Wossname -- February 2018 -- main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Sat Feb 24 12:10:38 AEDT 2018
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 2, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett.
Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of
the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the
North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname
is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02 EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"I was thrilled to be asked by Penguin Random House Children's to
illustrate Only You Can Save Mankind – a book I had read and loved it
when it was first published. Ben, my designer at PRHC gave me free reign
[sic] to imagine the characters and I researched computer games from the
good old days of the 80s and 90s to help with the feel of the
illustrations then using dip pen and ink to work the images up to final.
It was a pleasure to work on as I got to illustrate planets and space
monsters! Real favourites of mine."
– illustrator Mark Beech, speaking to Penguin Books
"I am always moved by the underlying threads of kindness in his work, of
compassion and tenderness for this funny old world and the fragile
people who inhabit it. So, all of those – his style, his wit and his
tremendous affection within the writing – are, I think, what addict
people to his work."
– theatre director Gay Hammond on the works of Sir Pterry
"The gonne gave you power from outside. You didn't use it, it used you."
– a timely quotation from @DailyPratchett
"If the rest of the show turns out like this early trailer that we've
all seen I think it's going to be quite special."
– David "Crowley" Tennant, on viewing a special production-team-only
teaser trailer for Good Omens
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
"It's kind of silly and fun, but silly and fun things are important." So
said SpaceX and Tesla chief Elon Musk, talking about his wonderful
science-meets-PR stunt earlier this month that sent one of his own
electric cars on an extended journey around the Solar System. Sir
Pterry, himself a keen sky-watcher, totally understood this attitude,
and it's one of the things that makes his work so memorable. For all the
times many of us might think, 'I'm glad he didn't live to see much of
the current strange goings-on in Roundworld", I think I speak for us all
when I say it's a shame he didn't live to watch "Starman" set out on its
trek.
For those of you who may have missed the test launch of Falcon Heavy and
its outcome, have a shufti at http://bit.ly/2BNPsib and
https://ind.pn/2oqUnxV – and if you want to know where the peripatetic
car has got to now, go to http://www.whereisroadster.com/
Now then... on with the show!
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 GOOD OMENS NEWS
Former telly-mates Mark Gatiss and Steve Pemberton are the latest
surprise stars to join the Good Omens cast, playing book buyers Harmony
and Glozier:
"'I'm delighted to be working with David and Michael again and of course
with Steve – bringing a little Film Noir menace to such an exciting
project,' Gatiss said. 'Being bad never felt so good!' Pemberton added:
'To be asked to fly to Cape Town with Mark and meet up with old friends
David and Michael working on a script from the genius mind of Neil
Gaiman…? Well, you had me at Cape Town. Glozier and Harmony are a small
piece of the jigsaw but hopefully one which will fit nicely into place.'..."
http://bit.ly/2CFv6nV
...and there's a good piece in the Radio Times, with accompanying photos
and more observations from David Tennant:
http://bit.ly/2otjzCX
...and a few quotes to be going on with:
" It's been such a privilege getting to work with him and @michaelsheen
on this show. So many talented actors but those two set the bar so high
and always delivered."
– Neil Gaiman, 20th February 2018
"I thought that watching an angel delightedly gavotting was the best
thing I'd ever seen. But tonight I watched three demons disco dancing
badly with a giant pin and the world can get no better."
– ibid
3.2 PATRICIAN'S THE WORD FOR THE LATEST HEX VIDEO PLAYER
The team behind the VLC Media Player are obviously Discworld fans! The
software, which is used across all platforms and on various devices
(including Casa Wossname's Linux system – Ed.), has presented its latest
release. We've already had The Luggage, Twoflower, Rincewind,
Weatherwax, and Terry Pratchett – and now, Vetinari:
"Major updates to VideoLAN's VLC media player don't happen every day.
