Wossname -- December 2018 -- main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Sun Dec 30 11:57:07 AEDT 2018
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 12, 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 Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
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 PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"We hereby declare that the Discworld year for 2019 shall be known as
[FX Drum Roll] : The Year of the Incontrovertible Skunk" – @terryandrob
"You might think that Terry Pratchett is all swords and sourcery but
[Making Money] is perhaps the best refutation of the gold bug – and the
modern monetary theory – case yet committed to print. Ripping yarn too
altho' there's no bodice ripping."
– Tim Worstall, writing in The Continental Telegraph
"I am the first Christmas Lecturer to bring a live horse into the Royal
Institution. And by the way, that lecture theatre is UPSTAIRS!"
– a tweet from scientist and telly presenter Professor Alice Roberts,
who must not have been told that Susan Sto Helit did it years ago...
"Let us together renew the call for action to defeat dementia. In the UK
alone, an estimated 850,000 live with dementia, with numbers projected
to rise to over 1 million by 2022 and 2 million by 2051. 225,000 people
will develop dementia this year, that's roughly 1 every 3 minutes. And
an estimated 1 in 5 people over the age of 85 have dementia.
Furthermore, there are over 45,000 people under the age of 65 living
with dementia in the UK."
– MP Matt Hancock talking at the World Dementia Council, December 2018
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
For those of you who were wondering how each new year gets a new
Discworld name when The Author is no longer among us, here's the answer
to the mystery:
"Cornish Philosopher: I've got to ask, did Sir Terry come up with a load
of these and we're using them until they run out, or is someone else
making them up? I'll be happy either way, I'm just curious
"Terry Pratchett: Great question; we have ELEVEN more of Terry's
invention and enough fragments to see us all off into our old age"
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1072101482915393536
I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful, or at least tolerable,
Hogswatch holiday. Things are still "medical" at the Fortress of
Wossname but we're carrying on and having fun in spite of it...
And now, on with the show!
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 TROLL BRIDGE... FINALLY... ISH
The oh so long-awaited film Troll Bridge will haven its Roundworld
premiere at the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in Bondi
Beach next month. The film, originally a fan project but with additions
by Sir Pterry himself, is 25 minutes long
When: 16th January 2019
Venue: Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia
Time: 8.45pm (full programme; Troll Bridge might be on last, from the
look of it)
Tickets: AU$21.93 (concessions $19.89), available at
https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/best-of-australian-7/109193?skin=ff_19
https://twitter.com/Flickerfest
https://twitter.com/snowgumfilms/status/1073085658577551360
https://twitter.com/snowgumfilms/status/1073091113903218688
http://www.trollbridge.film/
3.2 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT
Paul Kidby's famous exhibit took a break for the holidays but resumes
next week!
When: 2nd January–9th February 2019
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone
01462 474554)
Times: 10.30 am–4.30 pm
Tickets: free admission
http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/
3.3 NADWCON 2019: HOORAY FOR HOLY WOOD!
The next NADWCON will run from Friday 12th July through Monday 15th July
2019 in Los Angeles: "Our theme for 2019 is all about Holy Wood and all
the glory of Moving Pictures! From Friday July 12th, through Monday July
15th, we will be making the Marriott LAX our Click Haven. 'In a World
Gonne Madde', join us for 'The Motione-Pictures They Could Not Banne!
Scorching Adventures In the White-Hotte Dawne of a New Continont!' Will
you get the stars in your eyes?"
