Wossname – July 2020 – main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Fri Jul 31 17:53:56 AEST 2020
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 7, 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) THE TIME TRAVELLING CAVEMAN: EXTRACTS AND NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"There is so much in these stories that shows you the germ of an idea,
which would go on to become a fully fledged Terry Pratchett novel, and
so much hilarity that we know kids will love. That is what makes the
stories so special – they are for kids and adults, and kids who want to
be adults, and adults who are still really kids. Which is exactly who a
Terry Pratchett book should be for."
– Ruth Knowles and Tom Rawlinson, editors of Pratchett's children's books
"When it comes to Terry, there is always going to be an embarrassment of
riches. His incredible talent and imagination knew no bounds. With more
tales of everything that would go on to make Terry Pratchett books the
phenomenon they became – humour, satire, adventure and fantastical
excellence – we just couldn’t deny readers these gems, and the chance to
read a Terry story for the first time, one last time. It will mean so
much to fans."
– Rob Wilkins is absolutely right!
"If more people read Pratchett, the world would be a better place."
– an American Army Engineers officer who blogs as Angry Staff Officer
"Paul sees things my way about seventy-five percent of the time, which
suggests either mind-reading is happening or that my vision of the
characters is really rather vague until I see his drawings."
– The Author's take on Mr Kidby's uncanny abilities (Ankh-Morpork
Archives Vol.1, p.232)
"What people really want is that tomorrow should be no worse than today."
– Lord Vetinari (had he been in charge of pandemic response on
Roundworld, we'd all probably be safely enjoying our holidays together
by now)
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
Greetings, O Readers! Yes, Wossname is still coming to you from the
confines of Lockdown City, otherwise known as Melbourne in Fourecks.
A big Wossname thank-you to all our readers who wrote in last month to
confirm they received the issue. Admin Steven has fought a long, hard
and *very* frustrating battle to get Wossname through the minefield of
overzealous webmail companies' false "spam positives", and the battle
continues, but it's good to know that our work is not in vain!
The Time Travelling Caveman, last volume of Sir Pterry's children's
stories first published in his days as a young journalist, won't be
available for purchase until 3rd September 2020 although of course you
can now pre-order. But meanwhile, there's some excellent pre-publication
publicity (try saying that ten times fast!) that includes extracts from
the stories The Tropnecian Invasion of Great Britain and The Hole in
Time (see item 3 below). Great fun to be had, from the look of it!
A note for readers in Fourecks: QBD Books offers a very broad selection
of Pratchett titles, including many of the auxiliaries, YA novels and
children's story collections. Keep an eye out for The Time Travelling
Caveman soon – and it's also a good place to stock up on any volumes you
might be missing, or might want to buy as gifts:
https://www.qbd.com.au/terry-pratchett/
We've all seen those amazing iconographs of a turtle with what looks
like a small flat planet on its back. If you want to know more about the
various life-forms that live on turtles' shells, with a lot of Discworld
examples thrown in, see item 4.7!
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) THE TIME TRAVELLING CAVEMAN
3.1 NEWS
The Penguin Books announcement:
"Imagination is an amazing thing. It can take you to the top of the
highest mountain, or down to the bottom of the deepest depths of the
sea. This where it took Doggins on his Awfully Big Adventure: a quest
full of magic and flying machines. (And the world’s best joke – trust
me, it’s hilarious.) It took three young inventors to the moon (where
they may or may not have left a bottle of lemonade) and a caveman on a
trip to the dentist. You can join them on these adventures, and many
more, in this incredible collection of stories . . . From the greatest
imagination there ever was. Written for local newspapers when Terry
Pratchett was a young lad, these never previously published stories are
packed full of anarchic humour and wonderful wit. A must-have for Terry
fans . . . and young readers looking for a fix of magic."
https://bit.ly/39zG1l2
In The Bookseller, by Mark Chandler:
"Puffin is releasing a collection of early stories by Terry Pratchett
which he penned during his career as a reporter. The Time-travelling
Caveman brings together tales he wrote in the 1960s and 1970s for local
papers the Bucks Free Press and the Western Daily Press. With
illustrations from Mark Beech, it will be out on 3rd September. The
following month, on 8th October, a £25 collector's edition will be
released...."
https://bit.ly/39yPsBt
More details in the Guardian, by Alison Flood:
"The tales in The Time-travelling Caveman, many of them never released
in book form before, range from a steam-powered rocket’s flight to Mars
to a Welsh shepherd’s discovery of the resting place of King Arthur.
