NationStates Jolt Archive

Terry Pratchett, hot or.....well.....not?

Darn. I thought it might be a thread about Trip.

Absolutely fantastic. I love the books, every single one of them. Especially the witches. And DEATH. Of course DEATH, but also the DEATH of Rats... *SNI SNI SNI...

Hot, definitely.

And his books aren't bad either! *boom boom*

Oh i'm sorry, that was poor. Yeah, his books are fantastic, i've read most of them (just not some of the new ones).

Hot, definitely.

And his books aren't bad either! *boom boom*

Oh i'm sorry, that was poor. Yeah, his books are fantastic, i've read most of them (just not some of the new ones).

What's stopping you??? Read them all!! all of them!!! every single one!!!!!!!!!!! Mwahahahahahahaaaaaaachokechoke or not. seriously though, I vote hot in a hundred an sixty languages!!

What can I say other than...
OMGWTFTERRYRTEHPWN!!!11!!onemillion!!!one!!!11

What can I say other than...
OMGWTFTERRYRTEHPWN!!!11!!onemillion!!!one!!!11

And that's supposed to mean something?

And that's supposed to mean something?

Apparently it is young person speak for "Oh my God, what the fuck! Terry Pratchett is better than everybody else working in his particular field!"

Apparently it is young person speak for "Oh my God, what the fuck! Terry Pratchett is better than everybody else working in his particular field!"

It is? Good Gods. Does the Turtle move? Wouldn't 'My Gods YES!!' have worked just as well, do you think?

Indeed.

The problem for me is Pratchett's funny when he's being funny. When he turns into a pseudo-intellectual it's painful. When he beings out Samuel "Mary Sue" Vimes it becomes crypto-facist/capitalist agony. He obviously wants his author insertion to be a success, because how much you're worth shows how good a person you are and to say anything else is to be a LEFTIE COMMIE and you must be sent to jail for ever and ever. But, he wants to be a kick-ass Marxist as well. And a 16th Leveller. And a French revolutionary. I'll sit down and rip through The Light Fantastic in one sitting. Night Watch, as a novel and a sickening ideological mess, makes me enraged that people can lose sight of what they're good at like that.

Funny, most people say that Night Watch is a far better book than TLF....Pratchett has grown as an author and merely wants people to know his views (what's wrong with communists anyway?), what's wrong with that?

OMGWTFTERRYRTEHPWN!!!11!!onemillion!!!one!!!11

Indeed. I can but hope that's sarcasm.

The problem for me is Pratchett's funny when he's being funny. When he turns into a pseudo-intellectual it's painful. When he beings out Samuel "Mary Sue" Vimes it becomes crypto-facist/capitalist agony. He obviously wants his author insertion to be a success, because how much you're worth shows how good a person you are and to say anything else is to be a LEFTIE COMMIE and you must be sent to jail for ever and ever. But, he wants to be a kick-ass Marxist as well. And a 16th Century Leveller. And a French revolutionary. And a mindless killing machine like on TV.

I'll sit down and rip through The Light Fantastic in one sitting. Night Watch, as a novel and a sickening ideological mess, makes me enraged that people can lose sight of what they're good at like that.

I always thought the premise for Guards, Guards! was particularly funny.

"Oh no, I'm not going in there after him and I suggest you don't either, he's one of those hero types at the end of his story! Now maybe if it was still at the beginning of the story we'd still have a chance at capturing him or something..."

You all know that he is a fairly regular poster on Usenet, yes?

You all know that he is a fairly regular poster on Usenet, yes?

Pratchett? Is usenet an irc? What's usenet??

Pratchett? Is usenet an irc? What's usenet??

Kids today...

Newsgroups? Sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'Google groups'?

Kids today...

Newsgroups? Sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'Google groups'?

Me no Kid, Me Ape With No Sense....how would One access usenet?

Pratchett has grown as an author and merely wants people to know his views (what's wrong with communists anyway?)There's nothing wrong with communists, but you cannot be a Marxist and a McCarthy-eqsue commie-hating capitalist facist at the same time, which is what Vimes is. You certainly can't be a leveller on top of that.