Prices for the weekend are Adult $100, Youth (13 to 17) $75, Child (6 to
12) $50, Infant (0 to 5) $1, Military/Student/Over 65 $75, and
Supporting Membership $42. To register, go to
https://nadwcon2019.org/register-now/
https://nadwcon2019.org/
Also, the NADWCon Twitter account has been posting some amusing "film
posters" for Holy Wood clicks! See the following:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtW2-gtU8AAXTCT.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dut1Q4gWwAA5Quo.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DufmpYWXQAM-S14.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvJkkkkXcAA1jm9.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvDx_LGW0AAZJFI.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuKMdlyWoAAl2Bb.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dt826mlWkAAoY4q.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtmCkwGU0AA4Qf_.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvXd7LlXcAADnzN.jpg
https://twitter.com/nadwcon
3.4 RE-READING, AND NON-HAIRY LIBRARIANS
An interesting essay in Publishers Weekly by University of Washington
professor Joseph Janes on re-reading favourite books and the future of
books, libraries, AI and librarians:
"I can't tell you the number of times I've been through the Discworld
canon of Terry Pratchett (whom I had the pleasure of meeting once, and a
kinder, more generous soul you'll never find). There's a comfort, a
familiarity, that revisiting these old friends provides, and with the
best books, there are usually new things to discover each time around.
There's also certainty: no matter how many times I read Going Postal,
the crucial semaphore message will take down the evil Grand Trunk
company and the final scene will see Reacher Gilt reap his just rewards.
But today, even certainty is starting to seem a little less certain.
During a discussion in my class this quarter about the ongoing evolution
of the book, one of the more intriguing readings was a Quartz article by
Thu-Huong Ha titled, 'Are E-books Dying or Thriving? The Answer Is Yes.'
The upshot of the piece, in the context of the evolution of the e-book
marketplace, was that Amazon has a much better sense of what's going on
than anybody else because it controls such a substantial chunk of the
market, and it collects massive amounts of data... And one passage,
though perhaps peripheral to Ha's main argument, particularly caught my
students' attention: 'Only the Seattle company has deeply detailed
information, down to the page, on what people want to read.'... As the
discussion progressed, my students began to think of what else could be
done with the data Amazon collects. So many things—a targeted
understanding of reading tastes and styles (oh, the research projects
one could do), what's popular, where people stop reading, and which
stories, characters, or situations might cause that, as well as more
sophisticated and personalized marketing approaches. But then my
students dug deeper and considered the impact of machine learning, which
is becoming increasingly ubiquitous and sophisticated...
"...I have no firsthand knowledge of what Amazon is doing in this realm.
But in March, Business Insider (which, deliciously, is owned by Amazon)
interviewed a computer scientist named Björn Schuller, who predicted
that AI could soon write better novels than humans, possibly within the
next 10 years. Consider too that a real, full-blown AI might have the
ability to indistinguishably replicate or mimic the style of an existing
author – maybe a new Amazon-created Jane Austen novel is not so far
away? At the same time, one can imagine Amazon using the copious amounts
of data it collects not just for awareness and marketing insight but to
structure the reading experience itself. In other words, books may
eventually be shaped by analytics and made to appeal to what readers
like, while what they don't is removed or downplayed: settings,
characters, kinds of characters, scenarios, themes, language – a
self-adaptive novel, if you will. Despite the willies many readers may
now be feeling, in some ways this is familiar territory. Centuries ago,
as stories were shared around the fire, good storytellers would
certainly have adapted and refined their stories to suit their
audiences, sensing what they responded to and knowing their likes and
dislikes... But while librarians are tooling around the 2019 ALA
Midwinter in Seattle next month, in the shadow of Amazon, thinking about
the future of libraries, we should consider the discussions students
like mine are having in library schools these days. I just left the last
session of the term for my class, in which my students were speculating
on what the next generations of innovation in information resources
might look like. For previous generations, even when seen by new eyes,
at least the works stayed the same – the words stayed the same. But
these future librarians will have to grapple with information objects of
yet-unknown character, many of which will be structured so that they may
constantly change and will never be done. As if the current notions of
collection, organization, storage, curation, preservation, and search
weren't fraught enough..."
https://bit.ly/2PHEwFU
3.5 ALZHEIMER'S NEWS: A RENEWED CALL FOR ACTION ON DEMENTIA
Speaking at the recent World Dementia Council, UK Health and Social Care
Secretary Matt Hancock lauds Sit Pterry's contribution to the battle
against dementia:
"To get a sense of the challenge that dementia poses, I think about a
man who, as a celebrated writer, gave such a clear account of the impact
of dementia and stood determined not to let it stop him living his life.
