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Wossname -- November 2018 -- main issue
Nov. 27th, 2018 10:21 amWossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 11, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
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INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FOODS OF THE FEEGLES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"Totally delighted our raffle for cast-signed HOGFATHER scripts raised an amazing £450 for @alzheimerssoc in memory of Terry" – as tweeted by Abingdon's Studio Theatre Club after their world premiere of Stephen Briggs' recent adaptation of Hogfather
"Here's a woman who protects herself because men don't see why she needs to. Here's a woman who needs no man. But might quite like one, anyway."
– blogger The English Student's fine summation of Adora Belle Dearheart's character
"Terry Pratchett stirs the spaces and thoughts within you and gently disturbs the rhythm of the world. He spins words around and tangles phrases. In a way, the fantasy story he creates transcends the genre to become real."
– blogger Wide Eyes also shows a fine turn of praise-phrase
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02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
For most of my life so far, I've preferred genre films and telly to "straight" dramas, on the ground that life itself is dramatic enough. And in the Age of the Clacks, I've sometimes been completely surprised to find that a particular film or episode was quite the opposite of what synopses, reviews or outright spoilage led me to expect – almost always in the "x was so much better than I expected!" sense. For instance, some years ago I missed an episode of Angel called Smile Time, so I found the entire shooting script online, read it, and thought "Eww, no way do I *ever* want to see that one!"... only to find out some time later, on finally seeing it, that it was for me one of the best of the entire five-year series.... and then there's Thor Ragnarok: I was so put off by the trailers that I almost declined to be taken to see it – and lo, it was a non-stop gigglefest and possibly the best of all the 21st century superhero cinema.
So what is the point of these observations? Why, it's that having read Narrativia's official announcement of The Watch going forward into production, I am very, very conflicted, because the tone of that announcement makes it feel, to me at least, not unlike the horrors that Hollywood wanted to visit upon Mort when The Author sold the film rights (and oh so fortunately got them back again). A "punk rock thriller"? "...startlingly reimagined"? And most disturbing of the lot, Cheery described as "non-binary"? For Io's sake, the whole point of dwarf sexuality is that it's culturally non-binary in public and Cheery's activism is all about insisting on being recognised publicly as a female of her species!
And yet, and yet... I so, so, so want The Watch to work. I want it to work for us millions of Discworld fans but also to be engaging enough to draw in and hook many other millions of potential fans who have yet to read the source material. I remember well how some Tolkien purists objected to Team Jackson's interpretation of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit stories, but the very fact that the team pursued their own vision with passion and supreme expertise is what made those films some of the most successful in cinema history while still getting the stories across, even if there were changes from the text versions. Discworld deserves no less. And BBC America's history, again in my opinion (hello, this *is* an editorial after all!), is not promising. Look what they did to Torchwood. Look how they've been helping to drive Doctor Who ever further away from its in-the-bone Britishness. At least the Amazon/BBC-not-America production of Good Omens claims to have gone to great lengths to retain the essential Englishness of the book.
Still... one can hope, right?
...all right, I'm hoping.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) ODDS AND SODS
Just a few reminders this month... and some Hogswatch merch!
3.1 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT
After Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit finishes at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk, it will move in mid-December to the North Hertfordshire Museum.
Currently...
When: now through 1st December 2018
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/
...and then...
When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times: 10.30 am–4.30 pm
Tickets: free admission
http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/
3.2 REMINDER: THE WATCH IS FINALLY ON ITS WAY
That Narrativia announcement again:
"The Watch is a punk rock thriller inspired by the legendary 'City Watch' subset of 'Discworld' novels. This disruptive, character-driven thriller centers on Terry Pratchett's misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness, from both the past and future in a perilous quest. Modern and inclusive, The Watch features many famous 'Discworld' creations including City Watch Captain Sam Vimes, the last scion of nobility Lady Sybil Ramkin, the naive but heroic Carrot, the mysterious Angua and the ingenious non-binary forensics expert Cheery together with Terry Pratchett's iconic characterization of Death... 'The Watch has been startlingly reimagined for television by writer Simon Allen, while still cleaving to the humor, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett's incomparably original work,' commented BBC America President, Sarah Barnett. 'BBC America embraces what's fresh and exhilarating in TV; we believe The Watch will astonish audiences.' ..."
The full announcement lives here: http://narrativia.com/watch.html
3.3 REMINDER: THE GOOD OMENS TRAILER
Well worth watching again and again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSXlNRRoGU
3.4 IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN...
...for presents! And here are a few ideas...
* Ookplates!
A set of ten traditional illustrated bookplates featuring favourite characters from Terry Pratchett's Discworld including Death, The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Rincewind, Sam Vimes, Vetinari & the Luggage!!
Each set it priced at £8.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/books/490-discworld-ookplates
* Feegle Feet socks!
"CRIVENS!! Walk the Chalk like the Nac Mac Feegle with this fantastically fun literary footwear feet-uring the unmistakable appendages of Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies!"
Each pair of Feegle Feet is priced at £6.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/503-discworld-socks-feegle-feet
Worth noting: pairs of other Discworld-themed socks are also available, including Wizzard, Assassins' Guild, L-Space, Death, and A'Tuin. On offer is a special deal – buy three pairs of any of these (including Feegle Feet of course!) for £15! – Ed.
* The Mended Drum t-shirt!
You survived the Mended Drum, and all you got was this lovely T- Shirt! Wear the thrills and spills of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern on your sleeve, quite literally, with our exclusive Discworld tee - a souvenir from a local boozer that is truly out of this world!
Each Mended drum t-shirt is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/510-the-mended-drum-t-shirt
* The UU Library jigsaw puzzle!
"The Great Library at Unseen University, as you've never 'Unseen' it before! See the most magical library in the multiverse unfold before your eyes with our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld jigsaw puzzle, featuring an astonishing illustration to make any booklover go wobbly at the knees - Ook!"
The UU jigsaw puzzle is priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/407-unseen-university-library-jigsaw-puzzle
Also available is the beautifully Gothic Death's Study jigsaw puzzle, also priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/491-death-s-study-jigsaw-puzzle
Also, up at the pricier end...
* The Imaginarium of Professor Pratchett II!
From Paul Kidby, "An exclusive collectors print featuring Paul Kidby’s iconic 2018 portrait of Terry Pratchett, as seen on the book jacket of Terry Pratchett HisWorld, the Official Exhibition Companion. Each print is hand signed and numbered and the edition is limited to 2000 copies worldwide. Printed on 350gm silk paper. Dimensions 490 x 350mm. Prints are despatched rolled in acid free tissue in a postal tube."
Each print is priced at £40. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/the-imaginarium-of-professor-pratchett-ii/
* The DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine!
"Add a touch of Death to your bookshelf with our official Discworld figurine featuring Terry Pratchett's enigmatic Grim Reaper, produced in our signature bronze finish!"
Each DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine is priced at £50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/home-hearth/518-death-with-kitten-figurine
And pricier yet, but so worth it – Your Editor received one of these a few weeks ago as a birthday present and can confirm that it is magnificent:
* Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium Special Limited Slipcase Edition!
"Featuring the very best of Paul Kidby’s Discworld illustrations, this definitive volume includes 40 pieces of never before seen art, including preliminary drawings, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions and 17 book cover illustrations, since 2004, shown without cover text. This Special Edition features an alternative cover design and has a signature page with a new piece of artwork exclusively produced for this version. It includes a specially designed slipcase, metallic page edgings and marker ribbon. All copies signed and numbered by Paul Kidby."
Each Imaginarium Slipcase Edition is priced at £82. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-special-limited-slip-case-edition-of-2000/
Also available but at a lower price (same art, less exquisite packaging) is the standard Imaginarium, priced at £42. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium/
And after the presents and the meal, it will be time for the games. Some appropriate Hogswatch games, better by far than Charades or Deformed Rabbit…
* Clacks!
There are still a few copies of Backspindle Games' famous board game, priced at £29. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-activities/231-clacks-a-discworld-board-game
* The Discworld Roleplaying Game!
"Create your own Discworld Story and collaborate with friends to create detailed characters and unique adventures! Steve Jackson's table-top RPG is back, with a brand-new Discworld magic system, things from the Dungeon Dimensions ...and a thousand elephants!"
