WOSSNAME -- Main Issue -- August 2014

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 8, post 1)
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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) TERRY PRATCHETT PRESENTS...
04) "DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE" NEWS
05) ODDS AND SODS
06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
10) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
11) ROUNDWORLD TALES: *MISTER* BRADSHAW AND HIS GUIDE
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Drumroll please...the book will be called: The Shepherd's Crown! We'll send more news your way as soon as we have it."

– Rob Wilkins at the 2014 UK Discworld Convention

"If there is an teenage boy in your life — and if you're worried he doesn't read — buy him a Discworld book. It may see him through."

– Chris McCrudden

"Time and again I come back to the library as where I got my real education, and The Way of Terry Pratchett is this: you go through the very, very top of a very big library and you read every last book, which effectively is what quite a lot of my adolescence was made of."

– the Master himself

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Just coming in under the wire for August, owing to technical difficulties...

In case you missed it in the Quotes of the Month section above: the next Tiffany Aching novel, which Sir Pterry is working on right now, will be called The Shepherd's Crown. Wannawannawanna new Tiffy novel! Anyone got a time machine I can borrow?

There are also new books coming out, from September through October. First up is the Dragons at Crumbling Castle story collection. There has already been a "teaser short" released – "The Abominable Snowman" – but as I neither own nor know anyone who owns a Kindle or similar abominati-, I mean e-reader, I can't offer a review. We can, however, offer a review of the title story itself (see item 4.3) from a copy graciously provided by Lauren Hyatt of Penguin Random. Also about to be released is A Slip of the Keyboard, the nonfiction companion volume to last year's A Blink of the Screen. And then – well, see item 3 below!

Do check the Close (item 13) for a very important announcement for WOSSNAME readers. And with no further ado, it's on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) TERRY PRATCHETT PRESENTS...

Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook to Travelling Upon the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway!

The blurb:

Authorised by Mr Lipwig of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway himself, Mrs Georgina Bradshaw's invaluable guide to the destinations and diversions of the railway deserves a place in the luggage of any traveller, or indeed armchair traveller, upon the Disc.

*From the twine walk of Great Slack to the souks of Zemphis: edifying sights along the route

*Ticketing, nostrums and transporting your swamp dragon: essential hints on the practicalities of travel

* Elegant resorts and quaint inns: respectable and sanitary lodgings for all species and heights.

* From worm-herding to Fustic Cake: diverting trivia on the crafts, foods and brassica traditions of the many industrious people for whom the railway is now a vital link to the Century of the Anchovy

Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other.

Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook will be released on 9th October 2014, but can be pre-ordered at a special price of £6.49 (or £10 for the audio CD version):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857522434/87

...and the cover looks like this.

...and Terry Pratchett also presents – so to speak – the first novel by Pratchett Prize winner Alexander Maskill! The Hive Construct is 352 pages long in hardcover and will be published on 25th September 2014 by Doubleday. "Praised by Terry and the judges for its originality and invention, The Hive Construct is an exciting SF debut to watch!"

The blurb:

Situated deep in the Sahara Desert, New Cairo is a city built on technology - from the huge, life-giving solar panels that keep it functioning in a radically changed, resource-scarce world to the artificial implants that have become the answer to all and any of mankind's medical problems. But it is also a divided city, dominated by a handful of omnipotent corporate dynasties. And when a devastating new computer virus begins to spread through the poorest districts, shutting down the life-giving implants that enable so many to survive, the city begins to slide into the anarchy of violent class struggle. Hiding amidst the chaos is Zala Ulora. A gifted hacker and fugitive from justice, she believes she might be able to earn her life back by tracing the virus to its source and destroying it before it destroys the city. Or before the city destroys itself...

The Hive Construct is available to pre-order from Amazon UK priced at £10.49 (Kindle edition £6.99)

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04) "DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE" NEWS

Coming September 2014: Dragons at Crumbling Castle! The blurb:

A beautifully illustrated collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, featuring dragons, dinosaurs, cavemen and car races! Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it.

4.1 A TEASER IN E-BOOK FORM!

Random House Children's Publishers have published an e-short, "The Abominable Snowman", from Terry Pratchett's forthcoming short story collection Dragons at Crumbling Castle. The story is priced at £1.49.

"The Abominable Snowman" is about "Captain the Honourable Sir Herbert Stephen Ernest Boring-Tristram-Boring (known to his friends as Bill). Sir Herbert is very bored but life gets more interesting when the famous explorer Amos Tence shows up at his front door and takes him of to the mountains of Chilistan to look for the abominable snowman.

"Kirsten Armstrong, fiction editor at RHCP UK, bought the world rights for Dragons from Pratchett's agent Colin Smythe, and said: 'These stories are full of Pratchett's trademark wit and imagination and will be adored by anyone aged eight to 108... they are a joy to read and share with young readers'..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/rhcp-publish-pratchett-e-short.html

4.2 TEASER IMAGES!

"When Hercules the tortoise wakes up from hibernation at the end of March (in fact about quarter to April), he decides it's time to Explore the World. "

http://tinyurl.com/o8ht85f

"So what do you make of Mark Beech's illustrations for Dragons at Crumbling Castle?" asks Lynsey on the Terry Pratchett Facebook page. "Here's one of our very favourites – Mark's portrait of the great man himself!"

http://tinyurl.com/noftygu

4.3 A WOSSNAME EXCLUSIVE REVIEW!

DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE: A LONGISH REVIEW OF A SHORT STORY (WITH FOOTNOTES, NO LESS)

by Annie Mac

"In the days of King Arthur there were no newspapers, only town criers, who went around shouting the news at the tops of their voices..."

There are times when I regret having learned to read at an age when most children are still getting to grips with coherent speech, because I missed out on having bedtime stories read to me. Everyone else I know has fond childhood memories of being read to by a parent or other relative, and that sometimes makes me feel out of the loop. But what I did have was a rather awesome grandmother who, being bright but severely dyslexic, made up her own stories and told them to me – not only at bedtime, but also when she was working at her sewing machine or sitting darning socks (yes, I am old enough to remember when people darned socks[1]). And although my nan's stories were about small animals and children having adventures in the real world, with nary a dragon, knight or castle in sight, Dragons at Crumbling Castle has a feel that reminds me of the stories she told me... so maybe I didn't miss out as much as all that. And for the rest of you, who were fortunate enough to be read to, Dragons at Crumbling Castle should bring back the best feelings of those times when you were snuggled under the covers listening to magical words from the mysteries of adults and reading.

