Wossname -- December 2016 -- main issue

[News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett]

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 12, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
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 CONVENTION NEWS
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

"The powers that be have spoken! The Discworld year known on Roundworld 
as 2017 shall be named THE YEAR OF THE BACKWARDS FACING ARTICHOKE!"
– the Discworld Emporium

"What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch 
of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
– the wisdom of Moist von Lipwig

"Hogfather is the twentieth book in the Discworld Series by Terry 
Pratchett. We loved it for many reasons, and in particular because it 
means that my son has now read nearly half the series, which is an 
immense achievement for a ten year old boy who a few years ago announced 
he wasn't going to bother to learn to read."
– blogger katyboo1

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

So much for my intention to take a first-time-ever Hogswatch break! This 
month's issue has made itself manifest after all. It is a bit smaller 
and lighter than usual, but there are still some interesting odds and 
sods, updates and what have you.

We had a wonderful Hogswatch holiday. I hope yours was as well. It's 
been a turbulent year around Roundworld, but we "risen apes" are a 
resilient species, so here's hoping that 2017 – or should I say the Year 
of the Backwards Facing Artichoke – will hold at least a modicum of hope 
and joy.

Right, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 PTERRY AND THE LOCAL CHURCH

Sir Pterry's local Omnian priest (as it were) remembers him with respect 
at Roundworld's Hogswatch time:

"At St Martin's, the congregation was recently faced with a £96,000 bill 
for work to the roof and other essential works. They raised it all, with 
a further £25,000 put in the reserves for the future – and that with a 
population of just 20. The late author Terry Pratchett, who lived 
nearby, joined in with the fundraising despite describing himself as a 
Humanist rather than a Christian. He helped to organise a fair, 
advertising it on his Facebook page. On the day, his fans turned up 
dressed as wizards or as Death, characters from his novels. Mr Pratchett 
came to all the fundraising-committee meetings because he saw the 
importance of the church for the community. He used to like to sit in St 
Martin's, saying it was a place of 'solace to the soul'..."

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/country-life/country-life-christmas-message-bishop-ramsbury-144971

3.2 THE BAR IS OPEN. OOOK!

You may remember a Wossname feature not too long ago, about a 
Discworld-inspired London area micropub called The Broken Drum that was 
about to open. Well, open it did – and it's serving pints right now:

"In case you are not familiar of what a traditional ale house is, we: do 
not have a troll as our bouncer, sawdust covered floors or frequent bar 
brawls. In fact, despite its name, we encourage good conversation and 
only sell the finest real ales straight from the cask, in a relaxed and 
friendly atmosphere."

The Broken Drum supports the Orangutan Foundation and Alzheimer's 
Research UK.

http://www.thebrokendrum.co.uk/

3.3 DISCWORLD: "HIGHEST FORM OF LITERATURE"?

On the Tor blog, fantasy author Brandon Sanderson confessed in 2013:

"I'm embarrassed by how long it took me to discover Terry Pratchett. I 
avoided him during much of my early reading career – I'd read the works 
of fantastical humorists before, and while I'd always enjoyed the 
experience, it wasn't something I intentionally sought out. I didn't 
realize I was missing out on what are arguably the best books fantasy 
has to offer. It's hard to describe Pratchett to the uninitiated. His 
works mostly take place on a fictional world shaped like a disc, and the 
stories tend to be murder mysteries or thrillers mixed with a healthy 
dose of satire on the human condition. Like the best works of fantasy, a 
journey with his trolls, witches, and crusty night watchmen provokes 
inspection of our own world. But what other authors do with light 
allusions, Discworld does with a sledgehammer. And with light allusion 
too. Then it steals your wallet.