Sir Terry Pratchett was a best-selling author of some of the most
creative fantasy novels. He continued to write despite his diagnosis of
dementia and would not let it stop him. In his words: 'It's possible to
live well with dementia. And write best-sellers. Like wot I do.' There
is not yet a cure, and as Terry himself described it: 'There is no
clearly plotted pathway to the course of these diseases. Dementia
attacks those facets which make us who we are, and it's a deeply
personal attack that defies prediction.' Today we know much more about
the challenge that dementia poses. But what are we doing to meet this
challenge? What have we achieved since the summit here in London in
2013, 5 years ago? Have we done enough to tackle stigma and raise
awareness of this disease? Are we doing the research that will help us
develop a treatment? Are we helping people to live well with
dementia?... Without working across boundaries, without the
collaborations and sharing of ideas we would not be able to make
progress... Globally, nearly 50 million people were living with dementia
in 2017. Research commissioned by Alzheimer's Disease International
highlights that the global cost of dementia will double by 2030, to $2
trillion..."
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/together-lets-renew-the-call-for-action-to-defeat-dementia
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
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.
4.0 REHEARSALS
The Thalian Theatre Group's next Discworld production will be Lords &
Ladies in April 2019. Rehearsals start on Tuesday, 15th Jan 2019 and on
every Tues and Thurs thereafter at Laindon Community Centre at 8pm. "We
welcome newcomers to join us – whether you are interested in acting or
taking on a backstage role. We are a fun group with an active social
life too! For further information about the Thalian Theatre Group and
its production/s, please contact Mike & Penny on 01268 417854. Please
meet the Thalians in the Canteen at the Community Centre (next to
Somerset Road) in Laindon (close to local railway station). The Canteen
in Laindon Community Centre, Aston Road (off Laindon High Road),
Basildon, Essex SS15 6NX"
4.1 PLAYS TO COME
* CARPE JUGULUM IN YORK (MARCH 2019)
After their success with staging Mort in 2016 and Wyrd Sisters last
year, We Are Theatre are doing Discworld again. This time it's Carpe
Jugulum!
When: 5th and 6th March 2019
Venue: Tap Room, York Brewery, 12 Toft Green, York YO16JT UK
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: £12, pre-bookable by ringing the Box Office on 07521 364107 or
via email: wearetheatre at googlemail.com
http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html
* MASKERADE IN WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2019)
Ifield Barn will be back with another Discworld play next March! Sounds
like a wonderfully Discly setting: "The theatre was created from a group
of agricultural buildings and consist of a 700 year old tithe barn which
now forms the auditorium and dressing rooms, a former Granary which
serves as a kitchen and stables which have been converted to an
exhibition room and workshops. All three buildings have been linked by a
modern addition tastefully integrated to form the foyer and theatre bar.
Due to some inspired fund-raising by members many improvements have been
made to the theatre."
When: 6th–9th March 2019
Venue: Ifield Barn Arts Centre, Ifield Street, Ifield, West Sussex. RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows; matinee 9th March 3pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available online at
http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre or by post or in person
at the venue
http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html
* WYRD SISTERS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE (MARCH 2019)
TADS (Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society) will be staging their
production of Wyrd Sisters next March!
When: 23rd–24th March 2019
Venue: the Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 5NX
Time: TBA
Tickets: £14, available from the Roses Theatre Box Office at
http://www.rosestheatre.org/
If you want to participate in the production, rehearsals are being held
on Monday evenings at Tewkesbury Town Hall.
