NationStates Jolt Archive

Have any of you ever read Terry Pratchets 'Science of the Discworld' serise?

I found it very informative and easy to understand while it maintained the humour of his discworld books. I would really recommend to to any one with an interest into how the world looks form an outsiders view point.

i have not read that one
but i do like Discworld books

he's funny and insightful!

I have only read the original "Science of Discworld," as I find that it somewhat difficult to find the others at my local libraries, and I don't really fancy buying them. But nonetheless, based on the first one, I would most assuredly recommend them, as they do present the science in a simple, easy to understand way. And, of course, with Pratchett's writing woven in, they books are a fun read.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say that I really do love that guy's writing.

I haven't been able to get a hold of them yet, don't like buying stuff online, so no though I have read all of the books and a few of the side things like that.

I did find it quite hard to track down a copy of the 2nd one, but I have all three now. I'm something of a fan I have all the discworld mainstream books and even have a couple of signed ones from when he came to my local book shop.

It's hard to find the first and third, but I have the second, I think it's a really good book.

What exactly is it about?

I did find it quite hard to track down a copy of the 2nd one, but I have all three now. I'm something of a fan I have all the discworld mainstream books and even have a couple of signed ones from when he came to my local book shop.

Yeah, I too am a bit of a fan, I have read all of the mainstrwam Discworld books, and a number of the other thingummies, and have a large number of the books...25 or so, I think. I have also read all of the books at least twice, I never tire of them, and often find myself finding a new little joke, or small irony, with rereading...

What exactly is it about?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Discworld-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0091865158

Its an outsiders look at this universe and all things in it from the view point of Pratchets famous Discworld books. It breaks everything down into tiny easy to understand peices. While maintaining the tipical Pratchet humour.

so is it made-up discworld science or real science told funny?

Yeah, I too am a bit of a fan, I have read all of the mainstrwam Discworld books, and a number of the other thingummies, and have a large number of the books...25 or so, I think. I have also read all of the books at least twice, I never tire of them, and often find myself finding a new little joke, or small irony, with rereading...

My favorate miniseries is the ones about the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork and Duke/Commander/Sam Vimes. With Death coming a close second.

Yeah, I too am a bit of a fan, I have read all of the mainstrwam Discworld books, and a number of the other thingummies, and have a large number of the books...25 or so, I think. I have also read all of the books at least twice, I never tire of them, and often find myself finding a new little joke, or small irony, with rereading...
Yeah, I always read 'em when I'm feeling down ar when I'm bored and I always find new stuff. Good Omens, is good to.

so is it made-up discworld science or real science told funny?

Real science told funny and in an understandable way using the made-up Discworld science to help explain it. Everything explained in the 'real world' is true and he even has scientific backing from his two co-writers Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen.

My favorate miniseries is the ones about the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork and Duke/Commander/Sam Vimes. With Death coming a close second.

Oh, heck yeah those are my favorites as well. Death of Rats is awesome, SQUEAK!

My favorate miniseries is the ones about the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork and Duke/Commander/Sam Vimes. With Death coming a close second.

Good old City Watch
ok what book this out of

did you bring a beer along check your weapons

Good old City Watch
ok what book this out of

did you bring a beer along check your weapons

er, bearing in mind I wasn't able to bring my collection to uni with me. I think is from either 'The Last Continent' or 'Thud'

er, bearing in mind I wasn't able to bring my collection to uni with me. I think is from either 'The Last Continent' or 'Thud'

thanks you , you kick started my mind
it was the 'The Last Continent'
Thud i started to read it but run out of time and it had to go back

did you see the TV show with death in it

thanks you , you kick started my mind
it was the 'The Last Continent'
Thud i started to read it but run out of time and it had to go back

did you see the TV show with death in it

They did a TV show? When? Where? and what channel?

Thud was quite good, and you be suprised by the ending and the secret of koom valley.

They did a TV show? When? Where? and what channel?

Thud was quite good, and you be suprised by the ending and the secret of koom valley.

it was long ago on ABC in Australia
ill get around to read them just need time like all of us

it was long ago on ABC in Australia
ill get around to read them just need time like all of us

Ah that why I hadn't heard about it, wrong country lol. They did make a game about it ages and ages ago but I never got to see it.

I seem to be the only one in my family to be able to understand and follow any of the discworld books. They just don't get the whole disc elephants and turtle thing.

Oh what sex do you think the turtle is?

