most though was how much he is completely still in love with writing and the creative process.  He said that he has absolutely no fear of death and "once you have no fear of death, the world is your mollusc".

 

Like the organiser said at the end, it was mazing how much love there was in the room, not least displayed by the standing ovation.

[elmuerte]

City Watch TV series would be awesome.

[Ben X]

Yesterday I identified a stranger's book from a few metres away with only the back showing as being The Light Fantastic, purely from the distinctive Discworld cover layout and the sky blue of the painting. I was silently proud of my own nerdiness.

 

[Manburger]

Mad nerd props to you, son! I got the three first books with Kirby's artwork (xmas present from my (rad) sister!), and I mean, it's great,

but I also find it oddly unsetteling in a way I suppose a lot of good, old, chunky fantasy art is.

 

I've been reading the books randomly as I come across them, but haven't gotten to any of the ones

people mentioned as favourites, I should probably get on that.

I did enjoy the two first books ("Color of Magic", "Light Fantastic") a bunch,

but "Equal Rites" was just okay. Great pun, though. 

"The Truth" I read recently, might be my fav so far, mostly because of how funny it was.

 

Also saw "Going Postal" not long ago, which was just lovely, and I'd recommend Discworld fans give that a watch!

[Merus]

I've heard the City Watch TV series referred to as Hill Street Octarines before; I knew it was coming, glad to see it's still ticking along.

[SilentBtAmazing]

I always avoided these books for some pretentious reason or other but am halfway through Colour of Magic based on this thread.

I am digging it - I shy away from books with humor but I like the way it is handled at least in this book.

[NotDorner]

Discworld novels are great.

 

My old man worked as a prison librarian in AZ way back in the day, the inmates LOVED Discworld novels, across all races.

 

he said they were by far the most popular fiction books in the place

[Badfinger]

I always avoided these books for some pretentious reason or other but am halfway through Colour of Magic based on this thread.

I am digging it - I shy away from books with humor but I like the way it is handled at least in this book.

 

I think it's that when you describe the flavor of the books it ends up sounding an awful lot like Piers Anthony and Xanth rather than well written satire that uses the world to tell its story rather than escape from it.

[Merus]

I think it's that when you describe the flavor of the books it ends up sounding an awful lot like Piers Anthony and Xanth rather than well written satire that uses the world to tell its story rather than escape from it.

 

I think Colour of Magic suffers from this a little, but only a little, because Pratchett was always careful to ensure his world had an internal logic to it that Xanth never had. When that internal logic became self-supporting, the series really took off.

[Twig]

Agreed. The earlier books are good, but the later books are fantastic. For both the reason you stated, and just because he clearly improves a metric buttload as a writer.

[tegan]

My old man worked as a prison librarian in AZ way back in the day, the inmates LOVED Discworld novels, across all races.

 

he said they were by far the most popular fiction books in the place

 

Something tells me that Pratchett would be incredibly proud of this fact.

[SilentBtAmazing]

So I read the first few of these but couldn't get into Mort. I loved the one with the female wizard though.

[Merus]

So I read the first few of these but couldn't get into Mort. I loved the one with the female wizard though.

 

Have you read any of the later ones? It's interesting you didn't care for Mort, as that's the one where people say the series starts coming into its own.

[syntheticgerbil]

Weird, Mort is my favorite so far (I've only read up to Reaper Man though, in order). I agree Merus, it's nice because it's so self contained and feels more like the complete and rounded books that would come later like Guards! Guards!, Moving Pictures, and Pyramids.

[SilentBtAmazing]

Have you read any of the later ones? It's interesting you didn't care for Mort, as that's the one where people say the series starts coming into its own.

No I haven't but I am interested in trying another one, any recommendations? Maybe I'm just a weirdo but up through the point I got (maybe 1/3 of the way) it just didn't grab me

[Merus]

Maybe Guards! Guards! or possibly Small Gods? Guards! Guards!, like Equal Rites, plays with fantasy and storytelling tropes like the hapless town guards, the destined heir and the million-to-one shot; Small Gods is my favourite Discworld so I'm biased but it's a razor-sharp satire of faith and how organised religion is often at odds with it. Both are early in the series; I really like the much more recent Going Postal as well, which works on its own. If you're giving the entire series another shot I'd go with an earlier one; if you just intend to pick out the choicest morsels then Going Postal's a good choice.

[SilentBtAmazing]

Thanks I will try Guards! Guards! after I finish my current sci fi trash in a couple days

[Badfinger]

I had someone today tell me they wanted to read more Pratchett (after reading Good Omens), and was asked for a recommendation on where to start. My internet life is starting to merge with the real one.

 

I said try Mort or start at the beginning, because that was much easier and less pedantic thing than to ask a bunch of questions in return and meticulously explain that there are a number of different story threads so depending on what sort of fiction you like and have read in the past, you might conside *is strangled*