Each Discworld Roleplaying game is priced at £34.99. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/348-discworld-roleplaying-game
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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS TO COME
* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BIRMINGHAM (NOVEMBER)
The "amateur yet spirited" Luke Players will stage their production of Guards! Guards! starting this weekend! "Terry Pratchett's infamous city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60-foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen. Defending Ankh-Morpork against this threat is the entire, underpaid, undervalued City Night Watch and their newest recruit, Lance Constable Carrot, who is upright, literal, law-abiding and keen. Aiding them in their fight for truth, justice and the Ankh-Morporkian way are a small swamp dragon and the Librarian of Unseen University (who just happens to be an orang-utan)."
When: 29th November through 1st December 2018
Venue: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH (Box Office and enquiries: 0121 446 3232)
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on 1st December
Tickets: £7 - £9, available online by going to https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards and clicking on the desired date and show
https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December! "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 and £12, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bristol/kelvin-players-theatre/going-postal-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-briggs
https://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/current-production
* CARPE JUGULUM IN YORK (MARCH 2019)
After their success with staging Mort in 2016 and Wyrd Sisters last year, We Are Theatre are doing Discworld again. This time it's Carpe Jugulum!
When: 5th and 6th March 2019
Venue: Tap Room, York Brewery, 12 Toft Green, York YO16JT UK
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: £12, pre-bookable by ringing the Box Office on 07521 364107 or via email: wearetheatre@googlemail.com
http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html
* MASKERADE IN WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2019)
Ifield Barn will be back with another Discworld play next March! Sounds like a wonderfully Discly setting: "The theatre was created from a group of agricultural buildings and consist of a 700 year old tithe barn which now forms the auditorium and dressing rooms, a former Granary which serves as a kitchen and stables which have been converted to an exhibition room and workshops. All three buildings have been linked by a modern addition tastefully integrated to form the foyer and theatre bar. Due to some inspired fund-raising by members many improvements have been made to the theatre."
When: 6th–9th March 2019
Venue: Ifield Barn Arts Centre, Ifield Street, Ifield, West Sussex. RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows; matinee 9th March 3pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre or by post or in person at the venue
http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html
* WYRD SISTERS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE (MARCH 2019)
TADS (Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society) will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters next March!
When: 23rd–24th March 2019
Venue: the Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 5NX
Time: TBA
Tickets: £14, available from the Roses Theatre Box Office at http://www.rosestheatre.org/
If you want to participate in the production, rehearsals are being held on Monday evenings at Tewkesbury Town Hall.
http://www.tads.org.uk/index.html
4.2 REVIEWS
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS
By William Davies on Stage Whispers:
"The difficulty in a dramatic interpretation of a Pratchett novel is to present the play so that the long, complicated storyline is absorbing to all in the audience, not just the Pratchett fans. Unfortunately it was not always the case in this production. Sally Daly, who first directed this play in 2001, has made good use of a cast that improved markedly as the play progressed, excellent costuming and use of stage. At times the pace could have been improved but she had our attention for the night. Outstanding was John Grey as Havelock Vetinari, while David Robinson, as Corporal Carrot, stood out as the inspirer of justice. His portrayal was even better in Act 2 when he had more consistent stage time. Daniel Grey (Captain Sam Vines), was clear in his role while Sasha Barclay, John O'Connor and Amanda Lay brought strength to their characters. The Arts Theatre has developed a following of Pratchett readers..."
http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/men-arms
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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 3rd December for the Broken Drummers' 2018 Christmas party from 7pm 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 Drummers' November meet report, by Helen:
"It was a small group of us that met on 5th November. Either you were all watching fireworks or you're saving yourselves for the Christmas party. However, me, Andrew, Marina, Sarah and Pete made it so the group was small but perfectly formed. Since I had done a special quiz on treason to mark Bonfire night, we went ahead despite having just three contestants (Andrew was barred as I tested the questions on him earlier). Marina emerged victorious and will be doing the next quiz. Jeff from the next table was not present. The bar staff told us that he has gone on tour. This sounded quite exotic until another pub regular told us that he was currently in Wolverhampton. Lynda arrived at the Monkey Puzzle later. She had been in hospital. We were glad to see that she was in good spirits and enjoying a vodka. Gary, the pub landlord, confirmed that they will do a Christmas dinner for us. This is despite the fact that they no longer offer this to other customers. This is apparently because we all turn up on the day, which others do not. The menu is attached. The Christmas dinner will be held Monday 3rd December. We will need everyone there by 7:30. Please send me your meal requests by 24th November. NB, I will acknowledge all orders so if you don't get a reply, you might want to check that I received it. You can attend without ordering a meal but be aware that the kitchen might not be serving other food while they prepare ours. If you're new to Drummers, the Christmas party is a great chance to meet everyone as we always have a much larger group than usual."
(from Facebook, courtesy of Mss C)
For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
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Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people from all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."
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For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
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"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
The Loonies' next event will be their Christmas Party which will take place over the Hogswatch-would-have-been weekend of 27th–29th November. See their Facebook page for details!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
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The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
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The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
The next CoSG events will both be in 2019, possibly starting with a New Year's Day movie. Stay tuned!
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
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The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th December (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk
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The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 7th December (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
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The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. 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/
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Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
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The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
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06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogger Merry aka lettersfromthelighthouse reviews Reaper Man:
"In classic Discworld fashion, Reaper Man combines several strands of narration: While Death enjoys his new-found (free) time and starts a new job as a farm hand, the rest of the Disc tries to deal with excessive life energy and the fact that the dead no longer properly pass on. Wizard Windle Poons, formerly of Unseen University, suddenly finds himself not alive, but also not fully dead, an unexpected development that leads him into the depths of Ankh Morpork's Undead community. His former colleagues, on the other hand, try to help him on his way to the next world – and then there are the mysterious globe-shaped things that start popping up everywhere… If this sounds at the same time slightly ridiculous, thought-provoking and hilarious, it's because it is. However, unlike some of the other Discworld novels which I enjoy wholeheartedly, Reaper Man is a bit of a mixed bag. I did like the reading experience but I remembered halfway through the book why memory tells me this was a weird one..."
https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/review-terry-pratchett-reaper-man/
...and The Wee Free Men:
"What can I say? I absolutely love Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books. They have everything that I love about the Discworld: Thinly-veiled social commentary, wordplay ('a pune, or a play on words'), three-dimensional characters, and creative worldbuilding, all of which showcase Pratchett's impressive imagination. The Wee Free Men is no exception and I (still) absolutely love the fairytale-like quality of this book, the Nac Mac Feegle, and Tiffany 'No Nonsense' Aching. I also love that this book is very much accessible for children while being still amusing and occasionally eye-opening for adults..."
https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/review-terry-pratchett-the-wee-free-men/
The Clacks Header blog points out something rather significant – with explanatory pamphl-, er, images – about the Librarian's speech:
"...I went on a search through the books (yes, all of them) to find everything the Librarian had ever said. The first thing I tried was searching for the word ook – but this caused me some consternation as there are a lot of words containing those three letters and I felt like I might be missing something! I then tried searching for the same thing but with a quote mark in front, e.g. 'ook but this was utterly fruitless, so I found myself an instance of Librarian-speak and had a closer look. It turns out that we've all been misquoting our favourite simian character, he has never once said either 'Ook' or 'Eek', as you may suspect. Every single instance of his speech[*] in the books uses either the word 'Oook' or 'Eeek' with THREE vowels (or additional Os or Es for when things get really exciting). I was slightly flabbergasted... I then thought about this and realised that it was perfectly obvious why The Creator made this decision. When writing a book it is sometimes necessary to go back over your text looking for dialogue from particular characters. If Pratchett had wanted to change something regarding the Librarian he would have faced the same initial problem that I did, in that 'ook' and 'eek' are both contained in a multitude of other words. When coming up with a solution for this problem the most obvious one would be to add an extra letter to make it unique..."