“Bedwyr was the handsomest of all the shepherds, and his dog, Bedwetter,
the finest sheepdog in all Wales,” writes the young Pratchett, with
typical flourish. The stories appeared in the Bucks Free Press and
Western Daily Press in the 60s and early 70s... Ruth Knowles and Tom
Rawlinson, the editors of Pratchett’s children’s books, said when they
learned from the author’s longtime agent, Colin Smythe, that there were
more early stories, they jumped on them. 'After reading them, we knew we
had to create one final book. It is very fitting that some of the first
stories he wrote will be in the last collection by him to be published,”
said Knowles and Rawlinson in a statement..."
https://bit.ly/330UPYV
3.2 EXTRACTS
The Guardian page above also features an exclusive peek inside The Time
Travelling Caveman, in the form of one of the short stories, "The
Tropnecian Invasion of Britain":
"Tropnecia is a very small country somewhere in the Tosheroon Islands,
but once upon a time it very nearly conquered Great Britain. In AD 411,
when the last of the Romans had just left, a small Tropnecian sailing
ship that happened to be passing spotted the coast of England, and
thought it would be a good place to conquer. That was how things were
done in history. As soon as you saw a place, you had to conquer it, and
usually the English Channel was full of ships queuing up to come and
have a good conquer. ‘If you’ve got nothing to do,’ chieftains would
tell their sons, ‘go and conquer England.’ Anyway, the Tropnecians
arrived on a Sunday, when there was no one about, so the first thing
they did was build a road. That’s another thing you have to do. Either
you burn down houses or you build roads and walls, otherwise you don’t
stand much chance of being put in the history books.
"Tropnecian roads can always be recognised because they never go in
straight lines. The roads were all designed by the famous Tropnecian
architect General Bulbus Hangdoge, and he wasn’t very good at drawing
straight lines. Very good on the corners, but very bad on the straight
lines. So all the roads were a little wobbly. At that time England was
full of Picts, Scots, Druids, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, Stonehenges, wet
weather and various kinds of kings, the most famous of which was King
Rupert the Never Ready, of Wessex. He was never ready for anything,
which was why England kept getting conquered. People would say, ‘Are you
ready to fight the Vikings if they try to conquer us?’ and he would say,
‘I don’t think so.’ The next thing you knew, Vikings were all over the
place, burning down houses...."
To read the whole extract, go to:
https://bit.ly/330UPYV
And Penguin Books offer a different, and longer, story exclusive: "The
Hole in Time"! "We are thrilled to share The Hole in Time, one of the
fantastically funny short stories from The Time-Travelling Caveman – the
final collection of the first stories Sir Terry Pratchett ever wrote.
With illustrations by the amazing Mark Beech, coming in September.":
"One morning, at about half past eight, there was a giant bang from the
Blackbury University Science Institute and all the clocks in the town
suddenly stopped. A dozen fire engines rushed up there, then wondered
why they’d bothered. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong. A lot of
people in white coats were rushing all over the place, but apart from
that there was nothing out of the ordinary. ‘What’s going on here?’
asked the head of the institute, Mr Plinth, who had just arrived for
work. He still had his mug of tea in his hand. A woman in a white coat,
wearing thick spectacles, rushed up. ‘Something terrible has happened!’
she gasped. ‘We’ve lost Doctor Hughes! And her laboratory! They’ve
gone!’ ‘Blown up, you mean?’ asked Mr Plinth, visibly shocked. ‘No,
they’ve disappeared! Look.’ Dr Spectacles (for this was her name)
pointed at what was actually just a patch of grass, next to the
institute. ‘Looks like just a patch of grass to me,’ said Mr Plinth.
‘Well, there was a brick building standing there just a moment ago. Now
it’s vanished.’ Mr Plinth scratched his head. Then he gingerly edged one
of his boots onto the patch of grass where the brick building had been,
while the laboratory workers stood around wondering whether he might
vanish too. A few began to back away from Mr Plinth . . . and the patch
of grass.
"Then it started to snow. At least, it snowed on that little patch of
ground. Mr Plinth stared up and saw grey clouds. He stepped off the
grass and suddenly the sun was shining again. He stepped back onto the
grass, and into a snowdrift. ‘This here ground has got its own weather,’
he said. ‘It’s in the middle of January there, by the looks of it, while
everywhere else is in August.’ ‘Ah, but which January – ’ began a portly
whitecoated man, who then stopped rather suddenly as Dr Spectacles gave
him a chilly look that would have made it snow outside the patch of
grass, as well as inside it...."
To read the whole extract, and view the reproduced illustrations, go to:
https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/exclusive-extract-from-the-time-travelling-caveman/
3.3 PRE-ORDERING INFO
The Time-travelling Caveman can be pre-ordered from:
Penguin: https://bit.ly/3g3PhAt and Penguin Australia:
https://bit.ly/3hXdjOj
Discworld.com: https://bit.ly/3fa7sD8
Discworld Emporium: https://bit.ly/39MT8zL
Foyles: https://www.foyles.co.uk/all?term=9780857536020
Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3gFsLxB
Blackwells: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780857536020
Hive: https://bit.ly/2CNrtTe
...and in Fourecks...