"Discworld is story, humor, and philosophy all in one. Nowhere else have 
I been made to laugh so much while being forced to think so much, all 
while being given a wonderful plot. The closest thing to Pratchett out 
there is Shakespeare. Yes, really. Here's the core of my argument, then. 
Pratchett isn't just funny, Pratchett is transcendent. There are lots of 
funny writers. Some are hilarious. A few are good at making you think at 
the same time. But most humorists, while brilliant, have trouble with 
story. If I put their book down, I remember the laughter, but feel no 
urgency to return. Those narratives don't get their hooks in me – they 
don't have that pull, like gravity, that a good plot builds. In short, 
they don't make me think – bleary-eyed at 3:00 a.m. – that I need to 
read one more chapter. Pratchett, on the other hand, routinely makes me 
lose sleep. His best stories (I suggest Going Postal or The Truth) have 
excellent narrative urgency, but add to it a level of riotous wit. Then, 
if that weren't enough, they kick you in the head with moments of 
poignant commentary – unexpected, brazen, and delightful... In five 
hundred years, it won't be the Nobel laureates who are being studied. 
It's going to be this guy..."

http://www.tor.com/2013/04/27/terry-pratchetts-discworld-might-be-the-highest-form-of-literature-on-the-planet/

3.4 SIR PTERRY AND THE DOCTOR

A bit of an action replay – a lovely reminiscence from the "Anglonerd" 
ezine about Sir Pterry in 2014 at a Barnes and Noble bookshop, musing on 
Doctor Who (includes video):

"Terry Pratchett and Rob Wilkins had a discussion about Terry's new book 
Dodger. The conversation was wonderfully derailed several times, and 
they got to share other Pratchett news about The Watch TV series and 
Nation and so on (I'll be sharing those on this blog in forthcoming 
posts), as well as tangents about things like Doctor Who. Below is the 
transcript and video of Sir Terry's opinion on the casting of the Doctor...

"Terry: I was there for the first episode of Doctor Who. The thing about 
Doctor Who, if you are a real Doctor Who fan, you might know that when 
the BBC put it out, not many people watched the first episode, but those 
that did were telling people about it. So, on the next Saturday, they 
repeated the first one so that people could see what it was all about. 
Just a piece of trivia, but there it is, because I was there, hiding 
behind the settee.

"Rob: William Hartnell was no David Tennant, though, I'm sorry.

"Terry: No, but David Tennant is a definite David Tennant. He is the 
best Doctor Who of ever because he is an actor. The best of them are... 
funny, the modern ones are just bloody clowns..."

https://anglonerd.wordpress.com/2016/12/11/terry-pratchett-on-why-david-tennant-is-the-best-doctor/

3.5 A DEFINITIVE LISTING, OR...

...not? On Buzzfeed, one Tom Chivers has posted a list of what he claims 
is the correct rankings-for-excellence order of all the Discworld 
novels. Except it's *not* all the Discworld novels, and as for his 
rankings, well, anyone who lists Night Watch in one of the lowest 
positions and Pyramids in the top three... (insert eyerolls, facepalms 
and headdesks here). But it's nonetheless of interest:

"Disclaimer: This list will annoy some people, but it's my list, so 
there. Also, I haven't included the Tiffany Aching novels and the other 
young-adult books, or a few other oddments such as The Last Hero. The 
list was long enough already, and again, it's my list. With thanks to 
Graeme Neill, who is behind the blog Pratchett Job, in which he's 
reading all of the Discworld novels in chronological order and writing 
about each of them."

For the record, here is Chivers' list, from his lowest-ranked to his 
highest:

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

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomchivers/the-definitive-listing-of-terry-pratchetts-discworld-novels

3.6 ALZHEIMER'S NEWS: DEMENTIA VIEWPOINTS, AND A CLUE IN ART

Oscar-nominated actress Carey Mulligan has seen the effects of 
Alzheimer's at close range, in her own family. She talked to the BBC 
about her activism:

The Christmas period is undoubtedly a time many of us look forward to 
spending with family and friends and that's no different for me. My 
beloved grandmother "Nans" turned 91 a couple of days before Christmas 
and my family and many of Nans' friends – laden with copious amounts of 
cake – went down to Wales to see her and celebrate. Nans and I have 
always been extremely close and she is the single most influential 
person in my life aside from my parents. But a lot has changed in our 
relationship in the last 12 years. Nans was diagnosed with dementia in 
2004 and from that moment our lives changed significantly. But on days 
like Friday, when we all come together and celebrate her life with those 
who love her the most, there are still moments of the purest magic.