The player's development goes all the way back to 1996. Its 1.0 release
came around in 2009, and version 2.0 was pushed out in 2012. All of that
work has led to today's VLC 3.0 Vetinari release, named after a
character from Terry Pratchett's Discworld book series... The software
claims it can use available hardware acceleration on all platforms,
including HEVC decoding on Windows and Android. The player's website has
demos of 8K video playback at 60 FPS on a Windows 10 system and 48 FPS
8K video on a Samsung Galaxy S8. We can't think of a media player
application available on more platforms..."
https://techreport.com/news/33233/vlc-3-0-arrives-with-hdr-support-chromecast-streaming-and-more
p.s. Rumour has it that the next release will be called Otto Chriek!
p.p.s. In an amusing note, someone at Asian news aggregator MiceTimes
seems to have placed too much trust in Google Translate. Here is a quote
from their page on it: "In the new version of the player has got support
for media players Chromecast, resolution and 8K technology HDR10.
Version 3.0. Vetinari got its name in honor of Havlaga Vetinari is a
character in the books series 'the world is Flat' by the English writer
Terry Pratchett."
3.3 GUARDS! GUARDS! – THE PRAISE NEVER STOPS
From Penguin Books/Transworld, a round-up of fan reaction to the eigh-,
er 7+1th Discworld novel:
"'I am having so much fun rereading this book. I discovered the
Discworld about 16 years ago at University. I am from South Africa.
English is my second language, so I did not necessarily ‘get' all the
subtle nuances or sarcastic intonations. Rereading this book as an
adult, with more life experience, I am astounded at Terry Pratchett's
insight into the human existence! Ankh-Morpork could be a metaphor for
any number of destinations in the world considering the current
political climate. And YET, it remains hilariously well-written.' - Lizanne
"'I found 'Guards! Guards!' at a time when I was pretty depressed. I had
deferred from uni and didn't feel like there was all that much that was
enjoyable in life anymore. I was just going through the motions day to
day. My dad suggested a trip to see relatives in Canberra. We were going
to drive all the way from Melbourne. I played for him the 'Guards!
Guards!' Audiobook as we started driving, just to liven my mood. We
didn't turn it off for the whole drive there and back, we were so
enthralled. There was a lot of laughter which was a nice change for me.
From that moment on Discworld had two more devotees. I have reread
Guards! Guards! several times since. Its one of his best' - Tom
"I am constantly amazed at how perfectly, succinctly and wittily Sir
Terry nailed human nature... There were tonnes or 1 or 2 liners that
were just perfect but I was so busy reading it, I didn't stop to take a
note of them. I'm looking forward to whichever book is chosen next! - Cara"
There is also a link to a collection of Discworld fan art:
http://news.penguin.co.uk/c/1DAgNlWXaPRKVT2EVEixvjmd8
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do
check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between
issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH
* WYRD SISTERS IN NORFOLK (FEBRUARY)
The Thorpe Players' final night of Wyrd Sisters is tonight!
When: 24th February 2018
Venue: Roxley Hall, Yarmouth Road, Thorpe St-Andrew, Norwich, Norfolk
NR7 0QZ
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £8.50, available from the Box Office (01603 702777) or online
at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/thorpeplayers
http://thorpe-players.squarespace.com/
* MORT IN ESSEX (FEBRUARY)
The Harlow Theatre Company's final night of Mort is tonight!
When: 24th February 2018
Venue: Victoria Hall Theatre, Bury Road, Old Harlow, Essex CM20 1LL
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £13 (£10 concessions), available from the Box Office (0333 666
3366) or online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/223071
https://www.harlowtheatrecompany.org.uk/
* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY)
We Are Theatre's production of Maskerade is on next week!
When: 26th–28th Feb 2018
Venue: The Black Swan, Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PR
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10, bookable by phoning 07521 364107 (note that there is only
limited seating available)
http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html
* WYRD SISTERS IN THE LAND OF FOG (FEBRUARY/MARCH)
The Globe Theatre are staging their production of Wyrd Sisters, directed
by Sofie Welvaert, from tonight though early March!
When: 24th February–3rd March 2018
Venue: Globe Theatre, 104 London Street, Dunedin, Otago, South Island NZ
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: NZ$25 (Concession, tertiary students, group of 5 or more $20,
Globe members $15, school students $10). To purchase tickets, ring 03
477 3274 or purchase online via
http://www.globetheatre.org.nz/booking.php?season_id=426
http://www.globetheatre.org.nz/
...and here be an interesting interview with Ms Welvaert, who is both
director and costume maker for the production:
https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/theatre/stitching-pieces-together
* WYRD SISTERS IN IFIELD, WEST SUSSEX (MARCH)
The Ifield Barn Theatre Society are gearing up for their production of
Wyrd Sisters in March.