http://www.tads.org.uk/index.html
4.2 REVIEWS
* JOHNNY AND THE DEAD IN BRISTOL
By Stan Bull for the Midsomer Norton, Radstock and District Journal:
"There were spooky goings-on in Paulton last weekend, as an enthusiastic
young cast gave three great performances of Johnny and the Dead, by
Terry Pratchett. All performances were well-attended, including some
followers who travelled all the way from South Wales to see the
performance, and afterwards, declared that it was the best production
they had seen to date (and hope to see more)! The dead, due to be
evicted from their graveyard, were well-cast, including a volatile
Italian, a sassy suffragette, a staunch Marxist, and an eccentric
Einstein. The young actor who portrayed Johnny, the link between the
ghosts and the living, gave a very strong performance, well-supported by
his group of unbelieving schoolfriends. The production was the result of
much hard work by all the cast and members of PADS; well-produced and
directed..."
https://bit.ly/2P8ivA5
* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsCKa3NX4AE_nfs.jpg
[No, the text extract from this review is not missing. You'll have to
click to see why! Posted by the Studio Theatre Club. – Ed.]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 7th January
2019 from 7pm 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."
Drummers' December meet report by Helen on Twitter:
"It seems a long time since the Christmas party. I came along in my "Mrs
Hogfather" outfit. Others made special efforts to look festive. Andrew
bought a Christmas jumper specially, Sarah had a Santa hat and scarf,
Charles had "Bah humbug!" hat and Steeljam brought a set of beard
baubles, which proved a big hit with all the bearded men. See the
Facebook page for photos. Marina did a Monty Python quiz where points
were given for giving answers in song or the appropriate silly voice. No
scores were kept (although I think I racked up points for knowing the
names of the People's Front of Judea) as we were all being to[sic]
silly. At one point sang the whole of the Philosopher's song just for
the Hell of it. I did have to veto one of the ruder songs in the
interests of not being thrown out of the pub..."
Twitter thread;
https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1071392759490273280
For more information, email BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or
nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
*
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."
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. 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 both be in 2019, possibly starting with a New
Year's Day movie. Stay tuned!
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 3rd January (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 4th
January (possibly) 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 7th
January (possibly) 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 7th January (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street,
Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details join their Facebook
group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message
Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogger Chriso Ruins Movies doesn't ruin Equal Rites:
"Equal Rites is amazing …. if you treat it as a young adult novel... I
already knew that Terry Pratchett was known for his wit and comedy in
writing. I can happily report that I also agree with this understanding.
This book is quite funny, reminding me of the first time I read
Hitchhiker's. Something about the British people makes them the funniest
authors. Equal Rites is full of great characters. And I love the
genderbending structure of the thing. It's not just that there's a
female lead character learning magic (when it's usually a young man).
It's a precocious nine year old named Esk who is trying to learn magic
AND rage against the male power structure that even her witch 'granny'
believes. It feels like a book written in 2018. I love that the moral of
the story is essentially how silly it is that we do or believe certain
things because we've always done it that way. This is the kind of book
for both kids and adults. A great little adventure (it's a short book)
with plenty of Pixar like jokes for the grown-ups..."
https://chrisoruinsmovies.com/2018/12/13/equal-rites/
In a long, well-argued essay, blogger Yamuna Hrodvitnir nominates
Pratchett as the "greatest writer of all time":
"He created one of the most vast, intricate, and complete universes in
the fantasy/fiction genre. His understanding of the human condition and
of how different kinds of people think, feel, and deal with every day
life allowed him to create amazing and deep characters. Most of all, his
wisdom pertaining to religion, politics, relationships, and morality
paired with his hilarious sense of humor makes his books some of the
most fulfilling to read. Also, he was a complete and utter badass...
Pratchett writes his protagonists and main characters with beautiful
thought put into them. They are all very different, but share many
characteristics. Between Commander Vimes of the City Watch, Granny
Weatherwax, the formidable witch, and Death of … people dying fame, they
all have major internal struggles that they deal with, their own
questionable coping mechanisms, and their own often mind blowing
philosophical ideas. The thing about these characters is that they grow
and change as you follow their stories, and they seem real..."