"Dementia is an urgent health crisis that we can no longer ignore. Some 
850,000 people in the UK have the condition and more than 47 million 
people globally live with it. Its growing prevalence has improved how 
we, as a society, view dementia. But there is still a long way to go and 
the stigma of dementia remains rife... Too many common myths and 
misconceptions about dementia still exist. Time and again I hear 
reference to it as just being a natural part of ageing. And, 
unfortunately, it is often the butt of distasteful jokes. But dementia 
is a disease of the brain and it requires understanding, care and 
support. The first step in changing people's understanding of dementia 
and improving the lives of those who have the condition involves 
educating people not just on our doorstep, but across the world. Schemes 
that set out to change perceptions are doing fantastic work already. The 
Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Friends is a good example. It has 1.7 
million people signed up to take action and change the way people think, 
act and talk about dementia. Through information sessions participants 
are asked to think about what living with dementia might be like, 
practically and emotionally, and are encouraged to make changes within 
their community to make life a bit easier for people living with dementia.

"As a global ambassador for the schemes, my aim is to raise awareness 
and help change global attitudes towards dementia. I recently delivered 
a Dementia Friends information session to an audience of 50 young people 
in Los Angeles. In spite of a few misconceptions about dementia they 
were really interested to try to understand the disease in a real way. 
Many of them used words like 'crazy', 'loony' etc when I first asked 
them what words came to mind when we thought about dementia. But by the 
end of the session there was a room of young people inspired to do more 
for those in their communities living with dementia. A young person 
growing up with an understanding of the illness is one of the most 
crucial elements of changing how it is viewed and building a 
dementia-friendly generation..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38405698

...and Dominic Hughes reported on how artists' changing brush strokes 
might reveal early signs of dementia:

"But can art – more specifically, the way artists work – tell us 
something about the development of dementia and other degenerative brain 
diseases? A minute analysis of the brushstrokes used by artists who 
developed neurological diseases reveals intriguing clues about changes 
in the brain that occurred years before any symptoms became obvious. The 
mathematical method is called 'fractal analysis', which is a way of 
looking at recurring patterns that occur both in maths and in nature. 
Trees and clouds are said to be 'fractal', as are the recurring patterns 
of our brainwaves and heartbeats. The same applies to the individual 
brushstrokes of artists, which can be compared to their individual 
handwriting.

"Psychologist Alex Forsythe from Liverpool University carried out a 
fractal analysis of more than two thousand works by seven famous artists 
and found tiny changes in those patterns. 'In artists who went on to 
develop dementia or Parkinson's disease, the fractal patterns started to 
change in an unusual way. So what we found was that up to 20 years 
before they actually had a diagnosis of a neurological disorder, the 
fractal content in the paintings had started to decrease. So anything 
that helps us understand more about the way in which the brain operates 
is a useful way to inform future directions for research.' The artist 
Willem de Kooning was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease after his death 
in 1997. The brushstroke patterns seen in his earlier work were 
different when compared to later paintings. But in artists like Monet 
and Picasso, who died free of any known neurological disease, the 
patterns remained constant throughout their lives. It's striking that 
the even though Picasso in particular changed styles so often throughout 
his career, his fractal range was constant, regardless of the style in 
which he painted..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-38414104

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

AUSDWCON NEWS: LATEST UPDATE

THE DISCWORLD GRAND TOUR
4th-6th August 2017
Lakes Resort Hotel, West Lakes, South Australia

