WOSSNAME

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 12, 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) HOGSWATCH CAROLS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"If J.R.R. Tolkien took LSD, thought of Death as a guy who takes his job very seriously, and wrote satire with a honed edge of honesty that cuts deep and bleeds truth, he actually would have been Terry Pratchett in disguise. I’m not saying Terry Pratchett did drugs, but I am saying that the ideas that fueled his brain took other authors like Stephen King years of snorting cocaine to imagine."
– blogger frankfiction's interesting take on the genius of Pratchett

"Wherever people are obtuse and absurd... and wherever they have, by even the most generous standards, the attention span of a small chicken in a hurricane and the investigative ability of a one-legged cockroach... and wherever people are inanely credulous, thematically attached to the certainties of the nursery and, in general, have as much grasp of the realities of the physical universe as an oyster has of mountaineering... yes, Twyla: there is a Hogfather."
– Hogfather, of course

"One should always be wary of people who talk unashamedly of “fellowship and good cheer” as if it were something that can be applied to life like a poultice."
– ibid.

"HUMAN BEINGS MAKE LIFE SO INTERESTING. DO YOU KNOW, THAT IN A UNIVERSE SO FULL OF WONDERS, THEY HAVE MANAGED TO INVENT BOREDOM."
– the... *other* Hogfather

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Are you ready to welcome the Year of the Beleaguered Badger? We can only hope that despite the name, it will be less beleaguered than the Year of the Condescending Carp has been! That remains to be seen, but I think we all deserve a good holiday and a drop (or many) of vintage scumble for making it through.

Librarians – and orangutan lovers – around the world can celebrate the first Discworld-named baby ape! See item 4.3.

To our readers and their families and friends, warmest Wossname wishes for the happiest possible Hogswatch and a Covid-free new year! And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) HOGSWATCH CAROLS

It's been a long time since we opened the Weird Alice songbook. Here's a song to warm the cockles of your Discly hearts...

A FAIRYTALE OF OLD ANKH

A PRISONER IN THE PALACE DUNGEONS:
It was Hogswatch Eve, mate
Down in old Ankh
A chained mime said to me
'Won't learn another word!'
And then he sang a song:
The hedgehog's point of view
I turned twice Widdershins
And dream'd of hot stoo

Got Raven's lucky beak -
See, Death of Rats says SQUEAK
A slate is running
In Biers for me and you
So Happy Hogswatch
From Dots and Sadie
Making Morpork free of crime
And nightmares all come true...

TWOFLOWER:
They've got gnolls big as trolls
They've got wizards in robes
But the smell goes right through you
There's no rest for your nose
When we walked round the Shades
On that cold Hogswatch night
You promised me Ankh-Morpork vampires don't bite

VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BEGGARS' AND THIEVES' GUILDS:
'You were Bursar – '
'You were jolly...'
'You stank like Queen Molly!'
When the minstrels stopped playing
We set them alight
Piss Harry's 'collecting'
Mossy Lawn, he's dissecting
We ate Dibbler's meat pies
And retched through the night

EVERYONE:
The boys from the YMPA Choir
Were singing sourly
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve.

NOBBY AND COLON:
'You're a Fool, a nut-case.'
'You're a civic disgrace,
'Swigging Bearhugger's booze
'Till you hoick on your shoes!'
'You Lancre sheep-shagger...'
'You unlicensed Beggar'
'Happy Hogswatch, you Nobbs – '
'Hope the Gods shut yer gob!'

EVERYONE:
The cops of the Day and Night Watch Choir
Committed harmony
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve.

DUKE FELMET: 'I could've ruled the Disc...'
DUCHESS FELMET: 'Well, so could any twit!
'You took my crown from me
'When ghosts unmanned you...'
DUKE: 'I killed for Lancre, dear
'I grabbed it for our own...'
DUCHESS: 'I'd rather stand alone!'
ALL LANCRE TOGETHER: 'But we could never stand you!'

EVERYONE:
The ghouls from the Bel-Shamharoth Choir
Were howling tunelessly
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve!

[Editor's note: this is not the greatest Hogswatch carol in the world – this is just a tribute (SNH, SNH, SNH). I always had a horror of the sickly sweetness of most carols until the original of this one came along. For those of you unacquainted with its dyspeptic, misanthropic wonderfulness, get yourself to the nearest Anterweb and hunt it down – you won't be sorry! HO HO HO.]

*

And something slightly more traditional...

WE THREE HAGS: ANE HOGSWATCHE CAROL

NANNY, GRANNY AND MAGRAT:
We three Hags Lancrastian are
Straddling brooms, we travel afar
Hearth and privy, pub and smithy
Casting our spells bizarre

Ohh...
Stars of Lancre, stern in black
Dames in regal pointy hats
Hubwards breezing, nethers freezing
Witches three who've got the knack

VERENCE:
Born a Fool, yet destined to reign
Never cruel though sometimes a pain
King well-meaning -- New Age-leaning
Sensible, in the main

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, staunch and meek
Castle sanitation geek
Bells a-clinking, forward-thinking
Modernising farm techniques

MAGRAT:
Frank but senseless, soppy am I
Wrinkled gowns and head in the sky
Sweet tomfool'ry, occult jewellery
'Wet as a hen,' they sigh

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, star-crossed Queen
Star of herbal research scene
Keen defender, nappy-mender
Keeping Ynci's armour clean

NANNY:
Scumble mine, 'tis boozy perfume
Breath like fire can clear a big room
Girlish spirit, bawling lyrics
Bawdy and rude -- boom-boom!

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, super-Gran
Head of matriarchal clan
Crude and chummy, Greebo's Mummy
Who can fix things? Nanny can!

GRANNY:
Hogswatch parties? Sausages fat?
Ha! I can't be having with that!
Bees I'll borrow near and far, so
I can patrol my patch

ALL:
Ohh...
Stars of Lancre, wyrd and wise
We've no need to advertise
Maiden, mother, and the... other
Guarding all 'neath Lancre's skies!

*

...and a bit of seasonal poetry...

HOGGERWATCHY

Twas Hogswatch, and the savvy youths
Did slyly grin as sleep they feigned
All tinselled were the icy roofs
And the Hogfather reigned

'Beware the pig-shaped choccy buns!
'The drunken fights, the booze'd collapse!
'Beware the lemon curd, and shun
'Voluminous brandy-snaps!'

We took our chunder-cures in hand
Pork rinds and sausage pie we bought
Then rested we as the clock struck three
And had a wily thought

And as we hid, with prying eyes
The Hogfather (with list of names)
Came jingling through the wintry skies
HO. HO. HO. as he came!

One-two, one-two! The ham's sliced through!
Its charcoaled skin was bright as chrome
We played Charades, then thanked the Gods
And went galumphing home

'And hast thou drained the scumble-pot?
'Don't be alarmed, my wee pished bairn!'
O scabrous daze, me head's all glazed!
We mortals never learn...

Twas Hogswatch, and the savvy youths
Did slyly grin as sleep they feigned
All tinselled were the icy roofs
And the Hogfather reigned.

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 PENGUIN COMPETITION

No, not a competition to win a penguin, but rather one to win a special copy of The Time-travelling Caveman from Penguin Books:

"This year hasn’t exactly been the best year for the adventurous among us, has it? Trips, explorations and mind-blowing ventures have all been put on hold. Luckily, Terry Pratchett's brand new compendium of short stories, The Time-travelling Caveman, illustrated by Mark Beech, is bursting to the brim with ideas and imagination. Written for local newspapers when Terry Pratchett was a young lad, these never previously published stories are packed full of anarchic humour and wonderful wit. We have 3x special edition copies to giveaway. To enter, email us with where in the Discworld you'd most like to escape to and why.
A winner will be picked at random on Monday 4th January 2021."

To enter, go to http://penguin-group.msgfocus.com/q/11m9iRLy1WunsJ0I3tGyISL/wv and press the ENTER button below the text quote above here

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalment takes us most of the way through Wyrd Sisters:

"The Fool’s role in giving Felmet the idea of how to turn the people against the witches is extremely unsettling because Pratchett knows plenty about the actual history of witch hunts and is bringing that knowledge to bear here. But it’s more unsettling because those methods are still used today, even in fiction; I was immediately put in mind of what the Tenth Doctor did to Harriet Jones after she disappointed him, tanking her entire political career with the words “Don’t you think she looks tired?” And that was done pointedly, intentionally, with the knowledge of how many women’s lives and careers are destroyed by rumor and hearsay. It’s the reason why Granny is so adamant about them maintaining their respect – and she’s right. Without it, they’ll be turned on in an instant..."

https://bit.ly/34gQSPH

"The Fool is trying to show the duke and duchess that they can turn an entire kingdom against the witches simply by putting the idea in people’s heads that they are untrustworthy. And it works, of course, because words do have the power to shape thought, particularly amongst people who are frightened or concerned about their ability to survive; that’s how witch trials come about in the first place. But there’s an interesting moment here when the Fool thinks that what he’s doing with the duke and words has to be better ultimately than swords and fighting – which sounds so sensible, even if it is utterly wrong. And that’s likely because this Fool wasn’t truly meant to be a Fool..."

https://bit.ly/3ajhWBt

"We’re getting the set up for Tomjon, and Pratchett is sneakily showing his hand here in the conversation between Hwel and Vitoller; Vitoller is convinced he’ll never see his son again now that he’s heading back toward his birthplace, that destiny has a plan in all this. But Hwel knows that’s not how destiny really works, even if he deals in it often enough as a playwright. It’s fun in a technical sense because Pratchett is also playing with story convention by setting us up this way, bringing destiny and birthrights into a story that’s ultimately about making your own path. In the sections where he makes his speeches, the narrative is simultaneously showing us that Tomjon has the makings of a king and the makings of a superb actor, but we’re meant to believe that only one of these things is relevant. That simply isn’t the case. Both of those things can be true at once – we’re none of us made to be only one thing in our lives..."

[Note: Asher-Perrin will be back in the new year with the final part of Wyrd Sisters. -- Ed.]

https://bit.ly/3mz3uYL

4.3 THEY CHOSE THE RIGHT NAME... OOOK!

Roundworld has a Librarian called Librarian!

"He’s called Pustakawan, or Kawi, if you wish. Prague’s zoo said on Wednesday it has finally completed the process of naming a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan baby born on its premises on Nov 17. It took a while, because the zookeepers had to go through more than 4,000 proposals submitted by members of the public. Kawi is the fourth baby for his mother, Mawar, and the first for father Pagy. His name means Librarian in Indonesian, zoo officials said. Librarian was the name of an orangutan in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of fantasy novels...."

https://bit.ly/37GT7xu

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* A HOGSWATCH MESSAGE FROM THE UNSEEN THEATRE

"Dear Patrons, Cast and Crew,

"Only 5 days to Hogswatch! We have missed being able to perform for you this year due to this embuggerance of a VIRUS! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. But we hope that you all have a very Happy Hogswatch, making the very best of whatever restrictions apply to your place of residence on the Discworld! We look forward to seeing you around about May in the Year of the Condescending Carp!"

Keep an eye on https://unseen.com.au/ for updates in the new year!

* REVIEW: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN PERTH, FOURECKS

By Kimberley Shaw in Stage Whispers:

"Terry Pratchett shows are very popular and almost their own genre in their style. There is a dedicated fan-base, but they can often be tricky for people who are not fans of the Discworld novels to understand. Not so Monstrous Regiment, a stand-alone story that is easy to watch, entertaining and fun... The role of Polly is a big one – possibly the Pratchett Hamlet, and we are in great hands with Michelle Ezzy, giving an excellent performance as this plucky young woman trying to hide her femininity. There’s very little down time in this show, and Michelle’s anchoring, energetic performance keeps this show rollicking along. Her fellow recruits include Jess Lally, so glamorous in her last Pratchett appearance, delightful in the very unglamorous role of Igor (the makeup – one of many excellent makeup jobs is managed by Yvette Drager- Wetherilt). Candice Preston has wonderful poise, excellent characterisation and looks superb as vampire Maladict. Elizabeth Croft is scary-tough but loveable as Tonker, with Josie Walsh solid as Tonker’s very close friend Lofty. Elise Kelly gives nuance to the chef who can’t swear, Shufti, while Niamh O’Hehir charms as youngest recruit Wazzer – who is extremely devout. The final member of the regiment is Carborundum – played by the most impressive puppet I have ever seen on a Perth stage. Gorgeously constructed by Garry Wetherilt, with gorgeous eyes by Connie Wetherilt, full body puppet Carborundum has the most exquisite expressions, and gives an outstanding verbal and non-verbal performance throughout. Kudos to puppeteer/actor Zac Skelton and his teamwork with designer Gary and director Brad Towton..."

https://bit.ly/34AlyeL (includes a number of cast photos)

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above links for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social 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. We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."


*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Indulgent Reader's review of Hogfather:

"Susan is one of my favourite characters in the Discworld series. Despite her unique situation she tries to get on with whatever she needs to do. She doesn’t like nonsense and is fairly intelligent which is always nice as there can be a lack of intelligent females in some literature. She clearly likes the children she works with and i like that she treats them like adults. This is something that children appreciate they can tell when they are being spoken down to, and some flourish when they are treated as an adult. Obviously she has a number of quirks and these just highlight how positive all the others are... I love the way that this is written, if you have ever read a Terry Pratchett book you know that they aren’t written in chapters, and you are given a number of different strands to follow all of which are usually happening simultaneously. I love the way that this book takes elements from Christmas and brings forth the same feeling of Christmas while still highlighting the irony of certain elements of the holiday and focusing on some of the niceties that you hear about at Christmas. This book always makes me feel Christmasy..."

https://bit.ly/2KJYenJ

...and blogger and Orkneyite Nephriteon's, of the telly adaptation:

"This adaptation is very enjoyable if you are already a fan of Pratchett’s work. It’s clear right from the beginning that they spent a decent amount of money on this as the use of CGI – especially for what is basically a pair of 2006 TV movies – is surprisingly impressive. The blue lights in DEATH’S eyes and the empty void of nothingness inside the Auditors whenever they appear in their cloaked form are examples. With also a pleasant amount of practical work as well. Another sign of their dedication to detail is the fact that there were a series of small vignettes and a behind the scenes documentary made about the making of the adaptation that aired during the run up to the broadcast of the first episode which is included in the two disc version of the DVD release. The adaptation was written between Pratchett himself and Vadim Jean who also acted as director on the project. The writing in general terms is extremely accurate to the original novel with certain scenes being word for word recreations from the book. There are some differences however such as the very minor role given to the Death Of Rats and Quoth the Raven – companions of Susan – compared to the original being noticeable. Certain minor characters are removed entirely whilst the deaths of some characters are altered to fit the live action nature of the adaptation. The cast is frankly stunning – especially for long time Discworld fans..."

https://bit.ly/2KQh38E

Blogger ZeeZee loved Witches Abroad:

"I enjoyed this story SO much! Just thinking about it brings a smile to face, so I’ve bumped it onto my Favorites list because (oh man!) this story left me with such a wonderful feeling. It was a good read... This was a fun read from start to finish. I love stories that play with fairytales, and this one certainly does that. It touches on the Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Frog Prince fairytales, and it was hilarious to see how the Ramtop witches interrupted them or stopped them from happening... I like Granny Weatherwax, but sometimes she can be unnecessarily mean, I think, to Magrat – although I do think she helps Magrat to grow a strong backbone. My favorite of the witches, of course, is my girl Nanny Ogg. Oh man! Nanny Ogg cracks me up. She’s considered the linguist among the three witches during their travel abroad, although she mispronounces many words and gets a lot of stuff wrong, lol. But Nanny Ogg is just a lot of fun and I love how she pokes at Granny sometimes to get under her skin..."

https://bit.ly/34zdFGw

Blogger Muse With Me returns with a review of Maskerade:

"This book managed to feel like both a standalone and a part of a series, which was great. Agnes Nitt first appeared in the previous Witches book, Lords and Ladies, and her frustrations with the Lancre witches carry on into this one. Granny and Nanny, for their part, are feeling the absence of Magrat from their little trio, and both in their own way feel Agnes should fill her role. A coven really ought to have three, after all: the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Together they serve as an ensemble cast, with Agnes giving us a closer look at the behind-the-scenes of the Opera House, while Granny and Nanny try to infiltrate it, to apprehend the Ghost and unmask him. Nanny Ogg sometimes feels like a bit of a sidekick in these novels, so I was really pleased that she had a more active role in this story. It’s not that she’s usually passive, just that Granny Weatherwax has such a strong, self-assured personality that she comes off as more in charge. I got a greater sense of Nanny using her own unique talents in situations Granny would be less equipped to deal with. The two have always been strong characters in these books, but I love to see Pratchett continue to build them out and make them even more vivid... For a while I was wary of the way the text was treating Agnes, on account of her weight... early on it poked fun at that a lot. This would’ve gotten old fast, but they diminished quickly enough. Though humorously presented, it was much more about how the world sees her than anything else. Despite the continued gag commentary that she has a 'lovely personality' to deflect from the matter of her weight, her character was in fact very endearing and easy to sympathize with. She’s often the most sensible person among the Opera group and deserves more recognition her talents than she gets..."

https://bit.ly/2LZY7VN

...and blogger Wyrmbergmalcolm praises The Shepherd's Crown:

"Once again, Terry Pratchett perfectly captured the idiosyncrasies of the ways of being human with some hilarious mannerisms and statements. This story also had a great cast from most of the witching world, including those from the main Discworld series. This was the one issue I had with this book. I have been reading the Tiffany Aching series to my children, who have not read any of the other books in the Discworld series. The Tiffany Aching books are written for younger readers. By including characters and other events from the main series I felt my children missed out on a lot..."

https://bit.ly/3h8z6TP

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Here comes the Year of the Beleaguered Badger!
https://bit.ly/3nAMm5V

Our favourite Blackboard Monitor at Trinity College Dublin, December 2008:
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1337548301814681604

Good Omens director Douglas Mackinnon's Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:
https://twitter.com/drmuig/status/1341035775513735170/photo/1

Marc Simonetti's fascinating vision of Maskerade:
https://bit.ly/3rmfkc0

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09) CLOSE

Hands up who remembers all those Pratchett book signings! Here be a piece in the Bournemouth Echo about one at the turn of the century, complete with assorted iconographs. Sir Pterry – and Borders – may be gone, but the memories remain:

"The predicted chaos occurred at Borders bookshop when the hugely popular fantasy author magicked himself into town for a marathon book signing session. Fans clutching copies of his latest Discworld hardback The Truth, and the newly-released paperback The Fifth Elephant, braved two-hour queues to meet their favourite author and get his name in their new volumes. The date was November 9, 2000, as devoted fans shivered by the Bournemouth square store’s automatic doors which were kept open as the queue extended outdoors and leaned on the lower-floor escalator which had to be stopped because of the congestion."

https://bit.ly/38uhMVt

Now go hang up those stockings. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you in the new 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) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

Tweeted by Maria Castrillo, head of Special Collections & Engagement at Senate House Library: "Next Tuesday 17 November we are hosting an In Conversation event with neilhimself terryandrob and rhipratchett***. If you haven't been able to get a free ticket you can still join as we will be livestreaming it." Details here:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCRtcidMSFg2I9K6fE3XdWvA

* for non-tweeters, that's Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins and Rhianna Pratchett

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 8, 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) THE TIME TRAVELLING CAVEMAN: EXTRACTS AND NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I believe in freedom, Mr. Lipwig. Not many people do, although they will, of course, protest otherwise. And no practical definition of freedom would be complete without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the others are based."
– Lord Vetinari, in Going Postal

"One day it's the ringing of the bells and the casting down of the evil tyrant, and the next it's everyone sitting around complaining that ever since the tyrant was overthrown no one's been taking out the trash."
– Guards! Guards!

"I recorded this quite certain we wouldn't win the Hugo Award for the Good Omens tv series. I was wrong. We won. This one is for Terry."
– Neil Gaiman, on Good Omens winning the Best Longform Dramatic Presentation 2020 Hugo award

"A lawyer would use the term 'inspired' to cover up misselling[sic] and misrepresentation. I believe that is what people believe has happened. Simon Allen using his own stories and characters. Only the character names are 'inspired' by the work of Terry Pratchett."
– tweeter Mark Alex Pidd gets it right about The Watch

"I read Fighting Fantasy a lot as a kid. I used to get in trouble with my local library for not bringing them back. I remember a threatening letter that they were going to take me to court if I didn't return one of the books. I was reading a lot and I managed to lose it under my bed."
– sounds like Rhianna Pratchett takes after her reading-mad father in their respective childhoods

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Still in severe lockdown. Hard to remember what month this is... is it 2021 yet?

Did you know that Good Omens has been translated into more than thirty languages so far? The latest version is a "new" translation into Russian, with cover art that ties in with the Amazon-BBC miniseries. But as it turns out, that new translation is an old one. Eksmo (Эксмо) is a major publisher, responsible for releasing some thirty per cent of all books in Russia; Eksmo published a "Black Edition" translation by Margarita Yurkan in 2012 and again in 2019 with the TV tie-in cover. But the first Russian translation was an unofficial (samizdat) one by Vadim Filinnov, who also translated the works of Douglas Adams. Two or more versions of Filinnov's translation were in circulation during the 1990s and had a large fan following, but when Eksmo decided to publish their own version they set out to crush these... but then did the right thing, bought the rights to the Filinnov version and republished *that* this year! And there are several covers, including one featuring Paul Kidby's miniseries-influenced Crowley. Confused? You will be, as an old telly soap used to say. At any rate, there's more info about all this on Colin Smythe's website – and if you have or know anyone who has one of the early translation versions, Colin would love the hear from you:

https://colinsmythe.co.uk/terry-pratchett/good-omens-neil-gaiman/

Also, the new cover illustrator's take on Aziraphale is... um... unusual, as is his apparent decision to portray Crowley as a perfect facsimile of the actor Liev Schreiber! See Images of the Month, below.