Ah that why I hadn't heard about it, wrong country lol. They did make a game about it ages and ages ago but I never got to see it.

I seem to be the only one in my family to be able to understand and follow any of the discworld books. They just don't get the whole disc elephants and turtle thing.

Oh what sex do you think the turtle is?

female i think
i too are the only who gets them

My favorate miniseries is the ones about the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork and Duke/Commander/Sam Vimes. With Death coming a close second.

Curious. I find that the exact same thing is true for me, as well. I would put the Rincewind storyline, particularly in Interesting Times and The Last COntinent, as about on par with the Death books.

Ah that why I hadn't heard about it, wrong country lol. They did make a game about it ages and ages ago but I never got to see it.

I seem to be the only one in my family to be able to understand and follow any of the discworld books. They just don't get the whole disc elephants and turtle thing.

Oh what sex do you think the turtle is?

Which Discworld gasme are you referring to? As far as I know, there are three: Discworld, Discworld II: Mortality Bytes, and Discworld Noir.

And they made a TV show of Soul Music, and a TV movie of Wyrd Sisters, animated, and I heard they recently made a TV movie of Hogfather, though I have not seen it.

And I too, sem to be the only one who gets the books i my family. My mother has tried, but she finds them too complex and strange to keep track of.

And it is my belief that Great A'Tuin is female. To me, her behavior in The Light Fantastic seems very motherly.

I agree that its got to be female, how else was it able to have babies in 'light fantastic'

Lord Vetinari has to be my favourate charactor, he is just so in control all the time. He was best in 'Going Postal'. Expecally when combinded with Commander Vimes.

I didn't realise there were so many games,l I only vagely remember a Discworld Noir demo over 9 years ago.

I agree that its got to be female, how else was it able to have babies in 'light fantastic'

Lord Vetinari has to be my favourate charactor, he is just so in control all the time. He was best in 'Going Postal'. Expecally when combinded with Commander Vimes.

Yeah. Vetinari is one of my favorite characters... Although I think my favorite overall must be Death. I mean, every one of his lines makes me grin.

And I would like to thank this thread. It inspired me tostart listening to my Night Watch audiobook.

I agree that its got to be female, how else was it able to have babies in 'light fantastic'

Lord Vetinari has to be my favourate charactor, he is just so in control all the time. He was best in 'Going Postal'. Expecally when combinded with Commander Vimes.

I didn't realise there were so many games,l I only vagely remember a Discworld Noir demo over 9 years ago.

i just read a book were Commander Vimes goes back in time
Lord Vetinari was still in the assassin guild

i just read a book were Commander Vimes goes back in time
Lord Vetinari was still in the assassin guild

'Night Watch' the one which Grape-eaters has just said he has started to listen to. A very good book, it was nice to 'see' how everyone started. Put that together with Vimes and it was a winner.

i just read a book were Commander Vimes goes back in time
Lord Vetinari was still in the assassin guild

Night Watch. Yeah, that is the book I am listening to right now. It has to be pretty high on my all time favorite Discworld book list. I cannot really explain exactly why, but they way in which that one deelops the characters, gives them backstory, and especially develops Vimes to a great extent interests me greatly.

'Night Watch' the one which Grape-eaters has just said he has started to listen to. A very good book, it was nice to 'see' how everyone started. Put that together with Vimes and it was a winner.

i just forget the names of them but not this one
gaurds guards or was it three gaurd, but it was a good book

i just forget the names of them but not this one
gaurds guards or was it three gaurd, but it was a good book

The very first City Watch book, the one with the dragon?
I don't know I didn't think that the watch had developed enought at that point, tho Carrots nievity was funny.

The very first City Watch book, the one with the dragon?
I don't know I didn't think that the watch had developed enought at that point, tho Carrots nievity was funny.

Yeah, I agree. For me, the Watch really began to get interesting in Men at Arms, with the introduction of Detritus and Angua...and, of course, poor Constable Cuddy.

Yeah, I agree. For me, the Watch really began to get interesting in Men at Arms, with the introduction of Detritus and Angua...and, of course, poor Constable Cuddy.

all so one i like

I started "the Color of Magic" but I got bored, I started to read "Going Postal" but I lost it. It was really good though.

I started "the Color of Magic" but I got bored, I started to read "Going Postal" but I lost it. It was really good though.