All aboard for the Discworld Grand Tour! Grab your ticket at the 
early-bird price before February 4th, 2017. 
(_https://ausdwcon.org/shop/tickets_)

"But it's just after Hogswatch, I can't afford that right now!" you may 
cry! Well, despair not! If you purchase a Supporting Membership prior to 
February 4th 2017, you can upgrade at a later date to the early-bird 
price! (_https://ausdwcon.org/shop/product/supporting-membership/_)

No tourist is complete without a cheesy hat or t-shirt, and we've got 
plenty available! Check out our full range of souvenirs at 
https://ausdwcon.org/shop/souvenirs/

And of course, for all the information about the Discworld Grand Tour, 
including activities, venue, and more, visit our website at 
http://ausdwcon.org

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 PLAYS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2017

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN SOUTHAMPTON (JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017)

The Nuffield Southampton Theatre will present their production of 
Monstrous Regiment next month!

When: 31st January – 4th February 2017
Venue: NST (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), University Road, Southampton 
SO17 1TR
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13 (concessions £10, under-16s £8, groups of 10 or more £10), 
available from the Box Office (phone 023 8067 1771) or online at 
https://www.nstheatres.co.uk/whats-on/monstrous-regiment/book

Note: there is a special 2-for-1 student offer on Wednesday only. Also 
worth noting: the Friday show is already nearly sold out!

https://www.nstheatres.co.uk/whats-on/monstrous-regiment

* TAMAHER IN CARDIFF (FEBRUARY 2017)

Monstrous Productions' next offering is The Amazing Maurice and his 
Educated Rodents.

When: 22nd–25th February 2017
Venue: The Gate Theatre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on the 25th)
Tickets: £7 (£5 concession), available from 
http://monstrousproductions.fikket.com/

* MORT IN OREGON (FEBRUARY 2017)

The Majestic Theatre in Corvallis, Oregon, USA will be staging their 
production of Mort in February.

"DEATH is always right behind us. But if he were in front of us, and 
this were the fantastical Discworld invented by the late Sir Terry 
Pratchett, Death would also be a seven-foot skeleton with a black robe 
and a scythe. And when Death is in front of young Mort, he also has an 
offer of an apprenticeship. In this hilarious overview of life, love, 
and death (not in that order), Mort finds himself living in Death's 
abode, but when he finally gets a chance to do the job, his mistakes 
cause reality to be sliced in half, with a beautiful princess somewhere 
between life and death and not very happy about it. Surrounded by 
panicked wizards, arrogant royalty, goofy drunks, and short-order chefs, 
Mort and Death must confront their own fears in order to restore order, 
and figure out who lives, and who's fired!"

When: 10th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th February 2017 
(performances on the 12th and 19th are matinees)
Venue: Main stage, The Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis, 
OR 97333
Time: 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th and 18th February at 7:30pm; 12th and 19th 
February at 2:30pm
Tickets: $16 (students and "seniors" $14), available online at 
https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?actions=13&p=1 or from the Box 
Office (phone 541-738-7469).
Box Office Hours: 12:00pm – 5:00pm, Wednesday – Friday during periods of 
active production. The Box Office is also open 75 minutes before all 
performances.
Please note that there will be no late seating.

http://www.majestic.org/

5.2 PLAYS IN MARCH 2017

* CARPE JUGULUM IN NOTTINGHAM (MARCH 2017)

The Lace Market Youth Theatre present Carpe Jugulum, "a pastiche of 
vampire literature playing with mythic archetypes and featuring a tongue 
in cheek reversal of 'vampyre' subculture with young vampires who wear 
bright clothes, drink wine and stay up till noon", in March.

When: 22nd–25th March 2017
Venue: The Lace Market Theatre, Halifax Place, Nottingham NG1 1QN
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm Saturday 25th matinee
Tickets: £11 (£10 concessions), available online at 
http://bit.ly/2dIKhod or by phoning 0115 950 7201

https://lacemarkettheatre.co.uk/LaceMarketTheatre.dll/WhatsOn

* WYRD SISTERS IN BOLTON, LANCS (MARCH 2017)

Bolton Little Theatre, "a vibrant amateur theatre company run by 
members" since 1931, will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters in 
March.