https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/balancing-the-oooks/
Blogger rmartin49, on the Spec Fict Lit blog, also uses explanatories for a post about "ranking" the Discworld novels:
"The Big Read was a BBC run survey in 2003 (at which time a maximum of 29 Discworld books would have been published) to find the nation's best-loved novel of all time. The big winner was The Lord of the Rings, make of that what you will. But the honour of the most prolific author to crack the top 200 books was Terry himself with 15 entries from his prolific canon. The Discworld book that comes out top by that rubric is Mort, the first in the Death series and the fourth in the Discworld overall. But you know what kind of feckless idiots the general public are. Why would you put any kind of faith in their opinion? Because an overall ranking is beyond me (maybe I'll manage it once I've finished reading ALL of them. What a wonderful day for you to look forward to), I've separated the books by strand (Rincewind, Witches, Death, City Watch, Ancient Civilisations and Industrial Revolution) and ranked those. All opinions are my own and if you disagree then that's your lookout. Also, bear in mind that a low ranked Terry Pratchett book is still a damn good book when it comes to the wider reaches of literature. He truly was a wonderful writer...."
https://specfictlit.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/ranking-my-journey-through-the-discworld-so-far-rincewind-edition/
Blogger Bookwitch feels the Maskerade love:
" I knew I was going to choose a Terry Pratchett novel to buy, but which one? Several looked promising, but Granny Weatherwax at the opera sounded especially tempting. Maskerade is actually a crime novel, I discovered. This made it even more fun, and I was already needing the light Pratchett touch. It improved my week considerably... You forget – well, I do, anyway – how good Terry was at observing everything in life and making pertinent comments about the ridiculousness of it all. Or is it easier to comment on life at the opera? The main outcome for me was that I need another dose of Pratchett magic soon. Things went well for Granny and Nanny, but then you'd expect that. They are not the kind of witches who would permit things to not go well..."
https://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2018/11/07/maskerade/
Blogger Eric Watson aka roguewatson's thoughts on Raising Steam:
"Even a mediocre Discworld book is still pretty good. In the Discworld series, the Moist von Lipwig books are solidly at the bottom. They're as much about the city of Ankh-Morpork and the steady march of progress as anything else, and Raising Steam is no exception, with the invention of the locomotion. Unfortunately a good chunk of the novel is spent on a wider lens look at the city, the inventors, and the Patricians' machinations. I do adore the Patrician but it's mostly a snooze-fest, and I never did care about the locomotion pair of Dick and Harry, whom we spend a lot of time with. The final third of the book picks up steam (sorry) into a nice little ending, and I did love the inclusion of Commander Vimes and the City Watch as supporting characters. Note that although it's a Moist book, the surrounding plot is a sequel to the Troll-Dwarf war story in Thud!, nearly making it required reading to know what's going on..."
https://roguewatson.com/2018/11/04/goodreads-review-raising-steam-discworld-40/
Blogger The English Student is back with a beautifully worded review of Going Postal:
"This, the 33rd Discworld novel, is probably the peak of Pratchett's technical powers as a novelist. Before this, the slow build-up from the light romp of The Colour of Magic through novels that become ever more serious in theme, ever angrier in their satire and ever more humane in their palpable love for their flawed-but-lovable protagonists; after this, the rapid stagnation and decline into inflexible dogma (check out, or rather don't, The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day). Pratchett's books have always been about character, with plot taking a back seat, and Going Postal is no exception... It's a novel about a lot of things: redemption, corporate greed, the power of words, the importance of community. The lynchpin[sic] holding these things together is the Post Office itself, a once-grand building that houses thousands upon thousands of dry, dead letters, undelivered because of a tragedy that remains unspecified until quite late in the book. One of Moist's first adventures as Postmaster is to deliver some of those letters, causing a kind of joyous chaos that's felt across the city: an elderly couple are married when a love letter arrives fifty years late; a ruckus is caused when a family realises the wrong sister got mum's best jewellery. That anarchic joy is the overriding mood of the novel, despite its occasional delvings into tragedy... It would be easy to read the novel as anti-technology, but I think that would be a mistaken reading: it's not the clacks themselves that are damaging to communities, but the Grand Trunk's inability to comprehend that the messages it carries mean nothing without the people it exploits. I think we recognise that in the closing scenes of the novel, when Moist sends a message through the clacks that acknowledges the importance of community, of human lives, and in doing so effects real change..."
https://englishstudens.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/review-going-postal/
Blogger fastasybookscloserlooks fell in love with Witches Abroad:
"While at its core this is clearly a re-imagining of the story of Cinderella, this novel also has several clever allusions to other well known stories and fairy tales, including the Frog Prince, The Wizard of Oz, etc, and is at its core a story about stories. Pratchett consistently used this book to examine and deconstruct various tropes that we have come to expect from fantasy and turns them on their head by placing them in a city which polices people for not properly adhering to the archetypes which they are supposedly meant to fill in stories such a this. Because of the explicitly non-traditional style of this story, I was consistently caught off guard by the directions in which it went and was thoroughly entertained through-out thanks to how it masterfully balanced its' humor and more serious contemplative moments. This was primarily due to this novel's greatest strength: its characters…more specifically, the main trio of witches. Magrat was very easy to root for as a young protagonist suddenly given a great deal of power and responsibility (and who's[sic] greatest skill seemed to be turning things into pumpkins), and she created a fantastic contrast between herself and her senior mentors, who were by far my favorite characters! Granny Weatherwax was the perfect example of a stern, stubborn old lady who ultimately has a kind and protective heart, while Nanny Ogg was much more zany and silly. They gave off the same energy as when your especially quirky older family members come to visit and the banter and bickering between the two was just priceless..."
https://fantasybookscloserlooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/witches-abroad-review/
Blogger The Bookworm Drinketh on Equal Rites:
"Well, this is one of my favourite books in this series! I was really excited to get to it because GRANNY WEATHERWAX IS THE GREATEST!! This woman is hilarious, she is strong, she is stubborn, and everyone needs her in their lives. She will never admit to being wrong in any way... I also always enjoy Pratchett's way with words. I know his writing style is not loved by all and that it is the reason some people DON'T read his novels. But, it has such an air of whimsy to it, almost a Seussian style to it, that I, personally absolutely love..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/13/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-equal-rites-review-and-announcement-for-next-month/
...and on Mort:
"This is definitely a different book for the Discworld series. The other's are full of a lot of snarky wit, silly happenings, magic, action… this instalment of the series is a lot slower and a lot more profound! It touches on some serious themes of growing up and being held accountable for your actions, be they good or bad. Mort starts out an awkward child who no one wants as an apprentice, his head in the clouds. He had the 'sort of body that seemed to be only marginally under its owner's control; it appeared to be built out of knees.' But, as the story progressed, he begins to take control of his Fate. The novel also brings up some rather serious thoughts on the reality of Death. The fact the people don't want to see things that can't possibly exist, or sometimes they don't see things that they don't want to acknowledge. And, the fact that Death is the most powerful force in the universe that can't be Just, or Fair. There is no right or wrong, there is only Time..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/30/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-mort-the-story-of-deaths-slightly-awkward-apprentice/
Blogger Pages Below Vaulted Sky is back with another review – of Mort this time giving it "four and a half elephants riding turtles out of five":
"This book's been hyped to hell and back by everyone and I went into it clutching wide-eyed excitement in one hand and squinty skepticism in the other. And, well, turns out all you hypers were right, because this is my favourite of the Discworld books so far (which may not be saying a lot seeing as how we're only four books in, but still). Here are some reasons why I think the book worked for me: 1. It's[sic] explores a master/apprentice relationship in a macabre profession, which I have a particular weakness for. Professions like gravediggers, morticians, 'monstrumologists,' and well, grim reapers. There's something about the handling of death and the act of sharing that craft with a younger person that I find hopelessly romantic... 2. I love, love Mort as a character. First of all, he's an underdog–I can't not root for those. Second of all, he's this wonderful mix of teenage eagerness–of wanting to prove himself to others and to himself–and thoughtfulness. He's utterly endearing and hands-down my favourite of the Discworld protagonists so far. 3. Speaking of endearing, I love this version of Death. He reads like the mysterious, eccentric relative you've been sent to live with for the summer. And when you ask your parents what Uncle Tim does for a living, they just flap their hands vaguely and say, 'Oh, you know, he does the thing.'... 4. The humour really clicked with me this time around. It's weird, because it's the same humour–it's still Pratchett at the helm–but with Mort as a main character, it feels…more grounded. Less loud. Still witty but not too gratuitous..."