Booktopia: https://bit.ly/2ChTemc
QBD Books: https://bit.ly/3f5IYLn
Readings: https://bit.ly/2Cn9jqs
Dymocks: https://bit.ly/3fd4AX9
Angus and Robertson: https://bit.ly/31ZRicE
...and other places, including that evil one your Editor refuses to
promote, ever. If at all possible, please support your local independent
bookshop!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) ODDS AND SODS
4.0 THE ANKH-MORPORK ARCHIVES, VOLUME I
A review by Annie Mac
The blurb says The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One contains "an
anthology of text & illustrations from previous Discworld diaries –
revamped & redesigned for the new visitor to Discworld's premier city!
Written by Terry Pratchett and produced by Stephen Briggs, with artwork
by Paul Kidby!" And while that's an accurate description, it doesn't
tell the half of what's in this beautiful volume of Discly delights. Put
simply, The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One is the most must-have
Pratchettverse book I've seen since the Illustrated Good Omens. And
that's saying a lot.
This is a coffee table book and more, and it gives you more bang for
your A-M buck. From the stunning cover design and art (with gold-ish
bits!) to the beautiful endpapers to the heavy, glossy but not
over-glossy pages and exquisite Paul Kidby illustrations (four in
glorious full colour, no less), the book's 240 pages are crammed with
Ankh-Morpork trivia. The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One is
effectively, for the many who never collected the yearbooks and diaries
and other ancillary whatnots that were mined for this mini-omnibus, like
reading fresh words from our The Author himself. While this is very
obviously a collaborative effort, Sir Terry's voice comes through loud
and clear.
So what's in those 240 pages? Well, there are four main sections –
Unseen University, the Assassins' Guild, the Thieves' Guild, and the
Post Office – plus a Notable Dates section and an Artist's Archive that
features some extra Paul Kidby gems. Each section is prefaced by a short
commentary on it by each of the three co-authors and features one of
those aforementioned glorious colour illustrations at the start.
The Unseen University section covers, among other items, the
Archchancellor's welcoming letter, Terms, the Library, attending
lectures, and staff and faculty – not to mention a highly in-character
"address to freshers" from the infamous Adrian Turnipseed (before he
became a professor at That Other Institute of Higher Learning That One
Does Not Mention). There's also a guide to the city for students looking
for trouble, that is, wanting to bask in the varied culture and cuisines
of the Disc's greatest conurbation, with special emphasis on forbidden
drinking dens.
The Assassins' Guild section covers Lord Downey's address, a guide to
the Guild campus, a history of the Guild, school prizes and awards,
Traditions, School Rules, student houses, Staff and Tutors (including
fabulous portraits), "Famous Instruments of Despatch", famous
commissions (including Open ones), and famous alumni (including, inter
alia, 71-hour Ahmed and multiple generations of the Wiggs family). The
Thieves' Guild ("Discriminate violence is our watchword") section offers
an address from Guild President Boggis, Treasurer's Report, Guild
professions, new crimes, an extensive piece on the Guild building and
its history, advice on thieves' cant (and sample exam questions!), Guild
officers and tutors, famous Thieves and other criminals, and famous
dates in the annals of organised and less organised crime. Last but very
definitely not least, the Ankh-Morpork Post Office section educates the
reader about the history of post in Ankh-Morpork (including the less
golden times before the coming of a certain semi-reformed con artist),
postboxes and regulations for posting, other AMPO services on offer
(including the Clacks, of course!), "Great dates in Posting", Stamps of
Note, Heroes of the Post Office, and employees, associates and infamous
enemies.
For my own part, I found the Thieves' Guild section to be the weakest
and the one that feels least "real" and more like unrefined cartoonish
caricature. I would have loved to see what Sir Terry would have made of
a Thieves' Guild-centric novel, because when I consider his closer
explorations of some of the other Guilds, I think he would have looked
past the surface pantomime-character qualities and imbued the Thieves
and their history in a more fleshed-out manner. But that said, there is
still plenty of amusement to be had there. I also found it interesting
to see some of the original Guild and Post Office "facts", that were
amended or extended in later novels.
All sections are very liberally beautified by some of Paul Kidby's
finest work; personal favourites include a full-page portrait of Hex,
and a truly impressive group iconograph of the Assassins' Guild Staff
and Tutors. My only quibble is that the binding seems a bit weak, and I
can see that if the book is opened and read multiple times it may soon
need the attentions of the Keepsake family book press.