When: 6th–11th March 2017
Venue: Bolton Little Theatre, Hanover Street, Bolton BL1 4TG
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 (Monday night 3 for 2 special), available at 
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boltonlittletheatre or 
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/EFILHL – group bookings of 10+ (£9) 
should be booked through the Box Office. "You can book at Bolton Little 
Theatre box office in person or by telephone on Monday night from 7.30 
to 9pm and Friday mornings from 10.30 to 12 noon – no extra charge if 
paying by cash or cheque and you can book during the run of the plays or 
you can book online at boltonlittletheatre.ticketsource.co.uk ...credit 
card charges will apply. Tickets can be e-tickets (no charge) mobile 
phone ticket (50p) standard post (£1.50)."

http://www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk/terry-pratchetts-wyrd-sisters/

5.3 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2017)

Brisbane Arts Theatre will be presenting their next Discworld play, 
Lords and Ladies – adapted by Irana brown – next September!

"Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – the witches of Lancre – are the 
Discworld's only hope of rescue when elves threaten to take control with 
their hypnotic 'glamour'. Standing stones, wizards, Morris men, rude 
mechanicals, country lore and ancient magic all combine in this 
adaptation of one of Sir Terry's finest. With a full supporting cast of 
dwarves, wizards, trolls and one orangutan, the hilarious Lords and 
Ladies delivers an abundance of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the 
place."

When: 16th September – 21st October 2017
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays & Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $34, Concession $28, Group 10+ $27, Student Rush $15 (10 
mins before curtain), available online at 
http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/TicketRequest?&presenter=AUBAT&event=LANDL
"Subscribers can redeem season tickets for this show. There are no 
refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased."

http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/lordsandladies

5.4 REVIEWS

* REVIEW: MORT IN HARROGATE

By Kate Albrecht, in the Harrogate Advertiser:

"'It would seem that you have no useful talent whatsoever. Have you 
thought of going into teaching?' So writes Terry Pratchett. Death goes 
to the Jobcentre to look for a new job, having handed over the reins of 
Binky the horse to a hapless farm boy, in Terry Pratchett's highly 
popular novel Mort. Woodlands Drama Group presented the stage adaptation 
by Stephen Briggs at Harrogate Theatre with Julie James as 
producer/director. A very busy cast included Mark Dove with 
sepulchrally-amplified voice as Death, Max Albrecht as Mort, Brian Hey 
as the wizard Cutwell, Frankie Sharp as Death's daughter Ysabell, and 
Jonathan Hill as his manservant Albert. Ian Clarke, Jemma Bunting, Ben 
Pollard, Sarah Blackamore, Keiran Lancaster and Rosie Day all created 
distinct characters in multiple roles. A convoluted plot is kicked into 
action when Mort fails to collect the soul of Princess Keli (well played 
by Liz Watt) and kills her would-be assassin instead. Costume, lighting 
and sound departments all clearly had plenty to do; weapons and 
accessories were designed and made by Helen and Toby Albrecht; and the 
direction made excellent use of the limited space. It was a welcome 
treat for Pratchettphiles, and a good introduction to the Discworld 
creator's barmy universe for those who have always needed one but were 
afraid to ask."

http://bit.ly/2hT1qtT

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld 
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 9th January 
2017 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ.

For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email 
BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk

*

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 all 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." [Editor's note: this is an active 
group. If you use Facebook, it may be worth joining!]