When: 7th–10th March 2018
Venue: Ifield Barn Theatre, Ifield Street, Crawley, W Sussex RH110NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows, plus a 3pm matinee on 10th March
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available from
http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre
http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html
4.2 PLAYS IN APRIL
* WYRD SISTERS IN BENDIGO, FOURECKS (APRIL)
The Bendigo Theatre Company's Tribe Youth Theatre will stage a
production of Wyrd Sisters in April!
When: 5th–8th April 2018
Venue: BTC Arts Shed, 15-17 Allingham Street, Golden Square, Bendigo,
Victoria 3555
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: $22 (concessions $20; students $17; children under 12 $14;
family ticket $57), available via http://bit.ly/2Clm4jH – choose your
date from the drop-down menu.
https://bendigotheatrecompany.org/
* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN ILLINOIS, USA (APRIL)
The Green Man Theatre Troupe will be staging their production of
Monstrous Regiment in April. Good to see more and more American
Discworld productions going on!
When: 13th April–29th April 2018, Fridays through Sundays
Venue: First United Methodist Church, 232 S.York Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, 2pm Sunday matinees
Tickets: $17 (students and seniors $15), available from the Box Office
(630 464 2646)
http://www.greenmantheatre.org
* JINGO IN DORSET (APRIL)
The Castle Players will present their production of Jingo in April "in
celebration of what would have been Sir Terry Pratchett's 70th
Birthday". A good choice!
When: 26th–28th April 2018
Venue: The Village Hall, High Street, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset
BH16 6DD
Time: 7.45pm evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9), bookable by phone (07938 965434) or
available from the Rose and Crown in Lytchett Matravers or online at
https://www.castleplayers.com/tickets
https://www.castleplayers.com
* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY (APRIL)
CADOS (possibly once the Chorley and District Operatic Society?) will be
staging Guards! Guards! in April: "This production marks what would have
been Sir Terry's 70th birthday."
When: 23rd–28th April 2018
Venue: Chorley Little Theatre, Dole Lane, Chorley, Lancs PR7 2RL
Time: 7:30pm all shows
Tickets: 23rd, 24th, 25th £8; 26th, 27th, 28th £10, available online at
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/208113 or in person at Malcom's
Musicland 01257 264362 or Ebb & Flo Bookshop or when the Theatre Box
Office is open for shows.
http://www.chorleylittletheatre.com/chorleytheatre/index.php/event/552-cados-play
Editor's note: the theatre itself is absolutely adorable! Look:
http://www.chorleylittletheatre.com/chorleytheatre/images/ChorleyLittleTheatre1.jpg
* MORT IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)
The Carlton Players will be staging Mort next April: "He gets board and
lodging and free use of company horse, and doesn't even need time off
for his grandmother's funeral..."
When: 24th–28th April 2018
Venue: The Little Theatre, Grange Rd West, Birkenhead CH41 4BY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8 (students and under-16s £6), available from
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/venue/FEDIFI or by ringing the box office
on 0151 647 6593
https://www.carltonlittletheatre.co.uk/the-carlton-players/2017-18-season/mort/
4.3 PLAYS LATER IN 2018
* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY)
City College Plymouth will be staging their production of Guards!
Guards! in May 2018.
When: 16th–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA
https://allevents.in/plymouth/guards-guards-by-terry-pratchett/1943260799295027
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)
It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next
Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props
to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage: "Men at Arms is the
15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy
universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and
newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the
expertise of our Pratchett team."
When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes,
the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays.
"Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now
online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets
priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain
on the dates
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/menatarms
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December 2018. Keep
an eye on their website: "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and
a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing
postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help
of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two
hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see
that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand
Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay
alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In
the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have
failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's
prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studios, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA
http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/coming-soon
4.4 REVIEWS
REVIEW: FEET OF CLAY IN DURHAM
By Martin Docherty for Palatinate.org:
"In her director's note for the show, Katherine Briggs states the
desired aesthetic was a 'mish-mash of steak[sic] punk Dickens-come-Conan
Doyle and a good old murder mystery', and this was realised on stage as
a heartfelt, homely pastiche of that idea in the set design, gelling
excellently with the performances that took place upon it... The stage
proper was excellently used, and these three locations felt very well
defined, but the curtain use meant a sense of location was almost
entirely lost at points – including two of the climatic moments that
just felt entirely removed from the rest of the production... There were
numerous lighting mistakes and general sloppiness throughout the show
that really let it down and did not meet the expectations one has of a
10th anniversary show from an annually releasing production group...
despite general clumsiness of execution, this play possessed a genuine
charm and passion. This heart came from the exemplary performances of
some of the cast. Chief among those performances was Uday Duggal's
portrayal of Commander Vimes. Without a strong protagonist, this
production would have totally fallen apart, but Duggal's gruff and
thoughtful characterisation of Vimes undoubtedly invested the audience
in the central mystery by virtue of our interest in him. The varied
technical issues were made a secondary concern by how powerfully Duggal
commanded the attention of the audience... the ensemble of townspeople
and guild leaders also worked together well with the musicians as
buskers, and alongside Layla Chowdhury's Littlebottom and Hannah
Sanderson's Angua they formed an inn scene that was my favourite of the
show... Georgia Proctor's musical direction and composition of the
pieces must be commended, and the use of the band as buskers on stage
was brilliant. Honestly, I do not understand why they were not included
more..."
https://www.palatinate.org.uk/feet-clay-review-clumsy-charm/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
5.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES
New issues for a new year include the Ankh-Morpork Coat of Arms 2p, the
Morporkia 5p and 10p, the Tower of Art $1, the Thieves' Guild 4p Petty
Theft, the Thieves' Guild 12p, the Clacks Mail $1, the Lancre 3p and 6p,
and the Tsort half drachma and 1 drachma, not to mention an Ankh-Morpork
Post Office stamp set ("Souvenir set of iconic Discworld Stamps from the
Ankh-Morpork Post Office, as created by Moist Von Lipwig himself in the
pages of Going Postal! Printed in Ankh-Morpork by Teemer and Spools! ")
and various Little Brown Envelopes.
For prices and other information, go to
https://www.discworldemporium.com/39-new-stamps
There's also a fresh batch of Discworld t-shirts, designed by cover
artist Joe McLaren, featuring Death of Rats, Death, and Great A'Tuin.
For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/381-the-death-of-rats-t-shirt
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/206-the-turtle-moves-t-shirt
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/409-i-could-murder-a-curry-t-shirt
...and the Luggage, of course:
"Beware the pitter patter of tiny (bronze) feet! Our bestselling Luggage
figurine is now available in our signature bronze finish! This deluxe
edition of Twoflower & Rincewind's terrifying travel companion will feel
right at home with our growing collection of precious metal-effect
Discworld characters... we just hope he doesn't devour the others! Each
homicidal box on legs is presented in a Discworld Emporium gift box, and
features a removable lid to reveal space for your trinkets and gold
Rhinu. Also available in a fully hand painted finish for those who
prefer their Luggage in glorious thaumicolour!"
https://www.discworldemporium.com/figurines-objet-d-art/433-the-luggage-bronze-edition
http://www.discworldemporium.com/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on
Monday 5th March 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London,
W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or
quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors
from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The
discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but
wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to
TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."
The Drummers have also taken up doing the odd afternoon meetup. For more
information, 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 from all fandoms (and
none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're
just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook
(_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups
(_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or
join us at our next event."
*
For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a
social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a
dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd
like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook
meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be
used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in
Wincanton. Look here for information." Future events will include the
Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last
Continent) in April 2018.
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 the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North 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 events will be an outing to Martin Pearson in (House)
Concert – The Unfinished Spelling Errors of Bolkein – Director's Cut on
17th March (to book tickets, go to _https://www.trybooking.com/TZXT_),
and the Monthly Dinner and Games on 29th March (location TBA).
