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Terry Pratchett's Discworld

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Why I love Terry Pratchett's Discworld...

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Series has taken on a life of it's own since it was first hinted at in 'Good Omens' and 'Strata'. Once the idea was formed and introduced in 'The Colour of Magic' there was no stopping it.

The Discworld series numbers thiry-six novels to date, four of which were written with younger readers in mind, but are still suitable for anyone over the age of eighteen!

Several of the books have been made into Plays, Graphic Novels, Screenplays and Audio Books.

There are also many spin-off books from the series too - these illustrate and explain various subjects, which, arise in several of the books but could not be explored further without going off at too much of a tangent from the original storylines.

The genius of Terry Pratchett's imagination has conjured up a world, which, while being in many ways a parallel version of our own, is also so far out there at times and yet still manages to be believeable.

I have at times found myself actually feeling concern over how a troll will get out of his/her particular predicament or feeling sorry for a vampire photographer, who turns to dust as soon as the flash goes off!

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments that leave you wanting to read on.

For me Terry Pratchett is one of those rare writers who makes me feel I need to keep reading until I find out how the participants of the story fare.

His writing skill makes it easy to identify with trolls, golems, witches and fairy folk and all his characters are so well formed that I see them in my mind's eye as I read the words he writes.

It's a Funny old World

The Discworld is as the name suggests, a flat world, which is held up by four elephants, who stand on the back of The Great A'Tuin.

The Great A'Tuin is a giant turtle, who moves through space carrying the discworld with it on it's endless journey.

The sex of The Great A'Tuin has never been clarified, but in recent years he/she has in some mystical cosmic way become a parent and is now followed through space by a tiny version of him/herself!

The Streets of Ankh Morpork

Many of the stories take place in Ankh Morpork, which is one of the largest cities on the Discworld and home to The Unseen University.

The Unseen University is inhabited by a strange variety of Wizards and a Librarian, who although he now takes the form of an orangutan, due to a magical accident - is infact a very well read and sensible Wizard...unlike all the others!

He has so far resisted all attempts to turn him back into his original human form.

Other Wizards of note are:

Ponder Stibbons (Chair of Inadvisably Applied Magic, Praelector of Unseen University and Reader of Invisible Writings)

The Bursar who has a need for daily frog pills!

Mustrum Ridcully ( the Arch chancellor)

Who appear in various books, which tell thier stories in greater detail and of course....
The Wizard Rincewind - Owner of The luggage

The luggage is a large trunk, bigger on the inside than out (very handy for travelling!) and has the added bonus that you do not need to carry it anywhere as it moves around by itself on hundreds of little legs and feet.

It generally tries to be anywhere that Rincewind goes and will follow him across continents, for the simple reason, that's what your luggage does!

This is not always great for Rincewind who often attempts to lose it or outrun it as it is a very unpredictable piece of baggage and has been known on at least one occaision to swallow a man whole!
There's Foul Old Ron - A Hobbo, with a tendency to say "Buggrit, Buggrit, Millenium hand and shrimp."

He has a unique smell, which has become so strong and powerful that it now has a life of it's own and announces his arrival several minutes before he gets to where he's going.

His friends include The Duck Man (he has a duck on his head that he is totally unaware of...even when it quacks!) Coffin Henry and Arnold Sideways, who along with Ron are official members of The Beggers Guild : It's illegal to beg in Ankh Morpork without an official permit, which you only get once you have joined the guild!

For a time he is accompanied by his "thinking dog" who may or maynot be "the Great Gaspode" - The Discworld's only talking dog!
Among the varied inhabitants of Ankh Morpork is Reg Shoe - A natural Zombie.

He works in the Mortuary, and is the Founder of 'The Fresh Start Club' - a help group for anyone, who wakes up after their funeral to discover they are dead.

He has taken to placing a business card in each coffin with the address and opening times of the group, so those afflicted can get the help they need.
Law and Order is kept by The City Watch - Who have a six foot tall dwarf, a troll, werewolf and a vampire among their number (they are an equal opportunities employer nowdays) and constitute Ankh Morpork's Police Force.

The city is ruled by a despot, Called Vetinary... who is a strangely lovable tyrant and was educated by The Assassin's Guild.

The city is home to so many Guilds, far too many to mention here but some of the best known are:

The Gambler's Guild.

The Beggar's Guild.

The Fool's Guild.

The Thieves Guild.

The Guild of Priests, Sacerdotes and Occult Intermediateries.

In fact just about every occupation (legal or otherwise) is subject to a Guild, who will come down very heavy on you if you are working without a permit within the City's walls!

A Place Called Lancre

In the countryside surrounding Ankh Morpork, in a little township called Lancre there are various Witches, who seem to love a good quarrel as much as they enjoy being able to show off.