*

The Time-Travelling Caveman is published next week. Have you ordered yet? I have! See links in item 3.2

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE TIME TRAVELLING CAVEMAN

3.1 REMINDER: EXTRACTS

The Time Travelling Caveman is officially released next week! Dates as given by Penguin/Doubleday are 1st September (hardback) and 3rd September (ebook and audiobook/CD/download); there's also a deluxe slipcover version due out on the 8th of October. In the meantime, here be some extracts in case you missed them last month.

* From "The Tropnecian Invasion of Britain", courtesy of The Guardian:

"Tropnecia is a very small country somewhere in the Tosheroon Islands, but once upon a time it very nearly conquered Great Britain. In AD 411, when the last of the Romans had just left, a small Tropnecian sailing ship that happened to be passing spotted the coast of England, and thought it would be a good place to conquer. That was how things were done in history. As soon as you saw a place, you had to conquer it, and usually the English Channel was full of ships queuing up to come and have a good conquer. ‘If you’ve got nothing to do,’ chieftains would tell their sons, ‘go and conquer England.’ Anyway, the Tropnecians arrived on a Sunday, when there was no one about, so the first thing they did was build a road. That’s another thing you have to do. Either you burn down houses or you build roads and walls, otherwise you don’t stand much chance of being put in the history books.

"Tropnecian roads can always be recognised because they never go in straight lines. The roads were all designed by the famous Tropnecian architect General Bulbus Hangdoge, and he wasn’t very good at drawing straight lines. Very good on the corners, but very bad on the straight lines. So all the roads were a little wobbly. At that time England was full of Picts, Scots, Druids, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Stonehenges, wet weather and various kinds of kings, the most famous of which was King Rupert the Never Ready, of Wessex. He was never ready for anything, which was why England kept getting conquered. People would say, ‘Are you ready to fight the Vikings if they try to conquer us?’ and he would say, ‘I don’t think so.’ The next thing you knew, Vikings were all over the place, burning down houses...."

To read the whole extract, go to: https://bit.ly/330UPYV

* From "The Hole in Time", courtesy of Penguin Books via Terry Pratchett.com:

"One morning, at about half past eight, there was a giant bang from the Blackbury University Science Institute and all the clocks in the town suddenly stopped. A dozen fire engines rushed up there, then wondered why they’d bothered. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong. A lot of people in white coats were rushing all over the place, but apart from that there was nothing out of the ordinary. ‘What’s going on here?’ asked the head of the institute, Mr Plinth, who had just arrived for work. He still had his mug of tea in his hand. A woman in a white coat, wearing thick spectacles, rushed up. ‘Something terrible has happened!’ she gasped. ‘We’ve lost Doctor Hughes! And her laboratory! They’ve gone!’ ‘Blown up, you mean?’ asked Mr Plinth, visibly shocked. ‘No, they’ve disappeared! Look.’ Dr Spectacles (for this was her name) pointed at what was actually just a patch of grass, next to the institute. ‘Looks like just a patch of grass to me,’ said Mr Plinth. ‘Well, there was a brick building standing there just a moment ago. Now it’s vanished.’ Mr Plinth scratched his head. Then he gingerly edged one of his boots onto the patch of grass where the brick building had been, while the laboratory workers stood around wondering whether he might vanish too. A few began to back away from Mr Plinth . . . and the patch of grass.

"Then it started to snow. At least, it snowed on that little patch of ground. Mr Plinth stared up and saw grey clouds. He stepped off the grass and suddenly the sun was shining again. He stepped back onto the grass, and into a snowdrift. ‘This here ground has got its own weather,’ he said. ‘It’s in the middle of January there, by the looks of it, while everywhere else is in August.’ ‘Ah, but which January – ’ began a portly whitecoated man, who then stopped rather suddenly as Dr Spectacles gave him a chilly look that would have made it snow outside the patch of grass, as well as inside it...."

To read the whole extract, and view the reproduced illustrations, go to: https://bit.ly/34mFWRk

3.2 ORDERING INFO

The Time Travelling Caveman can be ordered from:

Penguin: https://bit.ly/3g3PhAt and Penguin Australia: https://bit.ly/3hXdjOj
Discworld.com: https://bit.ly/3fa7sD8
Discworld Emporium: https://bit.ly/39MT8zL
Foyles: https://www.foyles.co.uk/all?term=9780857536020
Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3gFsLxB
Blackwells: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780857536020
Hive: https://bit.ly/2CNrtTe

...and in Fourecks...

Booktopia: https://bit.ly/2ChTemc
QBD Books: https://bit.ly/3f5IYLn
Readings: https://bit.ly/2Cn9jqs
Dymocks: https://bit.ly/3fd4AX9
Angus and Robertson: https://bit.ly/31ZRicE

...and other places, including that evil one your Editor refuses to promote, ever.

If at all possible, please support your local independent bookshop!

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.0 HUGO AWARD FOR THE GOOD OMENS MINISERIES

From the Guardian:

"[B]est longform dramatic presentation went to Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman and directed by Douglas Mackinnon. Accepting the prize, Gaiman said that he only made the show because the late Pratchett .wanted me to.. .Terry never won a Hugo. The only time he was nominated he withdrew the novel from consideration, telling people that if he had a book nominated it would ruin his WorldCon. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, it was that he cared too much,. said Gaiman. Pratchett had thought, said Gaiman, that a Hugo would never go 'to anything funny.. .Thank you,' he told fans, 'for giving Terry Pratchett his Hugo award'..."

https://bit.ly/2ELW83J

Neil Gaiman's acceptance speech (video, 2:39): https://bit.ly/2EvPUp5

...and the transcript:

"Terry never won a Hugo, the only time he was nominated for a Hugo Award, he actually withdrew the novel from consideration, telling people that if he had a book nominated for a Hugo it would ruin his WorldCon worrying. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. It was that he cared too much. For all the wards that he got, for call the acclamation, for all the honors and the love heaped upon Terry during his lifetime, the one he really cared about was the Hugo Award. And he would grumble about it to me, pointing out that he was never going to get one, because they were never going to give a Hugo Award to anything funny..."

To read the entire transcript, go to https://bit.ly/3jtVO8Z and scroll to the penultimate item at the bottom.

4.1 THE PRATCHETT PROJECT UPDATES

"The Pratchett Project at Trinity College Dublin is seeking expressions of interest from outstanding candidates who would like to apply for a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship in order to complete a PhD in a subject related to Terry Pratchett's life and/or work from September 2021. If you are interested, please formulate an abstract of no more than 300 words. Be sure to include:

* The overarching research question
* A step-by-step methodology
* A clear list of the materials your study will draw on
* A justification for why the answer to this research question is a valuable contribution to human knowledge
* Any contextual information that a reader needs to understand the other four points.

Once you have your abstract, please send it to James Hadley (hadleyj@tcd.ie). The most promising applicants will receive assistance in crafting their full proposals."

For more information about the scheme, including the minimum requirements for applicants, go to:
http://research.ie/funding/goipg/?f=postgraduate

https://bit.ly/3lwSwDw

REMINDER: the Pratchett Project virtual conference takes place next month, on the 17th and 18th September. The two-day symposium will cover topics including Utopian Critique in Nation (David Farnell), Space in Pratchett's Narrative Networks (Matthew Roughan), Political idealism in the Discworld Novels (Ruchira Mandal), Humour, parody and satire in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels (Kamil Kaaras), Pratchett and Contemporary Pessimism (Oliver Rendle), The Move from Fantasy Parody to Moral Complexity and Literary Fiction in the Ankh-Morpork Novels (Ricarda Krenn), Bad Faith and the Crab Bucket (Samuel Poots), and Incorporating Terry Pratchett's Fiction in the University Curriculum (Olena Tykhomyrova), among others.

"Split into four sections over the two days, the conference will focus on The Space of Ideas, Translation and Humour, Ethics and Identity, and Research and Teaching. Scheduled sessions include The Big Wahoonie: Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary; Translating Pratchett into Ukrainian: Strategies and Challenges; The Move from Fantasy Parody to Moral Complexity and Literary Fiction in the Ankh Morpork-novels; and 'Lies to children': From folk to formal science in Terry Pratchett's Discworld."

For more details, go to: https://bit.ly/2P50Uv5
To sign up, go to: https://bit.ly/39EQ34k

https://bit.ly/2ExDwED

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This time around it's the last part of The Light Fantastic and the first parts of Equal Rites.

On the end section of The Light Fantastic:

"I dearly appreciate how Pratchett describes the smell of Ankh-Morpork through analogy for a very particular reason – I have a terrible sense of smell. So really, the analogy is more evocative for me on a number of levels. It was something that I had to bring up because scent is, of course, one of the most evocative of our five senses (tied to memory and all that), but often harder to describe than the others. So, I have a lot of emotion-things about Twoflower putting his profound lack of common sense to good use, turning all of Rincewind’s complaints back on him and literally saying .I’m here because I don’t know any better, but what about you?. I also have a lot of emotion-things about the fact that Twoflower doesn’t crack the spines of books because I am one of those weirdos, too, even though I wish I wasn’t. Sorry, it’s very silly, I know that, but I don’t like doing it because then you can’t read the spines and it’s a thing I’m finicky about... It’s also pretty great to see Trymon get his comeuppance. I didn’t really get into it throughout the book, but you have to appreciate the way Pratchett walks a line with this character: He doesn’t say that the old ways are the best ways – he acknowledges that the old ways are often pretty ridiculous while simultaneously acknowledging the fact that new ways can sometimes be heinously abused by those who want to introduce them. The problem with Trymon isn’t that he has newfangled thoughts, it’s that he’s using that system purely for personal gain. The fact that he’s Rincewind’s contemporary is important in this because they’re both outcasts in the wizardly ways of doing things, but one of them is decidedly less power-hungry and world-endy..."

https://bit.ly/2YNF705

...and the start of Equal Rites:

"This book actually began with a talk that Pratchett gave on gender and magic (which you can incidentally access the text for here) in 1985. In addition, Esk was apparently based on his daughter, Rhianna. And in his conceit for the premise, outlined by this speech, he basically says that his belief in the difference between what is labeled 'men’s magic' and 'women’s magic' is not truly down to sexism and devaluing women’s labor and expertise, but in fact a bit more cerebral – he believes that wizards are about what people hope they could be if they had power, and witches are about what we fear we might become. Which, you know, it’s a totally valid way of looking at branches of magic and how we depict them in literature..."

https://bit.ly/3bbgDTz

...continued...

"Plenty of fantasy tomes and games trade on the concept of 'races' and 'peoples' and throw around words like 'gypsy' and 'bandits', and you find yourself cringing because why do it at all? Categorization is needed in parts of worldbuilding, but it’s often an ugly and deeply biased exercise, no matter how hard an author tries to be smart and sensitive about their construction of a fictional world. I think one of the reasons that Pratchett manages it far better than others is the reason why Discworld continues to be so relevant and sharp decades later – he knows that people are just people..."

https://bit.ly/3lwSH1E

[As previously mentioned, these are well worth a read, and feel free to join in the comments! – Ed.]

4.3 YORKSHIRE TAKES ON THE AMAZING MAURICE

Sheffield animation studio Red Star has a new project on the go. Some might find it amusing that founder Mr Smith was "acclaimed for the visual effects used in Lost in Space". At least he's not *Doctor* Smith!

"Red Star 3D creates its own films which are shown in cinemas, theme parks, museums and other venues. Its most recent creation, StarDog and TurboCat, opened in cinemas last December and is currently available on Amazon. Founded in 2004 by Ben Smith and Jan Rogowski, it is recognised as one of the leading independent studios of its type worldwide and has won dozens of awards and nominations at film festivals. The company, which currently employs 10 people at the Electric Works base, is planning to create an additional 40 jobs in the next two years... A second feature production, The Amazing Maurice – based on the book by Sir Terry Pratchett – is just getting underway..."

https://bit.ly/2ELKZQs

4.5 PTERRY AND ROALD DAHL: A MEETING OF GIANTS

Way back in the late 1960s, when Sir Terry was a young journalist, he interviewed a certain local writer who was waiting to see if another of his books would be turned into a film... in The Telegraph, Dalya Alberge tells a bit about it:

"As two of English literature’s best-loved writers of comic fantasy, the discovery of a previously-unknown conversation between the late Sir Terry Pratchett and Roald Dahl would be the stuff of fantasy for legions of fans worldwide. But evidence that they met and discussed the dearth of plots and the difficulty of writing children’s books, among other topics, has been unearthed. It is an interview that Pratchett conducted with Dahl in 1969, overlooked until now. Long before he found fame with his Discworld series, a collection of satirical fantasy novels, he was a 21-year-old journalist on a local newspaper with dreams of publishing his first novel. Dahl, then 52, had already published his children’s classics, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and James and The Giant Peach, as well as short stories for adults and screenplays..."

https://bit.ly/3gIsYjt

The original article reveals all sorts of things most of us might not have known – that Dahl, was mostly known back then in Britain as the husband of actress Patricia Neal and the screenwriter for the Bond film You Only Live Twice, that he was a Squadron Leader in the RAF during the Second World War, and that overall he wasn't terribly impressed with artists who thought their art was important – but what the article also shows is hints of the young Pratchett's clean and succinct writing style: "The recently published Penguin edition of ‘Kiss Kiss’, a collection that first appeared in 1959, has as its gripping cover design a man slowly sinking into a mincing machine. This is a gross libel on some of his stories. The horror is often more subtle than that. So it is perhaps surprising that Mr. Dahl, at 53, has been building up for some years a reputation as a writer for children. His fourth book, ‘Boggis, Bunce and Bean’, is at the publishers. The best-known of the other three, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, has sold over 100,000 in America and is selling more every month..."

[Editor's note: the entire transcript is on the Wossname blog at https://bit.ly/3gHji8E – hopefully, no one will rise from the distant past to complain. Many thanks to Colin Smythe for providing your Editor with an iconograph of the article!]

4.6 THE MERCH CORNER

This month's feature is Discworld stage adaptations! Oberon Books, a Bloomsbury imprint, have published a number of Stephen Briggs' Discworld stage adaptations in paperback...

* The Rince Cycle

"As a punishment, failed wizard Rincewind is given the task of guiding and safeguarding the Disc’s first tourist, Twoflower (with his magical luggage on legs). As they travel the city and beyond, they meet the world’s oldest hero, Cohen the Barbarian. With him, and with Bethan (a qualified sacrificial victim), they encounter druids, trolls, adventurers, a hairdresser and a power-crazed wizard. Oh, and Death. But not fatally. Did we mention that Rincewind also has to save the world from destruction by a huge red star that will collide with the Discworld at Hogswatch? The Rince Cycle is mostly based on The Light Fantastic, with bits of The Colour of Magic and Sourcery added for good measure."

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-rince-cycle-9781783191963/

* Unseen Academicals: https://bit.ly/34O84x2

* Feet of Clay: https://bit.ly/3gIJnnG

* All the Discworld's a Stage: Volume 1 (omnibus edition, includes The Rince Cycle, Unseen Academicals, and Feet of Clay):
https://bit.ly/2EJVaVI

* All the Discworld's a Stage: Volume 2 (omnibus edition, includes The Shakespeare Codex, Lords and Ladies, and Hogfather) will be released later this year. More details as soon as available!

And not forgetting...

Interesting Times: https://bit.ly/32DPogG
The Fifth Elephant: https://bit.ly/32CWwtH
Jingo: https://bit.ly/3gJJfof
Going Postal: https://bit.ly/3b85fbd
Monstrous Regiment: https://bit.ly/34MOaCz
The Truth: https://bit.ly/2YQ9lzP
Night Watch: https://bit.ly/34NqgXm

Many of these are also available in ebook form.

Oberon on Mr Briggs: "As all children know, the way you get into a fantasy world is by accident… You go into the wardrobe, looking for somewhere to hide and – bingo. And that’s how Stephen Briggs found Discworld. In 1990, he wrote to ask Terry if he could stage Wyrd Sisters. That was the first time anyone, anywhere in the world, had dramatised Terry’s work. He had no idea it would go any further than one play (possibly two). But it did. So far, he has now adapted, staged and published twenty-two plays. He and Terry also worked together to produce the original Discworld Maps and Diaries, Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, The Discworld Companion (now called Turtle Recall) and The Wit & Wisdom of Discworld."

http://oberonbooks.com/discworld-collection

https://www.stephenbriggs.com/the-plays

* Reminder: The Ankh-Morpork Archives Volume One

"Think you know Ankh-Morpork? Think again. In this top-secret guide, travellers will receive a first-hand experience of the real city. If you’ve ever wondered where Unseen University students wet their whistles (while managing to avoid their teachers doing the same), or just what the Assassins’ Guild constitutes a proper means of inhumation – there are standards to be upheld, after all – then this is the book for you. That’s right, have yourselves a peek into the inner workings of city’s societies. Cut the chaff, glimpse behind the curtain, see how the sausage gets made . . . err, you get the idea. Just don’t let the Thieves’ Guild catch you with this book. They won’t appreciate their methods being flogged behind their back. Flogging’s their job. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."

Each copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One is priced at £25. For more info, and to order, go to https://bit.ly/3gi8nCg

* The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two

"Containing material unavailable for twenty years – this is a comprehensive guide to the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, getting to the heart of Ankh-Morpork’s secrets, societies and guilds. Ankh-Morpork is a bottomless pit of secrets. It’s time to unearth a few more . . . In the second volume of this confidential guide, brave travellers are made privy to the inner workings of more illustrious Ankh-Morpork societies. Disabuse yourself of notions of professionalism under which you may hold the City Watch; discover what serious business is undertaken by the Fools’ Guild (joking is no laughing matter); and, should you be lucky, achieve true enlightenment through the teachings of Lu-Tze. One thing’s for sure: after you’ve read this book, Ankh-Morpork’s Guilds are going to need to come up with new ways of doing things. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."

Each copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two is priced at £25 and will be published on 29th October 2020. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3lxmhUV

* Reminder: Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal

"In a city like Ankh-Morpork, where Assassins assassinate, thieves thieve and seamstresses, um . . . don’t, Law and Order can be a complicated business. Thankfully His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes (Blackboard Monitor) and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are here to keep the peace. The finest body of men, women, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves, golems, Igors, gnomes, Feegles, vampires (and whatever Nobby Nobbs is) on the face of the Discworld! The Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal provides jotting space for your notes, reports, observations and investigations, so kick back, relax and take down your particulars. To help you keep on the straight and narrow, you’ll be aided and abetted by some choice quotes from Terry Pratchett’s seminal City Watch novels."

Each Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal ("Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature and sealed with his coat of arms") is priced at £17. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/31jaHVy

* Reminder: The Magic of Terry Pratchett (biography)

"Journalist, comedian and Pratchett fan Marc Burrows delves into the back story of one of UK's most enduring and beloved authors, from his childhood in the Chiltern Hills to his time as a journalist, and the journey that would take him – via more than sixty best-selling books – to an OBE, a knighthood and national treasure status. The Magic Of Terry Pratchett is the result of painstaking archival research alongside interviews with friends and contemporaries who knew the real man under the famous black hat, helping to piece together the full story of one of British literature's most remarkable and beloved figures for the very first time."

There are several versions that will be available, starting with the standard edition (currently priced at £16), the fancier Snapcase edition (£21), and the Patrician Box (£35.00, featuring various extras). For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.askmeaboutterrypratchett.com/s/shop

https://twitter.com/20thcenturymarc

4.7 LIBRARIANS, THROWING SHADE? SURELY NOT... NOT

Librarians rock! Of course, we already knew that. Those of you who follow https://twitter.com/OED, the Oxford English Dictionary's Twitter account, may have noticed that account's frequent shade-throwing over the past few years in the form of its "Word of the Day" tweets, a great number of which are subtle yet plain digs at current events. But some bibliophile – school librarian or perhaps English teacher – has take that to the next level, with a display of carefully chosen book titles lining the shelves behind a certain prime minister as he made a speech about er um education-related current events...

"Meanwhile, the bookshelf behind him seemed to make a statement of its own. Lining the shelf just behind Mr Johnson's head were titles with rather unflattering associations for any political leader, including 'The Twits', 'The Subtle Knife', 'The Resistance', and 'Betrayed'. And sticking out like a sore thumb was 'Fahrenheit 451', a dystopian novel about a society where books are banned. If you look closely, 'Guards! Guards!', a Terry Pratchett novel, can also be glimpsed behind the PM's right shoulder. The story follows a plot by a secret brotherhood to overthrow a corrupt patrician and install a puppet king..."

Of course, The Patrician in question, as *we* know, isn't corrupt. If only life would imitate art more often.

https://bit.ly/3lwTu2C

You might also enjoy reading the many replies to the official Pterry Twitter account's "caption contest" for that iconograph:

https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1298652299766702082

Meanwhile, in the Department of Plausible Deniability:

"Now it has been revealed that the books were in fact a message, left by the school’s former librarian. But the librarian, who left the role around six months ago, says it was actually intended for the school’s bosses... 'I did it as a message for the school management before I left in February... They obviously never actually noticed, and it went untouched for six months'..."

https://bit.ly/2EPw5si

4.8 GAMING WITH MY DAD: RHIANNA PRATCHETT INTERVIEW

Here be a delightful interview with Junior Pratchett, by Tom Tivnan for The Bookseller. Great fun to read!