Yeah, The Color of Magic wasn't that good... I would imagine that as it was the first Discworld book, Pratchett was still figuring out what style he wanted and how the plots and charactes would develop. Also, in that book, some of the humor seemed rather forced, whereas in all the others, the jokes just seem to come naturally, as if that is exactly what would happen in a real situation.

Yeah, The Color of Magic wasn't that good... I would imagine that as it was the first Discworld book, Pratchett was still figuring out what style he wanted and how the plots and charactes would develop. Also, in that book, some of the humor seemed rather forced, whereas in all the others, the jokes just seem to come naturally, as if that is exactly what would happen in a real situation.
Got to remember though, Discworld started off as parody, CoM and LF reflect this. Gradually it changed over to the satire we all know and love.

Got to remember though, Discworld started off as parody, CoM and LF reflect this. Gradually it changed over to the satire we all know and love.

Yeah. This is very true. Nevertheless, I feel that CoM just isn't great as a story... I just didn't find it particularly engaging. LF, on the other hand, is, I think, a great book. In fact, I think it was LF that got me involved in Discworld in the first place.


No. Wait. Nevermind. I lied. It was The Truth.

I started "the Color of Magic" but I got bored, I started to read "Going Postal" but I lost it. It was really good though.

"Going Postal" kicked ass...I read it over the course of a week at the local Barnes and Noble. I want to read "Making Money" when it comes out because Moist is so cool.

Right now, I'm reading "The Truth", which is also really good.

"Going Postal" kicked ass...I read it over the course of a week at the local Barnes and Noble. I want to read "Making Money" when it comes out because Moist is so cool.

Right now, I'm reading "The Truth", which is also really good.

Wow. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I was unaware that it was in the works. That sounds like it will be amazing...I love Moist's character, and it will be interesting to see how his situation develops.


Damn. Now you've givwen me yet another thing to await with eager anticipation.

Wow. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I was unaware that it was in the works. That sounds like it will be amazing...I love Moist's character, and it will be interesting to see how his situation develops.

I found out about it when I was browsing Wikipedia, actually. I was looking for a complete list of his books, and kind of stumbled upon it when I was reading the article on Going Postal. It's supposed to come out some time after the release of Wintersmith, which IIRC was released some time in late September. Moist taking over the Ankh-Morpork mint...now that's something to look forward to.

Damn. Now you've givwen me yet another thing to await with eager anticipation.

What can I say? It's what I do best. :p

Good job to, seen as I am running out of books to read. I might have to find another writer to read in the mean time. I've got the bad habit of finding a writer that I like and then reading everything by them and then having to find another as I wait for new books to come out.

I love the Discworld series, Pratchett is perhaps my favourite author over any genre. I've read the Science of Discworld, but not the 2nd one, I'd really like to though, the first was very interesting, added to Pratchett's humour, makes a really great read. Quite a nice interlude from the normal Discworld novels.

On the subject of comedy authors, I also like Robert Rankin and Tom Holt. Douglas Adams also. Any suggestions to add to this collection of authors?

On the subject of comedy authors, I also like Robert Rankin and Tom Holt. Douglas Adams also. Any suggestions to add to this collection of authors?
Are you stalking me? Pratchett and the three others you've mentioned there are among my favourite authors...

My favourite Discworld character is Vimes, though Rincewind runs him a close second. Some of the minor characters are great as well, such as Wee Mad Arthur or Quoth (the raven). Favourite books are Small Gods and Pyramids. I think the newer ones are considerably weaker than the books written around what I consider Pratchett's 'peak' - Pyramids through to Interesting Times.

Any suggestions to add to this collection of authors?

I'm ashamed to say that Terry Pratchett is the only comidic writer I have in my collection. Most of my other books are sic-fi ones (Peter Hamilton,Elizabeth Moon and Dan Abett) or ones by Tom Clancy.




And if you keep it to your self I even have the harry potter books but shhh!

Are you stalking me? Pratchett and the three others you've mentioned there are among my favourite authors...

My favourite Discworld character is Vimes, though Rincewind runs him a close second. Some of the minor characters are great as well, such as Wee Mad Arthur or Quoth (the raven). Favourite books are Small Gods and Pyramids. I think the newer ones are considerably weaker than the books written around what I consider Pratchett's 'peak' - Pyramids through to Interesting Times.

Its the sheer detail that gets me. I was in a bookshop the other day, and saw a cut out model of the UU. I so nearly bought that....