The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One is a jewel of a book. It truly is.
If I sound like I'm overcome with admiration for it, it's because I am.
Perfect Hogswatch present. Perfect addition to the Discworld
ancillaries. Perfect stonker of a book. Buy it!
The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume One
Collected from the 1998 Unseen University Discworld Diary, 2000
Assassins' Guild Discworld Diary, 2002 Thieves' Guild Discworld Diary
and 2007 Ankh-Morpork Post Office Discworld Diary
Published by Orion
ISBN 978 1 473205352
4.1 MORE GOOD OMENS ON THE TELLYBOX?
From Stubby the Rocket (yes, you read that correctly) on Tor.com:
"Speaking to Digital Spy over the weekend, Neil Gaiman said the odds of
there being more of Good Omens the TV show are 'pretty good.' 'It’s not
like anybody doesn’t want to make more Good Omens,' the writer and
co-executive producer told the publication. 'We just need to figure out
how and when and all of the various ifs, and sort everything out.' He
added that the main deterrents are all the obstacles imposed on the
entertainment industry by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 'But we’d all
love to do it,” he continued, “so it’s really just a matter of seeing if
we can actually make that happen in the world, if we can make the time
happen, if we can work it with everybody’s schedule. I know I’m not the
only person who wants to see more Crowley and Aziraphale.'..."
https://bit.ly/2DdI6Hx
4.2 UPDATE: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB
On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a
Discworld discussion page. This time around it's The Light Fantastic:
"I appreciate the fact that Pratchett chose to move to a pastiche of a
well-known female author, even if the Pern books have never quite been
my thing personally. His description of Liessa – which seems like he’s
just taking the protagonist name, Lessa, and putting a “lie” into it –
feels a bit like he’s poking fun at the “special girl” trope (her hair
is red flecked with gold and she’s super hot!), but she is still written
as a person with agency, who has clear goals and desires. Plus royal
drama that’s centered around needing to off your family members is
always good for a laugh... Outside of the parody, this is a great little
section to watch Rincewind get roped into yet more things that he wants
nothing to do with. His particular brand of cowardice is great because
it’s completely understandable cowardice – he’s not without bravery, he
just hits a limit and then decides that if people aren’t going to listen
to him, he might as well save himself... But more importantly, I’m a
great big sucker for the trope of Believing In Magic Is Itself A Form of
Magic. Which is exactly what we have here – Twoflower believes in
dragons, and that’s the reason he can manifest one. That belief gives
him power, and that’s beautiful because it is one of the only truly
layman types of magic, when you get right down to it. It’s an equalizer
than has nothing to do with station or skill or even learning."
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/03/terry-pratchett-book-club-the-colour-of-magic-part-iii/
...and more:
"So much of building a fantasy world is about what you choose to explain
versus what you don’t, but Pratchett is particularly good at making the
most out of details. Tethis is proof of that every time he shows up –
particularly in the Luggage carting him all the way to Krull as a great
big puddle of water. Also, it’s kind of “dad joke” territory, but I
adore Pratchett milking how often people say 'here on the edge' when
they’re trying to indicate how rough things are living on the literal
edge of the world. It’s a very 80s action film kinda line, which would
have been particularly timely when the book came out, but it’s still
hilarious. This is the first part of the book that really brings up how
common slavery is on the Disc, and while I think it can come off a bit
cavalier in places, there is an importance to how Pratchett treats it as
commonplace – as it is a common part of Earth’s history, it must be
common on the Discworld in order to be effective as satire. He’s not at
a point in his overall narrative where he’s going to devote a great deal
of time to dissecting that issue, but he also doesn’t shy away from it...
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/10/terry-pratchett-book-club-the-colour-of-magic-part-iv/
...and yet more:
"It’s fascinating to see how much the tone has solidified into something
with a specific pace and rhythm, and how much more he packs into this
book than the previous one. I’d forgotten what a clear shift it was, and
how much shrewder the prose comes off as a result. I was startling
myself by laughing aloud, which is my favorite kind of reading...