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 at 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. The games are usually shorter games like 
Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf 
session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. 
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 event will be a Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe on 15th 
January. For more info, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th January 2017 
(probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For 
more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th 
January 2017 (probably) 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 9th 
January 2017 at 6.30pm (probably, since Monday 2nd January is a public 
holiday) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. 
For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): 
kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets 
next on Monday 9th January 2017 (probably, see above) from 5.30pm at 
Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details 
follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook 
group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message 
Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%–

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE: HOGFATHER

The Hogfather audiobook, reviewed by blogger Jonathan Feinstein:

"If I have any complaint it is that this audio-edition was abridged. A 
lot of really good stuff was cut out – oh nothing directly important to 
hold the plot together, but details and sometimes details matter, such 
as when Susan reminds one of her young charges to stop speaking with the 
exaggerated childish lisp she puts on just to be cute. It is a point 
that repeats several times in the story to good effect, but which was 
scrubbed from the abridged edition. Or of the scene in which Corporal 
Nobby Nobbs of the Ankh Morpork City Watch approaches Death, now playing 
the Hogfather at a Department store. Nobbs is unable to actually arrest 
the Hogfather and, instead, falls back on habits learned as a child and 
sits on the Hogfather's knee. Even Death is unable to exactly figure out 
Nobbs, though and asks things like 'AND WHAT'S YOUR NAME, LITTLE... 
PERSON?' and 'AND HAVE YOU BEEN A GOOD BO... A GOOD INDIVIDUAL?' Fun 
stuff and I'm sorry it got left out.

"The book is read by Tony Robinson who played Baldrick in the Blackadder 
series. He also appeared at the department store owner in the Hogfather 
TV adaptation. For the most part he reads wonderfully, but he does not 
quite get Death's voice right. He just does not have the deep resonant 
voice of Ian Richardson or Christopher Lee (both of whom have provided 
the voice of Death in Discworld adaptations) and his attempt to talk in 
a Deathly whisper pales beside those other actors who have tried. 
However, the rest of the reading is excellently done and well worth the 
time to listen to..."

https://jonathanfeinstein.wordpress.com/2016/12/25/an-audio-book-review-a-rather-different-holiday-story/

...and the print version, by blogger katyboo1:

"Hogfather is one of the stories with Death in, who I increasingly grow 
to love as the series goes on. Death becomes more complex, more 
thoughtful, more critical of humanity and indeed more human as the books 
progress. Death, in lots of ways, reminds me of Dr. Who in the way that 
he regards the human race. Always saving them, always baffled by them, 
can't help loving them... Many fine and beloved characters make their 
appearance in this book, which is one of the reasons we love it so. 
Bloody Stupid Johnson and his almost perfect bathroom in the Unseen 
University, Ridcully the arch chancellor and the bursar with his dried 
frog pills, Hex and his growing complexities, and even Corporal Nobby 
Nobs all get a look in on this seasonal and brilliant volume in the 
series..."

https://makingthemreaders.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/hogfather-by-terry-pratchett-a-book-review/

Recommended by blogger Heidi Teague for Debut magazine:

"There's nothing twee or sickly sweet about Hogfather, this is proper 
dark and wintery fare; think more of midwinter festivals and Pagan 
traditions than of the commercialised, sanitised Christmas seen in TV 
adverts. But it's all the better for that; children and adults alike 
relish the dark to balance the light, which is why fairy tales remain so 
popular. If Hogfather was to be likened to anything, The Nightmare 
Before Christmas is the best comparison; in fact the plots are somewhat 
parallel. The protagonists of this particular story are not your typical 
heroes; Susan is a young grim nanny who can see rather more than she 
would like, she's more Mary Shelley than Mary Poppins. Working hard to 
be the saviour of Hogswatch so the children aren't disappointed is 
Susan's grandfather, none other than Death himself. A mostly 
good-natured fellow, he doesn't always quite get humans and sometimes 
he'll take their wishes rather too literally, but he does appreciate cats.