Terry Pratchett wrote Dragons at Crumbling Castle and its companion stories when he was still in his middle teens and a jobbing junior journalist for the Bucks Free Press, years away from being the world-famous Sir Terry. If I have my Pratchett history right, he was landed with writing the weekly children's stories duties when the previous author left, and rather than continue the tone of his predecessor – who wrote the kind of children's stories that, well, people who don't understand children tend to write – he brought his own style to the table. Luckily for us, he wrote several years' worth of these, and even more luckily, they were preserved so we who never lived in south Buckinghamshire's weekly news catchment area can enjoy them. This also means that adult readers (and other persons prone to analysing literature) can see the seeds of his future greatness – and the evidence of his early greatness as well.

Even though Dragons at Crumbling Castle is barely 2,500 words long, it it rich in concepts and tropes that Pratchett carried over to The Carpet People and developed further in his later works (even to the present day?). The trademark Pratchett wordplay is already in evidence[2]; in fact, the story opens with a scenario based on wordplay. Likewise for the portrayal of wizards as hapless or befuddled – fans of Discworld will find Fossfiddle the incompetent, or at least under-competent, wizard familiar: "The door wouldn't open, so Fossfiddle got out his spell book. '*Hopscotchalorum, Trempledingotram-lines!*' he chanted. '*Open!*' Instead the door turned into pink meringue. Fossfiddle always got things wrong." And there is the pointy hat, of course, making an early appearance: "No self-respecting wizard would be seen in public without a pointy hat", Pratchett tells us in one of the footnotes (yes, there are footnotes. If this isn't the first time a children's short story was presented with footnotes, I would be well surprised.) And we have the Friday Knight, who soon becomes known as Fortnight (and that's a pun, too), and other characters who do not fit the popular image of their kind – again, a very Pratchett thing.

The hero of the story, a young not-yet-knight – possibly, in fact, a mere stable-hand, or the boy who polishes the armour – called Ralph[3] – is a small but sensible lad whose pragmatism and willingness to do what needs doing is reminiscent of the nine-year-old Tiffany Aching in The Wee Free Men ("When he was out of sight he took off the armour and hid it behind a hedge, because it squeaked and was too hot, and put on his ordinary clothes.") He is also patently more courageous and level-headed than any of the adults he meets on his journey to the castle – another theme Pratchett has riffed on in his other YA works such as The Amazing Maurice and the Johnny Maxwell trilogy. Ralph considers things and then acts according to his conclusions, which in the story leads him to keeping his head while his older companions are all in a tizz. What is more, he does so politely and respectfully. An encouraging example for children, don't you think?

The plot and dialogue of Dragons at Crumbling Castle are, for me, strongly reminiscent of those "Fractured Fairy Tales" that were a much-loved feature of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon series we used to watch in the common room on Saturday mornings at my university student house, and also of the cartoons and poetry of the delightfully odd Shel Silverstein, whose works I discovered around that same time. In other words, joyously silly:

"'They[dragons] grow to be thirty feet tall,' said Fortnight, 'and then they take to roaring and rampaging and walking on the grass and other lawlessness and wicked deeds.'

'What sort of deeds?' asked Ralph interestedly.

'Oh – well, I don't know. Leaving taps running and slamming doors, I suppose.'"

The illustrations by Mark Beech capture that daftness perfectly. Beech's drawings are a stylistic cross between Pratchett's own (marvellous!) illustrations for The Carpet People and Johnny Hart's "Wizard of Id" comic strip, exactly suited to the text. There is a sort of visual pun in the story too, by the way, but you will have to discover that for yourselves.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle – the short story – is a charming piece and a great way to introduce the collection. If the rest of of the stories are up to this standard, and we know that they will be, you will definitely want to put Dragons at Crumbling Castle – the anthology – on your to-buy list ASAP! Highly recommended.


[1] As opposed to these days, when people merely mutter imprecations at them and throw them away

[2] but not taken down and used against him

[3] People often see the Name Ralph as comedic in its own right, but let's also not forget that it's an ancient name! If it was good enough for the Norsemen, it's good enough for a very small young hero...

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05) ODDS AND SODS

5.1 WANT THE OOKBENCH? GET BIDDING!

From Books About Town, who commissioned the London bookbenches:

"Our 50 BookBench sculptures are on display on the streets of London until 15 September. They will then be sold at public auction on 7 October 2014 at an exclusive event at the Southbank Centre. Tickets will go on sale to the public on 13 August via the Southbank Centre box office. Proceeds will go to the National Literacy Trust, a charity dedicated to raising the literacy levels of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

"If you are unable to attend the auction in person you can register below to watch particular lots during the auction, bid online and/or place an automatic maximum bid. Please follow the link on the relevant bench. Once you have registered, you may need to reload the page to view lots again. Once logged in, you can access your watch list through 'My Bidder'.

For any auction enquiries, please email auction@literacytrust.org.uk.

http://www.booksabouttown.org.uk/?action=ViewPage&Id=9

And here is an iconograph of Mr Kidby signing autographs whilst sitting on the Ookbench:

http://tinyurl.com/kry9278

5.2 PTERRY Q&A IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

In the Sunday Book Review:

"Sell us on your favorite overlooked or underappreciated writer.

"G. K. Chesterton. These days recognized — that is if he is recognized at all — as the man who wrote the Father Brown stories. My grandmother actually knew him quite well and pointed out that she herself lived on Chesterton Green in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, here in the U.K. And the man was so well venerated that on one memorable occasion, he was late in sending a piece to The Strand Magazine and a railway train actually waited at the local station until Mr. Chesterton had finished writing his piece. When she told me that, I thought, Blimey, now that is celebrity...

"Which novels have had the most impact on you as a writer? Is there a particular book that made you want to write?

"It has to be 'The Wind in the Willows.' It fascinated me. He had toads living in great country houses and badgers and moles acting like British gentlemen. I read the pages so often they fell apart, and God bless him for leaving in the pieces called 'Wayfarers All' and 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.' I am sorry to say that certain publishers, who really should know better, have produced editions with those pieces cut from that wonderful book, stating they were simply too heavy for children. I scream at stuff like that. After all, 'The Pilgrim's Progress' was a book written for children. A good book, no matter its intended audience, should get people reading, and that's what started me writing. And once I started, I never stopped..."

http://tinyurl.com/nuzjs6e

And here is the article's excellent illustration on its own:

http://tinyurl.com/p9jubwc

5.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING FEEGLE

In the Children's Books section of The Guardian, Firebird's op-ed on literary depictions of Scottishness and the meaning of being a Scot gives more than a passing nod to our favourite Wee Free Men:

"In Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, the wee men of the title are also called the Nac Mac Feegle (Mac Feegle meaning 'sons of Feegle', with Feegle being a variation of Fingal, an 18th century name for Fionn Mac Cumhaill). The Nac Mac Feegle embody the stereotypical Scotsman to great comic effect: they are small with "shaggy red hair, and are covered all over with blue tattoos and blue paint, in patterns which indicate their clan", while their favourite occupations are "drinking, stealing, and fighting anything that gets in their way". The Feegle can also be called Pictsies, after the real Picts, so named by the Romans because they were 'painted' with blue woad. In later times, the Picts passed into legend, and it was believed that they lived in underground chambers and burial mounds. Indeed, James Knox wrote in 1831 that they were "unco wee bodies, but terrible strang", while Robert Chambers wrote in Popular Rhymes of Scotland (1870) that "short wee men they were, wi' red hair, and long arms" – much more like the Pictsies in The Wee Free Men than the real Picts of history... By looking at children's books, the stories that shape our formative years, we can see how history mixes with mythology, language and landscape to construct a uniquely Scottish past that informs the way Scottish people see themselves and their nation. There is however, one key element of "Scottishness" found in children's literature that I could hardly miss out – the literature itself. While all the books mentioned have taken much of their character from an existing Scottish identity, it is not a one-way process. All these stories also feed into the rich vein of mythology and tradition that makes up the complex, fascinating, shifting fusion of characteristics that we call Scottish..."

http://tinyurl.com/mc476g7

5.4 ANYONE FOR SCUMBLE?

"Summer time is here. As a geek, that means copious consumption of two things – books and alcohol. Our own Silvia Sellerio went on a quest to efficiently combine the two by recreating Nanny Ogg's Scumble from Terry Pratchett's epic Discworld series. While I can't vouch that it'll dissolve a nail, I can say it's deceptively strong and does indeed taste, 'Mostly of apples. Mostly.'"

Sellerio's recipe contains 95° proof grain alcohol, dry cider (as this is a USA recipe, presumably that means the no-alcoholic sort), green apple juice, vodka, light brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, a tonka bean, and, yes, apples. For the complete recipe and preparation method, go to:

http://kitchenoverlord.com/2014/07/02/nanny-oggs-scumble/

5.5 A LONG EARTH ROLE PLAYING GAME

Gamer Dannynat has a go at creating a game based on the Long Earth series:

"Over the past few months I've been reading The Long Earth series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter and it has piqued my curiosity to see what it'd be like in an RPG. The premise for The Long Earth is that there an infinite number of worlds arbitrarily labelled East and West from our own. The concept is that, given an infinite space with infinite possibilities, what would happen to humanity?... The books follow the cast of characters as they discover worlds with intelligent life, stepping creatures and how humanity adapts to this 'endless frontier'..."

http://dannynat20.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/the-long-earth-rpg/

Another game fan, library assistant talesfromthebookcave, heartily recommends Treefrog Games' "Ankh-Morpork":

"I always think of Ankh-Morpork as Victorian London, but really it is an archetype of any crowded, sprawling, corrupt city. The aim of the game is to take control of the city following the disappearance of its dictator patrician Lord Vetinari. How you do this is determined by which 'personality' card you are dealt from pack. These are similar to the mission cards in Risk, and in fact it's a similar kind of game. If your 'personality' is that of vampire Dragon King of Arms, for example, you win by spreading trouble, whereas if you are the troll gangster Chrysoprase, you win by making money, or if you are one of the aristocratic Lords you must take control of a number of regions on the map. You work towards your goal by playing action cards which allow you to carry out various actions such as placing your own counters ('minions') in a region you are trying to control, buying real estate, and assassinating your opponents' minions. Meanwhile, your opponents are trying to achieve their own mission – and, of course, thwart you in yours. Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is a fun, open game. It's chaotic, like Ankh-Morpork itself. One player can seem to be clearly leading, then have their lead wiped back as a Random Event occurs (such as a flood, fire, or a rioting mob), or another player suddenly announces they've completed their mission. Another good thing about it is that unlike Risk it's a finite game – once all the cards have been used that's the end. (I've had games of Risk that have literally lasted days and ended up fierce/weary wars of attrition. Maybe that's just my family and friends though. Or me). You don't need to have read the Discworld books to play, but the experience is infinitely enhanced if you have. The drawings of the characters are brilliant, and it's a joy to see figures such as Foul Ole Ron, Rincewind or DEATH in the flesh..."

http://tinyurl.com/mwf6drn

5.6 IS AN ALZHEIMER'S CURE IN OUR OWN BLOOD?

Is a possible solution to Alzheimer's all in the blood? In New Scientist:

"The scientists behind the experiment have evidence on their side. Work in animals has shown that a transfusion of young mouse blood can improve cognition and the health of several organs in older mice. It could even make those animals look younger. The ramifications for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries could be huge if the same thing happens in people... the idea of refreshing old blood with new harks back to the 1950s, when Clive McCay of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, stitched together the circulatory systems of an old and young mouse – a technique called heterochronic parabiosis. He found that the cartilage of the old mice soon appeared younger than would be expected. It wasn't until recently, however, that the mechanisms behind this experiment were more clearly understood. In 2005, Thomas Rando at Stanford University in California and his team found that young blood returned the liver and skeletal stem cells of old mice to a more youthful state during heterochronic parabiosis. The old mice were also able to repair injured muscles as well as young mice (Nature, doi.org/d4fkt5). Spooky things seemed to happen in the opposite direction, too: young mice that received old blood appeared to age prematurely. In some cases, injured muscles did not heal as fast as would be expected... So the billion-dollar question is: would a GDF11 boost have the same effect in humans? Wyss-Coray thinks it will, having taken the next step of injecting young human blood plasma into old mice. His preliminary results suggest that human blood has similar rejuvenating benefits for old mice as young mouse blood does..."

http://tinyurl.com/n68berh

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06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

6.1 REMINDER: SOUL MUSIC IN KINGSTON, FINAL NIGHT

If you're in London, you might be in with a chance to see Youth Music Theatre UK's final performance of their all-singing, all-dancing, all-Discworld production of Soul Music tonight!

Venue: Rose Theatre, 24-26 High Street, Kingston, London, KT1 1HL
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £6–£26 including £1 booking fee per ticket. Plus £1.60 transaction fee per booking.

www.rosetheatrekingston.org/visiting-productions/soul-music-terry-pratchett

6.2 THE LAST CONTINENT IN ADELAIDE

Unseen Theatre's latest production – The Last Continent – starts next month!

When: 19th September through 4th October 2014
Venue: The Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: Adults $20, Concessions $18, Groups (10+) $16, Preview all tix $15. To buy online, go to http://tinyurl.com/nqd4vlk and press the big red BUY TICKETS button

http://www.unseen.com.au/

6.3 WYRD SISTERS AT SOUTHEND

"East Essex Players, who have recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, have decided to break away from their usual Earth based comedies to take on the fantasy of Pratchett's Discworld. 'We have performed a variety of comedy genres from Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, to episodes of Fawlty Towers' says East Essex Players chairman Hazel Latcham, 'We are now looking forward to the challenge of a fantasy comedy that has a cult status.'"