Because being contrary is sometimes a very worthy exercise, I always
find myself particularly excited over moments where Pratchett just
casually tears apart a cliche. Obviously, not all cliches are bad (and
they can sometimes be amazing when employed well), but I have a lot of
abiding love for the way that he begins a section toward the start of
this book by saying that 'Ankh-Morpork, largest city in the lands around
the Circle Sea, slept' and then immediately proceeds to tear that
thought to shreds by letting you know the myriad of ways in which it is
not sleeping, all to eventually point out that 'descriptive writing is
very rarely entirely accurate.' And then launches into an aside about a
Patrician of Ankh who wasn’t very into metaphors and similes and so
forth... Death’s character has cemented more fully by this point, his
delivery and matter-of-fact wisdom on full display. I wonder about how
others readers find Death sometimes because my take has always been very
specific – to my mind, Death speaking in “all caps” imbues him with a
deadpan overarching tone that I cannot unhear. While Pratchett gives him
the ability to use proper nouns (capitals within the all-caps format)
and emphasis, the use of all-caps makes all of his dialogue read with
equal emphasis to me. Which means that I end up rather puzzled with they
inevitably pick Shakespearean-style actors full of rumbling gravitas
(see: Christopher Lee, Ian Richardson, Stephen Thorne) to voice Death in
audio dramas and television miniseries because, to me, Death should
always be played by a comedian capable of scathing monotone..."
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/17/terry-pratchett-book-club-the-light-fantastic-part-i/
...and even more...
"Cohen is obviously a play on the concept of Conan the Barbarian… but if
he lived to be a very old man. Which I appreciate, not only because it’s
a fact of life that doesn’t occur to many people, but also because he’s
really digging into the concept of aging when one’s purpose is tied to
associations with youth, even from a comedic vantage point. For
instance, Beowulf does actually get older in the course of his story,
but he’s still permitted a “hero’s end”, as it were – we suspect big
buff heroic figures to die in battle, generally because we assume that’s
what they’d want, to die in glory and honor and what-have-you. But if
one survives because they are the best, age is rarely so glamorous to
anyone. So Cohen has no teeth (and it’s true, dental problems are one of
the biggest issues of age, tweaks about dentures aside), and everything
causes him pain, and he’s still just getting on with life despite all of
that. And while everything that Pratchett writes comes with a sense of
humor, I do think the reader is meant to truly engage with that idea. Is
this what Conan would really become, eventually? What does it mean, to
reckon with that?... There are times when Pratchett’s narrative has
direct conversation with its audience, and it works particularly well in
Herrena’s presentation, with its side-eye toward fantasy cover artists,
and its insistence that for Herrena’s band of swarthy dudes, okay,
“Look, they can wear leather if you like.” Pratchett gets to say in no
uncertain terms, I know what you’re doing, and I’m not gonna stop you,
but please know that I’m giving you A Look the whole time because you
don’t have to engage tropes this way..."
https://bit.ly/3faGhIz
[As previously mentioned, these are well worth a read, and feel free to
join in the comments! – Ed.]
4.3 THE PRATCHETT PROJECT UPDATES
The Pratchett Project has been moved online. It sounds wonderful!
By Alex Johnson for Fine Books Magazine:
"The Pratchett Project is a collaborative team of researchers from
Trinity College Dublin, Senate House Library (University of London), and
Liverpool University which since 2018 has been studying the life and
work of writer Sir Terry Pratchett (1948-2015), author most famously of
the Discworld series of humorous fantasy novels and also adjunct
professor in the School of English at Trinity College Dublin.
Registration is now open for the inaugural Pratchett Project Conference
2020, originally intended to be a ‘normal’ conference but which has
nimbly leapt online. Attendance at the two-day event on September 17 and
18 is free, though donations are welcome and will go towards research
into Alzheimer’s Disease from which Pratchett suffered. The scope of the
research is wide – taking in neuroscience, translation studies, and
cartography – and the organizers of the conference hope it will lead to
the beginning of a new interdisciplinary and collaborative field of
Pratchett Studies.
"Split into four sections over the two days, the conference will focus
on The Space of Ideas, Translation and Humour, Ethics and Identity, and
Research and Teaching. Scheduled sessions include The Big Wahoonie:
Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary; Translating Pratchett into
Ukrainian: Strategies and Challenges; The Move from Fantasy Parody to
Moral Complexity and Literary Fiction in the Ankh Morpork-novels; and
'Lies to children': From folk to formal science in Terry Pratchett's
Discworld."