Anyway. I'd agree with the start of the peak. Pyramids is when a coherent picture of Discworld first started to emerge. I'd say that Theif of Time was the end of that lot. Having said that, Maskerade, and Carpe Jugulum etc. remind me more of the early books. I'd say, Night Watch Monstrous Regiment and Thud (in particular) show a change in direction, rather than satirising traditional targets, he's getting more into examining the problems today's world is facing. Perhaps as Discworld is becoming more like ours. I'd say this is a good thing, and Thud was one of his best. Pretty damn scary, too.

Pratchett is my favourite author, and i LOVE his Discworld books. Small Gods, Pyramids and Masquerade are my favourites, closely followed by Monstrous Regiment, Nightwatch and Thief Of Time. :D

What exactly is it about?

As mentioned above, it's about science. The first one is kinda about the development of the universe, the second about the development of humanity, and the thisr is about evolution of/and science.

Another excuse to repost an excerpt from the book used during the Intelligent Design-debates:

The big organising priciples of science are theories, coherent systems of thought that explain huge numbers of otherwise isolated facts, which have survived strenous testing deliberately designed to break them if they do not accord to reality. They have not been merely accepted as some act of scientiffic faith: instead, people have tried to falsify them - to prove them wrong - but have so far failed. These failures do not prove them true, because there are always new sources of potential discord. Isaac Newton's theory of gravitation, in conjunction with his laws of motion, was - and still is - good enough to explain the movements of planets, asteroids and other bodies of the solar system in intricate detail, with high accuracy. But in some contexts, such as black holes, it has now been replaces by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

...

Most science is incremental, but some is more radical. Newton's theory was one of the great breakthroughs of science - not a shower of rain disturbing the surface of the lake, but an intellectual storm that released a raging torrent. [...] Darwin did for biology what Newton had done for physics, but in a very different way. Newton developed mathematical equations that let physicists calculate numbers and test them to many decimal places; it was a quantitive theory. Darwin's idea is expressed in words, not equations, and it describes a qualitative process, not numbers. Despite that, its influence has been at least as great as Newton's, possibly even greater. Darwin's torrent still rages today.

Evolution, then, is a theory, one of the most influential, far-reaching and important theories ever devised. In this context, it's worth pointing out that the word 'theory' is often used in a quite different sense, to mean an idea that is proposed in order to be tested. Strictly speaking, the word that should be used here is 'hypothesis', but that's such a fussy, pedantic-sounding word that people tend to avoid it. Even scientists, who should know better. 'I have a theory', they say. No, you have a hypothesis. It will take years, possibly centuries, of stringent tests, to turn it into a theory.

The theory of evolution was once a hypothesis. Now it is a theory. Detractors seize on the word and forget it's dual use. 'Only a theory', they say dismissively. But a true theory cannot be so easily dismissed, because it has survived so much rigorous testing. In this respect there is far more reason to take the theory of evolution seriously than any explanation of life that depends on, say religious faith, because falsification is not high on the religious agenda. Theories, in that sense, are the best established, most credible parts of science. They are, by and large, considerably more credible than most other products of the human mind. So what these people are thinking of when they chant their dismissive slogan should actually be 'only a hypothesis'.

That was a defensible position in the early days of the theory of evolution, but today it is merely ignorant. If anything can be a fact, evolution is.

Seems fun, doesn't it? :cool:

Its the sheer detail that gets me. I was in a bookshop the other day, and saw a cut out model of the UU. I so nearly bought that....

Pratchett has said, in the past, that he doesn't like going into too much detail as it either restricts his writing or hes does what he always has and teeks something ad then the nerds start complaining. He also siad that he tries not to maintain the detail as he could never remember it all.

Or something like that anyway :D

No, I haven't read his Science Of books, but I love his Discworld novels. I'll have to track them down.

Another excuse to repost an excerpt from the book used during the Intelligent Design-debates:
Heh, I haven't seen that rolled out for a while. Ah, happy days.
Pratchett has said, in the past, that he doesn't like going into too much detail as it either restricts his writing or hes does what he always has and teeks something ad then the nerds start complaining. He also siad that he tries not to maintain the detail as he could never remember it all.

Or something like that anyway :D

Yeah, I hadn't heard about that, but it sounds like something he'd say, certainly. Perhaps what I mean I like is not the specific detail, but the sense of a whole world, that has started to come out in the later books. Maybe.
Or something like that anyway :D

so is it made-up discworld science or real science told funny?

Difference?

pie is,the way democracy is
1= 0'3333