When: 12th–15th November 2014
Venue: Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, 430 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea SS0 9LA
Time: TBA
Tickets: £11.50*, £10.50* *A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies, capped at four per order. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
Box Office: 01702 351135. To buy online, go to link below and click on the button for the desired date:
http://tinyurl.com/qat2s74

http://www.eastessexplayers.co.uk/

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07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

DWCON 2014: THE AFTERMATH

The creators of the Guards! Guards! board game had a great time at the convention:

"We had a great weekend in Manchester at the Discworld Convention 2014. We ran two brilliant games of our Guards! Guards! - Live Action Convention game. (The Palace Hotel is an amazing example of Victorian architecture and design on a very grand scale, which might have had something to do with why we had to send a search party out to find one of our Spell Run teams when they headed out to get their second spell and didn't come back!)

"We had an epic game of Guards! Guards! the boardgame on Sunday in which the Elucidated Brethren made a serious attempt to overrun the city with dragons (they almost succeeded too).
We had lots of folk play testing for us and got some great feed back and one or two new ideas to consider for our upcoming Discworld game Clacks which will be released next year.

"We also got to chat with our new and very talented friend Amber who has agreed to come onboard the team as our artist for the Clacks project. Can't wait to see her ideas.

"Finally, to any of you out there who have never been to a Discworld Convention (and there are many held each year around the world) we offer one simple piece of advice: Start planning now and get to one! You will not believe the amount of fun these guys can pack into a weekend."

And here are the Backspindle lads' DWcon 2014 photos:

http://tinyurl.com/or8hzpj

Also, a large selection of other DWcon 2014 photo and blog links:

http://dwcon.org/pages/88/photos-discworld-convention-2014

https://dwcon.org/news/2014/08/15/now-the-dust-has-settled

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08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

This month's report from the Cunning Artificer(s):

Over the past few weeks we've welcomed visitors on their way to and from various fan gatherings such as DWCon, Nineworlds and Loncon. A big thank you for making the detour to visit us – you've certainly helped soothe our post convention blues, and we hope we were able to begin/end your convention adventures in a suitably geek-tastic fashion! To those who lent their skills and souls to organise 2014 Discworld Convention in Manchester earlier this month, we thank you. A marvellous time was had at the suitably grand Palace hotel, and it was a delight to spend time with conventioneers old and new in the name of Discworld.

In the coming weeks we'll be releasing brand new Discworld items that previewed at the convention:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/index.php?route=product/latest

Available now is our tribute to the Hag O' Hags – Granny Weatherwax's iconic borrowing sign recreated as a beautiful solid silver pendant and chain. Created in the historic workshops of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, each pendant has been hand-crafted so that no one sign is precisely the same – a precious accessory for any aspiring witch:

http://tinyurl.com/nq3mlrg

The Assassins' Guild Graduation set includes all you need to become a bona fide member of Ankh-Morpork's deadliest guild. Each set includes your very own Master Assassin's diploma, a Licence to Inhume, and your guild membership card:

http://tinyurl.com/lwfulyz

Those of an organised disposition rejoice! The Discworld Diary 2015: We R Igors, and Discworld Collector's Edition Calendar 2015 featuring the lively illustrations of Stephen Player are now available. Each diary includes a free poster featuring the many faces of Igor – exclusive to the Discworld Emporium:

http://tinyurl.com/nwsyw2k

New Discworld Stamps celebrating Ankh-Morpork's artistry and industry were released last Friday 15th. The Guild of Merchants 2p, and an issue from the 'Great Artworks of Ankh-Morpork' series featuring William Pouter's 'Man with Dog' are available singly and as beautiful whole sheets:

http://tinyurl.com/pkwer5f
http://tinyurl.com/kc269wp

[to see more] visit the NEW STAMPS section of our site for more information:

www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/new%20stamps

The Merchants' Guild 2p and 6p 'Man With Dog' also adorn our limited edition Ankh-Morpork Grand Exhibition first day covers, created to commemorate the convention. Each envelope features a decorative insert and exclusive hand-stamp from the A-M.P.O. Both new issues are also included in our latest Little Brown Envelope 'The Grand Exhibitionists' LBE' - a lucky dip of Discworld stamps with the chance of sports, rarities and other considered trifles!

To read this full letter online, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/oqymj2c

Editor's note: for dwellers in EcksEcksEcksEcks who wish to support the Book Depository site, the Igors diary can be purchased for AUD$22.25 at http://tinyurl.com/m43zh55

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09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group", meets on the first Monday of every month at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ: "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz. The prize is superb. The chance to set the quiz the following month."

Next meeting: 1st September 2014, from 7pm onwards.

The Drummers' most recent meet report:

"I didn't make the meeting but Tim W. kindly sent a report: We started the, long awaited, quiz after Ponder and some others left. With the usual know-it-alls absent (except me, of course) hopes were high (as high as they ever get with one of my quizzes!). We began to the usual groans and moans and were half way through when a wandering Canadian named Morgan arrived, here on route to the Con. We continued then repeated the beginning of the quiz for Morgan to have a go. 5 out of 18 seemed the average (our Canadian friend) doing well, but the winner was our very own Mark with 9! I asked him later if he was writing the next quiz and he said 'we'll see'. The rest of the evening past pleasantly with discussions of Canadian/British politics and London attractions (if Morgan wasn't totally confused by the 'Million and One suggestions of what to do in London in two days', I'd be highly surprised!!) The meeting finished with the pub shutting and myself, Mark and Morgan walking back to Edgware Road Station."

For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

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The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". For more info about their next meetup, go to http://www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit http://cityofsmallgods.org.au "

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: Thursday 4th September 2014, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 5th September 2014 (probably).

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles.

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 1st September 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

Perth Drummers meet on the first Monday of the month, subject to holidays.

Next meeting: Monday 1st September 2014 (probably).

"Please note we have moved to Carpe Cafe from 5.30pm Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means we are under-18 friendly!"

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Krystel directly at khewett@live.com

*

Western Drummers (that's two groups for the Sydney Pratchett fans now) meet at The Rowers, Nepean Rowing Club, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat.

Next meeting: TBA

For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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10) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

10.1 LONG EARTH/WAR/MARS REVIEWS

Blogger travelswithadiplomat reviews the three Long Earth novels.