For more details, go to: https://bit.ly/2P50Uv5
To sign up, go to: https://bit.ly/39EQ34k
https://bit.ly/2ExDwED
4.4 THE LEADERSHIP OF VIMES
On the American military blog Angry Staff Officer, KCL War Studies
student Matthew Ader discusses a certain Commander at length. Very
interesting reading:
"Vimes is a good leader. He is hands on, taking a fair share of night
patrols and investigations, despite an increasingly lofty rank. He knows
his area of responsibility in minute detail. A recurring example is that
he can tell from the feel of the ground underfoot where he is in the
city with unerring precision. He has deep – if rather well hidden –
empathy for the downtrodden and is immensely stubborn in defending his
men. His most important attribute, however, is a flexible approach to
regulations; he enforces some very harshly, and others in a highly
selective fashion. For example, one of his corporals is a man called
Nobby Nobbs. Nobbs is a prolific and unapologetic petty thief – if
anything is lost, the plan is usually to hold him upside down and shake
him until the item in question falls out of his pockets. Despite this
predilection, Vimes keeps him on the force because he has an unmatched
knowledge of criminal motivations. But on the other side of things, he
insists on strict adherence to the law when dealing with fellow
citizens, and on minimal violence. For example, in one of the books the
dwarves and trolls are about to have a race riot. He conspires to make
them both so overwhelmingly drunk that neither want to fight, as opposed
to wading in with batons. Now, obviously, these leadership lessons do
not map one-to-one with real-life organisations and challenges. However,
the essential concepts that leaders are hands on, deeply knowledgeable
about their responsibilities, and understand where to apply regulations
in different intensities remain useful...."
https://angrystaffofficer.com/2020/07/20/put-down-clausewitz-pick-up-pratchett/
4.5 DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
4.5a Nullus Anxietas updates
Nullus Anxietas 7a – The Australian Discworld Convention – will be held
in Sydney on July 2-4, 2021
"The Australian Discworld conventions are run every 2 years for fans of
author Sir Terry Pratchett, famous for his humorous fantasy books -
especially the Discworld series. Nullus Anxietas 7a will be the eighth
major Australian Discworld Convention! The conventions run for 3 days
from Friday to Sunday, and include panels, special guests, workshops,
creative events, costumes and a Gala Dinner, all focussed on Terry
Pratchett's works."
Buy tickets: https://2021.ausdwcon.org/shop/
Newsletter: https://2021.ausdwcon.org/newsletter/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/Ausdwcon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ausdwcon
Photos from previous conventions: https://bit.ly/33jq01R
https://2021.ausdwcon.org/
4.5b Ineffable Con updates
[All right, it's not Discworld, but it's certainly Pratchett! – Ed.]
REMINDER: Ineffable Con 2 is coming in an online version this October,
with special guests Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins, and Douglas McKinnon:
"The Ineffable Con recently announced the second edition of his Good
Omens UK convention. The first event was organized in October 2019 and
raised £1,258.93 ($1,604.76 US) for Alzheimer’s Research UK in memory of
Sir Terry Pratchett, who was a writer for the series. The organizers
revealed that the second edition of the event would take place on
October 16-18, 2020, as an online event. All benefits will be donated to
charity... A lot of activities and panels are planned for the
convention. There will be talks and panels about all the different
aspects of Good Omens, quizzes, vid show, e-zine, live readings, cosplay
contests, art show, and a dealer’s room. A chat room will also be
available to enable fans to talk to each other."
When: Friday 16th–Sunday 18th October 2020
Venue: the Clacks!
Time: see website for details
Tickets: £25, available at https://theineffablecon.org.uk/reg.php
You can find more information about the event on their website:
http://theineffablecon.org.uk
4.5c DWCon updates
The UK Discworld Convention is long since sold out, of course, but has
had to reschedule due to the pandemic:
"The Convention itself has been postponed, not cancelled, which means
everyone's memberships will remain valid. Because there are several
other Discworld Conventions scheduled for 2021, we have postponed to
August 2022, again at the Birmingham Hilton. The exact date is yet to be
confirmed, but we will of course get that information to you as soon as
reasonably possible... The Hilton will be refunding all DWCon room
reservation bookings automatically, and you should not need to take any
action. Please note that although the Hilton have said they are doing
everything they can to process refunds as quickly as possible, they are
currently operating with a skeleton staff. Due to the influx of
cancellations from both the Convention and other guests/events, they
estimate it will take up to 30 days for this automatic refund process to
be complete.
"If because of Covid-19 you have sold your membership for 2020, or
already refused a membership offer for the upcoming Convention, you will
be at the top of the waiting list for memberships to the rescheduled
Convention in 2022. Please direct questions regarding this to
membership at dwcon.org. This is an incredibly disappointing turn of events
for us. After working hard for almost two years to put on a memorable
Convention, it has been a very difficult choice to have to make. We
understand, too, that you will be every bit as disappointed as we
currently feel. However, the current global situation is one beyond
anyone’s control, and our chief concern now is to make the postponed
Convention every bit as enjoyable as it would have been had we travelled
down the other trouser. If you have any other questions, please email us
at info at dwcon.org. See you all in 2022."
https://2020.dwcon.org/news/discworld-convention-postponed/
4.5d Scheibenwelt updates
Scheibenwelt, the German Discworld Convention, will next take place on
6th–9th May 2021 at the usual venue, Castle Ludwigstein. The theme this
time will be Genua; previous convention themes have included Uberwald,
Unseen University, the Assassins' Guild, Klatch, and witches of the Disc.