In The Fifth Elephant, Vimes commits his first murder and anguishes over it. In Night Watch, he happily cuts his way through Carcer's mob like a blender. Vimes is an idealogical mess, an incarnation of the Author's own political wavering.

Teh Luggage is Teh Funny!!!1 though. And I mean that.

Me no Kid, Me Ape With No Sense....how would One access usenet?

If your ISP doesn't provide direct NNTP access then the most convenient (but very cumbersome compared to using a proper newsreader) way of accessing them is to use Google:

http://groups-beta.google.com/groups

Now if, for example, you were to enter the phrase "author:terry author:pratchett" in the search box, then you'd get a list of all his postings to Usenet.

There's nothing wrong with communists, but you cannot be a Marxist and a McCarthy-eqsue commie-hating capitalist facist at the same time, which is what Vimes is. You certainly can't be a leveller on top of that.

In The Fifth Elephant, Vimes commits his first murder. In Night Watch, he happily cuts his way through Carcer's mob like a blender. Vimes is an idealogical mess, an incarnation of the Author's own political wavering.

Teh Luggage is Teh Funny!!!1 though. And I mean that.

You say that, but in Fifth Elephant he ALSO states that Vimes had KILLED people before, but that that wasn't the same as MURDER - have you actually READ fifth elephant?? Gods. I'm sure you can't've.

If your ISP doesn't provide direct NNTP access then the most convenient (but very cumbersome compared to using a proper newsreader) way of accessing them is to use Google:

http://groups-beta.google.com/groups

Now if, for example, you were to enter the phrase "author:terry author:pratchett" in the search box, then you'd get a list of all his postings to Usenet.

Another question...how would I know if I had direct NNTP access?

Another question...how would I know if I had direct NNTP access?

Go to the 'help' page of your ISP and see if they list an NNTP server, or do a web search for your ISP's name and the phrase 'NNTP'.

Go to the 'help' page of your ISP and see if they list an NNTP server, or do a web search for your ISP's name and the phrase 'NNTP'.
Ah right. Sorry, I am new to this internet thing....I have only just recently been bothered to update to broadband so haven't had a chance to learn these things. Haha.

You say that, but in Fifth Elephant he ALSO states that Vimes had KILLED people before, but that that wasn't the same as MURDER - have you actually READ fifth elephant?? Gods. I'm sure you can't've.And waiding into a mob, swords flashing like a thresher isn't a deliberate act of killing? He's killed people before, but never deliberately (he shoots that guy in the throat when he was aiming for his shoulder in Fifth Elephant as a nod to show-not-tell).

I'm sorry, but I just don't like neo-Vimes. He's tried to cram every equalitarian political theory and his own desire for corporal success into the one Mary Sue, making what was a good, intresting character in Guards! Guards! a kind of political gloop.

Terry Pratchett, hot or.....well.....not?

Brilliant writer, excellent speaker and nice man overall. Though the light fantastic is one of his lesser books IMO - but I can forgive that due to being an early work.

Carpe Jugulaum is my fave Prattchet book. I'm not mad on his first few tho.
The science of the disk world is quite good tho.

I'm sorry, but I just don't like neo-Vimes. He's tried to cram every equalitarian political theory and his own desire for corporal success into the one Mary Sue, making what was a good, intresting character in Guards! Guards! a kind of political gloop.
Really? What I love about Vimes is that he IS all those things. Who says humans have to be neatly catagorical? The Diskworld series and it's players went from being 2-D parodies of popular fantasy to being 3-D, fully fleshed out satire with a bite, and very, very real.

And waiding into a mob, swords flashing like a thresher isn't a deliberate act of killing? He's killed people before, but never deliberately (he shoots that guy in the throat when he was aiming for his shoulder in Fifth Elephant as a nod to show-not-tell).