Review of The Long Earth:
"I... found myself reading this trying to work out when Pratchett was authoring, when Baxter was. Both have quite different styles and it is fairly straightforward to pick out their individual ingredients in this mixture... It is a good opener and, with all alternative Earth stories, has capacity for the authors to go wherever they like, even away from the Discworld Conventions of Madison to the lands of other fans. I think it best to say it is a summary novel, a precis if you will of those great trail blazing novels from the likes of Bear, Stirling and others..."

http://tinyurl.com/n8o3862

Review of The Long War:
"When 'The Long Earth' came out with its Pratchett notion of a potato inspired device (quickly forgotten in this latest because it was a tad too ridiculous) that gave rise to an infinite series of earths for humanity to expand into, it created a vast series of options for the authors to explore. So vast, in fact, they've fallen short with this latest, directionless effort. All it has done, in truth, is show the brilliance of the idea (though rehashed somewhat – see Greg Bear's 'Eon') and the incapacity of the authors to deal with it... Part of the problem is Joshua Valiente's weary inclusion – it's almost as though the character isn't interested; part of the problem is the character of Sally – she's intensely dislikeable; part of the problem is that Lobsang's not in it enough; the whole of the problem is nothing gets the detail it deserves. We've too many threads fighting for four hundred pages of large print space and no one's a winner. As a reader I want to investigate more about the culture of Trolls, of Kobolds, of Beagles; I want a thorough story following Capt. Maggie on her personal starship Enterprise with the Cat; I need Joshua to be kicked in the backside to show some enthusiasm; I want the gifted Roberta and her Chinese expedition to get ten times the airtime. The whole East twenty million voyage is begging for a juicy hook to yank the reader. The disappearance of the Trolls (yet they are too easy to find) is casually handled; the chewing off of Joshua's appendage unexplained; the “war” that is the title is merely an apologetic after-note of vapid inconsequentialness scrawled in the final chapters. I've seen more fight in the Norse Sagas on Valhalla than I saw in this book..."

http://tinyurl.com/o7abxly

Review of The Long Mars:
"The content and style of it seems to be more Baxter than Pratchett – the latter's hand is clear in the Lobsang episodes but it seems the waning powers of the author have meant Baxter has taken a lead on this latest effort. It is heavier on the science fiction, with lighter touches on brow-breaking philosophy... This book is all about growth, all about exploration, all about potential. It's also an improvement on book two as it's more purposeful, more inventive, more hard science fiction than aimless fantasy. I get the feeling that Baxter took the lead on this one and the rhythm of the story is much better handled, despite the genius of Pratchett..."

http://tinyurl.com/nlgkv2p

Blogger Harriet Leslie aka Miss Heliotrope was impressed by The Long Earth:

"I am generally wary of collaborative novels, feeling that they in some respects detract from of both authors while failing to live up to their potential. However, these fears were unfounded in the case of The Long Earth. Here, Pratchett contributed the plot while Baxter brought the more serious science fiction aspects to the table. I feel that the two writers styles married well together and that Baxter managed admirably to write a book where the initial idea was not his own. However, as seems to be the case with many of the books I read, this one has split opinion (reviews here). I think this is due to the prominence of Pratchett in promotion of this title. Those who expected it to be more comic, in the vein of Discworld, seem to feel let down by the harder sci-fi. However, Baxter is well-renowned in his genre and has created a thoroughly thought through set of worlds, which benefit from Pratchett's somewhat lighter touch. The character of Lobsang is immediately recognisable as a Pratchett creation, but many of the more interesting aspects of the book, such as the concept of the probability tree, may well have come from Baxter..."

http://tinyurl.com/nwt64nl

Blogger Robert McGrath was perplexed by The Long Mars, but not disapproving by any means:

"It is all totally baffling to the point that it is difficult to even fathom what is going on. How can the splitting be localized, with a new / alternative time line for each local space? What in the world would the planet you are on have to do with alternate universes? And if the splitting is local, then why would it be “per planet” rather than per individual mind or whatever is causing the splits? I don't understand. The long treks step through zillions of alternative planets, playing out alternate geological and evolutionary scenarios. As expected, there is awesome weirdness to be found, and that is fun to read. And I do mean “awesome” and I do mean “weird”..."

http://tinyurl.com/mcfzfxo

...while blogger Geek Girl in Love was less sure:

"The book does a great job of conveying the diversity of the earths, and the combination of wonder and boredom that people experience when the take long journeys across thousands of earths in a year. The problem with this installment is that, even more than in the past books, the story is to' disjointed to make any cohesive or compelling narrative. I skimmed a lot – and so did the authors, who often start paragraphs with “Four years later...' The characters are engaging but there's no time to build a relationship with them because the narrative keeps jumping around... It's a great thought experiment but a fractured, disappointing novel..."

http://tinyurl.com/qem7kop

Blogger Frivolous Waste of Time has many criticisms of The Long War, but still liked it:

"The Long Earth was a slightly muddled novel, but it was carried by the strength of its ideas and compelling central conceit, as well as being anchored by the compelling central journey of Joshua and Lobsang. The Long War still has a lot of that brilliance, but it's even more muddled, and lacks the impact of the original... Simply put, there's too much damn stuff going on in The Long War. A lot of that stuff is good, but it's muddled, and too many plot lines are included. Now, I don't mind a wide plot at all, but pretty much all of them involve some kind of journey through the Long Earth, from Joshua's trip to find the trolls to a young woman's trip East with the Chinese. I reckon there are about five different journey narratives, and they begin to roll into one. The first book had lots of snippets from other characters as well, but the focus was very much on Joshua, but that focus is lost in The Long War. There's a lot of good stuff here, easily enough to make me want to come back for the next one, I just hope that The Long Mars is a bit more focused. Still, that imagination that made the first one so great is still there, and Pratchett and Baxter's hypothetical future remains as well developed and intriguing as ever..."

http://tinyurl.com/k4hhl3o

Blogger Richard aka velociraptor256 also had reservations about The Long Earth:

"So yes, it's a great concept, and Baxter and Pratchett get very inventive with it, with such things as human colonists setting out into the Long Earth like old American settlers, and the different climates and ecosystems of the Earths as they get further away from the Datum. But while these are good, they're not enough to overcome some major problems. Firstly, there isn't really much of a story. There are sources of conflict, such as the problems caused by people leaving the Datum and some rather bitter people who are physically unable to step, plus the dangerous situations that Joshua finds himself in. But there's no three-act structure, and no clear goal or conclusion that the characters are heading towards... For a big chunk of the story, the only characters onscreen are Joshua and Lobsang. The latter is an interesting one; he's friendly and charming enough, but also so powerful and all-seeing that you never feel truly comfortable in his company. Joshua, unfortunately, is another factor that lets the story down, as he's more dull. A bit like Alex Cross, he's too generic; I couldn't get much of a feel for the kind of person he is except that he's a practical guy who likes his privacy. He also doesn't have much of a voice (unlike Lobsang) – you can't look at his dialogue and instantly recognise him or link it to what he's said before; indeed, occasionally his dialogue doesn't feel like something a normal person would say, a pet peeve of mine in stories..."

http://tinyurl.com/nt7wo8f

10.2 AND THE REST

Blogger Danielle Tamara Fabella was very impressed with Eric:

"Eric is an incredibly entertaining, witty, and funny fantasy tale that pokes fun at its own genre without being self-deprecating... Rincewind is one of Pratchett's best and most hilarious Discworld characters, whose affinity for attracting imminent death (literally) has made him both a cynic full of gems of wisdom (taken from very unpleasant experiences) as well as an expert runner. He and Eric make a priceless misfit duo, who do not so much battle the forces of evil as threateningly wave their fingers at them before running in the other direction... While Eric is one of the shorter Discworld novels, it definitely delivers the grand adventure and good time Pratchett is known for..."

http://tinyurl.com/pxq4bgo

Scott Holstad was blown away by Small Gods:

"It's a great satirical take on organized religion and it has a lot to say about it. Pratchett handles it as deftly as he handles other serious subject matter, with humor and grace. The man's a genius! ... There's a lot about belief in this book, and a lot about God and gods. The more people believe, the greater the god. Brutha finds that his devoted belief is shaken, by his god, no less, as well as other so-called believers. And it does him a world of good. So I guess the lesson is we shouldn't take everything we're fed too literally or at face value. The philosophers in this book are the true thinkers and yet they are doubters. Pratchett's good. This book is both serious and hilarious at the same time..."

hankrules2011.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/a-review-of-small-gods

Blogger My One Contribution reviews The Truth in the light of Roundworld realities:

"What struck me most about The Truth is how safe and comfortable it was. The basic plot is that William de Worde becomes entangled with the first movable-type press in Ankh-Morpork and accidentally invents journalism. Neither the printing press nor journalism have a squeeky-clean history in the real world. The invention of the printing press went hand-in-glove with the Protestant Reformation in Europe that tore the continent apart for a couple of generations. Modern journalism has been the site of some pretty fierce political fighting and toppled some fairly entrenched powers. The Truth was written a decade before 'The News of the World' brought the profession into disrepute, but a century after the towering figures of Hurst et al used their newspapers to inspire the USA into war in Cuba and fired its colonial ambitions in the Philipines. Neither printing nor printed matter have been or should ever be this safe... This sense of safety is perhaps best illustrated by the story not told about Otto, the 'Black Ribboner' photographer. The light required to take photographs is actively dangerous to him, causing him at least pain and in the most serious incidents, disintegration. Fortunately, the sting is taken out – he carries around a vial of blood that cracks and rejuvenates him whenever he has one of his little 'accidents'. There is no real sign here of a tortured passion, or the twisted psychology that causes someone to pursue a profession that causes them continuous pain. The sharp edges are all carefully blunted. Mid way through the novel, he is forced in a way to revert to monstrous type to save his human friends, but the revelation of his true dark potential has no effect whatsoever on his relationships or his self-perception... To me, this means that the clear subtext of the novel is that everything's fine, everything's swell. Move along folks, there's nothing to see here. There's nothing going on that needs a good satiric skewering or a bit of cutting down to size..."

http://myonecontribution.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/the-truth-2000/

Blogger aliceisonline gives Equal Rites 4 of 5 stars:

"I loved Granny Weatherwax! I loved her attitude, out dated opinions, her stubborn assertion that she always right and always knows everything even thought that isn't always the case, and her slight hypocrisy... I really enjoyed reading more about the inner workings of the Unseen University, and more of the Head Librarian! ('Ook!'). The typical humour is still to be found, I laughed to myself several times out loud.. I'm all for equal rights and I love that Pratchett decided to try to tackle some of that in this book, but I can't help wishing that Esk had been older than eight years! She's just too young to really be able to understand what is going on around her, and while it is perhaps her ignorance or naivety that go her as far as she got (and made her able to put up with some of Granny's behaviours I suppose!), but I think more could have been done with an older character. She also acts much older than her eight years at times and seems able to understand things beyond her years..."

betweenscreens.com/2014/08/15/review-equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger suby3 has fallen under the spell of The Wee Free Men:

"Tiffany Aching is awesome. I want Tiffany to be my little sister. She is a charming, intelligent, funny, strong, curious, confident and lovely nine year old. Everyone loves Tiffany. Kids will love and relate to her and look up to her. While she's mature, it really feels like you are reading about a nine year old, which is fantastic. There is nothing more annoying than a child who is written like an adult or what the authors (unrealistic) idea of a child is. Tiffany's allies are the Nac Mac Feegle, or the Wee Free Men, who are hilarious and crazy. I think I might love them just as much as Tiffany. They provide a lot of the comedy in the book, and it is a very funny book. I laughed out loud two or three times, which a lot, because I never laugh during books. The Wee Free Men was filled with effortlessly funny moments. The Chalk is a great setting, and Tiffany's heritage plays a big role in the story. The book does still have a lot of depth mixed in with mischief and humor..."

http://tinyurl.com/kgybnle

Blogger Samantha Field is moved by the wit and wisdom of Maurice:

"This week's 'Wit and Wisdom' is of 'The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents'. I am currently re-reading this book and it makes me smile just as much as the first time I read it... Beautiful images are conquered in your head of dancing rats and sarcastic cats whilst there are also much darker and sad events in the book. It's definitely a good read – for adults and children..."

http://tinyurl.com/l5xs3xh

Blogger Nate aka Mind Worlds notices and accepts Pratchett's stylistic changes in Snuff:

"I wonder if Pratchett hasn't climbed into Vimes's battered head and squinted through Vimes's eyes at the grim, grim world. Granted, Pratchett's no stranger to dark themes. Case in point: DEATH as a major recurring character (though conspicuously absent from Snuff, the second book in the whole series to ever do so). Readers and reviewers have noted that since his diagnosis, Pratchett's imagination has gotten darker. They're right. The series hasn't been this straightforwardly serious since Night Watch... It's a decent story, trading mystery and madcap antics for murders and more madcap antics, peppered with Pratchett's practical wit and wisdom. Atop the peppering he pours, thick and pungent like molasses gravy, a moral about fantastic racism. Yup. As it turns out, Discworld goblins, who haven't crawled into the spotlight since Unseen Academics, are people too... Pratchett's casts are wide, wild, and wonderful, rife with telling details and hilarious incongruities. Still, I sense he stretched himself thin on this one. Feeney embodies every pure, naive, bizarrely competent rule-abiding good kid from early Carrot (Guards! Guards!) to Preston (I Shall Wear Midnight – another dark book). Stratford seems to stem from such a line of quirky psychopaths as Mr. Teatime (Hogfather) and especially Carcer (Night Watch). The main villains, the council of nobles, don't do much. The goblins, for being the subject of this literary tirade, appear for remarkably few pages (barring the inscrutable 'Stinky' and a compelling subplot back in Ankh-Morpork). Most egregious of all, Lord Vetinari shows signs of weakness: battling the daily crossword and actually listening to music instead of reading the sheet music. But I quibble..."

http://tinyurl.com/nlmbf68

Book-a-week blogger fiftytwobooks came late to Discworld books with Thud!, but has caught up since:

"This was the first Discworld novel I ever read. I don't even know why I picked it up – I guess I just wanted an easy read that would entertain me. I didn't realize that it would be so much more than that. Now it's a book that I read over and over again. Not only is it funny and light and a very fast read, it has lines that stick in my mind, and of course the book 'Where's my Cow?' which enchanted readers around the world... Recommendation: ***** Must read..."

http://fiftytwobooks2014.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/book-16-thud/

Blogger Elven Stardancer (er um what?) was bewitched by Wintersmith:

"How can a book about a thirteen year old witch, five hundred tiny blue tattoo-covered men with red hair, and a senior witch who goes to her own funeral after forecasting her long-delayed meeting with Death (she's 111yrs old or 113 depending on who's counting) for a few hours later, be romantic? I'm not even sure who the books are aimed at – children or adults – though a lot of the humour is very complex as well as being paradoxically quite childlike (not childish, I hasten to clarify). The book (one of a series of four about said young witch and her tiny protectors) is full of humour and quirkiness with precious little that can be described as traditionally romantic, and there is absolutely no direct mention of sex though this is hilariously alluded to by the little blue, Gaelic-sounding men). There is hardly anything in the way of romantic language, very little said about actual feelings, yet it remains one of the most romantic books I've ever read... The romantic element, it has just occurred to me, is as ghostly and ephemeral as the Wintersmith himself. Yet the story has turned winter into something incredibly evocative which, for me – I hate winter and go into hibernation after the clocks go back – is truly amazing..."

http://elvenstardancer.net/2014/07/18/wintersmith/

Captain Beardley's very short but deeply moved review of Nation:

"Just finished Nation. I don't think there are any words to describe how much it means to me, but I will try anyway. It's one of those books that you pour your heart into. You get very emotional when the chunk of pages still left unread starts to get smaller and smaller.
It's a very beautiful book. After reading it, I feel as though the little island and all of it's wonderful inhabitants will stay with me for a very long time."

http://tinyurl.com/ksktagf

Bilingual German blogger Nadine was gripped by Carpe Jugulum:

"I love the Lancre witches. On many occasions have I said that I hope to become a Granny Weatherwax or a Nanny Ogg when I'm old (I realise they are vastly different people and I suspect I am more of a Nanny but I'll take what I can get). With Granny gone for a large part of the book, Sir Terry had his hooks firmly set into me. After all, a Lancre without a Weatherwax is just not right. In her stead, the Quite Reverend Mightily Oats has arrived and brings with him a lot of discussion about religion, belief, and all things holy. With everything Terry Pratchett writes, there are wonderful bits of wisdom in everything Granny says. The nature of good and evil is no exception... Normally, the witches books leave me an emotional wreck. The lack of structure and frequent POV hopping prevented this from happening here. Sure, Granny Weatherwax standing on the edge and being gone for most of the beginning of the book was tough. She is such an essential part of Lancre – and Discworld, really – that her absence was all the more painful. One thing you will always get, however, is humor. Pratchett's vampires are dangerous and scary, but they also have their quirks. Agnes and Perdita's interactions, as well as Nanny Ogg just being Nanny Ogg make for more than enough scenes to make you laugh..."

http://tinyurl.com/qepfa97

Blogger Richard James Ford offers us a long essay about "what makes Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels so captivating": Worth a read:

"So, what does make Pratchett's writing so captivating? Is it his eccentric portrayal of his characters, or his parodied versions of already existing stories? Perhaps the reader feels familiar with his writings, due to the familiarity of the stories which have been moulded into his own ideas? The truth is: there is no answer. He is regarded as eccentric beyond belief, and all of his ideas are his own. Even if he bases them upon an already existing story, he still adapts the idea into his own, always in a more outlandish fashion than its origin, only referring back with glimpses of familiarity. It will never be possible to comprehend this man's brain, or how the ideas form inside his head. You could say that his writing is so satisfying solely because of the gargantuan amount of humour inside of it. Yet you would be wrong. There is more to the humour, more to the way his characters are created, sculpted into something which Pratchett was aiming for all along; something more in-depth than just a few laughs. He integrates beliefs and values into his humour that somehow make the reader take the views on board more than if they were conveyed seriously. So if a reason had to be chosen, it would be that: that he expresses subjects that he feels strongly about through his writing, particularly his humour. However, the reason for why his Discworld Novels are so captivating cannot be put down solely to that..."

http://tinyurl.com/kweb3h9

Blogger notwithoutmybowlerhat reviews the recent much-lauded Lifeline Theatre production of Monstrous Regiment:

"The play was vivacious, interesting, and captured the spirit of Terry Pratchett. I was curious how they were going to catch the pithy remarks by the narrator, which I love best about his work. For those of you who have not read books by the author, he makes these wonderful, snarky comments about Morris dancing (which I happen to love), laundry, etc. I think they managed to convey that humor well. The acting was good but Michaela Petro who played Maladict, was phenomenal. Maledict is a coffee-drinking vampire who abstains from human blood. She managed to convey the aristocratic, java obsessed vampire so well. She was a pure joy to watch throughout the play. She is someone to watch for in the Chicago theater scene. Also Katie McLean Hainsworth, the actor who played Igor, was amazing too. She really got into the character in her posture and pose. Lifeline did a nice job with the staging. It's a small theater with no curtain but they make excellent use of the stage..."

http://tinyurl.com/n454tgp

Blogger Jennifer Kathleen, a passionate Discworld and Harry Potter fan, presents an amusing (or at least bemusing) intertextual piece – wondering what Hogwarts student house each of the main A-M Watch characters might have been "sorted" to. She sees Vimes as a "Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff mix", Carrot is a Hufflepuff, Angua a Gryffindor, and Cheery Littlebottom "definitely a Ravenclaw first and foremost and maybe a Gryffindor second". And then we come to Nobby and Colon:

"Unfortunately, Hogwarts doesn't have a house for characters whose sole purpose is to be bumbling comedic relief and to have things happen to them. Some would have you believe it's Hufflepuff, but those people are talking out their asses. Between them, they display traits of all houses – Colon's years of experience mean a surprising degree of street smarts, Nobby's low form of cunning in thievery, their combined foolhardiness and tendency to rush in when they do anything at all, their adamant loyalty to Vimes and the Watch (usually). But overall, I think it might actually just be funniest if they were Squibs..."

http://tinyurl.com/nzwec25

...and finally, a Tor Books blog post by Chris McCrudden, "12 Reasons to Read and Love Terry Pratchett's Discworld":

"1. The Discworld
2. He is the King of Ridiculous Fantastical Comedy
3. You don't have to start at the beginning.
4. You have several different series to choose from
5. But Granny Weatherwax is Everything!
6. Let's talk about DEATH
7. And Ankh Morpork
8. And Religion
9. A note on the Dungeon Dimensions
10. Josh Kirby's Covers
11. Quotability
12. And finally, he keeps boys reading for pleasure through the dark, lonely days of adolescence..."