https://hobbylark.com/fandoms/Terry-Pratchett-greatest-writer
Blogger gurinskas recommends Good Omens:
"Despite the cast sized it's pretty easy to keep track of all the story
lines in the book. Except for one small section that involves playing
the cup and ball game with three babies. I found it a bit confusing to
read, but much easier to understand when listened to once I got my hands
on the audiobook. There isn't a moment that you're bored as Aziraphale
and Crowley (the aforementioned angel and demon), and the rest of the
cast work, their way through the days leading up to the apocalypse that
they're trying to stop. Though Aziraphale and Crowley aren't actually
supposed to be trying to stop it, ineffability and all that. A few notes
about the audiobook specifically. I really enjoyed the way the narrator,
Martin Jarvis, did the voices for everyone. Each character had their own
specific voice and they were really good and fit the characters really
well. My only complaint would be that I didn't think Pollution's voice
was quite slimy enough, however, that's on me, because I'm very picky
about anything regarding Pollution since he's my favorite character. .."
https://gurinskas.home.blog/2018/12/10/good-omens-by-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/
Blogger The Reading Bug returns with a review of Wyrd Sisters:
"'Wyrd Sisters' isn't just a Shakespeare parody, although it is an
extremely clever one at that. Pratchett was obviously fascinated with
the power of words, a theme employs time after time, in novels such as
'Going Postal'. He returns to this theme when Felmet, constantly worried
about the threat to his reign from the witches, decides to adopt an
indirect approach. Imprisoning them doesn't work, nor does threatening
them. Realising that the way to undermine their authority and status
with the people of Lancre is through 'headology', the duke commissions a
play that will show the witches as dangerous and malevolent... I lost
track of the references to various Shakespeare plays in this text.
Pratchett seems to have ransacked his memory for snippets of
mis-remembered quotes and thrown them in at every opportunity. It's a
fun game to spot the source but it's not just Shakespeare – Annie Get
Your Gun, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera, Charlie Chaplin, the
Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy all make fleeting appearances as
Hwel struggles to shape the random ideas he keeps being struck with into
plays..."
https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/12/02/book-review-wyrd-sisters-by-terry-pratchett-1988/
Blogger horvendile2 compares Tiffany Aching with a certain other young
practitioner of magic and his "sidekick":
"I have often said that the Tiffany Aching books were what you'd get if
Hermione, not Harry was the hero, so this is appropriate... The hero
with a more intellectual sidekick is a fictional trope that has always
bothered me; think Kirk and Spock, Ralph and Piggy. Tiffany is as brave
as anyone. When she was eight a monster attacked her younger brother.
She didn't scream, she didn't run for help. Because she is not just
brave, but also intelligent, she didn't attack the monster with her bare
hands. She ran home, got a cast iron skillet, and hit the monster over
the head with it. That's both brave and resourceful. But the thing that
really sets Tiffany apart, the thing that makes her a great witch, is
her intellect. She craves knowledge and devours books. Then she has the
wits to use what she has learned. She's both an intellectual and a girl
of action. Unlike most heroes, especially child heroes. It's her
intellect that sets her apart... Pratchett isn't worried about kids
identifying with the hero. He was concerned with making the hero heroic..."
https://wisemadness2.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/tiffany-vs-harry/
Blogger Bookbeachbunny got to grips with the "smartest characters" in
early Discworld novels:
"While I was reading this one [Sourcery] I couldn't help shake my head
thinking, none of these wizards are exactly braintrusts are they? Which
then got me thinking it's a fine time for the 5 Smartest Discworld
Characters. Luggage: They should elect it Leader at this point. Granny
Weatherwax: We haven't seen a lot of her granted but that could be to
her benefit. The Librarian who was cursed into an Ape and then stayed
that way cause… bananas. Which is understandable to be honest.