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association
whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in
South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University
Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and
booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz
Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some
events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a
Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However,
we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA
to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for
Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the
following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email
RoundWorldEventsSA at gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 1st March 2018
(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 2nd
March 2018 (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 5th
March 2018 at 6.30pm 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, meet
next on Monday 5th March 2018 (probably) 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
Blogger Amy returns to give five out of five for Wintersmith:
"Everything works so well together despite Pratchett borrowing from so
many traditions and it makes for a wonderful, rich plot. There's a lot
of character development for Tiffany and Roland in this novel as they're
older now and they're meant to be a little bit wiser. They write letters
to each other and everyone presumes that they're in love but they're
just friends. The friendship between them is delightful and a lovely
aspect of the story. Even Annagramma finds her place in this novel when
she takes over from Miss Treason after her death. She's still annoying
but at least she's found her purpose and grown up. Miss Treason, a new
character who doesn't feature much in the book, is hilarious and so well
written. She's 111 years old (but she claims to be 113) and she
terrifies the locals with stories of skulls and demons. She welcomes
Death and it's a lovely bit of the novel because Death in the Discworld
isn't scary unless you expect him to be. The Wee Free Men are, as
always, fantastic characters and truly hilarious. I think that this is
the funniest book in the Tiffany Aching series so far. The writing is
wonderful and every chapter is infused with humour..."
https://warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/wintersmith-by-terry-pratchett/
Pratchett newbie Earth and Skye fell in love with The Colour of Magic:
"I have had The Colour of Magic in my bookshelf since Terry Pratchett
passed away. After all, I wanted to see what all of the hype was about.
As usual though, I was a little delayed with opening the actual book.
However, I really wasn't disappointed. This story was funny,
entertaining and cute. It was incredibly fun and easy to read, and I was
really sad when it was all over... Anything that can go wrong does, and
although in most stories, I would just find this predictable, irritating
and cringe-worthy – in Pratchett's world, it's just funny. Partly it
feels like he's just making fun at the more serious versions of fantasy
and scifi novels. But, there's also this ability for the storyline to
completely suck you in. For me, a good book is one that you just can't
put down. And that was the case with The Colour of Magic..."
https://earthandskye.org/2018/02/01/the-colour-of-magic-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Bookwitch was happily bemused by Thief of Time:
"I can't claim to have understood what Terry Pratchett wanted to tell me
in Thief of Time. But it's as fun and entertaining as any other
Discworld novel, choc-a-bloc with deep, if obvious, thoughts about life
and all the rest. And there are some good quotes. I too like to consider
myself as ‘one who was slightly intellectual.' I also practise what
Lu-Tze, the Sweeper, does, in becoming invisible because you are just so
lowly and boring that no one sees you... There are monks and there is
cherry blossom. Chocolate, even when life brings you nougat. I know that
feeling. Terry obviously thought up some deft moves between different
times, and some of his characters are, if possible, even odder than
usual. Lu-Tze's apprentice Lobsang is at the more normal end, and I've
always liked Death's granddaughter Susan. The character who looks like a
‘society lady who had just had a really bad day in a threshing machine'
is a masterpiece, developing in an interesting way through the book.
When your reading life feels as if something is missing, it's good to
have Terry and his world to go back to..."
https://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/thief-of-time/
...while blogger Lunar Luci was enchanted by Thief of Time:
"Okay, first things first, I love Death. I love his entire character and
everything else. In this book he didn't get a lot of page-time, but I
loved it nonetheless. Susan is a very interesting character, and in
every novel, she has another job, in this one being an elementary
schoolteacher. It really only makes it more amazing to me. A character
I'd like to point out is Mrs. War. She didn't appear a lot of times, but
the times she did was absolutely hilarious, and I've laughed way too
hard at her... Lu-Tze and Lobsang are amazing too. I found it a bit
difficult to follow their storyline in the beginning, but as with a lot
of other novels in this series, I've found that it works that I
shouldn't think about the other subseries, and completely freeing the
mental image I have of the world in those subseries..."