https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/discworld-readathon-review-mort/
Blogger notbravenewworld gives Guards! Guards! the ultimate accolade:
"Let me start by saying I like playing the desert island game. Who would I take to a desert island? What food would I take with me if I'm going to a desert island, etc. But a book? One single book? Forget it. There is no way in heaven, hell, or purgatory I'd settle for just one, unless I have a gun or Negan's Lucille to my head. So let's assume I have a gun or Lucille to my head and settle for one, then. Let's make things easier for a change. My answer would be 'Guards! Guards!'. [It's] the book I took with me to the hospital when I went to have my daughter. Does this make it my all-time favorite book? Nope. I wouldn't even say it's my favorite Terry Pratchett book because I love them all. But now that the dreaded question got me thinking, I realized I took 'Guards! Guards!' to the hospital (not that I got a chance to read it, of course) for purely sentimental, selfish reasons. Which is dumb but there it is. This book has it all: it has an adventure, it has The Pratchett Humor, it has a (very) flawed hero and an unlikely, decidedly non-model-like, heroine, and yes, they end up together, and there's a moral in the story, and the moral is anything is possible and don't mess with dragons, and if Pratchett hadn't written 'Guards! Guards!' there wouldn't have been a guards series, and, well, my life would have been that much emptier because if I were a fictional character I would be Samuel Vimes..."
https://notbravenewworld.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/that-one-book/
Blogger acallidryas returns with a mixed opinion of Eric:
"Pratchett is no slacker. He's a professional, so he went ahead and wrote a ministory to explain how and why Rincewind had returned. And, well, that really seems to be the purpose of this book... Eric was not the greatest of the Discworld novels, but it was fine. It had some bits that were quite clever, such as the Discworld variant of the Trojan Wars, and an always appreciated cameo by Death. (As well as The Librarian, who is the true history of Discworld.) But it also seemed to be a bit dashed off. There is more than one quip that is fine at first, but wears thin quickly and one has to assume would have been changed out in subsequent drafts if time permits. The horrible deity Quetzlovercoatl, for instance, is a play on words that would be fine once, but more than that and it seems to be a place holder but nothing better came up. All in all, though, I thought it was a perfectly cromulent Discworld book, and at its short length, one may as well read it just to complete the series..."
https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/eric/
Blogger Wide Eyes reviews A Hat Full of Sky:
"There were just so many things about this book that I loved. Terry Pratchett's writing is sharp and hilarious; the characters are entertaining and lovable, while also inspiring; and the story is captivating and edged with fear at just the right moments. I was spellbound throughout the whole book. Pratchett balances humor, profoundness, and tension to create a very memorable story... Tiffany isn't afraid to speak her mind; she's earnest, while also compassionate, sensitive, and stubborn when confronted. She has her own ideas about the world and she will stand up for them, but that doesn't mean she isn't open-minded to others' opinions. In times of trouble she doesn't wait for someone to come help her; she helps herself, even when she doesn't know how to start. I loved reading about her vivid adventures and I marveled at the depth of her thoughts and emotions. Part of the wonder of this book is how integral Tiffany is to the development of the story. With any other character, Discworld just wouldn't be right..."
https://phantasmagoricalbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky/
Dutch blogger Jeroen aka A Sky of Books and Movies also reviews A Hat Full of Sky:
"Before this one I read Monstrous Regiment, in which Pratchett engaged with feminism, gender politics and war, and Night Watch before that, in which he tackled revolutions, civil war, imprisonment and other dark topics. Pratchett got sharper; his humor turned mocking and scornful, and I felt I was losing something that made the series so enjoyable for me. I'm glad to find it again in this subseries. So, now we have this Tiffany Aching subseries running, and it has a couple of elements that really define it, that make it its own. One is of course the character of Tiffany: a young, precocious, plain looking girl with a lot of self-possession, who learns how to be a witch – and in the terms of Terry Pratchett that totally unlike anything you would see in a Harry Potter novel. Being a witch in Discworld is about being clever, smart and no-nonsense, and understanding people and yourself. I like this concept so much, and Pratchett does such an outstanding job at telling us what that means. Many of Tiffany's challenges in her adventures are not about being a strong, powerful person and slaying evil, not about waving a wand and beating something with bright rays of magic, but about doing what you have to do, even if you don't like it, and about finding strength from the land you grew up in and having patience with people and learning about yourself..."
https://jeroenthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky-2004-review/
...and finally, authors and co-bloggers Allan and Helen Krummenacker praise Raising Steam:
"I've seen other reviews where people lamented that his declining health was clearly showing in this book saying things like 'it wasn't as funny…' or '…it felt like this was his farewell to the fans…' etc... But for me, this book felt more like a wonderfully wild ride that took us to various parts of the Discworld, just as the invention of the first train in Ankh-Morpork intended. Pratchett uses the invention of the first steam engine to take us all over and reintroduce us to a number of old and familiar faces and places. We go back to Uberwald to visit Lady Margolotta, The Low King of the Dwarves, Bonk, the goblins, Harry King 'King of the Golden River' (a river you would not want to swim in by the way folks), Commander Vimes and the Watch, Death, Lord Vetinari, and of course the incorrigible scoundrel of the piece Moist Von Lipwig. We get to see some of these wonderful characters interacting with each other in various ways, some for the first time like Lipwig (the 'reformed' con-man) working with Stoneface Vimes. Mr. Pratchett has been modernizing his world little by little throughout the series introducing the 'Clacks' for communicating quickly over great distances, the first newspapers (spreading information to not just the gentry, but the common man), a new monetary system that is not based on the gold, so the addition of the steam engine seemed quite appropriate. With each book he brings his scattered characters closer to one another, while still providing a fun-filled thrilling ride along the way..."
https://akrummenacker.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/book-review-terry-pratchetts-raising-steam/
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07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FOODS OF THE FEEGLES
We know that the Nac Mac Feegle of The Chalk, under the tutelage of Rob Anybody and Kelda Jeannie, have been experimenting with snails and garlic in their cookery. But did you know how many of the basics of Feegle cuisine are eerily similar to those of Roundworld's traditional Scots food?
Every visitor to Ankh-Morpork is familiar with that staple of the less moneyed demographic, the infamous clootie dumpling – a very substantial mixture of flour, suet, drippings and whatever else the cook can get away with, probably boiled up in the cook's old apron. But did you know that Scottish foods include clootie dumplings as a dessert? Roundworld clootie dumplings start with flour and suet of course, but then add breadcrumbs, sultanas, currants, sugar, spices, milk and even golden syrup. The dough is boiled in a cloth – "clootie" comes from "clout", an old word for a cloth – and then left to dry out before being served, often with custard or cream.
A great and time-honoured way to use up leftovers on the Scottish Borders is called rumbledethumps. This dish, consisting of potatoes, cabbage, onions and whatever else "wants eating up", is similar to colcannon in Ireland and bubble and squeak in England. Another creative Scots way with leftovers is to turn yesterday's porridge into skirlie, by adding onions and fat and frying it up (All together now: "You're Scottish, fry something!"). And then there are soups. Everyone knows the famous Cock-a-Leekie soup (presumably made by Feegles with stolen chickens), but let's not forget Cullen Skink: a thick winter fish soup, traditionally made with "finnan haddie" (smoked haddock from north-east Scotland), potatoes and, yes, onions. Another famous soup from the sea is Partan Bree, a kind of crab chowder with rice (partan being Scots Gaelic for crab).
Sowans is a drink that makes the best of the last bits of the oat harvest: take the starch left over on the inner husks of milled oats, soak for several days to let it ferment, strained the liquid and let it stand for a day, after which time the liquid, known as swats, is ready to drink. And speaking of drink (apart from Special Sheep Liniment), finally we come to brose. Ordinary brose is simply made from coarse porridge oats and water, boiled for a short time and left to thicken, although barley meal or peasemeal can be used if you've already eaten all your porridge... and of course, there's the Roundworld version of Big Aggie's brose, which is brose mixed with... yes, Special Sheep Liniment (better known to us Roundworlders as whiskey) and honey. Guaranteed, many say, to heal the sick and raise the almost-dead; you might want to try a drop or a dram of it this holiday season!
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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A collage of Studio Theatre Club's production of Hogfather this month: http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/gallery-2#&gid=1&pid=1
Stephen Briggs, "feeling like Death": https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsM31QeXQAUtPrA.jpg
Blogger Kat aka An Antisocial Artist offers a sweet illustration of a Pratchett quote: https://bit.ly/2PW9LSD
...and Your Editor's favourite still from the Good Omens trailer: https://bit.ly/2FFWZTI
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09) CLOSE
And that's it for November. Take care, and we hope to see you before the end of the year!