"'I’ve been playing video games since I was six years old. At first, dad played the games and I used to watch them and map the games out; it was a bit of a spectator sport, a bonding time between us. He had this very big office chair and I would kind of tuck myself behind him like a human bolster cushion. In my teens, we would watch each other play and we would be emotionally in it together. I got his hand-me-down machines, so I used to play games that he had played first...' Gaming wasn’t just with her dad. A friend’s father worked for HP, so she always had the most up-to-date kit and the two would play 'a lot of age-inappropriate stuff' like Leisure Suit Larry, the somewhat infamous classic whose adult-themed story line has the titular character, a 40-year-old, balding, double-entendre-spewing nerd, trying to seduce young women. 'It was very educational,' Pratchett insists. 'To get past the "are you over 18" test you had to answer "adult" questions about things like the American political system, which I had to look up. I learned the word prophylactic from the game when I was about 11.' Outside of Leisure Suit Larry, much of Pratchett's early life seems very wholesome. Her father’s books didn’t hit the bestseller lists until the late '80s so the family didn’t have that much money for much of her childhood. She says: 'It was very rural and pastoral. We lived in a little cottage on the edge of a valley, had a veggie patch, chickens and ducks in the back garden and goats in the front. You could probably find people doing this in Islington, but they do it for hobbies – we did it because we needed the food and the milk. I used to run around the valley, climb trees, go walking...I was probably among the last generation of kids allowed to be free in nature. And, I could milk a goat and knew how to spin wool, probably very useful in a post-apocalyptic scenario....'"

https://www.thebookseller.com/insight/rhianna-pratchett-1216975

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Still no news. But keep an eye out for possible forthcoming Discworld plays later in the year. We must keep the knowledge of Discworld circulating!

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above links for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

UPDATE: "What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social 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."


*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Sorcha "Nordie" Ogle reviews Mort:

"I reread this in 2020, during the pandemic, and I definitely consider this as a *Comfort* read. Yes, every reader needs to decide what they class as *comfort* and some may see reading a book where the main character collects souls as a bit morbid, but that is not what I take from this. This book has Love, Romance, Morals, Doing the Right Thing, Responsibility, Thinking of the long game (and others), self identity, cultural perception and ultimately, the delivery of a damn fine line – preferably whilst walking through a wall like it is not there. Some of the comfort for me came from the expectation of certain lines/jokes, some of which did not appear in this book (It turns out I miss the stories of the other 3 horsemen of the apocalypse going down the pub more than I realised). That means they appear in other books, so I need to do a full re-read..."

https://bit.ly/2QDRRSB

Blogger Book Beach Bunny found some aspects of Reaper Man confusing:

"Death is forcibly retired and goes to work on a farm- one I knew I would like because I like Death… And the damned trolleys had me so confused! Don’t get me wrong this was still a good Discworld but like so many other things in Discworld it was the damned wizard part that confused it... I enjoyed the book overall and the stuff with Death is actually really deep and meaningful. In some ways I’ve found this the most meaningful Discworld book yet which is probably why the comedy felt so off for the first time..."

https://bit.ly/3b8WcXv

...whereas blogger Hedwig caught on sooner:

"One thing that I was pushed to understand at first was what exactly the disaster was or might be that was coming to mess up the city this time and how exactly it tied in to what was happening between death and the Wizard story line... It was hard to tie how this thing represented itself and how it could possibly tie in with the other chaos where in the last few books it was becoming clear after a bit where these events are linked to each other. That being said however, this is a character book more than anything. There are two main perspectives here, Death of course but also Windle Poons the old wizard that I have often pointed out has the perfect name for a cat. That was something that I wasn’t set up for so I felt very much like I was lacking on the Death content when I first started reading. However old Poons does grow on you very quickly and by the end of the book I was VERY attached to him and his heroics and struggles..."

https://bit.ly/32FKAra

Blogger Rosie Writes reviews Marc Burrows' biography:

"Burrows is not uncritical of Pratchett, pointing out where reality and the Pratchett anecdote diverge. We learn about the masks STP wore for different audiences. His interviews were always filled with prepared one liners that could seem to be ‘off the cuff’ remarks, and he was a ‘jolly old elf’ for fans at conventions and signings. Possibly his wife and closest friends saw the real Terry. It’s not really for us to know, let him remain the ‘jolly old elf’ telling stories, filled with anger at the unfair ways of the world and the message to be decent to each other. This biography highlights the breadth of his oeuvre, and the continuing themes that arose in the much tweaked The Carpet People and continued across all his books..."

https://bit.ly/3bcjegg

...as does blogger 8outof10:

"After his untimely death in 2015, I kicked myself that I’d never felt the urge to try and meet him, and tell him how much his work meant to me, or maybe even shake his hand. Unlike a lot of fans I never went to any book signings or conventions; I guess I thought I was too young to begin with, and as an adult I was afraid I’d meet my hero and be disappointed. Crucially, I think I was more afraid he’d be disappointed in me, so there wasn’t a cat in Hell’s chance I’d jeopardise my special bond with Terry by doing something stupid like actually meeting him. Nevertheless, after he passed, I was more than a little sad that I’d missed the chance to know the man behind all those wonderful stories, however brief that experience might have been. I’m happy to say then, that in reading The Magic of Terry Pratchett, by journalist, musician and comedian Marc Burrows, I have the next best thing... If you’re also a fan of trivia, like me, you’ll revel in the many fascinating and often funny titbits regarding the author’s life and work. From Terry’s profound appetite for reading, to how Good Omens (in collaboration with the excellent Neil Gaiman) came to be, right down to explaining (sort of) where the city of Ankh-Morpork gets its name, there are plenty of moments that will make you laugh out loud or mutter 'bloody hell!' where Burrows highlights some of Terry’s more astounding achievements.

"This isn’t to say that this book leaves Pratchett up there on a pedestal though. I was afraid that any biography about Terry might be tediously fawning or – worse still – mean-spirited, but you may rest assured that Burrows’ book hits the mark perfectly here, celebrating Terry’s life and work while depicting him honestly as a human being with the same imperfections as the rest of us..."

https://bit.ly/3jqcn5y

Blogger and author D K Powell's take on Strata:

"I am a big Terry Pratchett fan and simply adore his Discworld novels. I’m not going to be completely unbiased then when it comes to his work. And what a gem ‘Strata’ promised to be! One of his earliest books, written in 1981, exploring in infant form what would become the Discworld itself. What an opportunity to see an early foray into that universe. Well, sure enough, it was fascinating – but it wasn’t the well-honed Pratchett I know and love. The story was pretty much a sci-fi of the type that was very common in the 80s, post-Star Wars. The were plenty of witty remarks from the gaggle of characters, but none of the brilliant humour and repartee that the author’s later characters would engage in. The Discworld itself is a shadow – almost a caricature – of what that world would come to be. All of this makes for disappointment. But – and this is important – it is still Pratchett, and this means that, even in this early attempt, the writing is solid – the story as good as anything else that was on the market at the time. As a throwaway trashy sci-fi it is perfect. You would certainly read this book and be perfectly satisfied before then sending it off to the charity shops, rather than keep it on your shelves..."

https://bit.ly/2GdcpiX

Blogger Steve takes on the entire Discworld series:

"I initially confused Discworld with a different book I saw on my brother’s bookshelf as a child – Ringworld or something like that. The cover had someone riding a dragon and an island city floating in the clouds? I didn’t expect the humorous wizzarding antics of Rincewind in the first novel at all, but it was a refreshing change of pace and escape from current events, so I settled in for a good long listen thinking it would be some good fun. Humor is not the whole of these books, though. The insights to come caused me to pause the audiobook at several points, rewind, replay, and then pause again so I could think for a bit, completely taken aback at the insight Pratchett just threw at me... I think these books are important. I want my children to read these. I want my wife to read these. I want my parents to read these. I want to talk to someone about this stuff who gets it. I want to reminisce about moments both funny and profound. I want to have deep conversations at the pub about metaphysical quandaries regarding the speed of light and the speed of dark..."

https://yourturndad.com/2020/07/30/discworld/

Blogger The Reading Bug is back with a review of Going Postal:

"It is quickly apparent that Gilt is the villain of the piece, is behind the deaths of the previous Postmasters, and plans to remove Moist as soon as possible. This is just the beginning of an extraordinarily action-packed novel – there’s a wonderfully rich cast of junior characters such as pin-collector Stanley Howler; Sacharissa Cripslock, reporter for the Ankh-Morpork Times (first introduced in The Truth); and Anghammarad, a nineteen thousand year-old golem waiting for the end of the world. There’s a fire, a visit to the Mended Drum, a race to Genua, and guest appearances from the Watch and the wizards of the Unseen University, to mention just a few highlights. Romance is provided by another of Pratchett’s amazing strong women: golem-rights activist and chain smoker Adora Belle Dearheart. It’s all utterly wonderful. Moist is another brilliantly realised creation in all his complexity and carries the weight of the narrative effortlessly. The moment he realises his responsibility for Adora’s loss of her job (which the television adaptation made even more dramatic in a very effective edit) is extraordinary... In fact, I am giving serious consideration to starting my own minor religion based on the words of wisdom found in Going Postal alone. If you read a sentence like this in a book of philosophy you would almost certainly nod your head in agreement and appreciate the author’s wisdom and sagacity..."

https://bit.ly/2YNpKES

...and of The Wee Free Men:

"Pratchett’s ability to create fully-rounded female characters always astounds me, and here he does it again, entering imaginatively into the mind of a precocious young girl and getting it pitch perfect. I can’t think of another author of his generation who writes such brilliantly fierce, independent and strong women as Pratchett. They are not just adornments to his novels, they are centralised and given distinctive voices which articulate the reality of their lives. Of course a man can never fully understand what it is to live the life of a woman, but Pratchett does an amazing job of trying. And he defies stereotypes at each turn, not in a self-conscious .I am going to create a gender-fluid character to show how progressive I am. way, but because such characters genuinely interest him. Although this is a younger reader’s novel, there’s nothing patronising or simplified about the story – it is nuanced, layered, and contains several moments of genuine peril. The bad guys have grim-hounds, dream-stealers and things too scary to describe, and are led by a witch several times scarier than anything in Narnia..."

https://bit.ly/3lBxkN0

Blogger Jessica Bookworm's review of Lords and Ladies:

Let’s face it, in times of trouble, stress and general craziness, we all need a bit of Terry Pratchett in our lives... Boy, is there a lot going on in this book, but somehow it just all works! I never really thought anything could come close to how much I love the madcap Wyrd Sisters, which is the first book to feature the witches and is also another Shakespearian parody, of Macbeth in this case. But apparently, Pratchett and Shakespeare must be a match made in heaven for me... So all in all, I thought Lords and Ladies was another hilariously fun read, which I laughed my way through whilst out basking in the early, Spring sunshine..."

https://bit.ly/2GdclzJ

Blogger Burfoa read Nation together with his teenaged son:

"Pratchett compares and contrasts the disparate cultures and beliefs upon which Mao[sic] and Daphne’s respective views of the world are founded and blends their different knowledge and skills to combat their vulnerability and attendant dangers. It’s a thrilling adventure. Babies to be birthed, raiders to be repelled, food to be chewed for the toothless. Indeed, part of the book’s appeal is possibly this Dahl-esque indulgence in the unexpected, the violent, the gross. But, it is also touching in parts and even the burgeoning relationship between the two main characters was tolerated in all its subtle sensitivity. In many ways this is a ‘right[sic] of passage’ book and the emergence of the two young adults, stepping out into their prescribed futures, forever bonded by their experience, is quite uplifting..."

https://burfobookish.blog/2020/08/12/nation-building/

And finally, blogger Come to the Pedlar enthuses over Wyrd Sisters:

"Discworld stories featuring the Witches tend to be among Terry Pratchett’s best, especially for the consistency of their parody... The brilliance of the witches as characters is their no-nonsense bathos in respect of absolutely everything. This allows Pratchett to have his cake and eat it. In the city of Lancre, surrounded by vertiginous cliffs and sentient permanent storms, he constructs a sincere story of an evil Duke and Duchess who kill the king, take over the kingdom, and are threatened by the presence of folk magic and by the possibility that the long-lost heir may one day return. But Granny Weatherwax (returning from Equal Rites), Nanny Ogg and Magrat don’t have any truck with narrative, and the biting questions of Granny and Nanny especially seek to undercut anything overblown with basic country common-sense and a hilariously literal way of understanding the world... But perhaps the most important character introduced in this book is Lancre itself, briefly seen in Equal Rites but coming here into full focus. The hills, forests and creatures of this mountainous region even manifest a personality, the land aggrieved at finding itself under a new king who hates it. And the land itself begins affecting everything, including the theatre..."

https://bit.ly/3gIvgPs

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

American educators Jennifer Quinn and Mark Owen Martin's "light art" collaboration made to commemorate the Good Omens series' Hugo Award. Sir Pterry and science, a perfect combination:
https://twitter.com/markowenmartin/status/1293212838404616192

The cover of the "new" Russian translation of Good Omens, idiosyncratically illustrated by Anatoly Dubrovik:
https://bit.ly/3ltToca

Some superb Discworld art by Loopydave! Granny and Nanny:
https://bit.ly/3jxCvvv

The Band with Rocks In: https://bit.ly/2Qzxeai

The Night Watch: https://bit.ly/3lvPQGr

Ridcully: https://bit.ly/31M4BgB

...and a fabulous one of Moist von Lipwig, mounted of Boris:
https://bit.ly/2YNZGK0

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09) CLOSE

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

The Good Omens miniseries has won the 2020 Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form"!

Well done, all concerned!


https://twitter.com/TheHugoAwards/status/1289371429461401601

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
June 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 6, Post 1)

********************************************************************
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.
********************************************************************

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)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

Bit of a quote-a-palooza this month, mostly because there are so many currently relevant Discworld quotes worth sharing, but also because I've been re-reading a lot of the novels – Ed.

"Rumour is information distilled so finely that it can filter through anything. It does not need doors and windows – sometimes it doesn't even need people. It can exist free and wild, running from ear to ear without ever touching lips."
– Feet of Clay (Gollancz hardcover, p.58)

"Angua hesitated, as she so often did when attempting to talk to Nobby on difficult matter, and waved her hands in front of her as if trying to shape the invisible dough of her thoughts. 'It's just that ... I mean, people might ...' she began. 'I mean ... well, you know what people call men who wear wigs and gowns, don't you?
'Yes, miss.'
'You do?'
'Yes, miss. Lawyers, miss.'
'Good. Yes. Good,' said Angua slowly. 'Now try another one...'
'Er ... actors, miss?'
Angua gave up."
– The Fifth Elephant (Transworld hardcover p.27)

"It was funny how people were people everywhere you went, even if the people concerned weren't the people the people who made up the phrase 'people are people everywhere' had traditionally thought of as people. And even if you weren't virtuous, as you had been brought up to understand the term, you did like to see virtue in other people, provided it did not cost you anything."
– Vimes, musing on Dwarfish schisms (ibid., p.44)

"'It's wonderful, sir, isn't it? In a few months they say we'll be able to send messages all the way from Ankh-Morpork to Genua in less than a day!'
'Yes indeed. I wonder if by then we'll have anything sensible to say to each other.'"
– Carrot the optimist versus Vimes the realist (ibid. p.53)

"Demons have existed on the Discworld for at least as long as the gods, who they closely resemble. The difference is basically the same as that between terrorists and freedom fighters."
– Eric (Gollancz 2014 hardcover edition, p.23)

""This is Hell, isn't it,' said Eric. 'I've seen pictures.'"
– ibid. p.103

"Tilden had grown up knowing that the people at the top were right. That was why they were at the top. He didn't have the mental vocabulary to think like a traitor, because only traitors thought like that."
– Night Watch (Doubleday 2002 hardcover edition, p.143)

"One of the hardest lessons of young Sam's life had been finding out that the people in charge weren't in charge. It had been finding out that governments were not, on the whole, staffed by people who had a grip, and that plans were what people made instead of thinking."
– ibid. p. 224

"People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case. They found that The People tended not to be grateful or appreciative or forward-thinking or obedient. The People tended to be small-minded and conservative and not very clever and were even distrustful of cleverness. And so the children of the revolution were faced with the age-old problem: it wasn't that you had the wrong kind of government, which was obvious, but that you had the wrong kind of people."
– ibid. p.225-226

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

This month's issue comes to you from lockdown. *Second time around* lockdown, because your editor lives in one of Australia's new coronavirus "hot spots". Frustrating, yes, when I'd just started to think of venturing out after having been indoors since mid-March, but having also spent almost nine months fully recovering from a bad round of influenza last year, inside looks less risky than outside. I hope everyone else in similar areas is staying safe!

Continuing on the theme of current events... Mark Hughes Cobb, journalist and Pratchett fan, is always a beacon of uncommon sense. Here, he uses a Colon and Nobbs conversation to illustrate the uses of protest songs... "If we songwriters can’t cook up stirring music from current conditions across this fractured and fragmented land, give it a rest. Puns always intended. By comparison, songsmiths from the ’60s and ’70s had an easier go. War. Huh. What IS it good for? To answer, Sir Terry Pratchett, from 'Thud':

'War, Nobby. Huh! What is it good for?'
'Dunno, Sarge. Freeing slaves, maybe?'
'Absol– well, okay.'
'Defending yourself against a totalitarian aggressor?'
'All right, I’ll grant you that, but – '
'Saving civilization from a horde of – '
'It doesn’t do any good in the long run is what I’m saying, Nobby, if you’d listen for five seconds together,' said Fred Colon sharply.
'Yeah, but in the long run, what does, Sarge?'

"OK, so war can serve a purpose or three, under proper circumstances – I believe we’d have to give it up for the necessity of warring against a Hitler – despite the sweaty allure of Edwin Starr’s grunt-along. But still, war’s a relatively easy target to spear. You know what’s not simple? Attitudes. Fear. Demagoguery. Can’t tear-gas those. Unless of course you’re in charge..."

To read the whole piece, go to https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/entertainment/20200604/mark-hughes-cobb-talk-to-me-so-you-can-see-

A re-reminder: although The Time-Travelling Caveman, final volume of the young Terry Pratchett's children's stories originally published long ago in the Bucks Free Press, won't be published until early September (03/09/20), you can pre-order it from any of several places:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119110/the-time-travelling-caveman/9780857536037.html
https://www.discworldemporium.com/childrens-books/639-the-time-travelling-caveman-hardback
https://discworld.com/?s=Time+Travelling+Caveman&post_type=product

There are more Discworld goodies in the Merch Corner section (item 3.6). And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 THE MAGIC OF TERRY PRATCHETT: THE MAN BEHIND THE WORDS... AND THE HAT

A review by Annie Mac

"Terry Pratchett the author was himself a character, separate from the private man who shared his name and face."

The above quotation comes from The Magic of Terry Pratchett, freelance journalist Marc Burrows' soon to be published biography of Sir Terry. It's located on page 197, less than sixty pages before the end of the book, but in this reviewer's opinion it would have been better placed at the very outset – because those words tell the reader more about the man than about the history of his oeuvre, and when you come down to it, that's the basic purpose of a biography, right?

A quick disclosure first: I'm not the best choice of reviewer for a biography, because I have no use for them. I have always, and only, been interested in finished art – I don't look to be told what the process of making that art entailed and I certainly don't seek to the learn the details of of its maker's private life. However, I am well aware that this places me in the minority, and that millions of Pratchett fans *would* love to know those details. And if you are in the second group, I assure you that The Magic of Terry Pratchett is chocka with a fan-fest of fascinating information. For example, you'll find out about Pratchett's somewhat non-standard education; many people know he was bullied by his headmaster in his first years at school, and quite a few people know that that headmaster announced to his class, and the world, that the boy Pratchett would never amount to anything much, but did you know that despite passing his Eleven Plus he decided to enter Wycombe Technical High, a second-tier secondary school where "in addition to the standard blazer, school tie and rugby kit, boys were required to supply a boiler suit"? And you will learn...

...that he may or may not have grown up without access to a television
...that he helped test migrating swans for radioactive contamination in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster
...that he based Eskarina Smith very closely on his daughter Rhianna
...that he used sherbet lemons, cigarettes and figgins (no, not the real ones) as writing tools
...that he publicly "ate" his Carnegie Medal – and was an honorary Girl Guide
...that he was once interviewed for The Telegraph by – wait for it – Boris Johnson
...that Discworld plays have been performed on all seven continents, and his books have been translated into thirty-seven languages
...that William de Worde was referenced in the Discworld Companion six years before The Truth was published
...that Trinity College Dublin, where he was an occasional lecturer, awarded him his own chalk eraser featuring a brass plate inscribed "Blackboard Monitor"
...that Neil Gaiman effectively acted as his unpaid publicist in the early days and was directly responsible for "forcing" Pratchett to write Mort (thereby saving the world from the Long Earth series for twenty-five years)
...and plenty more, in this well-researched book.

Also of note: people who are amazed by how quickly he turned out his Discworld and Young Adult books will perhaps be even more amazed to discover that he was an exceptionally slow writer in the early days of his output, taking as long as five years between books. Oh, and it's fascinating to think that someone who started a career as a writer in an era when word processing simply meant wielding a pen to put thoughts to paper spent several months of his adolescence with both arms in plaster as a result of a sport-related accident.

The Magic of Terry Pratchett wanders down the years from Terence David John Pratchett's birth and background, though his formative years, to his first jobs and first published works, to burgeoning success and the gradual growth of Terry Pratchett The Brand, to his later years, the coming of The Embuggerance, and those famous heartbreaking tweets in small caps. Its 300 pages (all right, 261 pages of main text, plus a long bibliography and list of resources and a comprehensive index) are presented in a straightforward, non-judgemental manner. The history of each of Pratchett's novels, the stories behind the making (and in at least one case – Mort – the not-making) of various other-media versions of those that have been so far interpreted, the life and times of each "Pratchett era", even the history of his dedicated fan base. There are a few things missing in my opinion – for instance, I think an exploration of Pratchett works brought to the stage, from the worldwide am-dram presentations to the legendary National Theatre Live's Mark Ravenhill adaptation of Nation, would have added another dimension – and the epilogue seemed a bit rushed, and might have benefited from a nod to the worldwide outpouring of grief and affection from fans and major media organs alike when his death was announced – but if you want to know about the nuts and bolts of Terry Pratchett's life and works, this is the book for you.