https://irontallica666blog.wordpress.com/2018/02/18/book-review-thief-of-time/
...and by Hogfather:
"I know I say this with every Discworld review I write, but I so loved
this book (it's gotten me so far that I was almost done and just let my
boyfriend fall asleep next to me while I finished reading because it
just was so good). This will definitely be on my shelf with favorite
books ever. We've got Death, who's playing the Hogfather and doing quite
a terrible job at it sometimes. But he's trying. We've got Susan, who's
being her generally badass self as usually. We've got the wizards being
idiots.. not too much has changed there too. We've got a bunch of creepy
criminals, and Mister Teatime being the creepiest of all. We've even got
a tiny part of Nobby Nobbs, which basically filled my heart with
delight. And to top it all off, there's a god of hangovers, which is
actually pretty logical... I could go on and on, but honestly, you
should just read this book. It's about belief, and the twisted way it
works on the Discworld, and it's amazing..."
https://irontallica666blog.wordpress.com/2018/02/04/book-review-hogfather/
Blogger The English Student returns with mixed feelings about the
Compleat Discworld Atlas:
"The Compleat Discworld Atlas is a lovely book... It's very geeky. And,
for a Discworld fan like me, it's…fun. But less fun than it should be.
Because there's a sense in which a book like this (which was, it seems,
one of Pratchett's last creations) misses the point of Discworld.
Discworld was built out of a series of jokes. There are consistencies
between the books, especially as the series goes on, but we always have
the sense that Pratchett's happy to bend the setting around the story he
wants to tell... The problem is, I think, is that this particular book
completely misses the sense of fun and parody and transgression that
characterises Discworld as a body of work. (There are fun Discworld maps
that exist! I've seen an Ankh-Morpork map drawn by Stephen Player which
I particularly covet.) It takes itself too seriously, its
mock-encyclopaedic objectivity unleavened by the wit and wordplay of the
novels. (There are some puns. They are leaden and over-explained.)
"And codifying Discworld in an atlas like this makes the novels'
Anglocentrism particularly overt and particularly problematic. Everyone
knows that Ankh-Morpork is the heart of the Discworld. It is its vital,
beating heart; it feels like a real city even in the early novels. It's
also pretty explicitly a London analogue. That's sort of fine in the
novels, because Pratchett was a British author, and the books' humour is
specifically British, and most of their main characters are recognisably
British in some form or another (with a few exceptions): so it makes a
certain amount of sense that this vast and teeming world should be
filtered through a British point of view. But the objectivity of an
atlas means that equal weight is ostensibly placed on each country..."
https://englishstudens.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/review-the-compleat-discworld-atlas/
...and blogger Ashley also has mixed – but mostly very positive –
feelings about Jingo:
I found the plot (dealing with nationalism, racism, and war) to be
mostly uninteresting and didn't like the exclusion of many characters.
It also wasn't quite as funny as the other books; sure there were many
instances in which I laughed aloud and several great jokes but it just
wasn't on par with the previous books. Don't get me wrong; the book
still had a ton of memorable moments, I just think it was the
overarching plot that was diminishing my enjoyment... This is by no
means a bad book; it's a great one! Just not for me. I'm sure thousands
of people will love this one as much as the others but I just felt like
something was missing..."
https://navigatingneverland.org/2018/02/20/jingo-discworld-21-city-watch-4-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Lindsay approves of The Wee Free Men:
"The book reminded me a tad of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the
Wardrobe when Tiffany walked between her own real world and the snowy,
not-real world of the Queen. Tiffany's story is full of questioning,
self-realization, and then confidence in that realization. It is told
through dry wit, deep thoughts and quirky characters. I was struck at
how many times I thought, 'right, that is a good point' when Tiffany
spoke. I think the last time I read a middle-grade book was actually
when I was in middle school. Given that, it took me a while to accept
the premise, the large words and silliness..."
https://adventuresinstories.com/2018/02/10/review-the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Amy returns with her review of Wintersmith:
I love Wintersmith. It's my favourite book in the Tiffany Aching series
because the plot is just amazing and the writing is wonderful... There's
also a bit of Greek myth worked into the story as Roland and the Feegles
visit the Underworld and ride across the River Styx. The Feegles have
been kicked out of the Underworld before and the ferryman (not named as
Charon but presumably it's him) is not impressed that they've returned.