– Annie Mac
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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 11, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
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INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FOODS OF THE FEEGLES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"Totally delighted our raffle for cast-signed HOGFATHER scripts raised an amazing £450 for @alzheimerssoc in memory of Terry" – as tweeted by Abingdon's Studio Theatre Club after their world premiere of Stephen Briggs' recent adaptation of Hogfather
"Here's a woman who protects herself because men don't see why she needs to. Here's a woman who needs no man. But might quite like one, anyway."
– blogger The English Student's fine summation of Adora Belle Dearheart's character
"Terry Pratchett stirs the spaces and thoughts within you and gently disturbs the rhythm of the world. He spins words around and tangles phrases. In a way, the fantasy story he creates transcends the genre to become real."
– blogger Wide Eyes also shows a fine turn of praise-phrase
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02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
For most of my life so far, I've preferred genre films and telly to "straight" dramas, on the ground that life itself is dramatic enough. And in the Age of the Clacks, I've sometimes been completely surprised to find that a particular film or episode was quite the opposite of what synopses, reviews or outright spoilage led me to expect – almost always in the "x was so much better than I expected!" sense. For instance, some years ago I missed an episode of Angel called Smile Time, so I found the entire shooting script online, read it, and thought "Eww, no way do I *ever* want to see that one!"... only to find out some time later, on finally seeing it, that it was for me one of the best of the entire five-year series.... and then there's Thor Ragnarok: I was so put off by the trailers that I almost declined to be taken to see it – and lo, it was a non-stop gigglefest and possibly the best of all the 21st century superhero cinema.
So what is the point of these observations? Why, it's that having read Narrativia's official announcement of The Watch going forward into production, I am very, very conflicted, because the tone of that announcement makes it feel, to me at least, not unlike the horrors that Hollywood wanted to visit upon Mort when The Author sold the film rights (and oh so fortunately got them back again). A "punk rock thriller"? "...startlingly reimagined"? And most disturbing of the lot, Cheery described as "non-binary"? For Io's sake, the whole point of dwarf sexuality is that it's culturally non-binary in public and Cheery's activism is all about insisting on being recognised publicly as a female of her species!
And yet, and yet... I so, so, so want The Watch to work. I want it to work for us millions of Discworld fans but also to be engaging enough to draw in and hook many other millions of potential fans who have yet to read the source material. I remember well how some Tolkien purists objected to Team Jackson's interpretation of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit stories, but the very fact that the team pursued their own vision with passion and supreme expertise is what made those films some of the most successful in cinema history while still getting the stories across, even if there were changes from the text versions. Discworld deserves no less. And BBC America's history, again in my opinion (hello, this *is* an editorial after all!), is not promising. Look what they did to Torchwood. Look how they've been helping to drive Doctor Who ever further away from its in-the-bone Britishness. At least the Amazon/BBC-not-America production of Good Omens claims to have gone to great lengths to retain the essential Englishness of the book.
Still... one can hope, right?
...all right, I'm hoping.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) ODDS AND SODS
Just a few reminders this month... and some Hogswatch merch!
3.1 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT
After Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit finishes at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk, it will move in mid-December to the North Hertfordshire Museum.
Currently...
When: now through 1st December 2018
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/
...and then...
When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times: 10.30 am–4.30 pm
Tickets: free admission
http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/
3.2 REMINDER: THE WATCH IS FINALLY ON ITS WAY
That Narrativia announcement again:
"The Watch is a punk rock thriller inspired by the legendary 'City Watch' subset of 'Discworld' novels. This disruptive, character-driven thriller centers on Terry Pratchett's misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness, from both the past and future in a perilous quest. Modern and inclusive, The Watch features many famous 'Discworld' creations including City Watch Captain Sam Vimes, the last scion of nobility Lady Sybil Ramkin, the naive but heroic Carrot, the mysterious Angua and the ingenious non-binary forensics expert Cheery together with Terry Pratchett's iconic characterization of Death... 'The Watch has been startlingly reimagined for television by writer Simon Allen, while still cleaving to the humor, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett's incomparably original work,' commented BBC America President, Sarah Barnett. 'BBC America embraces what's fresh and exhilarating in TV; we believe The Watch will astonish audiences.' ..."
The full announcement lives here: http://narrativia.com/watch.html
3.3 REMINDER: THE GOOD OMENS TRAILER
Well worth watching again and again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSXlNRRoGU
3.4 IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN...
...for presents! And here are a few ideas...
* Ookplates!
A set of ten traditional illustrated bookplates featuring favourite characters from Terry Pratchett's Discworld including Death, The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Rincewind, Sam Vimes, Vetinari & the Luggage!!
Each set it priced at £8.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/books/490-discworld-ookplates
* Feegle Feet socks!
"CRIVENS!! Walk the Chalk like the Nac Mac Feegle with this fantastically fun literary footwear feet-uring the unmistakable appendages of Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies!"
Each pair of Feegle Feet is priced at £6.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/503-discworld-socks-feegle-feet
Worth noting: pairs of other Discworld-themed socks are also available, including Wizzard, Assassins' Guild, L-Space, Death, and A'Tuin. On offer is a special deal – buy three pairs of any of these (including Feegle Feet of course!) for £15! – Ed.
* The Mended Drum t-shirt!
You survived the Mended Drum, and all you got was this lovely T- Shirt! Wear the thrills and spills of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern on your sleeve, quite literally, with our exclusive Discworld tee - a souvenir from a local boozer that is truly out of this world!
Each Mended drum t-shirt is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/510-the-mended-drum-t-shirt
* The UU Library jigsaw puzzle!
"The Great Library at Unseen University, as you've never 'Unseen' it before! See the most magical library in the multiverse unfold before your eyes with our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld jigsaw puzzle, featuring an astonishing illustration to make any booklover go wobbly at the knees - Ook!"
The UU jigsaw puzzle is priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/407-unseen-university-library-jigsaw-puzzle
Also available is the beautifully Gothic Death's Study jigsaw puzzle, also priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/491-death-s-study-jigsaw-puzzle
Also, up at the pricier end...
* The Imaginarium of Professor Pratchett II!
From Paul Kidby, "An exclusive collectors print featuring Paul Kidby’s iconic 2018 portrait of Terry Pratchett, as seen on the book jacket of Terry Pratchett HisWorld, the Official Exhibition Companion. Each print is hand signed and numbered and the edition is limited to 2000 copies worldwide. Printed on 350gm silk paper. Dimensions 490 x 350mm. Prints are despatched rolled in acid free tissue in a postal tube."
Each print is priced at £40. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/the-imaginarium-of-professor-pratchett-ii/
* The DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine!
"Add a touch of Death to your bookshelf with our official Discworld figurine featuring Terry Pratchett's enigmatic Grim Reaper, produced in our signature bronze finish!"
Each DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine is priced at £50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/home-hearth/518-death-with-kitten-figurine
And pricier yet, but so worth it – Your Editor received one of these a few weeks ago as a birthday present and can confirm that it is magnificent:
* Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium Special Limited Slipcase Edition!
"Featuring the very best of Paul Kidby’s Discworld illustrations, this definitive volume includes 40 pieces of never before seen art, including preliminary drawings, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions and 17 book cover illustrations, since 2004, shown without cover text. This Special Edition features an alternative cover design and has a signature page with a new piece of artwork exclusively produced for this version. It includes a specially designed slipcase, metallic page edgings and marker ribbon. All copies signed and numbered by Paul Kidby."
Each Imaginarium Slipcase Edition is priced at £82. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-special-limited-slip-case-edition-of-2000/
Also available but at a lower price (same art, less exquisite packaging) is the standard Imaginarium, priced at £42. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium/
And after the presents and the meal, it will be time for the games. Some appropriate Hogswatch games, better by far than Charades or Deformed Rabbit…
* Clacks!
There are still a few copies of Backspindle Games' famous board game, priced at £29. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-activities/231-clacks-a-discworld-board-game
* The Discworld Roleplaying Game!
"Create your own Discworld Story and collaborate with friends to create detailed characters and unique adventures! Steve Jackson's table-top RPG is back, with a brand-new Discworld magic system, things from the Dungeon Dimensions ...and a thousand elephants!"