The Magic of Terry Pratchett will be released on 30th July 2020. According to Mr Burrows' Twitter account, the book will be illustrated by the excellent digital artist Andrea C White; his pinned tweet – https://twitter.com/20thcenturymarc/status/1233378888132300805 – shows what the front and back covers of the published product will look like, and it looks good.

The Magic of Terry Pratchett
Published by White Owl, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Ltd
ISBN 978 1 52676 550 5

3.1 THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin is starting a Discworld discussion page:

It feels like the right time to be reading (or rereading) Terry Pratchett, doesn’t it? A lot of us are exhausted, the truth often seems to pass people right by, and we could all use something comforting, I think. So here’s a little corner of the internet where we can perhaps spend some time together and enjoy some very good books... You’re probably wondering why we’re not calling this The Great Pratchett Reread, or something like that. I have read some of Pratchett’s work, but not all of it. (Because there’s, you know… a lot of it. My completist impulses utterly failed me here.) In addition, much of what I read was years and years ago – and my memory gets wobblier by the minute in this media-saturated world we live in. So this isn’t a reread! More of a guided book club. A place to come and appreciate the work of a great author who knew how to make sense of senseless things. Or at least knew how to think through what baffled and frightened us all, and pare it down to something a little easier to understand..."

https://bit.ly/2VjUXxI

...and here's Asher-Perrin's first offering:

"Are we all sitting comfortably? Preferably with a warm beverage of choice? Excellent, because it’s time to dive right in on the first Discworld novel: The Colour of Magic. We are plowing right through the opening segment, so let’s get to it!... Okay, it’s time to talk favorite prologues in fantasy literature because I’m very picky about those, and this is one of my favorites. A lot of people love them no matter what and get annoyed when you admit to not being generally “pro-prologue” (I know the one in The Wheel of Time is a big deal! I promise I know!), but I stand by my pickiness. Most prologues are pointless or oddly indulgent or cannot be appreciated until you’ve read a lot more of the story, but this one is perfect. Gorgeously written, imparts important information, introduces you to how this fictional universe works. It’s also not too long. It makes sense as a prologue because it’s not relevant to the rest of the story except as a macro setup. And the fact that these are the first words about Discworld that ever appeared in the world is fitting. The book begins with Bravd and Weasel, who are riffs on Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser. If you’re not familiar with Leiber’s work or these two characters in particular, he started writing them in the late 1930s and kept on writing them for the next 50 years. Leiber’s goal was to create a set of fantasy heroes who seemed more like normal human beings, instead of the larger than life figures of Conan and Tarzan, who were popular at the time. Fafhrd and Gray Mouser were based off of himself and a friend, a giant barbarian and a diminutive thief who spent their time drinking and brawling and going on great adventures. They were, essentially, heroes for hire...

"Now, Pratchett is a smart guy with a lot of ingrained knowledge about fantasy, so it’s hardly surprising to see an homage of this nature in his work, even right from the beginning. But it’s a very particular homage as well, when you get right down to it – he’s letting us know what sort of characters he values. Normal people, working stiffs, none of that “chosen special cookie destiny” nonsense. Everything in this book reiterates those terms to us. Ankh-Morpork is a city, a city is full of average people just going about their lives. His characters are exceptional because exceptional things happen to them... When I first read this book, I was younger, too young to fully appreciate Rincewind as a protagonist. Now that I’m older, I can see the error in that – when we’re small, we’re all about heroes. We’re taught that good stories are about uber-beings doing big deeds..."

https://bit.ly/3g0jr7o

...and second...

"Then you should be all set to move on, and think a bit about 'The Sending of Eight'. The prologue of this section is concerned with the gods of Discworld, who have a more interesting lot than gods of planets made with 'less imagination but more mechanical aptitude'. At the Hub of the Disc, at the top of a high mountain, the Disc gods are currently sitting about and playing a board game that takes place on a carved map of the world... This section is obviously taking a lot of inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft and also from Dungeons and Dragons gameplay, which brings me to a question that might ruffle people a bit – do we think that Pratchett brought both of the elements to bear in his first book because he really loved them, or because he kind of wanted to get them out of the way? Or maybe some aspect of both these factors? Pratchett is an extremely knowledgeable writer who loves his homages, but there’s something particularly bemusing about taking one of fantasy’s most well-known authors and a game that was getting hugely popular by the 80s (when this was published), and just shoving them into a section of the first Discworld book. It’s hard not to imagine Pratchett thinking, oh good, I can get this out of the way now. Lovecraft isn’t really tonally matched to what Pratchett does overall, but everyone loves a great big tentacle monster and the temples built around them... there’s a major juxtaposition between old magic and current magic in this section. Rincewind had assumed that dryads died out, but they’re clearly alive and well and still hanging about. Their magic is elemental and tied to the earth, as opposed to average Disc magic, which is all tied up in learning and tedious complexities. Which is just another way of saying that people don’t get shortcuts – everything that we do still requires an output of effort relative to the task. Rowling tried to suggest this in the Potterverse and its version of magic, but never managed to explain it in a way that made much sense, but Pratchett manages to do so in a few sentences. It takes him no time at all to establish that magic isn’t a fun workaround, and when Rincewind complains that there isn’t more of an order to things, Twoflower’s response is 'That’s fantasy.' Ouch..."

https://bit.ly/3fZk6pB

[These are well worth a read, and feel free to join in the comments! – Ed.]

3.2 TERRY PRATCHETT ON... HIMSELF

An interesting interview in the New York Times, from 2014. Some extracts:

NYT: What makes for a good fantasy novel?
TP:The kind that isn’t fantastic. It’s just creating a new reality. Really, a good fantasy is just a mirror of our own world, but one whose reflection is subtly distorted...

NYT: What kind of reader were you as a child? And what were your favorite childhood books?
TP: I barely read a book for pleasure when I was at junior school and got into reading only because my mother promised me a penny for every page I read to her properly. That cost her some money in the beginning, and then I found a book called “The Wind in the Willows,” by Kenneth Grahame, and I just exploded. There were rats and moles and badgers and they were all acting like humans, and I thought to myself, This is a lie, but what a fabulous lie! After that I scoured the local library and read everything. I even got myself a part-time job there so I could legitimately have multiple library cards... I would have to say that Mark Twain is up there with the gods and probably cursing it. “Life on the Mississippi” blew my mind. And, of course, reading him meant that I got to read “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” I hope it’s still read and that people read the book he wanted people to see, because I know that some editions leave out the fact that the Yankee boy killed most of the famous Knights of the Round Table using electricity. Now that is fantasy.

NYT: And if you could bring only three books to a desert island, which would you choose?
TP: “Boatbuilding for Beginners,” “Poisonous Plants of the South Pacific” and a very good seafood cookery book....

https://nyti.ms/2Ny2t3Q

3.3 THOUGHTS ON BRINGING DISCWORLD TO THE SCREEN

Nat Wassell asks if it's even possible to render Discworld books in a way that will satisfy everyone:

"I’ve waxed on a lot over the years about the magic of Sir Terry’s writing. I don’t need to do too much of it here. His characters, many of whom we spend a lot of books with, never get boring. He writes his novels in a close third person narrative style, so we dip in and out of the heads of the characters but he is also able to pull back and observe them from a little bit of distance, and almost comments independently on the action. There are jokes of all kinds, clever wordplay and some that only work on the page in written format, because the pun is in the spelling. Some of the best humour of all is found in the footnotes. The themes are strong and stretch out across many books, joining up not only plots but also characters. The Disc by the last book, The Shepherd’s Crown, is a different place to the one at the start. It evolves and grows and much of that is shown in how characters present, how their old biases and ways of thinking change over time. In short, the utterly perfect medium for telling stories of Discworld is – and always will be – written novels. With that in mind, it is easy to see why the Sky One films didn’t really have that magic. That strong narrative voice is what makes Discworld. By taking it away, all you have is a series of quite amusing fantasy stories, with some quite amusing characters... I don’t really have an answer as to how Discworld could be successfully adapted for the screen. I’m not certain that it can really be done, not in the way that the fans would want it to be. I think that is why I’m not so mad about The Watch series, because the Sky movies have proved that a straight adaptation doesn’t really work. It could be interesting to see something go to the other extreme, just for comparison’s sake..."

https://culturedvultures.com/discworld-show-nervous/

3.4 NATION: A RECOMMENDED PANDEMIC-ERA READ

In the Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle (Illinois), Eric Crump presents his recommended "pandemic read", Nation:

"The most heart-wrenching moments of the book come as this teen, no longer a boy but not quite a man, has to ignore his pain and exhaustion to bury in the sea the people he has known all his life... It seems to be where we are now, in a present that is a turning point, moving from the sharp shock of lockdown to the beginning of recovery while the threat remains serious... In the end there is a discovery about the Nation's past that unites Daphne's culture and Mau's, providing a new understanding of both. One hint: It involves science as a way to understand the gods and the world. That's why I like “Nation” as COVID-19 pandemic reading. The loss of our old normal is troubling and traumatic. But it is a loss that is also an opportunity."

https://bit.ly/2Z4MHTy

3.5 INEFFABLE CON 2

It's virtual convention time! Or will be, come October, with special guests Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins, and Douglas McKinnon:

"The Ineffable Con recently announced the second edition of his Good Omens UK convention. The first event was organized in October 2019 and raised £1,258.93 ($1,604.76 US) for Alzheimer’s Research UK in memory of Sir Terry Pratchett, who was a writer for the series. The organizers revealed that the second edition of the event would take place on October 16-18, 2020, as an online event. All benefits will be donated to charity... A lot of activities and panels are planned for the convention. There will be talks and panels about all the different aspects of Good Omens, quizzes, vid show, e-zine, live readings, cosplay contests, art show, and a dealer’s room. A chat room will also be available to enable fans to talk to each other."

When: Friday 16th - Sunday 18th October 2020
Venue: the Clacks!
Time: see website for details
Tickets: £25, available at https://theineffablecon.org.uk/reg.php

You can find more information about the event on their website.: http://theineffablecon.org.uk

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

* This month's feature is the Discworld Emporium. Here be a special message from the Ankh-Morpork Consulate:

"We're reuniting and returning to our posts this week, and as we survey the wreckage wrought by the frenzy of orders placed by clacks over lock-down we're not only taking stock of our stock, but also how to move forward as a place of pilgrimage for Discworld devotees now that life is considerably more unreal, which for us is really saying something! As we have very limited space in which we also run our busy mail-order service, creating a safe place for visitors is sadly not a viable option for us at present, and we have therefore made the difficult decision to keep our bricks and mortar shop closed for now. This may disappoint those wishing to escape the rigours of recent times in our little shop, however let it be understood that the Emporium is not so much a 'local' shop, but a conduit between worlds that welcomes travellers from all over Roundworld and the Disc. We don't believe our little town is quite ready for us to open our portal just yet, and as our team consists of 'vulnerable' sorts, we would like to keep them protected while the dread menace persists..."

To read the full announcement, and to browse the site for goodies, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/

* Reminder: Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal

"In a city like Ankh-Morpork, where Assassins assassinate, thieves thieve and seamstresses, um . . . don’t, Law and Order can be a complicated business. Thankfully His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes (Blackboard Monitor) and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are here to keep the peace. The finest body of men, women, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves, golems, Igors, gnomes, Feegles, vampires (and whatever Nobby Nobbs is) on the face of the Discworld! The Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal provides jotting space for your notes, reports, observations and investigations, so kick back, relax and take down your particulars. To help you keep on the straight and narrow, you’ll be aided and abetted by some choice quotes from Terry Pratchett’s seminal City Watch novels."

Each Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal ("Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature and sealed with his coat of arms") is priced at £17 and will be available to ship on 6th August 2020. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/31jaHVy

* The Magic of Terry Pratchett (biography)

"Journalist, comedian and Pratchett fan Marc Burrows delves into the back story of one of UK's most enduring and beloved authors, from his childhood in the Chiltern Hills to his time as a journalist, and the journey that would take him - via more than sixty best-selling books - to an OBE, a knighthood and national treasure status. The Magic Of Terry Pratchett is the result of painstaking archival research alongside interviews with friends and contemporaries who knew the real man under the famous black hat, helping to piece together the full story of one of British literature's most remarkable and beloved figures for the very first time."

There are several versions that will be available, starting with the standard edition (currently priced at £16), the fancier Snapcase edition (£21), and the Patrician Box (£35.00\\\, featuring various extras). For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

https://www.askmeaboutterrypratchett.com/s/shop

https://twitter.com/20thcenturymarc

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

No plays are being performed in public on Roundworld at the moment, of course. But keep an eye out for possible forthcoming Discworld plays later in the year. We must keep the knowledge of Discworld circulating!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy:

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
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."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger bthespearman reviews Witches Abroad:

"The first half of the book is by far my favourite as we enjoy the misadventures of the trio on their way to Genua. The incident with the bulls in the Discworld equivalent of Pamplona always has me in stitches and it was no different this time. There’s just something about those three on their roadtrip through the Discworld that I love, Nanny’s translations, Magrat's naivety and Granny’s inability to own up to any ignorance that works perfectly; it’s hilarious and interesting at the same time. That’s a hard trick to pull off. I do feel it drags a little in the second part once they reach the city. Not that it’s bad or anything, but some of the humour is lost.. As always with the Discworld Pratchett manages to balance the humour with some insights. In this case it’s the power of stories and what it tells us about ourselves on relation to the part we play in a narrative. There’s also some meditation on government and the balance of freedoms versus security..."

https://bit.ly/3i5aYS0

Blogger Guy Luck gives The Colour of Magic five out of five stars:

"This book is a perfect introduction to the Discworld, with all its quirks and nuances. Terry Pratchett, god rest his soul, was a master of the weird and wonderful... We travel with these unlikely companions, Twoflower who relishes the excitement and adventure of exploring the world and Rincewind who would much rather run away and hide from everything. No matter how perilous the situation seems, no matter how hopeless everything becomes, maybe just maybe there is someway out of it all. This book has no ending, it leaves a satisfactory cliff hanger, so much so that my next book, logically, must be The Light Fantastic. Purely so I can know what happens next..."

https://bit.ly/2CIFwJf

Blogger The Corner of Laura is back with a four-starred review of Men at Arms:

"Cutting satire, especially on political correctness, tokenism, class divides and gun violence. The author certainly gets to the heart of the matter every time without fear of who they might offend by telling the truth. I haven’t read a book that better nails the problems with worrying too much about political correctness without coming off as justification for being offensive. All the issues he covers are still very pertinent today, too. I love all the character development in this book, especially around Carrot, who everyone can’t help but like, and Angua, who is only a woman some of the time. I love the changing relationship of Cuddy and Detritus too. Vimes gets some great moments, of course, especially when he’s faced with the daunting prospect of being a Lord. It’s clear that he’s not very comfortable with the idea of retirement or with hobnobbing with the rich... Incredible writing as ever. Every sentence seems to include a well-written and clever snark at something..."

https://bit.ly/382RUPL

Blogger Camden Singrey, also back, looks at Wyrd Sisters:

"Practically speaking, this is Terry’s first proper book about the witches of Lancre; Equal Rites does feature Granny Weatherwax but it doesn’t feature most of the other trappings (and by the end feels like much more of a wizard story anyway). The Witches are one of the character groups that form a sort of miniseries within Discworld, along with the City Watch, Death, Rincewind, etc. Rincewind has obviously been heavily featured at this point, but Terry has confessed to not enjoying the character as much as many of his others. The Witches and the City Watch feel like the two main tentpoles of his universe, collectively featuring as the main protagonists of almost 20 books (counting Tiffany Aching) and making cameo appearances in several other stories. With the City Watch not having made an appearance yet, Wyrd Sisters comes off as the first example of the kind of story that would come to define the Discworld. It’s also the first Discworld novel to feel fully driven by a specific story, with little room for tangents or humorous digressions that upset the tone... Nanny Ogg is simply one of Terry’s funniest characters, and serves as the even-more-practical witch who doesn’t care at all about how things are “meant to be done”. She is the witch most firmly rooted in the real world, with all that entails..."

https://bit.ly/2Vm6b4X

Blogger The Honest Avocado gives a full five ripe avocados (yes, that signifies a rave review) to Going Postal:

"I think this is one of my favorite Discworld books so far! Whereas some of the other stories in the series are a little too light on character development and plot, this one feels like a full/complete story. I liked that it focused on one character and you really get to know him... Moist grows and changes significantly from the beginning of the book to the end. He starts out with a set of assumptions about himself and the world and by the end all that’s been turned on its head... The Golems are so admirable. I love the Golems both in this book and in Feet of Clay. Pratchett uses them to show what morality and duty looks like form the perspective of a robot (essentially). The Golems are dutiful and so utterly matter of fact. It’s refreshing and helped me view events in the book from a completely different angle..."

https://bit.ly/2A44Jga

Blogger The Reading Bug returns with thoughts on The Fifth Elephant:

"One aspect of Pratchett’s work which is under-appreciated in my opinion is his ability to craft detective stories. Because The Fifth Elephant is, among several other things, detective fiction. The Stone of Scone, an ancient dwarven artefact, is stolen from the Ankh-Morpork Dwarf Bread Museum. Which is suspicious, because the original Scone of Stone, under close guard far away in a mine in Uberwald, is central to the forthcoming coronation of new Low King of the Dwarves. To further complicate matters the Patrician, Lord Vetinari, has decided to send Sam Vimes as his ambassador to the coronation, suggesting that while there he may wish to negotiate with the Low King on a trade agreement with Ankh-Morpork. Uberwald is rich in underground fat deposits, as a result of the untimely arrival of the titular fifth elephant of legend... The usual things that make Pratchett’s novels a continuing joy are all to be found here. There’s the clever references that are so easy to miss... I think this is the first novel where we really get to see Vimes and Lady Sybil as a married couple. The maturity of their relationship, full of compromises and kindness, is worth reading the book for alone..."

https://bit.ly/2Zh5lI6

...and with thoughts on Carpe Jugulum:

"Isn’t this pretty much exactly the plot of Lords and Ladies (Discworld 14) published some six years earlier? Superficially charming but sinister and other-worldly villains are accidentally invited into Lancre, take over, and battle with the witches? Pretty much. The good news is that all this doesn’t matter in the slightest. Shakespeare recycled plots freely and unapologetically, so why couldn’t Sir Terry? Any time spent with the profound moral philosopher that is Granny Weatherwax, Pratchett’s finest creation, is time well spent, even if we have been here before. And this is a very brave book – not many fantasy writers would go to the dark places that Granny visits..."

https://bit.ly/2CAAVZo

...and doesn't sugar-coat thoughts about The Last Continent:

"This is a thin foundation for a novel. The Australian cliches pile up irritatingly, and you end up waiting for the next one to turn up (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, check, duck-billed platypus, check, the Dreaming, check). I felt Pratchett kept throwing new Xxxx items at the book to try and distract the reader from the underlying absence of anything approaching a plot. The fun with creation myths never really takes off – it’s mildly diverting, nothing more. Pratchett published two novels a year most years for almost twenty years, so a dud was always a possibility, but they are still a disappointment when they crop up, as they inevitably must. It’s not that I actively disliked The Last Continent, just that I didn’t love it..."

https://bit.ly/2Z8chqR

Blogger Zezee With Books reviews Wyrd Sisters:

"As always, the characters are entertaining and helped to make the story a fun read. I like how the witches play off each other: the undercurrent of animosity between Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg despite their respect for each other, and how the older witches respond to Magrat's eccentricities (they tolerate it while side-eyeing everything, lol). Oh, they made this a jolly, good read! I especially enjoyed whenever they show up at a play and comment loudly on the acts, making the actors nervous. That cracked me up, lol! Of them all, Nanny Ogg was my favorite. She knows how to have fun and doesn’t mind dancing on table tops, lol. I could party with her... Ah, Discworld’s worldbuilding… that’s my absolute favorite thing about the two books in the series I’ve read so far. The worldbuilding both amazes and entertains me..."

https://bit.ly/2CIAyfy

Blogger Hedwig on Moving Pictures:

"I think the main reason I enjoyed this was the weird unusual thread of the story. It follows the usual Discworld formula in places, being based in Ankh Morpork and the introduction of some new characters being pulled into some ridiculous amount of mayhem usually linked to something magical or otherworldly. This one, felt a little the story was far more solid and that the world is better established in this book. I still can’t be quite sure if that is due to the fact that I am invested in the series now but something felt unusual... I think as well this is the first book where I felt the wealth of characters was explored really well. We don’t just get to see the witches, or just get to see the wizards. Holy Wood being what it is draws Trolls, talking dogs and would be wizards like our main character Victor. There is also the eventual return of a race of characters we have seen before towards the end, and of course the always welcome return of Death, the Librarian and a hilarious plot involving the wizards at the university. I do think that Victor was a little weak, especially alongside Ginger and Throat. Seeing Throat reappear in a more vital role in the plot was brilliant and felt true to his constantly changing nature, but I still felt Victor was left a little underdeveloped compared to other main characters I’ve met so far. Gaspode the Wonder Dog is a true standout though..."

https://bit.ly/3i5rwt1

Blogger and author ES Barrison on Witches Abroad:

"My knowledge of Terry Pratchett comes initially from his collaboration with Neil Gaiman on Good Omens. A friend of mine recommended this book to me as a fun, lighthearted story to dive into Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. And what a way to enter it! A world where stories are brought to life by a rogue fairy godmother means chaos ensues: a frog prince, a sleezy cat-turned-man, and a fairy godmother with a knack for pumpkins, just to name a few. Plus with characters as endearing and witchy as Magrat, Granny Weatherwax, and Nanny Ogg, you’ll want to go on this wacky adventure with them..."

https://bit.ly/3eATWZR

Blogger Cirsicircles on The Wee Free Men:

"All the tiny atmospheric details are entertaining enough to be memorable for their own sakes, yet they often pop up later in the plot and you’re glad they were so memorable. For example, Ratbag the cat won’t give Tiffany the time of day unless he needs something, and in the dream-ambush scene, he cuddles her leg. My mind registered that she was going to be eaten by the dream-spinning creature before the narrator had to spell it out for me. Another thing I admired about the writing was the trick best done by Daphne du’Maurier in Rebecca: making a main character who never shows up in the book. The memory of Tiffany’s dead granny is not just a reoccurring theme it’s a talisman against evil and a guiding force, vibrant and earthy..."

https://bit.ly/3fY01Qh

Blogger Mr Lit's scholarly thoughts – with a wealth of footnotes – on Monstrous Regiment:

"Pratchett carried Discworld’s characteristic subversion of gender roles even further by taking on the well established literary paradigm of female to male cross-dressing during wartime... Interestingly, cross-dressing is similarly used by Tolkien, whose influence on contemporary fantasy is unparalleled, in The Return of the King, the final instalment of his epic The Lord of the Rings. Like Polly, Eowyn poses as male in order to participate in battle alongside her brother and people, rather than being left behind in a state of forced passivity alongside the other women. Eowyn herself likens this fate to being confined in a cage, ‘to stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, all chance of great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.’... The cross-dresser who can pass as a member of the target gender, gaining acceptance by the group, comes voluntarily under the control of the gender role expectations for that gender group. A woman who desires to pass as a man must not only successfully pass dressed as a man, but also act as one in the masculine roles assigned the gender.’ Polly conforms to this idea, realising early on in the novel that cutting her hair and wearing boy’s clothes simply won’t cut it; in order to pass successfully as a young recruit, she must imitate the social behaviour and mannerisms of a young male: ‘Think young male, that was the thing. Fart loudly and with self-satisfaction at a job well done, move like a puppet that’d had a couple of random strings cut, never hug anyone and, if you meet a friend, punch them.’ In this sense, Pratchett successfully demonstrates that biological gender barriers can be easily overcome by merely changing dress and adapting one’s social behaviour, indicating that gender and identity are not exclusive..."

https://bit.ly/3eAxVKB

Blogger Muse With Me returns to give four out of five stars to Soul Music:

"Despite Death and Susan playing key roles, the true heart of the story lies with Imp and his compatriots... The core plot, with a force invading the Discworld and making profound changes, is rather common in this series. Archchancellor Ridcully of the wizards, one of the perspective supporting characters, even remarks upon it in a half-knowing way that I found amusing. All the same, this was a rather good execution upon that sort of story. Though not especially deep, it made for an interesting commentary on how much of an overwhelming whirlwind fame can be, when at the outset you were set on more humble successes, whether it be just making a living or simply sharing your talent with the world. Everything comes together around this story of musical fame and rock music references in a way I hadn’t quite expected too, giving Death something he didn’t know he needed in his quest to simply forget. It made for an appreciably subtle moment..."

https://bit.ly/2Z90mJj

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07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The cover(s) for the Japanese paperback edition of Good Omens:
https://bit.ly/2Zbo33B and https://bit.ly/2YA9xUc

A lovely drawing of The Author by Jillian Tamaki for the New York Times in 2014:
https://bit.ly/3eD108n

Paul Kidby's wonderful drawing of young Gytha and young Leonard on a picnic, tweeted by the artist himself:
https://bit.ly/382vu0Z

Mr Pin has been found! https://bit.ly/2YTUfIE

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

08) CLOSE

Junior's been busy! "Scholastic Books have announced acclaimed games writer and journalist Rhianna Pratchett as the next guest author for the bestselling Fighting Fantasy series... Set in the iconic Fighting Fantasy world of Titan, Crystal of Storms casts the hero of the story as a member of the Sky Watch, charged with keeping the airborne archipelago of Pangaria safe. When the flying island Nimbus suddenly crashes out of the sky into the Ocean of Tempests below, the hero must battle storms and sea beasts in their mission to raise it from the deep. For this landmark Fighting Fantasy adventure, Scholastic have taken a new approach with the cover art, in order to attract a new, younger audience to the classic gamebook series - one which many of their parents cite as getting them reading and introducing them to fantasy role-playing in the first place. As the world’s most high-profile woman in gaming, Rhianna Pratchett is the perfect match for the series, and becomes its first ever female guest author. 'I first came to the Fighting Fantasy books as a child; reading them surreptitiously under the covers with a torch late at night,' Rhianna explains. 'It's been such an honour to be asked by Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson and the team at Scholastic to create a new novel for their vibrant and exciting world. My kid-self has been high-fiving my adult-self all year! I hope new and old fans will enjoy exploring the floating archipelago of Pangaria and its colourful, eccentric and dangerous inhabitants. I also hope that some of that enjoyment will occur surreptitiously under the covers late at night.'"

Crystal of Storms, illustrated by Eva Eskelinen, will be published in October 2020. Read the full press release from Scholastic here:
https://www.fightingfantasy.com/ff-press-releases

https://www.fightingfantasy.com/blog

More info about the series, for those of you who don't know what it is (I certainly didn't!):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy

Meanwhile, the Good Omens miniseries is still generating buzz around the world, with many blogs and pop-culture websites talking about an imagined second series. Let's see what Neil Gaiman has to say about that: "It's definitely not a 'never say never again' situation... Everybody would love more. And I am the problem, because there's only 24 hours in a day, and I have a 4-year-old. So there's a certain amount of juggling and figuring things out. I would love to be able to oversee more Good Omens, partly because of the sheer joy in getting to put Michael and David on screen together as those characters."

Right, that's us told. And that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month...

– Annie Mac


ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 5, 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.
********************************************************************

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) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"If it's too hard/expensive to make it close to Terry's vision then why bother. I think if someone gave me the plot and list of characters and didn't mention Discworld I might actually like the idea of the series. But don't claim it's one thing and then give me something else. I hold out much more hope with the new
faithful adaptations."
– Jason Anthony of Discworld Monthly speaks truth to power about "The Watch"

"The Discworld books are a huge source of joy to millions of readers, and rightly so; every paragraph, phrase and footnote was crafted with brilliance and flair and we are committed to bringing Terry’s world to the screen with the respect and care it deserves. With this partnership, we are delighted to say that Discworld has finally found its home."
– Rob Wilkins also tells the truth, with beautifully phrased stealth subtext

“I must confess the activities of the UK governments for the past couple of years have been watched with frank admiration and amazement by Lord Vetinari. Outright theft as a policy had never occurred to him.”
– Terry Pratchett, of course. One wonders what he would have made of the developments since 2015...

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Does anyone know what day it is? Or month, for that matter? A friend recently sent me a text message that said "March lasted 600 years and April was 20 minutes and what the hell is time?", and I think that all of us – and the History Monks! – can understand and sympathise. But in the world of Discworld As Seen In Roundworld, exciting news is afoot: Narrativia, the company originally formed 7+1 years ago by Sir Pterry and Rob Wilkins and now curated by Mr Wilkins and Rhianna Pratchett, has announced their intent to adapt Discworld to the screen in a manner in keeping with The Author's original vision. Here's to many successful – and accurate – renderings of our favourite world and its rich parade of characters! See item 3.1 for details.

There's also a very special short video out there on the Clacks. A positively... ineffable video, in fact – see item 3.2

A reminder: The Time-Travelling Caveman, final volume of the young Terry Pratchett's children's stories originally published long ago in the Bucks Free Press, can be pre-ordered now:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119110/the-time-travelling-caveman/9780857536037.html
https://www.discworldemporium.com/childrens-books/639-the-time-travelling-caveman-hardback
https://discworld.com/?s=Time+Travelling+Caveman&post_type=product

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 NARRATIVIA: TAKING BACK CONTROL

...and millions of Discworld fans are surely punching the air in delight. The Narrativia announcement:

"In an exclusive relationship going forward, Narrativia, the independent production company launched by Sir Terry Pratchett in 2012, strikes new development deal with Motive Pictures and Endeavor Content to create truly authentic Discworld screen adaptations. Discworld, the iconic and enduringly popular literary phenomenon, spans a series of beloved novels that sold in excess of 100 million copies around the world during Sir Terry’s lifetime and remain as popular today. Now, Narrativia, Motive Pictures and Endeavor Content announce a brand new partnership which will bring this treasured world to screens in a series of prestige adaptations that remain absolutely faithful to Sir Terry Pratchett’s original, unique genius. The spirit of this new alliance has been forged from a shared love of the source material, and a commitment to create an epic series, which will kick off with some of the most iconic titles in Sir Terry’s fiercely incisive and satirical universe.

"Rhianna Pratchett, Co-Director of Narrativia, says: “Discworld teems with unique characters, witty narrative and incredible literary tropes, and we feel these should be realised on screen in a form that my father would be proud of. It’s wonderful to embark on this journey with Motive and Endeavor Content, who both perfectly share our vision to make this a reality.”

"Rob Wilkins, Managing Director of Narrativia, says: “The Discworld books are a huge source of joy to millions of readers, and rightly so; every paragraph, phrase and footnote was crafted with brilliance and flair and we are committed to bringing Terry’s world to the screen with the respect and care it deserves. With this partnership, we are delighted to say that Discworld has finally found its home.”..."

To read the full announcement online, go to https://narrativia.com/

Some reactions...

By Alison Flood in The Guardian:

"[Rob] Wilkins, Narrativia’s managing director, said the new partnership meant that Discworld had 'finally found its home'. 'The Discworld books are a huge source of joy to millions of readers, and rightly so; every paragraph, phrase and footnote was crafted with brilliance and flair and we are committed to bringing Terry’s world to the screen with the respect and care it deserves,' he said. Wilkins denied the new deal was in response to Narrativia’s dissatisfaction with The Watch. 'Though Narrativia retain an executive producer credit in The Watch, they have no creative involvement in the project. However, they of course wish The Watch all the best.' Motive Pictures chief executive Simon Maxwell called the Discworld universe a national treasure..."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/28/terry-pratchett-novels-faithful-tv-adaptation-discworld

A not so subtle reminder, also from Flood:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2020/jan/17/discworld-fans-are-right-to-be-nervous-about-the-bbcs-punk-rock-the-watch

By Adele Ankers for IGN:

"Sir Terry Pratchett's Narrativia is looking to expand the Discworld universe with a new series of "truly authentic" screen adaptations after striking a development deal with Endeavor Content and Motive Pictures. Narrativia, the production company launched by Pratchett in 2012, recently announced the exclusive partnership, which will bring the treasured world of the Discworld fantasy novel series to screens in the form of "prestige adaptations that remain absolutely faithful" to Pratchett's original, unique genius. Discworld spans a beloved series of novels that have sold in excess of 100 million copies globally, and the adaptations are said to be forged from a shared love of the original source material, as well as a mutual commitment towards creating an epic series..."

https://nordic.ign.com/news/36052/discworld-movies-terry-pratchetts-production-company-to-make-authentic-adaptations

An observation from Charles Pulliam-Moore on Gizmodo Australia:

"Currently, no new series to be developed from the new partnership have been announced and given the way the spread of the novel coronavirus has effectively shut down the production of new series and films, it’s not certain when we can expect to hear what Narrativia, Endeavour Content, and Motive Pictures will create first together."

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2020/04/terry-pratchetts-discworld-will-get-even-more-adaptations-thanks-to-massive-new-deal/

...and more observations from Caitlin Hobbs in Book Riot:

"Key word there: develop. It’s not set in stone that the adaptation will air—many projects go into development and never come out—but hopes are high so far... According to Variety, the adaptations will remain 'absolutely faithful' to the source text. After BBC’s The Watch, which received a lot of criticism for how much the story was changed, this is a welcome bit of news. Unlike with The Watch adaptation, Narrativia will have an active hand in creating these stories, so we can breathe easy..."

https://bookriot.com/2020/04/29/new-terry-pratchett-discworld-adaptations/

3.2 GOOD OMENS NEWS

* Crowley and Aziraphale in lockdown?! A short and, er, tasty video from Narrativia and The Blank Corporation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quSXoj8Kob0&feature=youtu.be

As reported by Lauren Morris for the Radio Times:

"Released in honour of the book’s 30th anniversary, the three-minute episode listens in on a phone call between the antiquarian-loving angel Aziraphale (Sheen) and serpentine demon Crowley (Tennant) as they discuss their attempts to flatten the curve. Aziraphale checks in with the bored demon, who is also stuck indoors, waiting out the quarantine. When he asks why Crowley isn't 'out and about', he replies: 'I know I ought to be making people's lives worse but everyone’s so miserable cooped up right now anyway, I don't have the heart for it.'... The special was released on YouTube on Friday 1st May and written by Neil Gaiman... 'This is our present to all of you. It's to make people happy, because too many of us are sad,' Neil Gaiman wrote on Twitter..."

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2020-05-04/david-tennant-michael-sheen-good-omens-lockdown-special/

By Petrana Radulovic on Polygon:

"Though only the actor’s voices are featured in the video, it contains many little props and nods to the world, such as a map of Lower Tadfield and the books in Aziraphale’s shop... Good Omens has long been a staple of internet fandom; officially contributing to a current trend in the fandom sphere only solidifies its stronghold..."

https://www.polygon.com/tv/2020/5/1/21243992/good-omens-30th-anniversary-lockdown-video

* A wonderful result from a Good Omens 30th anniversary online lockdown fundraiser for Alzheimer's Research UK that raised over £2,000, which was more than 200 per cent of its target. Not quite Captain Tom, but still a super result!

https://twitter.com/TheIneffableCon/status/1256593075184504832

* The Good Omens miniseries has been included in the 2020 Peabody Awards:

"The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has selected 60 nominees that represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in broadcasting and digital media during 2019. The nominees were chosen by unanimous vote of 19 jurors from nearly 1,300 entries from television, radio/podcasts and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, children’s and public service programming. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. 'Peabody is proud to champion this year’s nominees who inspire our connection, provoke our thinking and delight our senses. From the communal strength of black women to the eminence of science to the conviction of those who speak up, these stories and their creators celebrate the diversity of human experience and of our democracy,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Amidst the challenges of our present moment, we can find empathy, entertainment and truth in these nominees.'..."

https://www.wgauradio.com/news/local/uga-administered-peabodys-name-nominees/LnIGxPUdso3OkMqewbOXoN/

More about "the Peabodys": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabody_Award

3.3 BERNARD PEARSON'S COMMUNICATION ADVICE

Bernard Pearson, known to Discworld fans the world around as "the Cunning Artificer" and the master of the Discworld Emporium, Roundworld's only interdimensional embassy, is also known for having strong opinions. And this opinion would be very dear to Moist von Lipwig's (and Senior Postman Groat's, and Head of Stamps Stanley Howler's) heart!

By Ellie Kendall for Somerset Live:

"You may know him as the friendly face of Wincanton's famous Pratchett-themed shop, The Discworld Emporium. But Bernard has a special, much-needed take on life - especially now... Bernard, now in his seventies, has a way of finding the bright side in life, it's not all fun and games. He is, himself, in strict isolation due to ill health. He, like so many, just wants to hug his grandchildren. So Bernard has written us a letter with his top tip for surviving lockdown - write letters. Not electronic letters, but real ones. 'Being on one's own, can be a bit of a bonus at times. At times, but not endlessly. Not being able to touch, hold, or even talk to someone special or even a neighbour - that is something we would have all found impossible to imagine a few weeks ago. But now it is the norm for so many of us. Especially if you, like me, are classed as ‘at risk’. Of course, there is the phone, video links and e-mail. But in some ways, they are more of the problem than the solution... Terry Pratchett was a close friend of mine. He was a good man with words, one of the best in fact. And he once described e-mails as being as "friendly as a thrown knife". And I think he was right... There is one form of communication that almost bridges that gap. It's not new, has been around a long, long time and was once the only way mankind communicated over any distance. The letter. The old fashioned and simple, pen on paper. There is something about a letter, a real letter landing on the doormat. It's why we still have letterboxes - that hole in the door that lets in junk mail can also let in a message from a friend. A letter from a loved one, someone from the past, or just yesterday. Distance is no object. Next door, next town, next country, it doesn’t matter. To sit and write, to put on paper with your own hand what you are thinking, feeling, hoping for or worried about. To see the words, form under your hand and the marks on the paper join you with your reader. It’s a most cathartic experience. Something you are touching - creating - will be held in someone’s hand and what you have written will form pictures in their mind...'"

To read the Cunning Artificer's entire letter, go to:

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/news-opinion/wincanton-terry-pratchett-shop-lockdown-4114739

3.4 BEE REVIVAL! TIFFANY WOULD BE PLEASED

By Isabelle Gerretsen for BBC Future:

"While people have been confined to their homes this spring, wildlife has faced less human disturbance, traffic and polluting fumes... One animal that could see a much-needed revival is the wild bee, scientists say. Bee populations are rapidly declining around the world due to habitat loss, pollution and the use of pesticides, among other factors. 'These creatures are vital to what we eat and what our countryside looks like,' says Gill Perkins, chief executive of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. 'They provide a whole ecosystem service.' A world without bees would look very different and change our lives enormously. Bees are the world’s most important pollinators, fertilising a third of the food we eat and 80% of flowering plants. Bees and other pollinating insects have a global economic value of around £120bn ($150bn)... Less fumes from cars on the road makes it easier for bees to forage, as air pollution substantially reduces the strength and longevity of floral scents, according to a 2016 study. 'In a world with less air pollution, bees can make shorter and more profitable ‘shopping trips’, and this may help them rear more young,' says Mark Brown, professor of evolutionary ecology at Royal Holloway, University of London..."

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200506-why-lockdown-is-helping-bees

3.5 THE MERCH CORNER

This month's feature is stuff from Discworld.com...

* Dark Side of the Turtle t-shirt

The t-shirt with rocks in! This one is a true beauty. "In the spirit of Soul Music, this stunning black t-shirt pays homage to a certain icon of Roundworld music, whilst giving it a distinctly chelonium spin. Printed digitally on ringspun Gildan t-shirts."

Each Dark Side of the Turtle t-shirt is priced at £20 – £22, depending on size. Sizes available are Small (34/36″), Medium (38/40″), Large (42/44″), XL (46/48″),
2XL (50/52″), and 3XL (54/56″). For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/bags-clothing/dark-side-turtle-t-shirt/

* Time to pre-order your Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal?

"In a city like Ankh-Morpork, where Assassins assassinate, thieves thieve and seamstresses, um . . . don’t, Law and Order can be a complicated business. Thankfully His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes (Blackboard Monitor) and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch are here to keep the peace. The finest body of men, women, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves, golems, igors, gnomes, feegles, vampires (and whatever Nobby Nobbs is) on the face of the Discworld! The Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal provides jotting space for your notes, reports, observations and investigations, so kick back, relax and take down your particulars. To help you keep on the straight and narrow, you'll be aided and abetted by some choice quotes from Terry Pratchett’s seminal City Watch novels."

Each Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal ("Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature and sealed with his coat of arms") is priced at £17 and will be available to ship on 6th August 2020. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/books/the-ankh-morpork-city-watch-discworld-journal/

* The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two

As featured in the previous issue from Paul Kidby's website. equal time for Discworld.com...

"Containing material unavailable for twenty years — this is a comprehensive guide to the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, getting to the heart of Ankh-Morpork’s secrets, societies and guilds... In the second volume of this confidential guide, brave travellers are made privy to the inner workings of more illustrious Ankh-Morpork societies. Disabuse yourself of notions of professionalism under which you may hold the City Watch; discover what serious business is undertaken by the Fools’ Guild (joking is no laughing matter); and, should you be lucky, achieve true enlightenment through the teachings of Lu-Tze. One thing’s for sure: after you’ve read this book, Ankh-Morpork’s Guilds are going to need to come up with new ways of doing things. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."

Each copy of the Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two is priced at £25 and will be available to ship on 29th October 2020. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/books/ankh-morpork-archives-volume-two/

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

No plays are being performed in public on Roundworld at the moment, of course. Hopefully all will be well by November, but keep an eye out for other Discworld plays. We must keep the knowledge of Discworld circulating!

* REMINDER: MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2020?)

Murder in Ankh-Morpork is currently scheduled to run from 18th–20th November. More details as soon as we know them!

4.2 REMINDER: A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM FOURECKS' FAMOUS UNSEEN THEATRE

...from director Pamela Munt:

Hi Everyone,

I do hope that you are all keeping well in these distressing times. This email is just to let you know that we are all still here and eagerly awaiting the time that we can once again entertain you on stage. What we had originally planned for the "Year of the Condescending Carp" was:-

* A huge celebration of UNSEEN'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY, including a "museum" type display of previous Props, Costumes, Scrapbooks, Cast photos and other nostalgia. The idea was that our actors would have given you all a personal tour guide of this space for half an hour before you settled in to see our shows.
* Our production in May would have been a performance of "Guards!" "Guards!" which was our first play at the Bakehouse Theatre (although the very first was "Mort" at the Tower Arts Centre)
* In November we had intended to stage a witches' play (which we haven't done for a while), namely "Wyrd Sisters".

Unfortunately we have had to cancel our scheduled performance in May, but we are still hoping that our November performance can go ahead. Obviously this is not just up to us. We will just have to wait and see what happens with the virus and the government restrictions.

Unseen Theatre's website is http://unseen.com.au/ (currently not updated)
Reprinted with permission

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy:

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
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."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummershttps://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 Marthe Bijman reviews The Long Earth:

"Terry Pratchett gave the world the gift of his imagining, Discworld and his many other creations, and he exited this world graciously, trying to the last to do good. More so the pity then, that I did not enjoy his collaboration with Stephen Baxter in The Long Earth half as much as any of his solo novels... I approached the team effort of Pratchett and Baxter in The Long Earth with trepidation. I have never read Stephen Baxter’s books. I did not particularly enjoy Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s collaboration, Good Omens... These collaborations seem to me to be a conscious effort to groom a successor for Pratchett... Name me a famous fictional creation, and a dead author, I can guarantee you someone would have tried to keep the creation alive with more novels. I’ve read many. I’ve cared for few. To match or emulate such distinctive voices as Pratchett, Herbert, or the Brontes, takes not only intrinsic talent but also an almost chameleon–like ability to segue into the style, mannerisms, and mental quirks of the other author. Writing is simply a direct expression of one’s thoughts. Authors writing in partnership have to be incredibly in sync, mentally, to produce a novel together, of which the parts are not only on par with each author’s best, but the final product is better than the sum of the parts.