It's a really funny part of the book. I love how it's interwoven
seamlessly into the pagan myth of Summer and Winter. Everything works so
well together despite Pratchett borrowing from so many traditions and it
makes for a wonderful, rich plot... The Wee Free Men are, as always,
fantastic characters and truly hilarious. I think that this is the
funniest book in the Tiffany Aching series so far. The writing is
wonderful and every chapter is infused with humour. I would definitely
recommend this book..."
https://warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/wintersmith-by-terry-pratchett/
...and of I Shall Wear Midnight:
"The beginning of the book is very dark, with themes of domestic abuse
and suicide being tackled, and that darkness continues through the
novel. I loved this change because the books have grown up with Tiffany,
becoming more mature and experienced as she does. This book introduces a
lot of new characters into the series... Pratchett's writing is funny
and yet profound. It's accessible to everyone but you don't feel like
you're reading a children's book (or a book for 'younger' readers)
because it deals with some dark themes. There are some wonderful
messages in this book about staying true to yourself and not letting
poisonous thoughts take over..."
https://warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/book-review-i-shall-wear-midnight-by-terry-pratchett/
Dedicated Discworld fan Tavendale reviews some real – and proposes some
conceptual! – Discworld games:
"I am a huge fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of novels. It was
introduced to me by a friend in secondary school. And my first book was
Hogfather. I have since read every book in the series, seen all of the
TV adaptions, read the graphic novels, listened to the audiobooks,
perused the maps, used the diaries and drank the beer. The only things I
haven't really done are paint the miniatures and wear any apparel.
Another thing I have done is play some of the games... I have played
Thud, The Witches and Ankh-Morpork. Thud is alright, but I prefer it as
an item of memorabilia than as an actual game. The Witches is alright.
It's a bit simple but can be fun with other fans of the series.
Ankh-Morpork is the game that really shines. It is a solid area control
game with variable win conditions and very dynamic, changeable play.
It's a lot of fun, especially to fans of the series who will get all of
the references to character, places and events from the books. There is
also the Discworld Roleplaying Game which is based on Steve Jackson's
GURPS – indeed, it was originally known as GURPS: Discworld. These books
are fantastic pieces in their own right and I love my copy of the
rulebook, but they were published when the series was ongoing and many
things have really been fleshed out and more fully explored since
then... I love the idea of a game where the city watch patrols the
streets of Ankh Morpork, hunting down a nefarious villain. With the big
cast of characters, there would be plenty of scope for variable player
powers, with each character bringing something to the table. For
example, sergeant Angua, as a werewolf, could sniff out her targets like
The Beast from Specter Ops whilst Buggy Swires, the gnome, could have an
increased movement or perception range from flying over the city on a
bird. There's a lot more to the Discworld series than crime and mystery,
however. The wizards series is fantastic and would make great fodder for
a game akin to Arkham Horror, Elder Sign or Eldritch Horror..."
https://norerolls.co.uk/2018/02/06/a-world-unexplored-the-discworld/
...and finally, a very long and quite comprehensive post from the dual
blog of Loten and Mitchell aka Point Stick, on the wonders of the
Pratchett oeuvre (this one is mostly by Loten), covering everything from
books to screen adaptations and computer games. This one is worth
reading all the way:
https://pointstick.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/monthly-spotlight-sir-terry-pratchett/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
It's a wrap! At least it is for Crowley and Aziraphale. here they are
after filming their final scene for the Good Omens miniseries:
http://bit.ly/2HCajp2
A'Tuin as a child? Image from Reddit, via ozdw:
https://i.redd.it/jmvbitv78jnz.jpg
The Luggage dances!
https://twitter.com/Discworldshoppe/status/964189725262262272
Paul Kidby tweeted a teaser image from the 2019 Discworld calendar,
currently under construction:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVcA5ZXXcAUb68T.jpg
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
At last month's North West Comic Con in Bolton, Lancashire, the cosplay
competition was won by a man dressed as Cohen the Barbarian. How
excellent is that?
And that's it for February. Take care, and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
This issue can be viewed on the clacks at
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/61736.html
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