I'm sorry, but I just don't like neo-Vimes. He's tried to cram every equalitarian political theory and his own desire for corporal success into the one Mary Sue, making what was a good, intresting character in Guards! Guards! a kind of political gloop.

In FE he does say he has killed people deliberately before, just never murdered anyone. Besides, it is a psychological fact that once the first murder has been committed, it is a hell of a lot easier to do it again.

Yes, Vimes does have contradicting political views, but what's wrong with that?? I have contradicting political views. People that say that there is something wrong with contradicting views, generally can't be bothered to think, and are too lazy to see other points of view. He is a fantastic character in my, and a plethera of other peoples, opinion. In fact, he is the most popular Pratchett character (apart from The Luggage of course).

Really? What I love about Vimes is that he IS all those things. Who says humans have to be neatly catagorical? The Diskworld series and it's players went from being 2-D parodies of popular fantasy to being 3-D, fully fleshed out satire with a bite, and very, very real.

Are you talking as a reader or a player? But Yes, that is my proof, everyone but City sees Vimes as a 'fully fleshed out' character, who makes perfect read.

Are you talking as a reader or a player? But Yes, that is my proof, everyone but City sees Vimes as a 'fully fleshed out' character, who makes perfect read.

Funfact of the day: When asked (last elf fantasy fair, Netherlands) Terry acknowledged Vimes was the character he wanted to be most like himself, but he feared Rincewind was a closer match ;)

Funfact of the day: When asked Terry acknowledged Vimes was the character he wanted to be most like himself, but he feared Rincewind was a closer match ;)
hehe. Other funfact of the day: Pratchett always wins the respect of his readers by making funny comments about himself.

Who's Terry Pratchett?

Who's Terry Pratchett?
Heresy!! You have never heard of the master?? The greatest author of fantasy?? You have never heard of him??

Oh, ok.

He's an author that wrote a series called the discworld series about a world on the back of a turtle, which has four elephants on its back and then the world. He write about 4 books a year, in theory. A fantastic author. Brilliant.

OOK - The Turtle Moves!!

*runs away like a girl, screaming*

Yep, Pratchett's pretty damn awesome.

I wasn't actually planning to post on this thread (even though I love TP, I didn't think I could say anything of worth*) but I accidently came across this Pratchett quote:

There should be a notice ahead of the movie that says 'This movie is PG. Can you read? You are a Parent. Do you understand what Guidance is? Or are you just another stupid toddler who thinks they're an adult simply because they've grown older and, unfortunately, have developed fully-functioning sexual organs? Would you like some committee somewhere to decide *everything* for you? Get a damn grip, will you? And shut the wretched kid up !'



Nothing to see here.





*No obvious jokes please (like I never say anything of worth) :)

Are Discworld Books good?

Oh my vord yes.

Are you talking as a reader or a player? But Yes, that is my proof, everyone but City sees Vimes as a 'fully fleshed out' character, who makes perfect read.
A little bit of both actually. All of the people on this Diskworld have grown in many ways since the begining. Yes, even Rincewind. Actually one of my favorite returns was that of Twoflower in Interesting Times. He went from being just a silly little plot device in The Light Fantastic to where you could really see what was motovating him, but he also remained very true to the Twoflower we met waaaaaaay back in the Color of Magic.

Besides, Pratchett has made Death a major comedic part, and where else can you find that?

What's everyone's favorite Diskworld book, BTW?

A little bit of both actually. All of the people on this Diskworld have grown in many ways since the begining. Yes, even Rincewind. Actually one of my favorite returns was that of Twoflower in Interesting Times. He went from being just a silly little plot device in The Light Fantastic to where you could really see what was motovating him, but he also remained very true to the Twoflower we met waaaaaaay back in the Color of Magic.

Besides, Pratchett has made Death a major comedic part, and where else can you find that?

What's everyone's favorite Diskworld book, BTW?

Not sure what my fave is - possibly Night Watch especially after what CITY 451 said earlier I think it's probably Night Watch.