"Which brings me to The Long Earth. Knowing Pratchett would soon not be writing any more, like Iain Banks, last year, I have tried to wean myself off Discworld. I knew Pratchett’s writing style so well, I knew I would be trying to pick his voice from the narrative. Pratchett is immediately recognizable. His style is typified by his use of footnotes, departures or asides from the narrative with humorous or quirky details and puns, strange invented new idiolects like the language of the golems, the 'Wee Free Men' or the 'Igors'. (Yeth, Mathter.) His novels are spoofs of major milestones in history, from the invention of money, to the postal system, industrialization and even opera... That being said, how would Stephen Baxter step into these giant shoes, even though The Last[sic] Earth is not a Discworld novel? Well, my guess is he did all the 'bits inbetween' – the neutral, bulky bits. (I do wonder how much of it is his, and how much is Pratchett’s.) It is OK. Let’s put it that way. The premise is interesting: someone discovers that there is not one Earth, in one galaxy, but countless millions of Earths, a long line of Earths, and, with the aid of a small device (or without), some humans could step from world to world, ending up the same place, or a different place, and a different time. This gives the authors the option of introducing various scenarios – keep the new earth clean, make wars, or not, flee from persecution, or not, live free, or not. It also leaves a lot of room for descriptions of how people settled into new 'worlds' at various times in history... At the end of 424 pages, I was kind of disappointed. I was hoping there was more to it, more of a revelation, a twist in the tale, a surprise..."

https://sevencircumstances.com/2015/03/14/the-long-earth-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-baxter/

Blogger The Reading Bug returns with a review of Hogfather:

"In any long running series, especially where the author produces books with the regularity that Terry Pratchett achieved, one looks out for repetition – recycled material, sometimes ironically self-referential, sometimes disguised. So when I tell you that Hogfather features Death leaving his day job and assuming the role of the missing, presumed dead Hogfather, the Father Christmas of Discworld, it will ring some bells. Didn’t that happen before, in Reaper Man and before that in Mort? (It did). To be fair, that’s a minor quibble, because as I am sure I have said before, with Pratchett it is never about the plot. Here, Death is not taking a holiday, but covering for the Hogfather, who despite being the titled character makes only the briefest of appearances. Death is driven to do this on the basis that the Hogfather is responsible for the sun rising each morning, and for this to happen children have to believe in him. It’s not as awkward and contrived as it sounds... Death, becoming aware (somehow) of the Hogfather’s absence, decides to fill in for him. Along the way he visits his granddaughter, Susan Sto Helit, tricking her into investigating the Hogfather’s disappearance. This is not the first time Susan has been called upon to help Death, although at least this time she is not collecting souls for him. She tracks a missing tooth fairy to the Hogfather’s Castle of Bones, on the way meeting Bilious, the “Oh God” of hangovers (one of Pratchett’s better throw away jokes). I am not going to spoil for you what happens there, but I bet you can work it out...Pratchett as ever is a great moral philosopher, with Death as his most articulate spokesperson..."

https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2020/02/12/book-review-hogfather-discworld-20-by-terry-pratchett-1996/

...and also reviews Jingo:

"Jingo combines two of Sir Terry’s favourite topics – social commentary, in this case on nationalism, and the men, women and other species of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. It is silly to have favourites in these things, but if forced to choose I would probably have to opt for the Watch as my preferred set of books within the overall series... the novel divides into a series of parallel plot lines, all converging on the ominously inevitable battle in the deserts of Klatch... I have mentioned this novel revolves around a discussion of the dangers of nationalism. Please don’t assumes this means the novel is in any way worthy or preachy. The political points are made with a light touch, although there’s no ambiguity in Pratchett’s perspective. The seductive lure of nationalism is exposed, such as here where the Ankh-Morpork leaders discuss the rush to occupy Leshp... I am sure I have said this many times before, but I don’t think anyone reads Pratchett for the plots. The joy is in the language – at one point he describes 'little crunchy brown bits' (in the context of Sybil's cooking) as 'the food group of the gods' which is just perfect, isn't it? Elsewhere there is a touching demonstration of the 'Trousers of Time' theory first explained in Guards, Guards, where Vimes is able to hear how his life might have played out if he had made different decisions at a key point in the novel. STP's genius shines through in many other ways, but one I don’t think I have mentioned before is his use of names. I love how he plays with the names of the various Watch stations in Ankh-Morpork for example – Pseudopolis Yard, Treacle Mine Road, Cable Street, and possibly my favourite, Dolly Sisters, each one just simply fun in their own right, irrespective of the wit and intelligence behind the names themselves. If, 21 novels in, I haven't won you round to the idea that your life would be richer with a little Discworld in it, I probably am not going to do so, but forgive me for not giving up..."

https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2020/05/07/book-review-jingo-discworld-21-by-terry-pratchett-1997/

Blogger The Book Nut's short review of Carpe Jugulum:

"We’re back in Lancre, and Magrat has just had a baby. They’re doing a naming ceremony, and her husband, King Verence, has decided that it would be 'modern' and 'diplomatic' to invite the residents of the next kingdom over, Uberwald. Which would have been a really great idea, except they’re vampires... Thus starts a romp as Granny Weatherwax (who thought she didn’t get invited to the naming) goes into hiding as the vampyres take over, and it’s up to Nanny Ogg, Agnes, and Magrat (with some help from an Om preacher, Mighty[sic] Oats — go read Small Gods before this, because there are Easter eggs) to get rid of the infestation. The thing I love most about Terry Pratchett’s books are the little things. Like a character named Igor, who limps and has a lisp and keeps complaining about the new vampires, saying 'the old mathter did it better'. Or the page or two of thinly veiled penis jokes in the middle of a vampire fight that had me laughing out loud. Or the fact that the vampire castle is called Don’tgonearthe Castle. Or the Nac Mac Feegle (!), who show up (in an early iteration; they speak mostly gibberish and Nanny has to translate at one point. I like them better in Wee Free Men, but it was still delightful to see them). I think this is one of the better witch books..."

https://thebooknut.com/2020/05/08/carpe-jugulum-2/

Blogger Tracey Taylor, once a Pratchett newbie, on discovering Small Gods:

"This is the first Terry Pratchett book I read so for me it will always be the best. I loved Brutha and his struggles. He was so simple and innocent and wonderful. And I loved the caretaker tending to his tiny mountains and the idea that he was there just to witness history, that seemed to resonate with me for some reason. And it was clever and poignant and sad and exciting.I’d known from a very young age that I didn’t believe in god. I actually quite liked the bible stories, but I always knew, for me, they weren’t real and it made no logical sense. I found it really strange that adults were telling me this as if it was real and I struggled with that. So to find this book that deliberately created a fictional world of gods and the idea that there was a small god that had once been popular but was now small as no-one believed in him, that was something I could actually get behind. An allegory of why religion is how it is and the levers behind it (a bit like Book of Mormon does today)..."

https://traceytaylorbooks.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/small-gods-terry-pratchett/

Blogger At Home a Lot's thoughts on Interesting Times:

"You only have to read Terry’s first two books, The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic to know what the revolutionary treatise 'What I Did On My Holidays' would contain, which is probably a very different view to what actually happened. The Great Wizzard* sent to help the revolution is in fact a blundering idiot who just seems to get lucky sometimes. (when he’s not being very unlucky!)... The plot moves fast and can be a little confusing at times, but it’s also a great page turner and makes you laugh out loud. I remember when reading the book I got a little fed up of Mad Hamish (Who is deaf) saying 'whaaaaat' but being read by Nigel Planer it seemed a lot funnier. However, Nigel Planer also pronounced a few things not how I would have expected them to be pronounced, in particular place names. I have always pronounced Ankh Morpork as in Ank, not Arnk. This irritated me a little more than it should have done.I would say that all of Terry Pratchett books are read alone, but there is a sequence in which the characters are introduced and they become like old friends when they pop up in new stories..."

https://athomealot.com/2020/05/01/interesting-times-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Rutty muses on The Colour of Magic:

"Terry Pratchett’s wife must have thought he was on drugs when he initially thought up the concept of the Discworld. A disc-shaped world travelling through space, supported by four elephants on the back of a gigantic turtle? That’s just a bit on the far side of absurd isn’t it? It is indeed thoroughly eccentric and very silly, but the storytelling in Pratchett’s books is always grounded in (our) reality. The best of the Discworld novels all have something to say about us, and while The Colour of Magic doesn’t dig quite as far into the human condition as later books it does provide for a very engaging and amusing read... We meet many interesting characters on the way, and are introduced to many a landmark that we know and love from the series. My favourite places in this book are the Broken Drum, the Circumfence and the Wyrmberg. Pratchett’s imagination has gone wild in some of these locations, and while many of the details of Ankh-Morpork are yet to be fleshed out there’s some impressive world-building going on in what is a fairly short fantasy novel. The action is slick, the jokes come along at a good rate, and this is a really good introduction to the whole series. While you could jump in elsewhere – or even read these books in any order – there’s satisfaction to be gained by reading them in the order they were released... '

https://davidrutt.me.uk/the-colour-of-magic-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Melanie Roussel does some Discworld character analyses. On Sam Vimes:

"If Vimes agrees, we can usually be assured that it’s the just option. Paradoxically, he is also often used as a figure of revolution. Even if that revelation is a revolt against stupidity and an embracing of common sense – a rare commodity on the Discworld as it is on ours. Old ‘Stone-Faced’ Vimes is Sam Vimes ancestor – famous, or infamous, for picking up an axe and cutting off the head of Ankh-Morpork’s last King several hundred years ago. But like our Commander Vimes, Old Stone-Face’s actions weren’t viewed as for a greater political point or for personal motivated. The Vimes family usually do what must be done – even if it means getting their hands dirty... Throughout the books. Vimes is often played off against his subordinate, Captain Carrot, his natural foil. Carrot is a natural-born 'moral' character and rarely has to question what the right thing to do is. He’s the optimist to Vimes’s pessimism. Whether this is down to his simple nature, or he has a better understanding of morality, he often clashes with Vimes’s sense of the world. Vimes does not have a natural sense of right and wrong – or rather, long years in Ankh-Morpork, seeing some of the worst humanity has to offer, has eroded that part of him. It’s also clear through many of the books that Vimes lives on a razor-thin temper and is prone to angry outbursts. But that doesn’t make Vimes a-moral. On the contrary, it makes him almost hyper-aware of his own decision making. In Thud, we see that Vimes’s psyche has gone so far as to create his own internal policeman..."

https://melanierousselfiction.com/sam-vimes/

...and Granny Weatherwax:

"Granny Weatherwax is one of my favourite characters, alongside Sam Vimes. Perhaps inevitably, as they’re very similar in a lot of ways... Esmerelda 'Esme' Weatherwax, known to most as Granny Weatherwax, is the crone of the Lancre coven, the country she resides in. And to explain my title – the village Granny lives in is called Bad Ass, named after a stubborn donkey who refused to move, which I’ll never fail to find hilarious. There is a strong ying-yang nature to Granny; she’s described as a terrifyingly good witch and often draws the distinction between what is good and what is nice. Granny is not evil, but she’s certainly not nice... One of Granny’s key powers is her ability to borrow. She is able to possess the minds of animals and see through their eyes. This means her own body becomes dormant, she is often found this way with a small cardboard sign with the words 'I Aten't Dead.' This prevents the unnecessary embarrassment of waking up while being mourned. But perhaps one of my favourite aspects of Granny which speaks to her character in a hilariously dark way is the fact she’s the most dangerous driver in the skies of the Discworld..."

https://melanierousselfiction.com/granny-weatherwax/

...and Lord Vetinari:

"Vetinari is an ex-Assassin, highly manipulative and extremely intelligent. You’d have to be to keep a city like Ankh-Morpork together with it’s varying factions and guilds. Particularly as the city is almost weekly on the verge of destruction from a hell dimension or from the citizen’s own creative stupidity. While in the later books it’s not as frequently referred to, there’s no doubt of the somewhat extreme methods he’ll use against his enemies. He is, after all, a tyrant. Vetinari is known to despite mimes, having them hung upside down over a scorpion pit opposite a sign reading 'Learn The Words.' He was instrumental in allowing the Guild of Thieves to form, reasoning that, as there would always be crime in Ankh-Morpork, it might as well be organised. When all's said and done, there is a lot about Vetinari that seems scarily inhuman (in a good way). Including the fact he prefers to read sheet music than listen to it. We also see him as a young man in Night Watch were he is already the man we know, suggesting he just spent a lifetime honing what came naturally... I’ve always agreed with Churchill’s belief that “democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms.” I’ve listened to enough Today in Parliament to know our system isn’t perfect. But if you were to offer me our current system or Lord Vetinari, I’d have quite a hard decision to make..."

https://melanierousselfiction.com/havelock-vetinari/

...and even the villainous yet many-layered "ideas taster", Dee, from The Fifth Elephant:

"Terry Pratchett was excellent at creating antagonists, ranging from classical evil to simply obstructive. But none are moustache twisting bad guys, all have their own strengths, weaknesses and motivations. The vast majority are the kind you love to hate, like Carcer, Lord de Word, Mr Gryle, The New Firm and Prince Cadram. The big exception for me is Dee. A cultural revolution begins in Ankh-Morpork which threatens the values of the conservative dwarfs back in their homeland of Uberwald. This is what sparks off the conflict we see in The Fifth Elephant. This is what Dee is fighting for – the traditions of the conservative dwarfs. I feel sorry for Dee because she’s so screwed up by the society and life she’s lived. Her fear of the world outside Überwald and the march of progress has led her down a dark path. One she never pulls back from. Her story ends in a prison cell. Honestly, maybe that’s where it would always end. But I’ve always wanted more for her..."

https://melanierousselfiction.com/wwbc-a-villain-that-i-wish-could-be-redeemed/

Blogger Font Folly was a slow Pratchett convert, but got there via the Lancre witches:

"I found myself after that in a conversation with another friend about the series. She was a little bit surprised that I didn't like it, as she thought a lot of the themes the author explored were things I enjoyed. We ended up having a very long conversation about books other people had recommended that we didn’t like, and why we thought that was in various cases. This last conversation happened around the same time that my first husband, Ray, was undergoing chemotherapy. Or maybe it was during one of his surgeries? What I know is that the conversation happened in a waiting room at a medical facility where she was hanging out with me specifically to give me emotion support and distract me a bit. A few months later, Ray died – just two weeks before Thanksgiving. Just before Christmas, she dropped by one day to drop off a Christmas present, but more importantly, to loan me a few books. Most of the books in the pile I recognized as series that I had been interested in trying one day. And then one of the books was in the series that people had been trying to get me to try for a long time. She pulled it out of the pile and said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about that conversation we had about why you didn’t like other books in this series. The more I think about it, I think if any of the books will appeal to you, it’s this one. Give it a try. I won’t be offended if you don’t like it.”... I opened up the loaned copy of Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters. I had intended to just force myself to read it for an hour or so until I go sleepy. Because I was not at all confident that I’d like it any more than any of the other Discworld books I had tried before. The next thing I knew, I was on the last page of the book. The sun had risen outside. I had stayed up all night, eagerly turning pages to find out what happened next... Over the course of the next few months I read all of the witches books in the Discworld series which existed at that time (Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, and Maskerade). Having reached the end of the witch books available at the time, I was eyeing some of the other books in the series, when the friend who had picked Wyrd Sisters for me said, “Skip the earlier guard books. Start with Feet of Clay, then if you like the characters try circling back to the beginning.” And that’s how I eventually wound up reading (and buying my own copies of) almost the entire Discworld series..."

https://fontfolly.net/2020/04/16/im-not-a-lady-im-a-witch-or-more-of-why-i-love-sf-f/

Blogger MMB also does some character analysis. This one is about Discworld's Death:

"'Death' is a non-negotiable kind of guy. Whenever he appears to someone as a seven-foot skeleton, and talks to them in capital letters, they are dead already (with the exception of Reaper Man, in which he becomes, temporarily, mortal). Sometimes the recently deceased question why, where, who and what’s going on, or don’t want to go with him. But they always do.'Death' is tall, bony, and polite, and insistent. He has some difficulty with being human and what goes with that – like clothes, eating, sleeping and children. Children recognize him instantly, whereas adults look past him and through him, like he is some kind of temporal anomaly or homeless person sleeping on a hot-air vent. He knows everything there is to know about the soon-to-be-dead – their life spans, the manner of their deaths, and what they were hoping for after life. A Valkyrie and feasting in the halls of Asgard anyone? A long walk into a black desert? A reunion with the lover of your youth? Pratchett, speaking through the character of 'Death', gives readers the comfort that, firstly, the time that each person, from pharaohs to wizards, is allocated, is logical and right, and not to be borrowed or extended unless the world is going up in flames, so to speak. Also, that death is part of the cycle of life. There is life, then death, then life again. If there were no death, there would be no new life. Or there would be terrible chaos, the world would be out of balance – too many people, too much growth, too much energy, overcrowding in the after-life, and problems with the half-dead, like poor old wizard 'Windle Poons', and 'Dead Rights activist' and zombie,'Reg Shoe'..."

https://sevencircumstances.com/2014/10/20/death-and-the-flight-of-birds-in-the-discworld-reaper-man-by-terry-pratchett/

...and finally, a round-up by blogger Cultured Vultures of their reviews and rankings of ALL the Discworld books!

"I am far from calling myself Pratchett’s number one fan, but I have read all of the Discworld books and have them lined up nicely on my bookshelf. With the end of the collection, I have decided that I am going to re-read the novels, in order, and really think about them, more than perhaps I have done before. I think I owe Sir Terry that much..."

https://culturedvultures.com/book-reviews/discworld/

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07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A lovely photo of The Author at the end of the '90s, tweeted by Rhianna P:
https://twitter.com/rhipratchett/status/1255191782016593921

A lovely Good Omens "cake" sculpture by Annie Davies:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVvMm-LXYAMTIec?format=jpg&name=medium

A lovely Crowley and Aziraphale portrait by Paul Kidby:
https://twitter.com/PaulKidby/status/1256216203045023749/photo/1

A lovely portrait of The Author, by Paul Kidby of course:
https://www.paulkidby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Sir-Terry-Pratchett-1-1000x1186_c.jpg

...and Mr Kidby's gorgeous take on Anathema Device – a Wossname favourite:
https://i3.createsend1.com/ei/r/4A/FAA/B69/csimport/newsletterpic1.133546.jpg

...and a lovely Good Omens bookmark, made by Tumblr user deppressedbagofbadpuns:
https://media.zenfs.com/en/tumblr_books_67/2f916a0de9486d26db714241f2786d18

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08) CLOSE

According to the QI Elves (researchers for the iconic BBC programme), Queen Victoria had "a 14 year old stalker who broke into Buckingham palace at least four times and stole a pair of her underwear". Sounds like a certain recently knighted young royal operative – whose picaresque adventures were chronicled in Dodger – was practising his skills with Her Majesty's tacit approval...

Right, that's it for now. Mind how you go, REMAIN INDOORS, and we hope to see you next month...

– Annie Mac

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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

    "The greatest scientists in the world have taught here for generations, he thought as he made himself a cup of tea, and still our children ask us: Are there ghosts? What a piece of work is Man...

    "He stepped outside, stirring the tea. The shining path glittered across the sky. Out in the lagoon, in the last ray of sunlight, a dolphin leaped into the air for the joy of the moment, the water drops making another shining path.

    "The old man smiled, and believed."

        – the closing paragraphs of Nation


   On this day in 1948, Terence David John Pratchett was born. In the course of a life that ended far too early, he brought joy, wisdom, knowledge, wit and enlightenment to millions of people, and the echoes of his life and work will continue to do so, quite probably for at least as many generations as stretched between the old man in Nation and the days of Mau's unexpected elevation to leadership of his unlikely nation.

   So on this day, please celebrate the man and his life and works. Give thanks to your memories of him, those of you who met him and those of you who only 'know' him through his books and advocacies. Keep his name in the Overhead. But please, please think twice about wishing him a happy birthday, because the Terry Pratchett who was born in 1948 no longer exists, so you'd be talking to a ghost. And Sir Terry, humanist to the core to and through the end of his days, did not encourage a belief in ghosts.


GNU Pterry, creator of worlds and improver of this one




Photo credit: Secret World

Stay home. Stay safe. Remember to take all possible measures against the tiny bitey things out there.

Wossname is temporarily delayed due to continuing email issues, but we'll be back soon!