"The German Discworld Convention takes place in a castle in the
German-speaking countries in the 2-year rhythm. During this time, we
offer our more than 200 guests workshops, talks, games, guests of honour
and booths selling Discworld merchandising that is usually not available
in Germany. You can stop by as a day visitor or stay right at the castle
or in a nearby hotel. The program spans several days."
Keep an eye on their website:
https://www.scheibenwelt-convention.de/#/en/
4.6 THE MERCH CORNER
This month's feature is a BIG one from the Discworld Emporium. Although
not everyone is exactly in possession of money to burn in these pandemic
times, this would make an amazing gift for a Pratchett fan's graduation
or wedding!
* The Discworld Collector's Library
"Upgrade your Discworld collection and beautify your bookshelves with
the Discworld Collector's Library! These beautiful hardback editions of
Terry Pratchett's Discworld books feature canvas effect covers with
metallic foil detailing and artwork by Joe McLaren. The Collector's
Library is being released in instalments each year, and this collection
includes the 34 titles released so far. More titles will be added to as
more books in the Discworld series are published in this glorious edition!"
The Discworld Collector's Library includes The Colour of Magic, The
Light Fantastic, Equal Rites, Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids,
Guards! Guards!, Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man, Witches Abroad,
Small Gods, Lords and Ladies, Men at Arms, Soul Music, Interesting
Times, Maskerade, Feet of Clay, Hogfather, Jingo, The Last Continent,
Carpe Jugulum, The Fifth Elephant, The Truth, Thief of Time, Night
Watch, Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal, Thud! (currently reprinting,
will ship separately), Making Money, Unseen Academicals, Snuff, and
Raising Steam.
"Please note: Books are precious and heavy, so due to shipping weight
restrictions and to prevent damage, this collection will be delivered in
multiple packages."
"+ PLEASE NOTE – THUD! IS CURRENTLY REPRINTING, AND WILL SHIP SEPARATELY! +"
Each complete-to-date Discworld Collector's Library is priced at
£419.50. For more info, and to order, go to:
https://bit.ly/39zBDm4
* The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two
"Containing material unavailable for twenty years – this is a
comprehensive guide to the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld,
getting to the heart of Ankh-Morpork’s secrets, societies and guilds.
Ankh-Morpork is a bottomless pit of secrets. It’s time to unearth a few
more . . . In the second volume of this confidential guide, brave
travellers are made privy to the inner workings of more illustrious
Ankh-Morpork societies. Disabuse yourself of notions of professionalism
under which you may hold the City Watch; discover what serious business
is undertaken by the Fools’ Guild (joking is no laughing matter); and,
should you be lucky, achieve true enlightenment through the teachings of
Lu-Tze. One thing’s for sure: after you’ve read this book,
Ankh-Morpork’s Guilds are going to need to come up with new ways of
doing things. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book
contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."
Each copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two is priced at £25 and
will be published on 29th October 2020. For more info, and to pre-order,
go to:
https://discworld.com/products/books/ankh-morpork-archives-volume-two/
* Reminder: Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal
"In a city like Ankh-Morpork, where Assassins assassinate, thieves
thieve and seamstresses, um . . . don’t, Law and Order can be a
complicated business. Thankfully His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of
Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes (Blackboard Monitor) and the
Ankh-Morpork City Watch are here to keep the peace. The finest body of
men, women, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves, golems, Igors, gnomes, Feegles,
vampires (and whatever Nobby Nobbs is) on the face of the Discworld! The
Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal provides jotting space for your notes,
reports, observations and investigations, so kick back, relax and take
down your particulars. To help you keep on the straight and narrow,
you’ll be aided and abetted by some choice quotes from Terry Pratchett’s
seminal City Watch novels."
Each Ankh-Morpork City Watch Journal ("Exclusively embossed with Terry's
signature and sealed with his coat of arms") is priced at £17 and will
be available to ship on 6th August 2020. For more info, and to
pre-order, go to:
https://bit.ly/31jaHVy
* Reminder: The Magic of Terry Pratchett (biography)
"Journalist, comedian and Pratchett fan Marc Burrows delves into the
back story of one of UK's most enduring and beloved authors, from his
childhood in the Chiltern Hills to his time as a journalist, and the
journey that would take him – via more than sixty best-selling books –
to an OBE, a knighthood and national treasure status. The Magic Of Terry
Pratchett is the result of painstaking archival research alongside
interviews with friends and contemporaries who knew the real man under
the famous black hat, helping to piece together the full story of one of
British literature's most remarkable and beloved figures for the very
first time."