Each Discworld Roleplaying game is priced at £34.99. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/348-discworld-roleplaying-game
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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS TO COME
* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BIRMINGHAM (NOVEMBER)
The "amateur yet spirited" Luke Players will stage their production of Guards! Guards! starting this weekend! "Terry Pratchett's infamous city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60-foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen. Defending Ankh-Morpork against this threat is the entire, underpaid, undervalued City Night Watch and their newest recruit, Lance Constable Carrot, who is upright, literal, law-abiding and keen. Aiding them in their fight for truth, justice and the Ankh-Morporkian way are a small swamp dragon and the Librarian of Unseen University (who just happens to be an orang-utan)."
When: 29th November through 1st December 2018
Venue: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH (Box Office and enquiries: 0121 446 3232)
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on 1st December
Tickets: £7 - £9, available online by going to https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards and clicking on the desired date and show
https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December! "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 and £12, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bristol/kelvin-players-theatre/going-postal-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-briggs
https://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/current-production
* CARPE JUGULUM IN YORK (MARCH 2019)
After their success with staging Mort in 2016 and Wyrd Sisters last year, We Are Theatre are doing Discworld again. This time it's Carpe Jugulum!
When: 5th and 6th March 2019
Venue: Tap Room, York Brewery, 12 Toft Green, York YO16JT UK
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: £12, pre-bookable by ringing the Box Office on 07521 364107 or via email: wearetheatre@googlemail.com
http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html
* MASKERADE IN WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2019)
Ifield Barn will be back with another Discworld play next March! Sounds like a wonderfully Discly setting: "The theatre was created from a group of agricultural buildings and consist of a 700 year old tithe barn which now forms the auditorium and dressing rooms, a former Granary which serves as a kitchen and stables which have been converted to an exhibition room and workshops. All three buildings have been linked by a modern addition tastefully integrated to form the foyer and theatre bar. Due to some inspired fund-raising by members many improvements have been made to the theatre."
When: 6th–9th March 2019
Venue: Ifield Barn Arts Centre, Ifield Street, Ifield, West Sussex. RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows; matinee 9th March 3pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre or by post or in person at the venue
http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html
* WYRD SISTERS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE (MARCH 2019)
TADS (Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society) will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters next March!
When: 23rd–24th March 2019
Venue: the Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 5NX
Time: TBA
Tickets: £14, available from the Roses Theatre Box Office at http://www.rosestheatre.org/
If you want to participate in the production, rehearsals are being held on Monday evenings at Tewkesbury Town Hall.
http://www.tads.org.uk/index.html
4.2 REVIEWS
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS
By William Davies on Stage Whispers:
"The difficulty in a dramatic interpretation of a Pratchett novel is to present the play so that the long, complicated storyline is absorbing to all in the audience, not just the Pratchett fans. Unfortunately it was not always the case in this production. Sally Daly, who first directed this play in 2001, has made good use of a cast that improved markedly as the play progressed, excellent costuming and use of stage. At times the pace could have been improved but she had our attention for the night. Outstanding was John Grey as Havelock Vetinari, while David Robinson, as Corporal Carrot, stood out as the inspirer of justice. His portrayal was even better in Act 2 when he had more consistent stage time. Daniel Grey (Captain Sam Vines), was clear in his role while Sasha Barclay, John O'Connor and Amanda Lay brought strength to their characters. The Arts Theatre has developed a following of Pratchett readers..."
http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/men-arms
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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 3rd December for the Broken Drummers' 2018 Christmas party from 7pm 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 Drummers' November meet report, by Helen:
"It was a small group of us that met on 5th November. Either you were all watching fireworks or you're saving yourselves for the Christmas party. However, me, Andrew, Marina, Sarah and Pete made it so the group was small but perfectly formed. Since I had done a special quiz on treason to mark Bonfire night, we went ahead despite having just three contestants (Andrew was barred as I tested the questions on him earlier). Marina emerged victorious and will be doing the next quiz. Jeff from the next table was not present. The bar staff told us that he has gone on tour. This sounded quite exotic until another pub regular told us that he was currently in Wolverhampton. Lynda arrived at the Monkey Puzzle later. She had been in hospital. We were glad to see that she was in good spirits and enjoying a vodka. Gary, the pub landlord, confirmed that they will do a Christmas dinner for us. This is despite the fact that they no longer offer this to other customers. This is apparently because we all turn up on the day, which others do not. The menu is attached. The Christmas dinner will be held Monday 3rd December. We will need everyone there by 7:30. Please send me your meal requests by 24th November. NB, I will acknowledge all orders so if you don't get a reply, you might want to check that I received it. You can attend without ordering a meal but be aware that the kitchen might not be serving other food while they prepare ours. If you're new to Drummers, the Christmas party is a great chance to meet everyone as we always have a much larger group than usual."
(from Facebook, courtesy of Mss C)
For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
*
Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people from all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."
*
For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
The Loonies' next event will be their Christmas Party which will take place over the Hogswatch-would-have-been weekend of 27th–29th November. See their Facebook page for details!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
*
The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ 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 an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
The next CoSG events will both be in 2019, possibly starting with a New Year's Day movie. Stay tuned!
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th December (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 7th December (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. 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 next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
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06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogger Merry aka lettersfromthelighthouse reviews Reaper Man:
"In classic Discworld fashion, Reaper Man combines several strands of narration: While Death enjoys his new-found (free) time and starts a new job as a farm hand, the rest of the Disc tries to deal with excessive life energy and the fact that the dead no longer properly pass on. Wizard Windle Poons, formerly of Unseen University, suddenly finds himself not alive, but also not fully dead, an unexpected development that leads him into the depths of Ankh Morpork's Undead community. His former colleagues, on the other hand, try to help him on his way to the next world – and then there are the mysterious globe-shaped things that start popping up everywhere… If this sounds at the same time slightly ridiculous, thought-provoking and hilarious, it's because it is. However, unlike some of the other Discworld novels which I enjoy wholeheartedly, Reaper Man is a bit of a mixed bag. I did like the reading experience but I remembered halfway through the book why memory tells me this was a weird one..."
https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/review-terry-pratchett-reaper-man/
...and The Wee Free Men:
"What can I say? I absolutely love Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books. They have everything that I love about the Discworld: Thinly-veiled social commentary, wordplay ('a pune, or a play on words'), three-dimensional characters, and creative worldbuilding, all of which showcase Pratchett's impressive imagination. The Wee Free Men is no exception and I (still) absolutely love the fairytale-like quality of this book, the Nac Mac Feegle, and Tiffany 'No Nonsense' Aching. I also love that this book is very much accessible for children while being still amusing and occasionally eye-opening for adults..."
https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/review-terry-pratchett-the-wee-free-men/
The Clacks Header blog points out something rather significant – with explanatory pamphl-, er, images – about the Librarian's speech:
"...I went on a search through the books (yes, all of them) to find everything the Librarian had ever said. The first thing I tried was searching for the word ook – but this caused me some consternation as there are a lot of words containing those three letters and I felt like I might be missing something! I then tried searching for the same thing but with a quote mark in front, e.g. 'ook but this was utterly fruitless, so I found myself an instance of Librarian-speak and had a closer look. It turns out that we've all been misquoting our favourite simian character, he has never once said either 'Ook' or 'Eek', as you may suspect. Every single instance of his speech[*] in the books uses either the word 'Oook' or 'Eeek' with THREE vowels (or additional Os or Es for when things get really exciting). I was slightly flabbergasted... I then thought about this and realised that it was perfectly obvious why The Creator made this decision. When writing a book it is sometimes necessary to go back over your text looking for dialogue from particular characters. If Pratchett had wanted to change something regarding the Librarian he would have faced the same initial problem that I did, in that 'ook' and 'eek' are both contained in a multitude of other words. When coming up with a solution for this problem the most obvious one would be to add an extra letter to make it unique..."
https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/balancing-the-oooks/
Blogger rmartin49, on the Spec Fict Lit blog, also uses explanatories for a post about "ranking" the Discworld novels:
"The Big Read was a BBC run survey in 2003 (at which time a maximum of 29 Discworld books would have been published) to find the nation's best-loved novel of all time. The big winner was The Lord of the Rings, make of that what you will. But the honour of the most prolific author to crack the top 200 books was Terry himself with 15 entries from his prolific canon. The Discworld book that comes out top by that rubric is Mort, the first in the Death series and the fourth in the Discworld overall. But you know what kind of feckless idiots the general public are. Why would you put any kind of faith in their opinion? Because an overall ranking is beyond me (maybe I'll manage it once I've finished reading ALL of them. What a wonderful day for you to look forward to), I've separated the books by strand (Rincewind, Witches, Death, City Watch, Ancient Civilisations and Industrial Revolution) and ranked those. All opinions are my own and if you disagree then that's your lookout. Also, bear in mind that a low ranked Terry Pratchett book is still a damn good book when it comes to the wider reaches of literature. He truly was a wonderful writer...."