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 1, 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.
********************************************************************

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 CONVENTION NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Any time I stumble over a thought, or grapple for the exact right phrase or image, I flash on the Terrys, with envy, for their output, for their charging forward and getting all those words down, and yet also with fear for their later fates. What chance does any mind have, if those who so clearly and cleverly and constantly challenged their brains, seemingly from the womb, can find themselves, at the winding down of days, unable to recognize marks on the page?"
– journalist and notable Pratchett fan Mark Hughes Cobb, contemplating the loss of the second of his "best Terrys I never met"

"A story that gives the taste of a biblically derived parallel world where the angle[sic] and the demon unite to work towards spreading humanity."
– even in mangled English (mangled in this case by aggregator web journalist-wannabe Manshi Tomar), Good Omens sounds good

"Neil and Terry use humour so well. Through that, we get to see humanity at one remove. It makes humanity look all the more preposterous, yet lovable at the same time. We can see why Crowley and Aziraphale don't want to surrender this life. Yes, it's mad and violent, but it is still better than heavenly order or hellish chaos."
– David Tennant on the fun of playing Crowley

"There is a lot more humour in Good Omens than the stuff Neil has done on his own. The subject is very serious, but it is dealt with in a comic way. In revisiting it for TV, Neil has balanced it out more. There is more potential for darker notes, but it's still very much a comedy. This script is a triangulation of the young Neil, Terry and the older Neil."
– Michael "Aziraphale" Sheen's analysis of series versus book

"I said that although I knew that a film must differ greatly from a book, I hoped they were making no unnecessary changes in the plot or to the characters—a dangerous thing to do, since the books have been known to millions of people for decades. They replied that the TV audience is much larger, and entirely different, and would be unlikely to care about changes to the books’ story and characters."
– Ursula Le Guin, explaining to her millions of fans why a telly series based on one of her most beloved books bore almost no resemblance to its source material

"When I looked over the script, I realized the producers had no understanding of what the books are about and no interest in finding out."
– ibid.

"That’s the beauty of science fiction and fantasy—freedom of invention. But with all freedom comes responsibility. Which is something these filmmakers seem not to understand."
– ibid.

"I was excited for such a long time, over the prospect of this. Now I wish it wasn't happening. It looks so belligerently, aggressively unfaithful to the spirit of the books."
– Redditor Don_Quixote81 reacts to the latest news about The Watch

"Back in the early Nineties, the BBC did a five-part adaptation of Alan Plater’s fifth and final novel, Oliver’s Travels. I have long since regarded it as the most perfectly miscast series in broadcasting history. Absolutely everybody, down to the least walk-on part, was wrong. It was sort of a miracle in that respect. Today, I’ve seen the first photos and information released about the forthcoming BBC America eight-part series, The Watch, ‘inspired’ by Terry Pratchett’s City Watch books. Oliver’s Travels no longer stands alone."
– blogger and author Martin Crookall is even more incensed than many of us about The Watch news

"Good Omens actually added quite a lot that wasn't in the book at all, it's just that people didn't mind because it was obviously in the spirit of the book, and the characters were still recognisable. Crowley and Aziraphale are obviously Crowley and Aziraphale even though they're not entirely following the same plot."
– Redditor CliffExcellent123 gets it right

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

First things first: Wossname is still experiencing maddening ISP issues that are delaying or foxing[1] our attempts to reach you, our Readers, with each month's issue. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but it's not our Admin's mail programme that's being falsely identified as a spammer – no, it's our provider itself! or whatever well-meaning but misapplied reason, Yahoo, Hotmail and Gmail in their overly restrictive spam-blacking have blacklisted our ISP. We're finally frustrated enough to be looking into changing to a less, shall we say, disliked provider, but in the meantime, please check https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ where the latest issue will be displayed...

Back in September of last year (ye Glods, has it been that long?!), I railed long and unapologetically against the direction the making of "The Watch" appeared to be taking. An extract from that editorial: "Yes, they've found an actor who looks Vimesish, and one who might look Carrot-ish if viewed through slitted eyes on a grey day with the proverbial following wind, but... BUT... as an olde-tyme and oldskool feminist I am spitting nails about the casting of Cheery. The basic identifying point of Cheery as a character has always been that she's the first openly female member of her species, and its first and most passionate feminist – a Dwarf *woman*, fighting for the right to be seen as female in a species-wide culture that for millennia has only presented as male. Casting an unmistakably large and unmistakably non-binary person as Cheery is, as I see it, disrespectful to everything Sir Pterry created her to be..." I had also begun to look *very* askance at Narrativia – the official Pratchett flamekeeping production company, not the Discworld goddess herself – for what I thought was their quiet assent. But now that the first photos from the filming have been released, and have not only confirmed my worst fears but frankly gone parsecs beyond them, it looks like I owe Mr Wilkins an apology, if one's to extrapolate from his recent tweet:

https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1218087166611525637

And it looks like I'm far from alone. One of our Newshounds who reads Reddit sent me the link to a discussion of the casting news...

https://old.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/eq4u0x/created_without_comment/

...while Guardian journalist Alison Flood, who has been a staunch Pratchett supporter over the years and has written many admiring pieces and reviews about him and his works, had this to say: "We were given Good Omens, which thanks to co-author Neil Gaiman’s shepherding and incredible performances from David Tennant and Michael Sheen, was a joy to watch. And we were told that BBC America was developing The Watch, a series based on Pratchett’s stories about Ankh Morpork's City Watch. Yes, we were a little nervous to read that Pratchett’s fierce, dark, sardonic stories were to become a 'startlingly reimagined … punk rock thriller' that was 'inspired by' the books. But we stayed faithful, for it was promised that the show would 'still cleav[e] to the humour, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett’s incomparably original work'. But nerves were jangling even more fiercely on Friday as the first glimpses of the forthcoming show were shared by the studio. They look … kind of cyberpunky? Is that electricity? Where is their ARMOUR? Should we have been more wary about that 'inspired by'?..."

https://bit.ly/2U11yO1

So anyway, yes, I'm still bloody furious – no, even more furious than I was four months ago – at the way the wonderful, wonderful source material is being disrespected by BBC America. I understand well that text and screen are different media, and that sometimes changes have to be made to effectively translate text into moving images, but the changes this lot have made are unnecessary, egregious, contrary to the very spirit of the Watch novels, ... well, I have no words that can be reprinted without setting your screens on fire.

Meanwhile, the excellent Stephen Briggs, long-serving "official"Discworld translator of text to stage, has written a new composite play, "Murder in Ankh-Morpork", which is based on several of the Watch novels, will premiere in November, and *will*, one can be –ing certain, faithful to the soul and spirit of the original source material. Here be an extract from what Mr Briggs had to say about it: "I do always aim to stay true to Terry. When I first adapted Terry for the stage... it was because I liked, enjoyed and admired his inventive and witty writing... My challenged was to ensure that my stage versions would still accurately reflect his characters, humour and plots. I aimed to retain, and portray, the *spirit* of each book. Terry came to see all of my shows, and liked what I did with them... I've written three more Pratchett shows since Terry passed – but I always have him sitting at my shoulder as I write, and I always picture him in the audience each night..."

The entire unabridged text can be read here:

https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1221842225325395968 (also see item 4.1 for more details about the play)

In other news, even though the next Australian Discworld convention is nearly eighteen months away, they're already preparing for it. Amazing to think that this will be the eigh-, er, 7a'th Fourecksian convention. Sir Pterry always loved visiting us down here on the Last Continent, so it's good to know that the love is returned and that Australia will carry on keeping his name on the Overhead. See item 5 for more details!

Fans of "The Two Terrys" have been eulogising in memory of Terry Jones, another brilliant Terry lost to the horrors of dementia. There's a particularly fine paean from American journalist Mark Hughes Cobb (quoted above): "Sir Terry Pratchett, famously witty, acerbic, poignant, stellar novelist, died March 12 2015, after several years dealing with a form of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Always prolific, always a writer at heart, he continued working up until the end, his novels growing progressively shorter as he became unable to recognize symbols printed on the page... His fans would have loved more books, but hey, he wrote 41 Discworld novels, and other stand-alones. That’s a fair collection, for someone who died at 66. Terence Graham Parry Jones made it to 75, a graduate of Oxford University, writer for television, a director and writer of films, author of books and TV documentaries about medieval history, before succumbing to another type of dementia Tuesday, this week, Jan. 21. Oh, and he’d also been in this little comedy group called Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Basically The Beatles of comedy... Jones crafted so much more: comic verse, children’s books, plays, music and musicals, opera librettos, columns for British newspapers. And, apparently, a rich and fulfilling life..."

https://bit.ly/2RXNUZf

Both Terrys were national (and world!) treasures; both of them made us laugh while opening our eyes and minds; both left us a vast body of fantastic work that will never age and die. Ave atque vale, "Brian's mum"!

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

[1] and probably badgering and bearing and even wolving

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 GOOD OMENS NEWS AND REVIEWS

Now that the Good Omens miniseries has officially come to the UK... and taken the Comedy UK award for Best TV Comedy Drama...

Reviewed by Flora Carr in the Radio Times:

"So first things first: was the unadaptable, well, adaptable, after all? The short answer is, yes. Gaiman — also showrunner on the series — has pulled off a colourful, quirky, funny, poignant (although not entirely flawless) feat. One might even suspect there’s been a spot of divine (or devilish) intervention… The true triumph is the casting. Michael Sheen shines (quite literally, in some scenes) as the angel Aziraphale, a celestial field agent who teams up with his opposite number, the stylish demon Crowley — played with a Bill Nighy-esque swagger by David Tennant — in order to prevent Armageddon. It’s this pairing that proves to be the beating heart of the series... Elsewhere the supporting cast is equally impressive... despite the addition of characters like Gabriel, much of the show remains doggedly faithful to the books..."

https://bit.ly/314vhHh

By Christopher Stevens for the Daily Mail:

"There’s no denying it’s a stupendous show. The cast is colossal, bursting with A-listers: Benedict Cumberbatch as Satan, Derek Jacobi as God’s spokesperson, Jon Hamm as the arrogant Angel Gabriel, Brian Cox as the voice of Death . . . not to mention Anna Maxwell Martin (Beelzebub), Frances McDormand (the voice of God) and Nicholas Parsons (don’t ask). Just about every other actor, apart from the children, is a well-known face. Even if you don’t enjoy comic fantasy, it’s fun to watch and shout out names as you spot the stars. Daniel Mays! Miranda Richardson! All three of the League of Gentlemen (two of them playing Nazis). Johnny Vegas! Nina Sosanya! Doon Mackichan! The story is based on a novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, so it’s bursting with daft jokes..."

https://dailym.ai/310navp

A nice and accurate mini-review by Adi Tantimedh for Bleeding Cool:

“That Good Omens became a TV miniseries is a miracle. After decades in failed attempts to turn it into a movie, Neil Gaiman got to be producer and showrunner. The results are an uncompromised and unfiltered presentation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s combined sensibilities. At once whimsical and gentle in its humour with a subtle undertone of rage, the show even expanded throwaway details and backstories into key moments in the show. Good Omens is a rare example of an adaptation that complements and expands on the original book to create a fuller experience. And so gleefully, casually atheist.”

https://bit.ly/2U4F4eV

Some sneery, humourless, apparently sour-nethered thing called Anita Singh gave it a bad review in the Telegraph. I'm not going to stain this newsletter by reprinting any of its words, but if you want to read the review it's here (and note the overwhelming bulk of the comments, many from non-Pratchett fans and/or never-read-the-book folk):

https://bit.ly/36B8ggn

Meanwhile, here be a longish Tennant and Sheen interview on Comedy UK (interviewer uncredited):

"What is so alluring about the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale?

"David: What makes their relationship so appealing and why we root for them both is that they have clearly come to depend on each other. They're best friends. Each is the only one the other one has. They have been thrown together and have developed a reliance and a need for each other, which is very touching. They have a perspective on the world, have witnessed every decision that humanity has made and can see what they stand to lose. Michael: They both begin to realise they are rather more fond of the human race than they should be. When Aziraphale and Crowley start to appreciate each other's positions, that compromises them, but it also draws them together. It is something that is particular to them. Over hundreds of years, we see that bond developing. They're on opposite sides, but they're actually very similar. They're both supernatural, but both very appreciative of humanity...

"What do you love about the script for Good Omens?

"Michael: There is a lot more humour in Good Omens than the stuff Neil has done on his own. The subject is very serious, but it is dealt with in a comic way. In revisiting it for TV, Neil has balanced it out more. There is more potential for darker notes, but it's still very much a comedy. This script is a triangulation of the young Neil, Terry and the older Neil. David: Signs pointing towards the sets say: 'BBC Comedy Production'. That keeps tripping me up, which is great. This doesn't feel like a BBC comedy production - much as I love those programmes. BBC comedies are among my favourite shows. This doesn't feel like the same department that produced The Good Life and Mrs Brown's Boys. Good Omens feels like a hybrid. It's at least a comedy drama or a comedy drama fantasy. You can keep adding adjectives until it finally makes sense.

"Do you think sci-fi and fantasy have been unfairly sneered at by critics?

"Michael: Yes. But by writing about things that come out of the here and now from left field, sci-fi dislocates our critical faculties and opens us up to seeing the world more clearly than some other forms. It is a great way of getting into our consciousness and sneaking up on us. It has real power. Authors such as Neil and Alan Moore and Grant Morrison have produced some of the best writing of the last 50 years. Just because it happens to be in comic book form, people tend not to give it the attention it deserves. Maybe that's good because it appeals to a passionate audience and doesn't have to deal with mainstream critics gobbing off about things! David: As people's access to different types of shows expands exponentially, people are more willing to try new things and less stuck on genres than they used to. There are so many shows to keep up with that something which feels fresh and finds a new way of telling a story will have a chance of pushing through..."

https://bit.ly/2uKv3c1

...and according to Neil Gaiman, your Editor helped send Josie Lawrence to an explosive, flaming death! Did you?

"Though he was determined to produce a faithful adaptation of the 1990 comic fantasy novel, Gaiman acknowledged that 'there are always things you lose for time and budget reasons” – though the Good Omens team were able to save one key sequence using an unorthodox method… 'I remember we were told that we couldn’t shoot the Agnes Nutter sequence in 17th century… with the witch burning and the explosions, all of the villagers – everything like that. We were just told "We don’t have the money for that" – and I checked in with the phantom Terry Pratchett on my shoulder and he said something very rude! I thought, "Well, Terry wrote that bit and that has to be in there". So Rob Wilkins, who is Terry’s representative on Earth, and I and the BBC put our heads together and we agreed that we’d do the Good Omens Companion Book and the Good Omens script book and we would put all of the money from those books into the production. So anybody who buys the Good Omens Companion Book or the Good Omens script book is actually contributing to the cost of blowing up Josie Lawrence!'"

https://bit.ly/3aRmiO3

3.2 LAST OF THE RED HOT SHORTS!

Here comes another collection of Sir Pterry's early short stories!

"We are delighted to announce, THE TIME-TRAVELLING CAVEMAN, the fourth and final collection of short stories from the fantastically funny Terry Pratchett, with illustrations by Mark Beech. Coming September 2020."

Go to https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1220668081434836993 for a "sneak peek" at a couple of illustrated pages!

3.3 GAME ON: THE LOST WORLDS OF JOSH KIRBY

A new game is coming to town...

From Rob at Josh Kirby Art:

"We know how great it feels to find a game with incredible artwork and great gameplay. Last year we brought you Fickle, our light-hearted game featuring the fairy artwork of Amy Brown. Now we’re heading deep into sci-fi territory with The Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby. Will you settle new worlds peacefully, or conquer them with your invading fleets? Either way, in The Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby you will use action dice to compete for world control, earning unique powers and committing your morality to Good or Evil. Every decision matters in this epic space opera! ... This game celebrates Josh Kirby’s entire body of work, in particular a recently discovered set of worlds painted by Kirby himself, that has rarely been seen!"

The game doesn't appear to exist in "buyer space" yes, but there's a Kickstarter appeal launching next month, hosted by BARD Games: "Join BARD Games for this stunning space opera board game featuring legendary artist Josh Kirby. Use action dice to conquer (or save) the galaxy. Players acquire worlds, manage morality and exploit powers for victory. Backers will launch an epic game and more; multi-game Campaign Mode, Art Book and exclusive game content."

When: Monday, 3rd February 2020
Time: from 06:00-18:00 Pacific Standard Time

For more details, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/492611694971415/

From Board Game Geek:

"The featured art includes heroes and conquerors competing to gain power and morality to win. Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby is a game that can be played in 40 minutes up to 5 players accessible for ages 13+ and up... In Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby players roll Action Dice to decide their available actions each round. The primary goal is to move enough Fleets to take World Cards before your competitors. How you the world (Save of Conquer it) changes your Morality, dice options and scoring. The player who Saves or Conquers the most Victory Points wins."

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271727/lost-worlds-josh-kirby

A short video about the game can be found on this page:

https://www.bardgames.fun/projects/the-lost-worlds-of-josh-kirby/

3.4 TEN OF THE BEST?

A thoughtful selection, explained by Aaron Chandler on whatculture.com:

"Pratchett's career defining creation was the Discworld, where no less than 41 of his books were set. The details, depth and story lines within his own fictional setting of the Discworld are quite honestly mind blowing. Each Discworld book playing its own part in the bigger picture, with characters crossing over and intertwining their stories, sometimes across dozens of books. The buzzing hive of life on the Discworld is so complex and dynamic, it's a wonder how Pratchett managed to keep it so enthralling for so many years. With well over 50 works to his name during his career, the late great Terry Pratchett wrote some all-time classic fantasy novels. Narrowing down his entire collection down to just ten books is much harder than you might expect. But from a career spanning over four decades, here are Pratchett's most engaging, innovative, convention challenging and charismatic books..."

The ten books, listed in reverse order, are Raising Steam, Thud!, Feet of Clay, Going Postal, The Wee Free Men, TAMAHER, Hogfather, A Hat Full of Sky, Good Omens, and The Colour of Magic. Each choice is accompanied by a short, well-written description of the book itself and relevant historical information.

https://whatculture.com/offbeat/10-best-terry-pratchett-books

3.5 SAVE THE TURTLES, SAVE THE WORLD...

It's not just the Disc that depends on turtles! By Liz Langley for National Geographic:

"They calmly browse the forest or sun themselves on a log, appearing to live a life of leisure. Behind their chill demeanor, however, turtles are ecological movers and shakers, thanks to their digging, moving a lot farther than you’d think they do and moving between ecosystems, like the ocean and the beach. They’re also widely beloved, the kind of animal you rarely hear of people having a problem with or fear of. They’re central to many mythologies and, as a first pet for many kids, they’re a gentle bridge between home and the wild. They’re also a bit of a bridge between land and water, depending on the species... So what would happen if they disappeared? A number of turtle species are already at risk of vanishing... A surprising 61 percent of the 356 turtles species have become extinct or threatened in the modern era. It’s hard to imagine turtles in decline, but overexploitation for meat and the pet trade, climate change and habitat destruction are getting in the way of their impressive tenure on the Earth. They outlasted the dinosaurs, but 'no turtle has time to evolve to avoid being killed on a road,' says Whit Gibbons, emeritus professor of ecology at University of Georgia and co-author of the turtle study... 'Turtles are great scavengers, the garbage patrol of an area,' eating up dead fish from lakes and rivers, Gibbons says. 'They do no harm and they do a lot of good.'...

https://on.natgeo.com/2RBsj9X

3.6 ...AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO FEED YOUR LOCAL "GENTEEL BLACK HOLE"

[Editor's note: I think we've been here before, but this is always a timely reminder!]

Sam Courtney-Guy writes on London's Metro paper:

"A bookshop has been flooded with orders after the owner tweeted that he had not taken a single penny for the first time in 100 years. Robert Sansom, who has worked there for 13 years, posted pictures of the empty Petersfield shop on Tuesday. He wrote: ‘tumbleweed… not a single book sold today.’ It quickly gained traction and got the attention of author Neil Gaiman who shared it with his 2.8 million followers. Robert said they received £1,000 worth of orders and he was up all night trying to keep up with demand... Robert said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a real “kindness of strangers” story. The number of likes and retweets started going up right before my eyes, it was like it was animated. ‘I had to stop replying to messages eventually at 2am. ‘Somebody we have a connection with at the bookshop has a vague connection with Neil Gaiman, and sent it to him, and that was it.’ Petersfield Bookshop celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2018, and has been run by the same family for the last 60 years..."

https://bit.ly/36BoXba

3.7 POSTMAN GROAT WOULD SYMPATHISE

Even in Roundworld, it seems, postmen can get overwhelmed by the sheer, erm, volume of the job:

"Japanese police have announced an investigation into a former postman who kept tens of thousands of undelivered items at his home. Authorities found about 24,000 pieces of mail at the man's house in Kanagawa, near Tokyo. The unnamed 61-year-old reportedly said it was "too much bother to deliver them," and that he did not want to seem less able than his younger colleagues. Yokohama's post office has apologised and promised to deliver all the post. The branch - where the man worked as head of delivery, Kyodo News reports - became suspicious last year after an internal check. The man admitted to the allegation and was fired.
Authorities then lodged a criminal complaint with police, referring to about 1,000 missing deliveries between February 2017 and November last year..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51236136

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN OREGON (JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020)

Following the success of their 2017 production of Mort, Oregon's Majestic Theatre tackles another Discworld classic!

"Crime. Politics. Wizards. Dragons... and an orangutan. There are millions of stories in Ankh-Morpork, the greatest city on the Discworld, and the City Guard’s job is to stay well away from all of them. But when people start getting burnt to a crisp, the world-weary Captain Vimes finds in himself the urge to investigate. With a lackluster crew and a keenly law-abiding new recruit, Vimes and the Guard must interact with everyone in town, from the politely tyrannical Patrician, to the owner of the city’s only dragon sanctuary, to the Unseen University’s mystical Librarian..."

When: 31st January–9th February 2020
Venue: Starker Auditorium, Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd St, Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows (31st January, 1st/7th/8th February); 2.30pm matinees on 2nd and 9th February
Tickets: $16 (students/seniors $14, opening night $10), available via https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=105067 – click on the desired date in the centre of the page. There is a $2 processing fee for tickets purchased online. Tickets purchased at the Majestic Box Office in person or by phone 541-738-7469 incur no extra fees.