This is also why many of them take part in the annual Witch Trials. These are similar to the 'One Man and his Dog' Sheep Trials but with witches, magic and much bickering instead!

For some reason all the older Witches have names with prefixes such as Granny or Nanny,regardless of whether they are spinsters or not.
There is a whole host of characters on the discworld, these include;

Trolls, Dwarves, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Wizards, Zombies, Assassins, Elves, Picsies, Golems, A talking Cat, Shape Shifters, Demonologists, Dragons, The Four Horsemen of The Apocolypse, Fairies, Hobbos, Fairy Godmothers ( a special type of Witch), Gnomes and Goblins.

A huge array of Gods and Godesses. A Street Vender called Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler - who seems to pop up at gatherings offering suspect meat products from a tray around his neck.

Several of the books take place in lands other than Ankh Morpork and surrounding areas, in these places, whenever there is a social gathering to be had... you will find a version of Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler...the name may change but the dodgyness and effects of the meat products he sells do not!

Of Course with all these various characters inhabiting The Discworld...

There is also on occaisons a need for Death...

Death is An anthromorphicpersonification he has his own realm, where he keeps all the hourglasses of lives and is helped by his servant Albert (himself a very interesting character, but you find out his story as the series of books progress).

Death even has a daughter so he understands how hard it is to juggle your job with the whims of a teenager, and like any other parent often feels under pressure because of this!

He travels on a white horse which he calls Binky, and always talks in capital letters.

Binky is shod when the need arises by Jason the Blacksmith, a son of one of the discworld's most powerful and most cantankerous Witches ... Nanny Ogg.

Death is sometimes unhappy with his job of reaping and when this mood is upon him he delegates his job to his apprentice Mort and goes off and takes a holiday or a job somewhere else for a time!

He appears at various times in cameo roles throughout the series of books, but is also lead character of several books in his own right: Reaper Man, Mort & Hogfather...

He also has a major role in Soul Music when the inhabitants of the Discworld and in particular the Wizards discover a new type of sound called "Music with Rocks in it"!

In that book Death trades his beloved horse Binky in for a skeletal motorbike and leather jacket which helps him no end as he speeds around the Discworld.

Death's Little Helper!

Death being an anthromorphicpersonification is not always the best reaper for the creatures that inhabit the Discworld...Most of his time is taken up by various reapings of the City of Ankh Morpork's vast humaniod population.

There is however another vast population who also inhabit the Big City and these are rats, there are of course many other animals living in and around the city but the sheer volume of rats in the area and thier habit of having short life spans (even shorter if Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler is in need of pie fillings!) makes it neccessary for them to have thier own reaper of souls!

His name is The Grim Squeaker!

The huge volume of rats in the area was of course what attracted The Amazing Maurice and led him to seek his fortune, but that's another story....

If you have never read any of the books in this series...

Take my advice, get out there grab one...any one... you won't be disappointed!

Discworld Bibliography:

The Colour of Magic.The Light Fantastic. Equal Rites. Mort. Sourcery. Wyrd Sisters. Pyramids. Guards! Guards!. Eric. Moving Pictures. Reaper Man. Witches Abroad. Small Gods. Lords and Ladies. Men at Arms. Soul Music. Interesting Times. Maskerade. Feet of Clay. Hogfather. Jingo. The Last Continent. Carpe Jugalum. The Fifth Elephant. The Truth. Thief of Time. Night Watch. Monstrous Regiment. Going Postal. Thud. Making Money. The Last Hero.Good Omens. Strata.

For Younger Readers:

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. The Wee Free Men, A Hatful of Sky. Wintersmith. Where's My Cow?

Other Discworld

The Science of The Discworld. The Science of The Discworld 2 :The Globe.
The Science of The Discworld 3: Darwin's Watch.

DISCWORLD ENCYCLOPEDIAS:

The Discworld Companion. The New Discworld Companion.

OTHER DISCWORLD GOODIES:

The Celebrated Discworld Almanak. The Wit and Wisdom of The Discworld. Where's My Cow? Nanny Ogg's Cookbook. The Unseen University Cut-Out Book.

THE DISCWORLD ILLUSTRATIONS OF PAUL KIDBY:

The Art Of The Discworld. The Discworld Portfolio.

DISCWORLD QUIZZES:

The Unseen University Challenge. The Wyrdest Link.

MAPS:

Death's Domain. The Streets of Ankh Morpork. The Discworld Map. A Tourist Guide To Lancre.

COMPUTER GAMES, AUDIOBOOKS & FILMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE!!!

Some of the many Dicworld Novels available..

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The Discworld of Terry Pratchett

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The Discworld of Terry Pratchett
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