And waiding into a mob, swords flashing like a thresher isn't a deliberate act of killing? He's killed people before, but never deliberately (he shoots that guy in the throat when he was aiming for his shoulder in Fifth Elephant as a nod to show-not-tell).

I'm sorry, but I just don't like neo-Vimes. He's tried to cram every equalitarian political theory and his own desire for corporal success into the one Mary Sue, making what was a good, intresting character in Guards! Guards! a kind of political gloop.
Doesn't he make a perfect argument as to why you should LOVE Night Watch?

Pratchett is hotter then a cup of coffe on McDonalds :p When you sell 1% of the books in UK you know you are good (his books are also the msot shop lifted).



What's everyone's favorite Diskworld book, BTW?

Like the Guards-book best. IMO they have the best blend of characters. Also really like the "Science of..." books. Could be cause I am myself into biology and chemistry :)

A little bit of both actually. All of the people on this Diskworld have grown in many ways since the begining. Yes, even Rincewind. Actually one of my favorite returns was that of Twoflower in Interesting Times. He went from being just a silly little plot device in The Light Fantastic to where you could really see what was motovating him, but he also remained very true to the Twoflower we met waaaaaaay back in the Color of Magic.

Besides, Pratchett has made Death a major comedic part, and where else can you find that?

What's everyone's favorite Diskworld book, BTW?


I love the Lancre witches... Granny Weatherwax has to be my favourite character. And Greebo, of course.

My second favourite would be all the Death-novels.

Superb author! I have read almost everything he has written (devoured would be a better word).

Vimes is awesome! but I think Rincewind would be my favorite character (or the Death of Rats!)

I really like a Theif of Time, perhaps his best. Though I thought Night Watch was excellent too. AND ANY TIME SOMEONE STARTS TALKING LIKE THIS I CANNOT HELP BUT TO LAUGH. ;)

"Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a night, set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life" LOL my favorite quote! so wrong and yet so funny!

And waiding into a mob, swords flashing like a thresher isn't a deliberate act of killing? He's killed people before, but never deliberately (he shoots that guy in the throat when he was aiming for his shoulder in Fifth Elephant as a nod to show-not-tell).

I'm sorry, but I just don't like neo-Vimes. He's tried to cram every equalitarian political theory and his own desire for corporal success into the one Mary Sue, making what was a good, intresting character in Guards! Guards! a kind of political gloop.

You forgot WHY Vimes was attacking like that.
1. It was self-defense. They had bows. He did not. If he didn't hit them hard and fast, they would have turned him into a pincushion.
2. He's not only trying to save himself, he's trying to save others from certain death.

The POINT of Vimes is to be a political mess. He's a former lowly Cockbill Street peasent elevated to Duke of Anhk-Morpork, in command of the probable King of Anhk-Morpork, and with enough power to arrest the ruler of the city. Someone in that situation is expected to be a political morass, since he's still stuck between old sensibilities and new realities.

Oh, and Pratchett = <3

I absolutely love Pratchett. My favorite novel is probably Hogfather, mostly because of the prominent roles of Ridcully's wizards and Death. Those are incidentally my favorite characters.

Ooh, the Patritician! (sp?) Dammit, i should've put him on that fictional characters to rule the world list!

Saying "Pratchett isn't hot" is like saying "Circles aren't round". While the sentence is, of course, gramatically correct, it just doesn't make any sense.

And, lessee now. My favourite book fluctuates between random Watch books, Small Gods, The Truth and Monstrous Regiment.

My favourite character however is, and always shall be, Downspout. Followed closely by Dorfl, Angua and Vetinari (the one man who makes ruthless dictatorship look like a very attractive form of government indeed).

You all know that he is a fairly regular poster on Usenet, yes?Last poste in March, IIRC, but obviously has to take breaks for signing tours and avoiding people trying to tell him what to write next and stuff like that...

Not.
I haven't found any of his stuff funny since The Last Continent. Although I did like The Last Hero.

Not.
I haven't found any of his stuff funny since The Last Continent. Although I did like The Last Hero.For what it's worth, I understand what you mean, despite not agreeing with you.