Rincewind: he's not the best wizard no but he could very well be the
smartest. He's the everyman of Discworld. He knows his limitations and
his fears but manages to get the job done anyway. Death: Okay, he gets
tricked pretty easily in Sourcery but I was really low on options for a
fifth..."
https://bookbeachbunny.com/2018/11/26/the-5-smartest-characters-in-discworld-so-far/
...while blogger Meeghan found Sourcery hard going:
"I'm starting to feel like all Rincewind novels have a potential
dystopian, end-of-the-world flavour to them – which is actually
disturbing because I genuinely love the series as a whole, despite not
being super keen on a lot of dystopian novels... In terms of plot, this
book feels like a rehashing of The Colour of Magic and The Light
Fantastic, but without the world building or plot. In fact, it was also
without the awesome that we then came to see in Equal Rites and Mort. In
fact, after the last two books, this one didn't even come across as very
funny, despite Pratchett being a master of slapstick..."
https://meeghanw.wordpress.com/2018/11/26/sourcery-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Dr Keith Beasley's thoughts on the Long Earth series:
"As we reached the last of the Discworld novels we felt bereft: where
were the wonderful tales to enjoy on our travels? We need not have
worried. A quick trip to the library brought to light another suitable
series of fantasy which Pratchett, just before he died, wrote with Sci
Fi author Stephen Baxter. Again, we could immerse ourselves in
thought-provoking worlds and enjoy a read that enabled deep reflection:
ideal material for a journey of conscious evolution... imagine that we,
each of us, could step between these worlds and choose to live on a
different one. That is the essence of these intriguing stories: how
different individuals step, where they step to and the impact that has
on the original 'Datum' Earth. Along the way topics such as evolution
(of planets and of species), AI, humanoids, space colonisation and
relationship with other creatures are explored in, in the context of
Long Earth, very believable ways. The main characters are all suitably
eccentric and courageous, with back-stories to match, each seeking their
own personal fulfilment from the opportunities presented to them by all
these worlds...'
https://consciousevolution.today/2018/11/21/a-step-sideways/
Blogger Merry recommends The Wee Free Men:
"What can I say? I absolutely love Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching
books. They have everything that I love about the Discworld:
Thinly-veiled social commentary, wordplay ('a pune, or a play on
words'), three-dimensional characters, and creative worldbuilding, all
of which showcase Pratchett's impressive imagination. The Wee Free Men
is no exception and I (still) absolutely love the fairytale-like quality
of this book, the Nac Mac Feegle, and Tiffany 'No Nonsense' Aching. I
also love that this book is very much accessible for children while
being still amusing and occasionally eye-opening for adults..."
https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/review-terry-pratchett-the-wee-free-men/
Blogger Muse With Me returns to praise Reaper Man:
"Death is not omnipotent, but his typically timeless existence and
insight into the ways of the world gives him a substantial amount of
wisdom compared to most other characters. He can reason things out
exceptionally well, but he does not understand learned human idioms,
idiosyncrasies, or nuances very well, making much of his story both
humorous and heartfelt. He takes to everyday chores with a muted
enthusiasm; nothing about his form changes as Bill Door—most adult
brains just ignore the idea of walking, talking skeleton because they
can't accept it—so he can perform tasks with his usual unnatural
efficiency. He reaps the wheat, feeds the pigs, and when he notices the
rooster cannot properly crow, he sets about instructing it with a
chalkboard. His interactions with other people are amusingly sincere yet
detached, remarking for instance that he's fascinated by how much people
enjoy his company if he's subpar at something recreational, making the
other person look good in the process... what struck a chord best were
moments when mundane life tripped him up... I had some mixed feelings on
the book. Windle's story I enjoyed very much as a sort of mirror to
Death's experiences as Bill Door. Windle has come into a new awareness
as well; since his spirit is possessing his dead body his mind has all
the awareness that his physical body was holding back in life. This
allows him to go out and see the world in a way he never did when he was
alive, meeting new people and making new friends along the way... Reaper
Man is another great book in the Discworld series, showcasing once again
how Death as a character is a great representative for dealing with the
anxieties of life..."
