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Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
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Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
I haven't read anything by him for years, but when I did read him he was a huge part of what I read growing up, and that for me means he was a huge part of my growing up. Obviously we knew this was coming but I'm surprised by how saddened I was when I read the news. RIP.
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Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
To paraphrase what ad hoc wrote, then: calling him merely a fantasy writer is like calling Douglas Adams merely a sci-fi writer. Pratchett created the Discworld initially as a way of having fun with and subverting classic fantasy tropes, but over the years his writing developed into what is frequently acknowledged as a much wider and wiser exploration of the human condition, values, philosophies, etc., except smuggled into 'fantastical' stories set on a world that happens to run on magic and be floating through space on the back of a giant turtle. As a consequence, there's a general consensus that the more mature works aren't so frequently funny as his earlier ones, which might be considered a sizable flaw in most humour writers, but that they're probably 'deeper' and better writing all the same.
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Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
Yes, to call Pratchett a 'fantasy writer' is to miss the point wildly.
The fantasy was essentially a vehicle for what was some pretty incisive commentary on people and the state of life.
Equal rites is for instance a brilliant reflection on gender roles, while more latterly in Unseen Academicals Pratchett also wrote what is essentially an entertaining early-history of football and Going Postal was effectively a critique of modern-day Royal mail - and think about that - I mean this was a writer who could write what was a.) a brilliant critique of the postal system and was b.) was brilliantly entertaining.
Most of all though I liked Pratchett's politics and his worldview. there was something compassionate about it, and his perspective could only come from a person who was based in Dorset. One admirable thing is the Discworld plays. Pratchett said in an interview that he allowed the books to be turned into plays rather than films, as this was 'more human' a view which sums him up.
The world without him is definitely a poorer place.
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Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
I'm liking this move by fans
I read some of the Discworld books when I was much younger and thought they were hilarious. I should revisit them.
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- Oct 2011
- 26995
- Cambridgeshire
- Ipswich (convert)
- Those chocolate-coated ring-shaped ones you get at Christmas
Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
The first Discworld book is The Colour of Magic but you can kind of split the series into other mini series, with different main characters in each.
http://discworld.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Discworld_Books
The Rincewind books (featuring Rincewind and The Luggage.)
The Witches books (featuring Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg et al).
The Death books (featuring Death and Susan Sto Helit, often against the Auditors).
The City Watch books (featuring Sam Vimes and the rest of the Watchmen).
The Post Office books (featuring Moist Von Lipwig and the staff of whichever service he's working for).
The Wee Free Men books (the children's Discworld series with Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle).
Other, one-off books which are still Discworld stories, but feature characters who don't usually take centre stage.
There are also the extraneous materials - the maps, diaries, graphic novels, quizbooks, short stories and various other things that aren't novels, but are still parts of Discworld in their own right.
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- Jan 2012
- 3296
- Worthing
- The Hammers, until Mark Noble goes.(he's still there, sort of)
- Garibaldi, dipped in tea.
Terry Pratchett, R.I.P.
Kevchenko wrote:
Sam Vimes, Captain, and later Commander, of the City Watch, is a brilliant character, so I would suggest starting with Guards! Guards!, the first book about the Watch.
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