I got hooked (many moons ago) with TLF, TCOM and that lot. And I can equally appreciate that some people might not like the... well, not 'humour at all costs' attitude, as for that I'd consign such as Piers Anthony's Xanth series (pun upon pun upon pun... Ok, just not my thing)... anyway, it's a less mature style... Which is Ok. Some might consider them the literatii equivalent of making farting noises in the lift, and I hear so often how the covers put people off. Again, I don't agree with either assessment, but I can see how.

Then as we progress through Mort, getting quite interesting, plot-wise, not just a "runaway, runaway..." scene/shift/scene/shift situation (which is an uncharitable way of describing the earlier Rincewind books, by those with an opposing taste to yours, if I were to hazard a comparison) and into Guards! Guards! territory we find increased intelligence. I don't agree with some people's dislike of Vimes, but I will fight for the right to have those opinions, if they so wish, for I see where their viewpoints might lie.

In the midst of the series (as now exists) there are interestingly balanced humour+plot books (mostly the 'fad' ones, e.g. Moving Pictures, Soul Music, which impact upon the story arcs of others but concentrate on a particular fad or fashion that the denizens of Discworld are developing/exploiting/suffering from) and other introvertly philosopical works (Small Gods) that need not be Discworld, but work all the same.

When we progress into and beyond Men At Arms, Jingo and The Truth, we're finding Messages (TM). But not (in my experience) at the expense of the Humour. It's just more subtle, more dark (especially in Nightwatch) and far from the (as previously explained, not particular favoured by me) Xanth-style fun-fest... Quite far from TLF/TCOM as well, of course, but they were early books and I have strong places in my heart for them (and Strata, Dark Side of the Sun, etc).

Nightwatch appears to be a polariser. Some people love it and some hate it... I tend towards the former, but am part of the 'whole-(2*some)' part of the readership that floats around inbetween the two extremes...

If you don't like books like Monstrous Regiment and Going Postal, well I won't attempt to brainwash you into doing so. If you think they are humourless, however, I must respectfully disagree. Again, though, if they aren't your style then fair enough.

I'm just starting to read Fforde (The Eyre Affair, in particular) and while handicapped by having little free reading time these days (my Pratchett consumption is currently of the audio books playing in the car, reliving them all, one by one by one, and I'm currently at the end you say you don't like too much, and still catching new jokes and references and humour and poignancy and meaninbg and plot in them) I'm progressing steadily through it and finding it interesting. Don't know if this (fairly recent) publication is something you be able to use to plug the gap, excising Pratchett's latest works to the "not particularly bothered" pile, but going on the general stereotype of one who "loved the early works, hate the latest" it might well be of interest.

Terry Pratchett is awesome
although some of his books are not as good as others, his bad books are still usually better than most.
the best characters are Carrot, Veternari, Vimes, and The U.U. Wizards especially Ridcully and the Librarian. (OOook)
"In fact, if anyone said there was an orangutan in the library, they would probably go ask the librarian if he had seen it"

I've read all but two (I think) of his books, they rule! He's only beaten by Robert Rankin, and Douglas Adams in my mind.

I've read all but two (I think) of his books, they rule! He's only beaten by Robert Rankin, and Douglas Adams in my mind.

Yeah, I also prefer Douglas Adams. He's just funnier, in my view.