Each Reason is explored at greater length in the blogpost:

http://tinyurl.com/lovlfxq

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11) ROUNDWORLD TALES: *MISTER* BRADSHAW AND HIS GUIDE

Any reader who didn't instantly recognise the character of widowed travel enthusiast Mrs Georgina Bradshaw in Raising Steam must never have experienced any British railways. My own reaction to the character was a surprised "oh, of *course* he had to include that!" giggle. For the rest of you: George Bradshaw was a mapmaker and printer famous for his Railway Companion, a book of, yes, railway timetables that was an invaluable aid for any 19th-century rail traveller.

Born in Salford, Lancashire (later a suburb of Manchester and later still the home of Coronation Street!) in 1801, Bradshaw opened an engraving business in Belfast in 1820, then returned to the city of his birth in 1822 to open a successful engraving and printing business. In 1841 he founded a weekly magazine, Bradshaw's Manchester Journal, "to sell at the cheap price of a penny-halfpenny a week", and soon changed the title to Bradshaw’s Journal: A Miscellany of Literature, published now out of London. "Bradshaw's Railway Time Tables and Assistant to Railway Travelling", the world's first compilation of railway timetables, was published in 1839 when the railways of Britain were almost as new as the Ankh-Morpork Hygienic Railway was to Raising Steam's Mrs Bradshaw. The book was cloth-bound and cost sixpence; in 1840 the title was changed to Bradshaw's Railway Companion, now priced at one shilling, although within a year the price had dropped back to the original. New volumes were issued as needed to keep up to date. Up through the end of the First World war, any railway timetable was called "a Bradshaw" whether it was the genuine article or not.

Having a book of railway timetables became less necessary when the 100-plus railway companies were merged into "the Big Four". While Bradshaw's did modernise the guide in the 1950s, its usefulness was on the wane. The final edition, No. 1521, was published in 1961. Bradshaw himself was long since dust, having died more than a century earlier in 1853, but his railway guides will live forever as a part of the history of Britain.

Sources include:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bradshaw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradshaw%27s_Guide
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/9666372/Bradshaw-the-man-behind-the-guide.html

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12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Paul Kidby, sitting on his Ookbench!

http://tinyurl.com/q64gg6w

It's not so much this picture as the comment beneath it:

http://tinyurl.com/nko2ppj

A reminder that a great new Discworld-themed game is coming soon from the lads at Backspindle:

http://backspindlegames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Clacks-image.jpg

The Cunning Artificer's handsome kiosk at DWcon 2014:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuhcnxOIEAAr46x.jpg:large

The Hat! As photographed at DWcon 2014 by Oda Rygh:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuiiYWeIQAAkFZS.jpg

Kaye Elling, a most excellent Dwarf:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuluAevCQAAxNvh.jpg

...and with dwarf bread:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BumzK7SIIAEc3Pk.jpg

A rather familiar-looking "Twoflower", auctioning for charity:

http://tinyurl.com/pkyf77v

...and worth revisiting – a celebration of Marc Simonetti's French Discworld covers:

http://tinyurl.com/lop2v2y

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13) CLOSE

So...

A recent programme broadcast on USA radio's "This American Life" featured a book written by none other than WOSSNAME's late great founder Joe Schaumburger! here's a bit of the transcript of show 532, "Magic Words", originally aired on 15th August 2014:

"There's this book full of magic words that one of our contributors, Jonathan Goldstein, found in his apartment when he was moving recently. He hadn't looked at it in over 30 years. It's called 'Ultra-Psychonics – How To Work Miracles With The Limitless Power Of Psychoatomic Energy.' It was written by a man named Walter Delaney, published in 1975. The book's premise, its basic premise, is that just as objects are composed of atoms, thoughts are composed of psychic atoms, or what Delaney calls psychons, ultrons, and egons..."

"Did Walter Delaney really believe what he was writing? Believe, for instance, that while the old-fashioned zodiac was outdated, his psychonic zodiac with its cryanox, vernox, estavox and invernox signs was more scientific as it was seasonally based? And that even if you were born under the estavox summer sign, you might exhibit a more cryanox winter type personality if you were born in an air conditioned hospital? The back of the book refers to him as, quote, "one of the world's leading authorities on the psychic and occult sciences." But I could find no mention of him anywhere on the internet. It was only when I searched on Walter Delaney and pseudonym that I finally got a lead. It turns out that like so many other mystical men from Leonard Susskind to Regis Philbin to my father Buzz Goldstein, Walter Delaney was originally a Jew from the Bronx by the name of Joseph Schaumburger. Schaumburger passed away in 2011. But I managed to track down his daughter, Barbara. She was in her early 20s when her dad was writing the book, and she remembers it clearly. At the time, Schaumburger was living in New Jersey and making a decent wage as an editor at a publishing house that specialized in occult self help books with titles like 'Secrets From Beyond The Pyramids' and 'The Magic Of Chantomatics.' And he was astonished by the amount of money he saw writers making..."

To read the full transcript of the show, follow the link below and scroll down to "Act One. I Believe I Can Fly". It's absolutely fascinating in a painful, how-can-people-be-so-gullible way. CMOT Dibbler would be proud!

http://tinyurl.com/pzamsx3

You may remember the sad story of the rescued orangutan who'd been captured and forced to become an unwilling Seamstress. Her story has a far happier continuing:

http://tinyurl.com/ojutjf4

The final two books in the Gollancz Discworld Collector's Library – the first being last, in other words The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic – are now available to purchase. Have a shufti at this page for the lot:

http://tinyurl.com/lc2udcz

As always these days, a mirror version of this issue is available to read at http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/

However...to all of you, dear Readers, especially the very many of you who was reduced to writing "where is the rest of this month's WOSSNAME?" and "why is this month's WOSSNAME cut short?" emails to your Editor over the years, here be an important pre-announcement announcement:

!!!FREE AT LAST!!! !!!FREE AT LAST!!! WOSSNAME WILL AT LAST BE FREE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS AND DEPREDATIONS OF YAHOOGROUPS!!! WITH MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!! (though not quite five of them...) We have finally set up a way to send WOSSNAME directly to your inboxes! This is partly the cause of the technical difficulties that delayed the issue you're reading right now – it's hard to get things off a crashed server – but we think things are ready to go now. So this will, I hope, be the last-ever issue of WOSSNAME you will have to get via Yahoogroups. There's no decision yet at this end on whether to close the group there or not, as the archives are useful, but at least the likelihood of issues actually getting through to you intact should be one hundred per cent.

Stand by for the official announcement soon. In the meantime, happy approaching final third of the Roundworld year to all, and to all a good night – afternoon – whatever...

– Annie Mac

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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: interact (at) pearwood (dot) info
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Copyright (c) 2014 by Klatchian Foreign Legion