"Terry Pratchett's writing is effortless to read; the humour is deft yet 
laugh out loud, and he knows just how to stay on the right side of 
eerie, much like Roald Dahl. The Discworld books are numerous and 
sprawling, yet can largely be dipped into at any point. Hogfather is an 
enjoyable stand-alone, or an excellent introduction to Discworld. If you 
enjoy this, I recommend reading more of the series..."

https://debutmagazine.co.uk/2016/12/22/character-reference-books-hogfather/

...and by blogger Clyde Umney:

"You may hear how funny [Pratchett] is – and he is undeniably that – or 
how wonderful Discworld is as a blending of the issues of our world and 
Pratchett's wondrous fantasy creation, and you think, okay, I get it. 
But what you don't understand until you read Pratchett was how profound 
and humane he could be, and how astonishingly complex his seemingly 
'silly' stories could be. After all, who else could take the concept of 
Hogfather – in which Death takes over for Discworld's version of Santa 
Claus – and turn it into a profound, complex exploration of the 
importance of faith, belief, and fairy tales as a fundamental aspect of 
humanity? No one, I'd argue... and even if someone tried, it's hard to 
imagine them doing it as effortlessly, comically, and brilliantly as 
Pratchett manages... Pratchett uses his gleefully madcap plot – which 
incorporates a slew of local criminals, the secret life of tooth 
fairies, the god of hangovers, and so much more – to begin discussing 
the nature of belief, the importance of fairy tales to human existence, 
the nature of folk tales, and so much more. And if that's not enough, he 
still manages to get in his jabs at human existence – at the cruelties 
of tragedies in the holiday season, the hypocrisy of charity, and so 
much more. It's a book whose satirical edge is sharp and takes no 
prisoners, and yet never passes the chance to make you laugh, and laugh 
hard…but it will hit you in the gut right after it..."

https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/hogfather-by-terry-pratchett/

Pratchett newbie Mysha-Tatiana took on Hogfather as her first essay into 
Discworld, and was intrigued:

"There's a lot to love about this book. It's sense of humor and the 
general absurdity of the plot at times had me inwardly chuckling to 
myself. I loved Death in this story. Just absolutely loved it. 
Especially as the Hogfather. There's just something so absurd about that 
premise and I loved how it was executed. I also really enjoyed the 
book's overall meditations on the nature of belief. The book's main 
conflict comes when the Auditors, beings that provide checks to the 
universe, tries to off the Hogfather because he represents one of the 
biggest examples of humanity's “untruthfulness.” Due to the vacuum that 
the absence of the Hogfather creates, the leftover magic brings things 
into beings that are brought about by human imagination. As an example, 
if you ever wondered why socks always go missing when you put them in 
the laundry, you could reasonably conclude that it's because something 
(goblin, fairy, low level god) was stealing them away. Things exist to 
us when we believe they do and these conversations turned out to be the 
most interesting parts of the novel to me... I was unfamiliar with 
Discworld and I always felt like I was missing out on something because 
I hadn't completed any books prior to this one which is my own fault. 
I'll own that. I ended up liking what came in the end and couldn't put 
the book down for the last 100 pages..."

https://creativelyaddled.wordpress.com/2016/12/14/hogfather-review/

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

08)  IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The cast of the Woodlands Drama Group's recent production of Mort, 
featuring a perfect-looking Mort and Cutwell:
http://bit.ly/2hsTmAj

A wonderfully amusing letter from The Author, as tweeted by Letters of Note:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CzK-WG8WEAA86ZM.jpg

Another piece of Paul Kidby Discworld art:
"French publishers L'Atalante have requested to use my cover art for 
Terry Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell series, here is Johnny & the Bomb, 
painted in 2013."
http://bit.ly/2hayi1g

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

09) CLOSE

And as the last hours of 2016 tick away, Wossname wishes all you Readers 
and your friends and family an exciting (but not too exciting) Year of 
the Backwards Facing Artichoke, filled with interesting (but not *too* 
interesting) times. See you next month – and next year!

– Annie Mac


The mirror version of this issue can be viewed at 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/44355.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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