There are several versions that will be available, starting with the
standard edition (currently priced at £16), the fancier Snapcase edition
(£21), and the Patrician Box (£35.00, featuring various extras). For
more information, and to pre-order, go to:
https://www.askmeaboutterrypratchett.com/s/shop
https://twitter.com/20thcenturymarc
4.7 ASK ME ABOUT TURTLES...
When turtle researchers intersect with Discworld fans, a lot of quotes
and references happen! Read on to learn what researchers at Florida
State University are learning about the myriad life-forms that live on
their backs, by Sarah Lawton for Lab News:
"Reading the recent news article, ‘Researchers uncover a world of life
on the back of a turtle’, published on our website on 4 June, it was
impossible to resist contacting the researchers to ask what it was like
investigating life on the back of giant turtles on behalf of all Terry
Pratchett fans out there. As it turns out, however, the most exciting
results from this research focus on a much smaller ecological phylum.
This international team... opted to sample meiofauna, which are
organisms roughly between 1 and about 0.032mm in size. Specifically,
they focused on a type of aquatic meiofauna called nematodes, also known
as roundworms... "What I am interested in are the microscopic creatures
living on the turtle’s back,” explains [researcher Jeroen] Ingels. “I
don't really care that much whether it is a turtle or not… but a turtle
shell is a very intriguing substrate for the organisms I am interested
in. You can compare the complexity of a turtle shell with other hard
substrates, such as rocks, sea defences or sea plants. To find nematodes
on loggerhead turtle carapaces is no surprise, but when we compared
their numbers and diversity to those from other hard surfaces or even on
marine plant life, we realised their carapaces abound with this
microscopic life," Ingels said. Ingels also noted that turtles are
mobile; they swim large distances. So, whatever they are carrying on
their backs has to come from somewhere and, indeed, is going somewhere...
"Tens of thousands of microscopic organisms can colonise loggerhead
turtles, which visit remote coasts and beaches during their migration.
It makes sense that there would be a connection between the locations
frequented by the turtles and the places where the same meiofauna are
found. A better understanding of that link could help inform
conservation practices for these reptiles..."
http://www.labnews.co.uk/article/2030727/the-truth-about-turtles
4.8 GREAT A'TUIN IN LEGO?
Remember the drive, a while ago, to get 1,000 elephants, I mean 10,000
supporters, to make the first cut for convincing Lego to manufacture a
Discworld set? Well, things are looking up... or at least potentially
brick-ish. By Legoist Allen Tran on The Brick Fan:
"Terry Pratchett’s Discworld by BrickHammer is the latest project to
achieve 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas. The set is based on comic
fantasy series that is set on a flat planet balanced on backs of four
elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle. The build itself
contains about 2,650 pieces. It now joins The Mountain Windmill,
Community – Greendale Community College, LEGO HeroQuest, Brickwest
Studios, House from Up, Animal Crossing New Horizons: Nook’s Cranny,
Trabant 601, Night at the Museum, Fast Food Corner, Avatar: The Last
Airbender, The Portal 2 – GLaDOS vs Chell and Wheatley, BMW M1 (E26),
Caribbean Clipper, Sheriff’s Safe with Combination Lock, 31 Minutos T.V.
Studio, and Southwest 737-800 as the projects to reach the Second 2020
Review Stage..."
https://bit.ly/2DiH4d0
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
No plays are being performed in public on Roundworld at the moment, of
course. But keep an eye out for possible forthcoming Discworld plays
later in the year. We must keep the knowledge of Discworld circulating!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld
fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this
information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group"
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/
NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out
the above links for updates!
*
Drumknott's Irregulars
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."
*
The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
*
The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula
directly at uwilmott at yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
UPDATE: "What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19?
Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's
under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to
host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be
done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has
several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We
will still use our Facebook group –
https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled
events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social
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 Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's
famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of
Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street,
Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra
Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
"Sir Terry Scratchett", who stands guard over the science fiction and
fantasy at San Antonio, Texas' nascent Nowhere Bookshop:
https://bit.ly/3ebQap0
More about Nowhere Books:
https://www.sanantoniomag.com/jenny-lawsons-nowhere-bookshop-in-san-antonio/
Cover art for the forthcoming second volume of The Ankh-Morpork Archives:
https://bit.ly/3g8iPwZ
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) CLOSE
For those of you who enjoy Dungeons & Dragons as well as being Good
Omens miniseries fans, Ajay Aravind on ScreenRant has calculated "how
the main personalities on the show can be classified into the D & D
alignment system, based on their individual moral compass." I have to
admit, I'm amused by Gabriel being classed as Lawful Evil, as indeed he
should be:
https://bit.ly/2VVeDsj
And that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!
– Annie Mac
This issue can be viewed on the clacks at
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/78557.html
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