https://specfictlit.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/ranking-my-journey-through-the-discworld-so-far-rincewind-edition/
Blogger Bookwitch feels the Maskerade love:
" I knew I was going to choose a Terry Pratchett novel to buy, but which one? Several looked promising, but Granny Weatherwax at the opera sounded especially tempting. Maskerade is actually a crime novel, I discovered. This made it even more fun, and I was already needing the light Pratchett touch. It improved my week considerably... You forget – well, I do, anyway – how good Terry was at observing everything in life and making pertinent comments about the ridiculousness of it all. Or is it easier to comment on life at the opera? The main outcome for me was that I need another dose of Pratchett magic soon. Things went well for Granny and Nanny, but then you'd expect that. They are not the kind of witches who would permit things to not go well..."
https://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2018/11/07/maskerade/
Blogger Eric Watson aka roguewatson's thoughts on Raising Steam:
"Even a mediocre Discworld book is still pretty good. In the Discworld series, the Moist von Lipwig books are solidly at the bottom. They're as much about the city of Ankh-Morpork and the steady march of progress as anything else, and Raising Steam is no exception, with the invention of the locomotion. Unfortunately a good chunk of the novel is spent on a wider lens look at the city, the inventors, and the Patricians' machinations. I do adore the Patrician but it's mostly a snooze-fest, and I never did care about the locomotion pair of Dick and Harry, whom we spend a lot of time with. The final third of the book picks up steam (sorry) into a nice little ending, and I did love the inclusion of Commander Vimes and the City Watch as supporting characters. Note that although it's a Moist book, the surrounding plot is a sequel to the Troll-Dwarf war story in Thud!, nearly making it required reading to know what's going on..."
https://roguewatson.com/2018/11/04/goodreads-review-raising-steam-discworld-40/
Blogger The English Student is back with a beautifully worded review of Going Postal:
"This, the 33rd Discworld novel, is probably the peak of Pratchett's technical powers as a novelist. Before this, the slow build-up from the light romp of The Colour of Magic through novels that become ever more serious in theme, ever angrier in their satire and ever more humane in their palpable love for their flawed-but-lovable protagonists; after this, the rapid stagnation and decline into inflexible dogma (check out, or rather don't, The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day). Pratchett's books have always been about character, with plot taking a back seat, and Going Postal is no exception... It's a novel about a lot of things: redemption, corporate greed, the power of words, the importance of community. The lynchpin[sic] holding these things together is the Post Office itself, a once-grand building that houses thousands upon thousands of dry, dead letters, undelivered because of a tragedy that remains unspecified until quite late in the book. One of Moist's first adventures as Postmaster is to deliver some of those letters, causing a kind of joyous chaos that's felt across the city: an elderly couple are married when a love letter arrives fifty years late; a ruckus is caused when a family realises the wrong sister got mum's best jewellery. That anarchic joy is the overriding mood of the novel, despite its occasional delvings into tragedy... It would be easy to read the novel as anti-technology, but I think that would be a mistaken reading: it's not the clacks themselves that are damaging to communities, but the Grand Trunk's inability to comprehend that the messages it carries mean nothing without the people it exploits. I think we recognise that in the closing scenes of the novel, when Moist sends a message through the clacks that acknowledges the importance of community, of human lives, and in doing so effects real change..."
https://englishstudens.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/review-going-postal/
Blogger fastasybookscloserlooks fell in love with Witches Abroad:
"While at its core this is clearly a re-imagining of the story of Cinderella, this novel also has several clever allusions to other well known stories and fairy tales, including the Frog Prince, The Wizard of Oz, etc, and is at its core a story about stories. Pratchett consistently used this book to examine and deconstruct various tropes that we have come to expect from fantasy and turns them on their head by placing them in a city which polices people for not properly adhering to the archetypes which they are supposedly meant to fill in stories such a this. Because of the explicitly non-traditional style of this story, I was consistently caught off guard by the directions in which it went and was thoroughly entertained through-out thanks to how it masterfully balanced its' humor and more serious contemplative moments. This was primarily due to this novel's greatest strength: its characters…more specifically, the main trio of witches. Magrat was very easy to root for as a young protagonist suddenly given a great deal of power and responsibility (and who's[sic] greatest skill seemed to be turning things into pumpkins), and she created a fantastic contrast between herself and her senior mentors, who were by far my favorite characters! Granny Weatherwax was the perfect example of a stern, stubborn old lady who ultimately has a kind and protective heart, while Nanny Ogg was much more zany and silly. They gave off the same energy as when your especially quirky older family members come to visit and the banter and bickering between the two was just priceless..."
https://fantasybookscloserlooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/witches-abroad-review/
Blogger The Bookworm Drinketh on Equal Rites:
"Well, this is one of my favourite books in this series! I was really excited to get to it because GRANNY WEATHERWAX IS THE GREATEST!! This woman is hilarious, she is strong, she is stubborn, and everyone needs her in their lives. She will never admit to being wrong in any way... I also always enjoy Pratchett's way with words. I know his writing style is not loved by all and that it is the reason some people DON'T read his novels. But, it has such an air of whimsy to it, almost a Seussian style to it, that I, personally absolutely love..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/13/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-equal-rites-review-and-announcement-for-next-month/
...and on Mort:
"This is definitely a different book for the Discworld series. The other's are full of a lot of snarky wit, silly happenings, magic, action… this instalment of the series is a lot slower and a lot more profound! It touches on some serious themes of growing up and being held accountable for your actions, be they good or bad. Mort starts out an awkward child who no one wants as an apprentice, his head in the clouds. He had the 'sort of body that seemed to be only marginally under its owner's control; it appeared to be built out of knees.' But, as the story progressed, he begins to take control of his Fate. The novel also brings up some rather serious thoughts on the reality of Death. The fact the people don't want to see things that can't possibly exist, or sometimes they don't see things that they don't want to acknowledge. And, the fact that Death is the most powerful force in the universe that can't be Just, or Fair. There is no right or wrong, there is only Time..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/30/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-mort-the-story-of-deaths-slightly-awkward-apprentice/
Blogger Pages Below Vaulted Sky is back with another review – of Mort this time giving it "four and a half elephants riding turtles out of five":
"This book's been hyped to hell and back by everyone and I went into it clutching wide-eyed excitement in one hand and squinty skepticism in the other. And, well, turns out all you hypers were right, because this is my favourite of the Discworld books so far (which may not be saying a lot seeing as how we're only four books in, but still). Here are some reasons why I think the book worked for me: 1. It's[sic] explores a master/apprentice relationship in a macabre profession, which I have a particular weakness for. Professions like gravediggers, morticians, 'monstrumologists,' and well, grim reapers. There's something about the handling of death and the act of sharing that craft with a younger person that I find hopelessly romantic... 2. I love, love Mort as a character. First of all, he's an underdog–I can't not root for those. Second of all, he's this wonderful mix of teenage eagerness–of wanting to prove himself to others and to himself–and thoughtfulness. He's utterly endearing and hands-down my favourite of the Discworld protagonists so far. 3. Speaking of endearing, I love this version of Death. He reads like the mysterious, eccentric relative you've been sent to live with for the summer. And when you ask your parents what Uncle Tim does for a living, they just flap their hands vaguely and say, 'Oh, you know, he does the thing.'... 4. The humour really clicked with me this time around. It's weird, because it's the same humour–it's still Pratchett at the helm–but with Mort as a main character, it feels…more grounded. Less loud. Still witty but not too gratuitous..."