<snip>
Then as we progress through Mort, getting quite interesting, plot-wise, not just a "runaway, runaway..." scene/shift/scene/shift situation (which is an uncharitable way of describing the earlier Rincewind books, by those with an opposing taste to yours, if I were to hazard a comparison) and into Guards! Guards! territory we find increased intelligence. I don't agree with some people's dislike of Vimes, but I will fight for the right to have those opinions, if they so wish, for I see where their viewpoints might lie.
I have to be honest I find Vimes unsubtle in the extreme, and he has gotten progressively worse with each book. I read politics for politics, I read Pratchett for fun and given his frankly unoriginal political diatribes delivered through Vimes he irritates me. It could be because Terry Goodkind was a great author until he started his polemics and that has biased me. Whatever, I just don't like it.
<snip>
When we progress into and beyond Men At Arms, Jingo and The Truth, we're finding Messages (TM). But not (in my experience) at the expense of the Humour. <snip>
That is actually exactly what is bugging me. If I feel like I am being lectured I can't find the book funny. This is what has put me off his recent novels. Jingo feel like an anti-racism diatribe, Monstrous Regiment an anti-sexism diatribe and by Nightwatch I was so turned off I couldn't be bothered to pay enough attention to figure out what he was whinging about this time.
While I found humour in each of these novels, it was successively less funny with each novel as I was more biased after reading the last.
Actually now that I really think about it one of the biggest problems I have with his latest novels is that he has created some great characters and I feel they are being underused so as to deliver polemics through Vimes.
Of all the Watch, I find Carrot the most amusing, immediately followed by Angua and they have been sidelined for Vimes the Moraliser.

I have to be honest I find Vimes unsubtle in the extreme, and he has gotten progressively worse with each book. I read politics for politics, I read Pratchett for fun and given his frankly unoriginal political diatribes delivered through Vimes he irritates me. It could be because Terry Goodkind was a great author until he started his polemics and that has biased me. Whatever, I just don't like it.

That is actually exactly what is bugging me. If I feel like I am being lectured I can't find the book funny. This is what has put me off his recent novels. Jingo feel like an anti-racism diatribe, Monstrous Regiment an anti-sexism diatribe and by Nightwatch I was so turned off I couldn't be bothered to pay enough attention to figure out what he was whinging about this time.
While I found humour in each of these novels, it was successively less funny with each novel as I was more biased after reading the last.
Actually now that I really think about it one of the biggest problems I have with his latest novels is that he has created some great characters and I feel they are being underused so as to deliver polemics through Vimes.
Of all the Watch, I find Carrot the most amusing, immediately followed by Angua and they have been sidelined for Vimes the Moraliser.
Woo, calm down dear....Why is Vimes, in your opinion, a moraliser? I think if you're going to go that far, you may as well say the whole watch are Moralisers!!

Yes, Vimes does have contradicting political views, but what's wrong with that?? I have contradicting political views. People that say that there is something wrong with contradicting views, generally can't be bothered to think, and are too lazy to see other points of view. He is a fantastic character in my, and a plethera of other peoples, opinion. In fact, he is the most popular Pratchett character (apart from The Luggage of course).


WHAT ABOUT ME? DOESN'T EVERYONE LOVE ME?

I KNOW I'M STILL POLIWANACRACA'S FAVORITE, ANYWAY.

(ALTHOUGH THE LUGGAGE IS WONDERFUL, TOO...)

*PLAYS BLACK VIOLIN. BADLY.*

WHAT ABOUT ME? DOESN'T EVERYONE LOVE ME?

I KNOW I'M STILL POLIWANACRACA'S FAVORITE, ANYWAY.

(ALTHOUGH THE LUGGAGE IS WONDERFUL, TOO...)

*PLAYS BLACK VIOLIN. BADLY.*

And who are you?

And who are you?

Poliwanacraca?

The turtle moves! ('nuff said)

Favourite books: Reaper Man, Moving Pictures, Soul Music (Rebel without a Pause ;) ) Thief of Time

And who are you?

If you don't know the answer to that, you need to go read a Discworld book. Then I promise you'll figure it out. :p

If you don't know the answer to that, you need to go read a Discworld book. Then I promise you'll figure it out. :p

Well it's either death or rincewind...

Well obviously it's Death.
All caps, no quotes, and black. Easy.

I'M DEATH, NOT TAXES. I ONLY SHOW UP ONCE.

Well obviously it's Death.
All caps, no quotes, and black. Easy.

I'M DEATH, NOT TAXES. I ONLY SHOW UP ONCE.

Never knew he had a crush on the luggage though...