Terry Pratchett diagnosed with Alzheimers

Post by **Inanna** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:47 pm

River, my university has lots of Pratchetts. They are divided into the juvenile section (for his young-adult books and some misfiled books) and the horrific Stacks section, where I don't go. So I use the "I Want it" tool and pick them up from the front desk. Shameful, I know.... but there, you have it.

Anyway, to back to the point.... Go, forth, deeper into the world! If you like Guards! Guards!, and like Vimes and A-M, why don't you try "Men at Arms", and "Feet of Clay" next? In that order.

Post by **WampusCat** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:49 am

That's how I started: "Guards! Guards" then "Men at Arms" then "Feet of Clay."

Then "Jingo," "The Fifth Elephant," "Night Watch," "Thud," "Wyrd Sisters," "Witches Abroad," "Mort" and -- somewhere in there -- "Good Omens."

All these in just a few months. It's an addiction, I tell you.

Right now I'm in "Hogfather" and might have to change my favorite character from Sam Vimes to Death of Mice. SQUEAK!

Post by **Inanna** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:41 pm

When I decide to start on an author, I always try to start with the early ones. So my first one was "Equal Rites". Read, that Wampus - you'll love it.

I would be completely torn between Granny Weatherwax and Vimes in naming my favorite character. Torn.

Post by **WampusCat** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:56 pm

Granny Weatherwax is wonderful. I love Death, too (boy, that sounds weird). And Carrot. So many to choose from!

Post by **Frelga** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:00 am

Teremia, if you want more books, you know who has them.

Although I am sure you will want your own copies.

Night Watch is generally acknowledged to be Pratchett's best book, but don't despair. Others are not that far behind it. And you haven't even started Witch books yet, it sounds like.

I read Nation. On the first read I thought it might have surpassed Night Watch. I haven't ventured a second read yet, because I'm afraid I'll spot flaws.

Wampus, Granny is an awesome character, but Nanny Ogg is my favoritest Discworldian. And LOL on the Death comment. My son was heard, to their shock, by passerbies to declare, "I love Death. Death is the coolest!"

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 10:28 pm

As a fan of Pratchett's books but not a geek, has anyone or even Pratchett himself noted the similarities between Ankh-Morpork and the city in Fritz Leiber's Grey Mouser stories?

Post by **Impenitent** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:17 pm

Haven't read The Mouser series so have had no opportunity to make comparisons.

Granny is hands-down not just my favourite character but also one of my heroes. She really is.

Post by **Frelga** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 7:38 am

I haven't read the Grey Mouser either, but apparently Tosh is not far off base. According to The Annotated Pratchett File for Colour of Magic:

The two barbarians, Bravd and Weasel, are parodies of Fritz Leiber's fantasy heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The Swords series of books in which they star are absolute classics, and have probably had about as much influence on the genre as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

The Swords stories date back as far as 1939, but more than sixty years later they have lost none of their appeal. Both The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are, in large part, affectionate parodies of the Leiberian universe, although I hasten to add that, in sharp contrast to many later writers in the field, Leiber himself already had a great sense of humour. Fafhrd and the Mouser are not to be taken altogether serious in his original version, either.

Given all this, I can perhaps be forgiven for thinking that Terry intended Ankh-Morpork to be a direct parody of the great city of Lankhmar in which many of the Swords adventures take place. However, Terry explicitly denied this when I suggested it on alt.fan.pratchett:

"Bravd and the Weasel were indeed takeoffs of Leiber characters -- there was a lot of that sort of thing in The Colour of Magic. But I didn't -- at least consciously, I suppose I must say -- create Ankh-Morpork as a takeoff of Lankhmar."

Personally, I have always regretted not seeing more of Bravd and the Weasel. But then, even without knowing about the reference, I never felt they quite belonged on Discworld.

Post by **ToshoftheWuffingas** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:43 pm

Lankhmar, yes that was the name. I read the books decades ago so don't have them fresh in my mind. Lankhmar even shares some of the spelling. The reason I mentioned it was some incident where the ancient gods of the city rise up from their tombs to attend to some trouble or another but being mummified their wrappings catch fire and they spoil the effect by having to stop to put the flames out. That was such a Pratchettic moment.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that Ankh Morpork is a straight parody or lift from Leiber; more that Leiber was one of the influences at work and more at work in the sense of style and approach.

Post by **Inanna** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:15 pm

I can see bits of several cities in A-M: NYC, Delhi, Bangalore....

Post by **solicitr** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 6:38 am

The Colour of Magic was rather intentionally a pastiche, a multiple satire of other authors. The opening scene is definitely Leiber, just as Howard and McCaffrey (among others) are lampooned later on. Pratchett moved away from that approach later on, having built up his own world to play in.

Post by **solicitr** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:45 am

Discworld author Terry Pratchett on Alzheimer's and his best work

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 613083.ece

Post by **WampusCat** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:31 pm

Thanks for posting that, solictr. Good to see his humor is intact. As is much of his mind.

Post by **Inanna** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:24 pm

Yes, thanks soli.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:25 am

Real English streets named after streets in Ankh-Morpork:

Link

Post by **Rowanberry** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:02 pm

Not surprising that it happened in Wincanton - that town has hosted an annual Discworld convention for I don't know how many times.

Post by **WampusCat** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:10 pm

What a hoot! Thanks for posting that.

Post by **Frelga** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:11 pm

PTerry is right, I would have paid good money to live in Treacle Mine Road.

And I bet I would get along with the neighbors very well.

Can't recall Peace Pie Street. Anyone?

Post by **Inanna** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:30 pm

Shouldn't it be Peach Pie Street? that one, I know.

Edit: And I was right:

Should be Peach Pie

Post by **Teremia** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 4:35 pm

I just finished "The Fifth Elephant," which I read with enormous -- elephantine! -- pleasure.

Can't wait for the next! Maybe one of the witch ones.