https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/discworld-readathon-review-mort/
Blogger notbravenewworld gives Guards! Guards! the ultimate accolade:
"Let me start by saying I like playing the desert island game. Who would I take to a desert island? What food would I take with me if I'm going to a desert island, etc. But a book? One single book? Forget it. There is no way in heaven, hell, or purgatory I'd settle for just one, unless I have a gun or Negan's Lucille to my head. So let's assume I have a gun or Lucille to my head and settle for one, then. Let's make things easier for a change. My answer would be 'Guards! Guards!'. [It's] the book I took with me to the hospital when I went to have my daughter. Does this make it my all-time favorite book? Nope. I wouldn't even say it's my favorite Terry Pratchett book because I love them all. But now that the dreaded question got me thinking, I realized I took 'Guards! Guards!' to the hospital (not that I got a chance to read it, of course) for purely sentimental, selfish reasons. Which is dumb but there it is. This book has it all: it has an adventure, it has The Pratchett Humor, it has a (very) flawed hero and an unlikely, decidedly non-model-like, heroine, and yes, they end up together, and there's a moral in the story, and the moral is anything is possible and don't mess with dragons, and if Pratchett hadn't written 'Guards! Guards!' there wouldn't have been a guards series, and, well, my life would have been that much emptier because if I were a fictional character I would be Samuel Vimes..."
https://notbravenewworld.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/that-one-book/
Blogger acallidryas returns with a mixed opinion of Eric:
"Pratchett is no slacker. He's a professional, so he went ahead and wrote a ministory to explain how and why Rincewind had returned. And, well, that really seems to be the purpose of this book... Eric was not the greatest of the Discworld novels, but it was fine. It had some bits that were quite clever, such as the Discworld variant of the Trojan Wars, and an always appreciated cameo by Death. (As well as The Librarian, who is the true history of Discworld.) But it also seemed to be a bit dashed off. There is more than one quip that is fine at first, but wears thin quickly and one has to assume would have been changed out in subsequent drafts if time permits. The horrible deity Quetzlovercoatl, for instance, is a play on words that would be fine once, but more than that and it seems to be a place holder but nothing better came up. All in all, though, I thought it was a perfectly cromulent Discworld book, and at its short length, one may as well read it just to complete the series..."
https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/eric/
Blogger Wide Eyes reviews A Hat Full of Sky:
"There were just so many things about this book that I loved. Terry Pratchett's writing is sharp and hilarious; the characters are entertaining and lovable, while also inspiring; and the story is captivating and edged with fear at just the right moments. I was spellbound throughout the whole book. Pratchett balances humor, profoundness, and tension to create a very memorable story... Tiffany isn't afraid to speak her mind; she's earnest, while also compassionate, sensitive, and stubborn when confronted. She has her own ideas about the world and she will stand up for them, but that doesn't mean she isn't open-minded to others' opinions. In times of trouble she doesn't wait for someone to come help her; she helps herself, even when she doesn't know how to start. I loved reading about her vivid adventures and I marveled at the depth of her thoughts and emotions. Part of the wonder of this book is how integral Tiffany is to the development of the story. With any other character, Discworld just wouldn't be right..."
https://phantasmagoricalbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky/
Dutch blogger Jeroen aka A Sky of Books and Movies also reviews A Hat Full of Sky:
"Before this one I read Monstrous Regiment, in which Pratchett engaged with feminism, gender politics and war, and Night Watch before that, in which he tackled revolutions, civil war, imprisonment and other dark topics. Pratchett got sharper; his humor turned mocking and scornful, and I felt I was losing something that made the series so enjoyable for me. I'm glad to find it again in this subseries. So, now we have this Tiffany Aching subseries running, and it has a couple of elements that really define it, that make it its own. One is of course the character of Tiffany: a young, precocious, plain looking girl with a lot of self-possession, who learns how to be a witch – and in the terms of Terry Pratchett that totally unlike anything you would see in a Harry Potter novel. Being a witch in Discworld is about being clever, smart and no-nonsense, and understanding people and yourself. I like this concept so much, and Pratchett does such an outstanding job at telling us what that means. Many of Tiffany's challenges in her adventures are not about being a strong, powerful person and slaying evil, not about waving a wand and beating something with bright rays of magic, but about doing what you have to do, even if you don't like it, and about finding strength from the land you grew up in and having patience with people and learning about yourself..."
https://jeroenthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky-2004-review/
...and finally, authors and co-bloggers Allan and Helen Krummenacker praise Raising Steam:
"I've seen other reviews where people lamented that his declining health was clearly showing in this book saying things like 'it wasn't as funny…' or '…it felt like this was his farewell to the fans…' etc... But for me, this book felt more like a wonderfully wild ride that took us to various parts of the Discworld, just as the invention of the first train in Ankh-Morpork intended. Pratchett uses the invention of the first steam engine to take us all over and reintroduce us to a number of old and familiar faces and places. We go back to Uberwald to visit Lady Margolotta, The Low King of the Dwarves, Bonk, the goblins, Harry King 'King of the Golden River' (a river you would not want to swim in by the way folks), Commander Vimes and the Watch, Death, Lord Vetinari, and of course the incorrigible scoundrel of the piece Moist Von Lipwig. We get to see some of these wonderful characters interacting with each other in various ways, some for the first time like Lipwig (the 'reformed' con-man) working with Stoneface Vimes. Mr. Pratchett has been modernizing his world little by little throughout the series introducing the 'Clacks' for communicating quickly over great distances, the first newspapers (spreading information to not just the gentry, but the common man), a new monetary system that is not based on the gold, so the addition of the steam engine seemed quite appropriate. With each book he brings his scattered characters closer to one another, while still providing a fun-filled thrilling ride along the way..."
https://akrummenacker.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/book-review-terry-pratchetts-raising-steam/
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07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FOODS OF THE FEEGLES
We know that the Nac Mac Feegle of The Chalk, under the tutelage of Rob Anybody and Kelda Jeannie, have been experimenting with snails and garlic in their cookery. But did you know how many of the basics of Feegle cuisine are eerily similar to those of Roundworld's traditional Scots food?
Every visitor to Ankh-Morpork is familiar with that staple of the less moneyed demographic, the infamous clootie dumpling – a very substantial mixture of flour, suet, drippings and whatever else the cook can get away with, probably boiled up in the cook's old apron. But did you know that Scottish foods include clootie dumplings as a dessert? Roundworld clootie dumplings start with flour and suet of course, but then add breadcrumbs, sultanas, currants, sugar, spices, milk and even golden syrup. The dough is boiled in a cloth – "clootie" comes from "clout", an old word for a cloth – and then left to dry out before being served, often with custard or cream.
A great and time-honoured way to use up leftovers on the Scottish Borders is called rumbledethumps. This dish, consisting of potatoes, cabbage, onions and whatever else "wants eating up", is similar to colcannon in Ireland and bubble and squeak in England. Another creative Scots way with leftovers is to turn yesterday's porridge into skirlie, by adding onions and fat and frying it up (All together now: "You're Scottish, fry something!"). And then there are soups. Everyone knows the famous Cock-a-Leekie soup (presumably made by Feegles with stolen chickens), but let's not forget Cullen Skink: a thick winter fish soup, traditionally made with "finnan haddie" (smoked haddock from north-east Scotland), potatoes and, yes, onions. Another famous soup from the sea is Partan Bree, a kind of crab chowder with rice (partan being Scots Gaelic for crab).
Sowans is a drink that makes the best of the last bits of the oat harvest: take the starch left over on the inner husks of milled oats, soak for several days to let it ferment, strained the liquid and let it stand for a day, after which time the liquid, known as swats, is ready to drink. And speaking of drink (apart from Special Sheep Liniment), finally we come to brose. Ordinary brose is simply made from coarse porridge oats and water, boiled for a short time and left to thicken, although barley meal or peasemeal can be used if you've already eaten all your porridge... and of course, there's the Roundworld version of Big Aggie's brose, which is brose mixed with... yes, Special Sheep Liniment (better known to us Roundworlders as whiskey) and honey. Guaranteed, many say, to heal the sick and raise the almost-dead; you might want to try a drop or a dram of it this holiday season!
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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A collage of Studio Theatre Club's production of Hogfather this month: http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/gallery-2#&gid=1&pid=1
Stephen Briggs, "feeling like Death": https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsM31QeXQAUtPrA.jpg
Blogger Kat aka An Antisocial Artist offers a sweet illustration of a Pratchett quote: https://bit.ly/2PW9LSD
...and Your Editor's favourite still from the Good Omens trailer: https://bit.ly/2FFWZTI
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09) CLOSE
And that's it for November. Take care, and we hope to see you before the end of the year!
– Annie Mac
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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion
