The Terry Pratchett Thread: For the sake of prisoners and the flight of birds

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > The Terry Pratchett Thread: For the sake of prisoners and the flight of birds

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Kitchner: Nov 9, 2012; IT CAN'T BE BARGAINED WITH.
IT CAN'T BE REASONED WITH.
IT DOESN'T FEEL PITY, OR REMORSE, OR FEAR.
AND IT ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT STOP, EVER, UNTIL YOU ADMIT YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT WARHAMMER; Clapping Larry

Hedrigall posted:

This sounds cool:

http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/the-discworld-atlas/9780857521309

Comes out 22/10.

Never been a fan of this sort of stuff myself. I mean I got the thieves guild diary but that's because I always regret how there isn't more written about them. I don't really get the map stuff.

I mean it would make a good coffee table book, but then again I don't get the point in them either!

# ? Feb 17, 2015 16:41

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# ? May 31, 2024 19:39

Axikal: Apr 13, 2014; Supreme Dragoncat

I'm currently working my way through the Rincewind line of Discworld. I've gotten up to Interesting Times. Absolutely some of my favourite fantasy works.

# ? Feb 17, 2015 17:35

Eighties ZomCom: Sep 10, 2008

Axikal posted:

I'm currently working my way through the Rincewind line of Discworld. I've gotten up to Interesting Times. Absolutely some of my favourite fantasy works.

Same here. Currently on The Last Continent. Probably not my favourite subseries but they're not bad either.

# ? Feb 25, 2015 19:13

Skippy McPants: Mar 19, 2009

Axikal posted:

I'm currently working my way through the Rincewind line of Discworld. I've gotten up to Interesting Times. Absolutely some of my favourite fantasy works.

Have you read any other Pratchett? If not then you're in for a treat, since the Rincewind books are generally considered to be the weakest mini-series.

# ? Mar 1, 2015 08:29

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Welp currently traveling and I realized last flight my book will not last the trip. Checked a store at the Minneapolis airport and despite mixed feelings about my first Pratchett book Mort got a copy of Guards! Guards! Well see how this one goes.

I did think Mort picked up in its later half but almost gave it up before getting there

# ? Mar 1, 2015 21:19

effervescible: Jun 29, 2012; i will eat your soul

You have made a Good Decision.

# ? Mar 1, 2015 22:46

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

With lots of mechanical issues I have gotten a fair bit in already and am enjoying it well enough. Think I have pegged the supreme grand whatever though. The characters are a lot of fun and the city charming in a grungy city way

# ? Mar 2, 2015 04:30

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

I think the Guards series is the most accessible of them for getting people into Discworld and Pratchett's humor, prose, and pacing.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 04:48

Rhymenoserous: May 23, 2008

Not to mention it leads to Night Watch which I count as one of the best books I've ever read.

# ? Mar 2, 2015 20:59

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

Worked for me.

In other news, is the Thief of Time audiobook any good (and is it unabridged)? It appears to be read by multiple people rather than good ol' Nigel Planer or Stephen Briggs. :ohdear:

# ? Mar 2, 2015 23:33

BizarroAzrael: Apr 6, 2006; "That must weigh heavily on your soul. Let me purge it for you."

VagueRant posted:

Worked for me.

In other news, is the Thief of Time audiobook any good (and is it unabridged)? It appears to be read by multiple people rather than good ol' Nigel Planer or Stephen Briggs.

Might be more than one version but I have an unabridged one by Briggs.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 01:49

Fucking Moron: Jan 9, 2009

Rhymenoserous posted:

Not to mention it leads to Night Watch which I count as one of the best books I've ever read.

Night Watch is my favorite book of all time. I read it several times a year.

# ? Mar 3, 2015 05:04

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

CappyBottoms posted:

Night Watch is my favorite book of all time. I read it several times a year.

gently caress you.

Going to buy this when I leave this pub to meet a goon as I see a Barnes and noble a block away.

Book's brilliant. If you are like me and have never read Guards! Guards! Just do it

# ? Mar 4, 2015 00:05

Stroth: Mar 31, 2007; All Problems Solved

Bilirubin posted:

gently caress you.

Going to buy this when I leave this pub to meet a goon as I see a Barnes and noble a block away.

Book's brilliant. If you are like me and have never read Guards! Guards! Just do it

No no, read them in order. Next is Men at Arms, then Feet of Clay, then Jingo, then The Fifth Elephant, then Night Watch, then Thud! and that's where the Alzheimers really started to kick his rear end so we'll stop there.

Night Watch is probably the best one in the series, but reading them in order definitely improves the experience.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 02:32

Ben Soosneb: Jun 18, 2009

There's loads of good, great and amazing, and Pratchett's writing clearly evolves as the series goes on, but he really does peak a couple of times. Mainly Small Gods and Night Watch.

Small Gods is pretty stand alone, and works even if you aren't that familiar with the world. It's sort of set in a time apart from the rest of the books, and whilst there are references, it all sort of hangs together by itself. It explores the aspects of religion, faith, belief and organised religion in a great way. Oh and greek philosophy jokes.