https://musewithmeblog.com/2018/12/17/book-review-reaper-man-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Mike Finn's interesting (re)take on Hogfather, this time as an
audiobook:
I read 'Hogfather' twenty years ago. This is the first time I've re-read
it since. The experience has shown me once again that no man can step
into the same river, or in this case, book, twice. I'm not entirely the
same person. These are not entirely the same times. So this is not the
same book. This is especially true of Terry Pratchett books, which are
filled with so many spectacular verbal pyrotechnic displays that a first
reading is spent going 'Ooooh!' and 'Aaaah!' and watching the pretty
colours bouncing off your retinas... This time around, I knew the plot
and saw it for what it is, the shiny wrapping paper around the real
heart of Pratchett's story. I still paused to go 'Ooooh!' and 'Aaah!'
at the pyrotechnics but this time I was also looking for the pattern
that they made. What I saw was a book driven by two strong emotions:
rage and hope..."
https://mikefinnsfiction.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/hogfather-discworld-20-by-terri-pratchett-a-visit-to-the-place-where-the-descending-angel-meets-the-rising-ape/
...and blogger Roger Pocock also looks at Hogfather:
"So we have Christmas on the Discworld, which gets thoroughly mashed up
with fairy tales, looking at the motivations of the Tooth Fairy for good
measure, and throwing in a dash of Mary Poppins. A repeated theme of the
Discworld novels is the foundation of religions on the Discworld: if
enough people believe in something, it comes true. This is fully
explored in Small Gods, although it is the Discworld novel I most
struggled to enjoy. This all allows Pratchett to play with the origins
of some aspects of Christmas, and fairy tales and children's stories in
general, in a sinister spin on cosy traditions..."
https://junkyardview.wordpress.com/2018/12/26/hogfather-terry-pratchett/
...and finally, blogger rmartin49, whose post "ranking" the Discworld
novels was featured here last month, compares Discworld witches with the
more traditional-fiction kind:
"Certainly if, like me, one of the biggest criticisms you can level at
the Lord of the Rings series is its total lack of well-rounded female
characters (yeah, Arwen and whatserface, what's your point?), you might
want to give the witches of Lancre a try. As you might expect, this
stand of the Discworld is positively stuffed to the gunnels with a
diverse range of women, something that can't be said of much of the
other early Discworld books. As the Rincewind books of the Discworld
series have the nature of travelogue at their core and the watch books
are largely police procedurals, the witches are most rooted in
literature: various Shakespeare plays, fairy tales and folklore... there
are some important ideas and stereotypes that Terry tackles with
aplomb... So, to the rankings. As usual, my opinions are my own and
will come into conflict with those of others. For example, this person
liked Maskerade a whole lot more than I did and wasn't the biggest fan
of Lords and Ladies. We're allowed to disagree..."
https://specfictlit.wordpress.com/2018/12/27/ranking-my-journey-through-the-discworld-so-far-witches-edition/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A man, a sword, a cat... Sir Pterry in a wonderful iconograph:
https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/13811122_f520.jpg
(Editor's note: if anyone knows who took this photo, please let me know
so I can credit!)
A well-depicted climactic scene from the Thalian Theatre Group's
production of Making Money a little while back:
https://bit.ly/2EccUHV
A superbly rendered Moist on Boris, by Loopydave:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtgTMciU4AA4L_8.jpg
...and Loopydave's impressive take on Tennant and Sheen as Crowley and
Aziraphale:
https://www.deviantart.com/loopydave/art/Good-Omens-771031303
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) CLOSE
Your Editor may be taking a long-overdue Wossname holiday at the start
of the new year, so unless one of the Newshounds or the Overworked
Administrator wants to step in as Editor, we'll see you in February or
March. But any time-dependent news or especially interesting items will
still go up on the Wossname blog at https://wossname.dreamwidth.org so
do have a look now and then.
To finish, a familiar-sounding cat in a tweet from the QI Elves: "When
Edward Lear, the author of The Owl and the Pussycat, built a new home,
he had it built with the exact same floor plan as his previous home as
to not confuse his much-beloved cat."
(_https://twitter.com/qikipedia/status/1076870046826213377_). Tiddles of
the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, anyone?
And that's it for December. Take care, and we hope to see you in the
Year of the Incontrovertible Skunk... aka 2019!
– Annie Mac
This issue can be viewed on the clacks at
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/67610.html
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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