"There will be American Sign Language interpretation by Western Oregon University students for the February 2nd, 2020 performance. Seats on house left marked with COLOR are best for viewing the interpretation."

https://tockify.com/majesticcal/detail/92/1580527800000
https://www.majestic.org/

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2020)

Exciting news from Stephen Briggs, the official Discworld Maker of Plays, about a new "composite" Discworld play! This will follow on from the success of The Rince Cycle:

"I'm now working on a Discworld play which we'll be staging in November....It'll be a mash-up of bits of Guards! Guards! and Feet of Clay, respectfully entwined with the core plot of Men at Arms. The city is protected by the multiverse's most diverse police force. But a new threat is emerging - the Discworld's first and only firearm. The Gonne. Very many thanks to terryandrob for permission :-)"

Murder in Ankh-Morpork is currently scheduled to run from 18th–20th November. The online box office will open on 1st September. More details as soon as we know them!

https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1220622336866639882
https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1221017963060482050

4.2 REVIEWS

* WYRD SISTERS IN READING

The Progress Theatre's latest Discworld production, reviewed by Susan Creed in the Henley Standard:

"Wyrd Sisters is a visual delight. A superb set by Aidan Moran has walls fluidly shifting to reveal a series of different acting spaces. Linda Bostock’s costumes create a delightful mock-medieval feel, with gowns, ruffs, armour and a full jester’s get-up. Jon Churchill’s lighting and Stuart McCubbin’s sound add yet more atmosphere and theatricality. How can witches, even with their powers, circle the kingdom in one evening as a spell demands? Ingenious special effects show you how it’s done — to great comic effect. The power of words is central to the action: is it possible to change reality with magic words or made-up “truth”? All cast members do a terrific job of delivering Stephen Briggs’s script, with its witty wordplay, allusions to fairy tales and smatterings of Shakespeare. Carroll and Sherwood are forceful and funny as the two older witches, their earthy attitudes set off by the more mystical approach to witchcraft of their new recruit Magrat; Newton offers a poised and charming foil to Ogg and Weatherwax... Jack Goodman is charmingly insincere in his dealings with his shrewish wife Lady Felmet (Ali Carroll), but we see the Duke crumbling under the weight of his past misdeeds... George Prové is deliciously 'luvvie' as lead actor Tomjon — and also as the demon with the unpronounceable name. Credit also to Dean Stephenson as the drippy fool who turns out to have some answers and also wins the lady of his dreams..."

https://bit.ly/38Hoi9I

...and by Adam Snook on The Spark:

"The scenes and settings swiftly move between Lancre Castle and its dungeons, Lancre town, surrounding villages and the witches’ cottage. All are brought to life with an inventive and versatile set design and many special effects that showcase the magic of theatre alongside that of the witches. The play’s headliners are the three witches: the indomitable, elderly Granny Weatherwax (Melanie Sherwood), her close friend, Nanny Ogg (Liz Carroll) and their younger companion, Magrat Garlick (Yvonne Newton). The trio safeguard Lancre by confronting challenges with a mixture of headstrong compassion and unique magic called “headology”. Melanie Sherwood and Liz Carroll reprise their roles as Weatherwax and Ogg as they also played the witches in Progress Theatre's previous Discworld production of Maskerade. The pair bring such confidence and authenticity to the characters, creating a lasting impression in the imagination of how a witch should be performed. However, even the secondary characters are entertaining to watch on stage, from the brief appearance of the melodramatic, riddling Demon WxrtHltl-jwlpklz (George Prove) to the tinkling, capering Fool (Dean Stephenson) who surprisingly has some amusing and profound moments with his jokes that have more depth than it might first appear...."

[Editor's note: the piece includes an interview of interest with director Chris Moran.]

https://bit.ly/314KTdC

...and a long and detailed review by Zoe Andrews for the Whitley Pump:

"The set is impressive and versatile, created and designed by Chris’ husband Aidan: it is absolutely medieval, with torch-like lighting running the perimeter of the theatre. I am always impressed by the staging delivered by Progress: with the sound and lighting also being spot on throughout. I liked how the cast didn’t hide the set moves between scenes and the innovative design meant it was incredibly smooth... The actors playing Nanny Ogg (Liz Carroll) and Granny Weatherwax (Melanie Sherwood) do a superb job. They have both played these roles before in Maskerade, another of Chris Moran’s directions of Pratchett’s work. Both ladies have beautiful and characterful voices that carry the room, bouncing off one another with ease. They share a trusting rapport (symptomatic of having worked together before), and much like a harmony, their comic timing is perfectly in tune as they explore these funny lines in their northern accents... another real delight was George Prové's performance as the Demon. He delivers this with real charisma, springing out of nowhere and lighting up the room with comedic charm and knowing glances while dealing with interrogation by the three witches, pinging back silly riddles at their questions. He also does an excellent job as TomJon who may, or may not, be the rightful heir to the throne... I also enjoyed Trevor Dale in funny and fine form as the ghost of King Verence. Watching him, I wondered if he had modelled the role on Bungle from Rainbow, and I promise this is no bad thing..."

https://bit.ly/2U5qEuV

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05) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

Tickets for "Nullus Anxietas 7a", the Australian Discworld Convention in 2021 are now available!!! Get them at https://ausdwcon.org/shop/

They're quite pretty: https://bit.ly/2ThvcOs

...and there's a memorandum from "Lord Vetinari, The Oblong Office, Ankh Morpork":

The Australian Discworld Convention committee is organising an exciting 3 day convention to promote the culture and history of our Discworld, and in particular the many attractions and commercial opportunities[1] awaiting them in Ankh-Morpork. They have requested my assistance in promoting this bold endeavour and I agreed to pen a few words on their behalf. I may even attend in person. The committee assure me that the convention will include old favourites such as the Maskerade, XXXX Factor, Werewolf along with a host of talks and workshops on all things Discworld. This will be your chance to dress up as real Discworld people[2] and meet other Discworld fans. Special guests will be in attendance, and will arrive by the Iron Girder from Uberwald shortly. Be assured that we welcome visitors and invaders of all races and colours to our city. And our banks will be happy to organise credit facilities for your planned barbarian invasion. If you need any further enticement to join us in fair Ankh Morpork, then the Guild of Merchants has published a most entertaining, if slightly inaccurate, leaflet called Wellcome to Ankh-Morpork, Citie of One Thousand Surprises!

Venue
The committee have chosen the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Mascot, Sydney, which is close to the airport[3]. This should be convenient for attendees who are flying in from overseas or interstate. It has a spacious convention area, where we have the run of the whole floor, and a wealth of good food on site (some of it not involving rat!). We will be giving you more details on the hotel in a future memorandum. You can find more about the venue here. (_https://2021.ausdwcon.org/convention/venue/_)

Convention tickets now available
Convention TicketI've been informed the committee have kept ticket prices keen, while still offering an amazing convention in a smart venue. They tell me they are "cutting their own throats[4]"

You can buy tickets online[5] from the convention shop (_https://2021.ausdwcon.org/shop/_). If you have already bought a supporting membership, you only pay the difference. They have a special page just for you. Why not go there now (_https://2021.ausdwcon.org/shop/supporting-membership-upgrades/_)?

More information
You can find official information here at the convention website: https://2021.ausdwcon.org/

Wild speculation and amusing Discworld Convention stories can be found on Facebook, (and discussion in this group), Twitter (_https://twitter.com/ausdwcon_), and Instagram.

Footnotes:
1 This may involve CMOT Dibbler!

2 Discworld costumes are not mandatory - they just add to the fun.

3 I assume this is like the port of Ankh Morpork but the air is more fragrant!

4 I am not sure I follow this - if I want a throat cut, I discreetly contact Lord Downey at the Guild of Assassins, who arranges it!

5 I am assured that "online" has nothing to do with the new fangled Ankh Morpork & Sto Plains Hygienic Railway.

https://2021.ausdwcon.org/blog/wellcome/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 03 February 2020 at The Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ.

The Drummers' January report, by Helen on Twitter: "We met Monday night. January is often a quiet month so I was pleasantly surprised when a large and lively crowd turned up. There was much discussion of recent TV programmes. We had finished binge watching the Mandolorian, which was excellent. Even those who hadn't seen it had heard all about baby Yoda, one of the cutest things ever invented. Others had watched all of the new Dracula series and were very impressed, although some were not keen on the ending. We had some new blood to Drummers as Rachel and Alistair came along for the first time. Marina, inspired by Dracula, did a quiz on vampyres. I won and will do the next quiz. Sarah suggested that as it is Valentine's Day I should do the "Love and Sex on the Discworld" quiz from a couple of years ago (it's nice that people remember these things). While I prefer not to recycle quizzes there was a clear appetite for a rude quiz of some sort so I'll see what I can do."

https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1216038742898683906

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."

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 be the Monthly Dinner on 30th January at the Duke of Brunswick, 207 Gilbert St, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, and a Crafternoon (details TBC) on 15th February.

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 February (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 February (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 03 February (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 03 February (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>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger The Corner of Laura returns to give five stars to Pyramids:

"Egypt’s history gets the full Pratchett treatment as the book points out what was right in front of our faces – that, for all the grandeur of the Ancient Egyptian myths and traditions, they were really rather ridiculous. It doesn’t stop there either but takes the mick out of Ancient Greece and Troy too... I can’t pretend that I understood all the quantum stuff but I don’t think you need to. What is obvious is that time can play all sorts of funny tricks on you and it plays havoc with payroll. You’ll have to read it to find out what I mean. Great satire on Ancient Egyptian beliefs and on religion in general. I love the idea that the best priests don’t really believe in what they’re espousing and the worst thing that could happen to them is all the myths coming true at once..."

https://bit.ly/2GyH0V6

Blogger Wyrmberg Malcolm recommends Wintersmith:

"Although still a good story and brilliantly written, this is a lot less funny than the previous to books in this series. In a way, this is a good thing in that the humorous antics of the Nac Mac Feegles (Scots speaking Pictsies) aren’t being relied upon to drive the story forwards. When they do show up, they are appreciated without having their presence get annoying. There is also some nice usage of other mythologies particularly the story of Orpheus going to Hades to retrieve his lost wife Eurydice, but with some fun twists and misunderstandings. The series also progresses nicely with the passage of time where the characters have grown a little more, and life moves on. This gives a good ‘lived in’ feel to the stories so that they’re not just disposable one-off adventures..."

https://bit.ly/2O5QJGu

Blogger Mike Finn returns with thoughts on The Shepherd's Crown:

"The whole story is there from end to end but the book fades as it goes along. Reading it was like starting with a fully finished movie where the lighting, music, script, and acting have been edited into something richly textured and powerful and starting to be presented with the unedited rushes. Each scene is there but Terry Pratchett’s usual magic, his ability to make the prose sing, to deliver huge ideas at a scale that gives them meaning to us mere mortals, his ability to make me believe in the supernatural and care about the people, isn’t there... This ability to link Discworld to real-life experience has always been part of the power of Terry Pratchett’s writing. He reminds us of our humanity, of our loves and our losses, of our bravery and our cowardice and he helps us accept ourselves and each other for what we are. Yet as I got further through the book, I begin to feel the story losing its grip on my imagination. It’s a good story but reading gave me an experience broadly equivalent to when you see actors doing a first read-through of a script, everything is there except it isn’t living up to its potential..."

https://bit.ly/38MyptT

Blogger Khorazir offers a superb collection of the stealth-philosophy things Sir Pterry did in his writing. This blogger presents what your Editor thinks is a balanced view, with neither knee-jerk prejudice nor the counterproductive shrillness of online "purity spirallers". The whole post is an excellent read, but here are a few highlights:

"Wrote an entire novel to critique the unequal treatment of 'men’s magic' versus 'women’s magic' in the fantasy genre. Portrayed witches as just as if not more capable than wizards (when it comes to actually helping people, in particular), and also generally having more common sense than them... Included sex workers in his worldbuilding. Made jokes about them the same way he did every other kind of person of any profession, but was also highly respectful and never critical of these jobs... Included female enemies who were enemies over things other than men. In general constantly passed the Bechdel Test and not only that, left it in the dust and had way more meaningful and realistic representation... clearly didn’t think that sort of genitalia-based gender labeling mattered... had genderfluid characters in two of his books and at least one trans man, as well as confirming canonically that there are gay wizards, one of whom is really good at football... Didn’t gloss over [Granny's] unfriendliness or excuse it, but made her complex and interesting and overall likeable despite all that..."

https://bit.ly/36GTpkA

Blogger Update Dude points out something infuriating that some may have missed in the kerfuffle over what huge numbers of Pratchett readers see as the egregiously deliberate miscasting of The Watch:

"Sybil being a vigilante is… okay, I suppose. I mean, otherwise the character is just this large/fat socialite and maybe that wouldn’t translate well into a modern series. It’d take quite a bit of time to warm her up to an audience if she were more true to the books. Making her a badass would grant the instant gratification and connection with the audience that this presumably short series/season would require. But no Detritus, Nobby or Colon? Okay, I’m okay with no Detritus. I mean, Pump in Going Postal was cool but obviously hokey. But no Nobby or Colon? Well, fuck you and your woke-ness. It’s one thing to take away a strong-arm like Detritus, but taking away Nobby and Colon, two characters that you probably couldn’t do justice without being at least mildly offensive, just takes away the soul and the whole fucking point of a Watch series..."

https://bit.ly/38OmFHg

Blogger Rine Reads' review of The Long Cosmos:

"Overall I’m going to say that this is my least favourite. After the way the previous book ended I just didn’t know where the story was going to go and unfortunately I didn’t really like the storyline. We spent a lot of time with the Next and they’re just my least favourite part of this series so for the majority of the book to revolve around this was quite hard for me to enjoy. I also found that the big storyline element occurred in a really short period of time really near the end of the book so the bit I found interesting was over and done with quite quickly. This series doesn’t feel complete to me but none of the books have ever finished with a definitive ending. There feels like there could have been more books set in this world in the future maybe following different characters but we will never know if that was to be the case... This book’s writing felt different to the previous and I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve now read a solo Stephen Baxter novel or if it is actually just a different tone. In this book I found that Baxter’s writing seemed a lot more prevalent and I’m not sure if that’s why I enjoyed this a bit less. It’s still got a lot of funny things throughout especially with the wit within this so I’m glad that it still remained..."

https://bit.ly/38TTsLn

Blogger G. A. Buba's thoughts on the Tiffany Aching books:

"I cannot stress enough how Tiffany Aching and Sir Terry’s absolutely lovely bildungsroman shaped the way I thought about the world. When they came out I was growing up with Tiffany. Tiffany Aching was exactly what small, bookish, bullied, young-me needed. She had read the entire dictionary back to front and was a bit annoying with this information, but no one was cruel to her for it... These books were a cornerstone of my growing up. They feel particularly timely at the moment. They breathe hope back into my disenchantment with the world. These books really equip you in just a few short words with all the grit that you need to face down nightmares with nothing but a frying pan..."

https://bit.ly/37D8Uei

Blogger Amy celebrates Hogfather:

"Hogfather is full of wonderfully written, interesting characters but I just want to talk about one of the main characters in this review, Susan Sto Helit. Susan is one of my favourite Discworld characters because I just love how she’s ready to face anything and anyone – she never backs down from a challenge and she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. I love her sense of adventure but I also love how sensible she is. It’s a bit of a paradox because she’s intensely curious but Susan is sensible to a fault and doesn’t believe in the Hogfather or the Tooth Fairy or anything beyond basic magic. She’s just wonderful.

"Terry Pratchett’s sarcastic humour permeates every single page of this book and it made Hogfather a joy to read. Hogfather may be a fairly dark story about Death personified, Hogfather/Father Christmas being hunted by assassins-for-hire, and a violent young governess who attacks everything head-on with a kitchen poker, but it is also exciting and full of joy. Pratchett’s writing style completely drew me into the story and there wasn’t a dull moment. Pratchett also writes in a way that allows the reader to enter the Discworld at any point. Yes, there are different arcs and an overarching universe but none of that matters as long as you allow yourself to be immersed in the story..."

https://bit.ly/3aOWguR

...and blogger Bookbloggerish was also impressed by Hogfather:

"Pratchett’s world-building is second to none that I’ve read, comparable with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials. He manages to make something so unusual seem perfectly normal, which takes great skill, because it can seem so fake, but it somehow doesn’t. Perhaps these types of books succeed because there is just enough of what we know and recognise to make the differences seem possible. I think in a way we also want to believe that the impossible is possible..."

https://bit.ly/2GCYShn

Blogger zealotscript re-evaluates The Colour of Magic:

"My overriding preconception going into this re-read was a memory of disappointment, of dissatisfaction with this compared to the mastery and completeness of Pratchett’s later work and a memory of this being a straight work of parody rather than satire. I was wrong on only one of these points. It is a parody, of all the fantasy that came before it, but a loving one. It does lack the finesse of Pratchett’s later works which use his satirical fantastical lens to skewer our own modern society. It was, however, not a disappointment... it is, all in all, a wonderful love letter to the classics of the genre that Pratchett clearly worshipped himself. At the same time managing to capture the sense of wonder and adventure that makes the works so appealing, while pointing the satirical finger at their flaws... It is far from his best work, that is true, and the wonder of the Discworld only grows as the series progresses. For a new reader who may be unsure of Pratchett, this is not the best example of his work. But if you’re committing to reading the series, then there is no better place to start than where Pratchett himself did..."

https://bit.ly/2O7pX0u

Blogger Indulgent Readers gives Mort four stars:

"With a lot of Terry Pratchett books, you can read them time and time again and still find new things to laugh at. Or rediscover old jokes which you still find amusing. Mort is the fourth book of the Discworld series and the first to concentrate on the character Death. The premise of the book is that Death decides that he needs a human apprentice, and the story unravels from there. The book explores predestination and the human condition with a generous sprinkling of humour... As the book is one of the first in the series I was expecting there to be a little more world building. I am glad that there wasn’t, what world building there is well distributed within the plot and the descriptions all fit in well with the narration. The only description which I found a little jarring was when Mort is in Ankh-Morpork for the first time, then again Ankh-Morpork is quite a jarring place. This book helped me to consider the idea of predestination and if everything is predestined can it ever be changed? I had never really considered the possibility of predestination before and I am not entirely certain if it does exist or not but this book has certainly given me food for thought..."

https://bit.ly/2GzJS45

Blogger Claudia Cain found pleasure in The Colour of Magic:

"The Colour of Magic could best be described as enthusiastic. It lacks some of the direction shown in Pratchett’s later novels, possibly due to the fact that it’s less a whole book and more like a few novellas stitched together. It’s also wildly inventive, with incredibly detailed world-building and a plot that meanders through the chaos of the Disc. Without prior knowledge I might have struggled to follow it. However, even this early in the series it’s easy to see what makes these novels great. Terry Pratchett’s work is funny, and witty, and imaginative, and delivers lines that manage to be both incredibly sharp and sometimes poignant. His characters, even when stupidly positive or cowardly and bumbling, are entertaining. It’s not his best work, or my favourite, but it’s colourful and bizarre and I smiled when I read it..."

https://bit.ly/37Dgy8B

Blogger Muse With Me returns with an analysis of Lords and Ladies:

"This is the 14th novel in the series, and while Pratchett often demonstrates his ability to tell a great story in this world, regardless of release date, a number of these novels do follow a familiar skeletal structure. Namely, some sort of magical anomaly is taking place that is the harbinger/cause of an extradimensional force invading the Disc, and our chosen cast of characters must put a stop to it, with some madcap situations along the way. Though it’s a reductive summation of this novel as a whole, it’s not inaccurate. Going in I had hoped it would be something more than this, and while it is not a bad story, I was still a little disappointed by it. Where I will give this novel some more credit in this respect is the credibility of the villains; the titular “lords and ladies.” There are numerous nonhuman peoples living on the Discworld, but we never really hear mention of elves. In this story Pratchett crafts a version of the faerie folk that captures their typical, mystifying nature while also presenting them as completely terrifying... The trio of witches were as delightful to read about as ever. Though Death is my favourite singular character, I think I enjoy reading about the Witches the most as a group. Though she shares the spotlight a lot more, I really liked Granny Weatherwax’s story in this book..."

https://bit.ly/3aKhvhk

...and blogger storiesnstuff22over7 nicely sums up The Last Hero:

"Many of his books are deep and make you think, but the ways he does it in The Wee Free Men and this book are very different. It is still hilarious. It might be a tiny bit age-restricted in parts, but totally ignorable. This book focuses more on how stories and fairy tales work than how they are mistaken; it is more about how for, example, the bad guy’s jail guards are always supposed to be incredibly stupid than the fact that no intelligent evil person would allow people to break into their castle so easily. There is the idea of traditions being lost and lives being forgotten. The ending will feel sad and inconclusive to some and beautiful to others..."

https://bit.ly/2vqPFXe

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Two Terrys, by Rob Wilkins: https://bit.ly/2U2VAMm

A lovely album of iconographs from the just-wrapped Progress Theatre production of Wyrd Sisters:
https://bit.ly/2RA6Pu7

Paul Kidby, signing copies of assorted Good Omens volumes: https://bit.ly/37MvLVb

A timely and, from what we hear, appropriate image created by Reddit user PixelBandits: https://bit.ly/2NzVyYf

...and a beautiful rendering of the hare leaping through the fire, from I Shall Wear Midnight, by Reddit user Loftytoast:
https://bit.ly/2uU04dI

...and finally, a moving picture! Jason Allemann has created a Lego Discworld, complete with Rimfall, that turns atop the Elephants while A'Tuin swims with majestic slowness:
https://twitter.com/LEGO_Group/status/1220345613616844800

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09) CLOSE

The voice of Dagon has left the building. Broadcasting stalwart Nicholas Parsons died this week at the great age of ninety-six and will be missed by millions of BBC radio listeners, television fans, and of course, a certain Good Omens co-author: “Heartbroken. I was thrilled to have been able to work with Nicholas Parsons on Good Omens. I sort of directed him, but the direction was basically ‘You’re Nicholas Parsons so do that’. Kind and professional and a pleasure to work with. So sad.”

https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1222116553786740737

And that's it for January. Mind how you go, and we'll see you next month!

p.s. Happy New Year to our Agatean readers! As it's the Year of the Rat, may all the rats you encounter be as clever and upstanding as the Clan!

– Annie Mac

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