Night Watch requires a bit more knowledge of characters and the world to get the full enjoyment out of it, but if you've read the guards series then it's an absolutely amazing book. It's the 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be your mentor, and 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be the hero, and 'what if...' gently caress I'm stuck back in time and want to get back, whilst being well-written and avoiding some clich�s and taking the piss out of others. It keeps up the comedy and the little fun references to stuff that you always find in Pratchett books, but then at the same time there's some pretty dark moments and Pratchett really gives him self a chance to write up the world he's invented now but in the past. It's really good.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents doesn't get enough love. Mainly because it's also fantastic and was clearly Pratchett at his peak. I think as a book aimed to be accessible for children it might have got a lot more love if it wasn't a discworld book. It could have quite easily been stand-alone. It's genuinely a great read anyway.

The non-discworld books which don't get bought up very much is The Bromeliad Trilogy, which I have a massive soft spot for. It's essentially like a re-telling of The Borrowers, but them finding out their history and culture at the same time as trying to survive. If you like Pratchett then you should read them.

e: I'm sure I wrote this post replying to something, but I've rewritten it twice and can't remember where I started. Sorry.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 03:11

DontMockMySmock: Aug 9, 2008; I got this title for the dumbest fucking possible take on sea shanties. Specifically, I derailed the meme thread because sailors in the 18th century weren't woke enough for me, and you shouldn't sing sea shanties. In fact, don't have any fun ever.

Read in published order for the whole discworld series. They're all good.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 03:20

MikeJF: Dec 20, 2003

Plus it's cool when you realise the crossover between Thief of Time and Night Watch.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 03:33

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

Recommended reading for Night Watch is all the Watch books as well as Thief of Time, and by extension, all the Death/Susan books that come before that one. Go.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 05:08

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

Night Watch was easily the darkest Discworld book I've heard. It's got some absolutely fantastic moments and pure Vimesiness.

I read it before Thief of Time or the Death series, also.

BizarroAzrael posted:

Might be more than one version but I have an unabridged one by Briggs.

drat, I'll have to look that one up. I can't even tell if this one is abridged but Pratchett writing read aloud by Americans is just bizarre. And wrong.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 05:16

the JJ: Mar 31, 2011

Ben Soosneb posted:

There's loads of good, great and amazing, and Pratchett's writing clearly evolves as the series goes on, but he really does peak a couple of times. Mainly Small Gods and Night Watch.

Small Gods is pretty stand alone, and works even if you aren't that familiar with the world. It's sort of set in a time apart from the rest of the books, and whilst there are references, it all sort of hangs together by itself. It explores the aspects of religion, faith, belief and organised religion in a great way. Oh and greek philosophy jokes.

Night Watch requires a bit more knowledge of characters and the world to get the full enjoyment out of it, but if you've read the guards series then it's an absolutely amazing book. It's the 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be your mentor, and 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be the hero, and 'what if...' gently caress I'm stuck back in time and want to get back, whilst being well-written and avoiding some clich�s and taking the piss out of others. It keeps up the comedy and the little fun references to stuff that you always find in Pratchett books, but then at the same time there's some pretty dark moments and Pratchett really gives him self a chance to write up the world he's invented now but in the past. It's really good.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents doesn't get enough love. Mainly because it's also fantastic and was clearly Pratchett at his peak. I think as a book aimed to be accessible for children it might have got a lot more love if it wasn't a discworld book. It could have quite easily been stand-alone. It's genuinely a great read anyway.

This man gets it.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 05:49

Skippy McPants: Mar 19, 2009

Night Watch is so good. That monologue midway through about how much material the city takes in every day, and how fast it all goes to poo poo if something fails? Brilliant. Also, this bit;

Night Watch posted:

He wanted to go home. He wanted it so much that he trembled at the thought. But if the price of that was selling good men to the night, if the price was filling those graves, if the price was not fighting with every trick he knew....Then it was too high. History finds a way? Well, it would have to come up with something good, because it was up against Sam Vimes now.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 06:27

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Stroth posted:

No no, read them in order. Next is Men at Arms, then Feet of Clay, then Jingo, then The Fifth Elephant, then Night Watch, then Thud! and that's where the Alzheimers really started to kick his rear end so we'll stop there.

Night Watch is probably the best one in the series, but reading them in order definitely improves the experience.

Too late already bought it
:gonk:

Well let's check out this next bookstore since they are cheaper in the states than back in Canada

# ? Mar 4, 2015 15:44

MonsieurChoc: Oct 12, 2013; Every species can smell its own extinction.

Ben Soosneb posted:

There's loads of good, great and amazing, and Pratchett's writing clearly evolves as the series goes on, but he really does peak a couple of times. Mainly Small Gods and Night Watch.

Small Gods is pretty stand alone, and works even if you aren't that familiar with the world. It's sort of set in a time apart from the rest of the books, and whilst there are references, it all sort of hangs together by itself. It explores the aspects of religion, faith, belief and organised religion in a great way. Oh and greek philosophy jokes.

Night Watch requires a bit more knowledge of characters and the world to get the full enjoyment out of it, but if you've read the guards series then it's an absolutely amazing book. It's the 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be your mentor, and 'what if...' you have to go back in time and be the hero, and 'what if...' gently caress I'm stuck back in time and want to get back, whilst being well-written and avoiding some clich�s and taking the piss out of others. It keeps up the comedy and the little fun references to stuff that you always find in Pratchett books, but then at the same time there's some pretty dark moments and Pratchett really gives him self a chance to write up the world he's invented now but in the past. It's really good.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents doesn't get enough love. Mainly because it's also fantastic and was clearly Pratchett at his peak. I think as a book aimed to be accessible for children it might have got a lot more love if it wasn't a discworld book. It could have quite easily been stand-alone. It's genuinely a great read anyway.

The non-discworld books which don't get bought up very much is The Bromeliad Trilogy, which I have a massive soft spot for. It's essentially like a re-telling of The Borrowers, but them finding out their history and culture at the same time as trying to survive. If you like Pratchett then you should read them.

e: I'm sure I wrote this post replying to something, but I've rewritten it twice and can't remember where I started. Sorry.

You're missing Nation in the non-Discworld books.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 17:12

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

I must be a true heretic because I hold Jingo up as the best of the Guards books.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 18:57

FactsAreUseless: Feb 16, 2011

Fried Chicken posted:

I must be a true heretic because I hold Jingo up as the best of the Guards books.

That's not heretical, it's just incorrect.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 18:59

Trin Tragula: Apr 22, 2005

The thing about Night Watch is that there's still some incredibly funny bits in it. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything that beats Vimes walking back into Treacle Mine Road as sergeant-at-arms and putting some stick about.

# ? Mar 4, 2015 20:33

Blind Melon: Jan 3, 2006; I like fire, you can have some too.

Vimes throwing his cigarette over the wall into the Time Monk's garden in Night Watch was golden.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 03:01

SatansOnion: Dec 12, 2011

Fried Chicken posted:

I must be a true heretic because I hold Jingo up as the best of the Guards books.

Jingo was my very first Pratchett, and an excellent book itself. However, Night Watch is even better. Not many books can make me both cry and laugh (and learn a few things about how a city feeds itself!), but Night Watch has moments both heart-wrenching (oh, Reg Shoe, no! I don't care that it was inevitable, his death and all the others hurt.) and gut-busting (that opening scene :allears:

)

# ? Mar 5, 2015 04:29

Bilirubin: Feb 16, 2014; The sanctioned action is to CHUG

Guards! Guards! Is now finished and I resisted starting Night Watch until I get at least a few more books in. The only options I found in O'hare were Raising Steam and Moving Pictures bit didn't get either for now. Amazon are gonna love me

# ? Mar 5, 2015 07:16

Dirty Frank: Jul 8, 2004

Bilirubin posted:

Guards! Guards! Is now finished and I resisted starting Night Watch until I get at least a few more books in. The only options I found in O'hare were Raising Steam and Moving Pictures bit didn't get either for now. Amazon are gonna love me

Raising steam you can leave till youve read literally everything else he's written, Moving Pictures is kindof flawed but decent and (I think?) totally stand alone.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 09:43

MikeJF: Dec 20, 2003

Moving Pictures brings up a few secondary characters that show up later in the series, so it's well worth a read.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 09:49

Arbite: Nov 4, 2009

Dirty Frank posted:

Raising steam you can leave till youve read literally everything else he's written, Moving Pictures is kindof flawed but decent and (I think?) totally stand alone.

Honestly, if you just read the part where Nobby and Colon inspect the train and nothing else you'll have the best possible experience.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 11:32

toasterwarrior: Nov 11, 2011

Blind Melon posted:

Vimes throwing his cigarette over the wall into the Time Monk's garden in Night Watch was golden.

oh poo poo

# ? Mar 5, 2015 14:18

wallaka: Jun 8, 2010; Least it wasn't a fucking red shell

I hated Moving Pictures. I read all the books in order and came close to not continuing after that. Pure tedium.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 19:09

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

Bilirubin posted:

Guards! Guards! Is now finished and I resisted starting Night Watch until I get at least a few more books in. The only options I found in O'hare were Raising Steam and Moving Pictures bit didn't get either for now. Amazon are gonna love me

Yeah, don't skip to Night Watch. Vimes' characterisation won't make any sense between those two.

# ? Mar 5, 2015 21:53

SeanBeansShako: Nov 20, 2009; Now the Drums beat up again,
For all true Soldier Gentlemen.

You've got Men At Arms to come, one of my personal favourties.

SeanBeansShako fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Mar 6, 2015

# ? Mar 5, 2015 22:28

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

Also you can't skip Jingo, it features one of the funniest lines in the series.

quote:

'We-ell, no point in going to war unless you're on the winning side,' said Nobby[...]
'Nobby, you was always on the winning side, the reason bein', you used to lurk aroun' the edges to see who was winning and then pull the right uniform off'f some poor dead sod. I used to hear the generals kept an eye on what you were wearin' so they'd know how the battle was going.'

# ? Mar 5, 2015 22:59