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

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Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

I am loving the hell out of Equal Rites. Have about 70 pages left, then I'm going to try either Small Gods or Guards! Guards! on my Kindle.

# ? Feb 11, 2011 04:04

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# ? May 24, 2024 22:19

Decius: Oct 14, 2005; Ramrod XTreme

Gravitas Shortfall posted:

I liked both books, but I definitely agree with this, especially parts of ISMW. The voice seemed off, what would have been deftly and wittily handled in previous books seemed to be displayed blatantly and clumsily... honestly I think it's a side effect of both books being narrated, which makes me as the problems are just going to get worse.

Can't really agree, ISWM was one of my favourite books in the last 10 years and I enjoyed it very much (so much that it made me reread all the witches books again) without anything sound "off". Unseen Academical less so to be honest.

# ? Feb 11, 2011 12:38

LooseChanj: Feb 17, 2006; Logicaaaaaaaaal!

Hedrigall posted:

I am loving the hell out of Equal Rites.

I don't get the hate for it around here, I thought it was excellent.

# ? Feb 11, 2011 23:08

seaborgium: Aug 1, 2002; "Nothing a shitload of bleach won't fix"

LooseChanj posted:

I don't get the hate for it around here, I thought it was excellent.

I didn't really hate it, to me it just didn't seem to fit all that well with the rest of the books. I read most of the beginning ones very quickly, as I got into the series late and so I think it stuck out more in my mind as not being nearly as strong as the rest. Still good, but it was early in the series and I think he was still getting a handle on the world.

# ? Feb 12, 2011 00:19

Jigsaw: Aug 14, 2008

I'll be direct here: I've just finished reading Going Postal and Making Money as my intros to Discworld, and enjoyed them immensely. Which book should I read next?

# ? Feb 12, 2011 05:17

Nilbop: Jun 5, 2004; Looks like someone forgot his hardhat...

If you started with Moist's books? The Watch series, they're the closest tonally and you'll know who more of the characters are. So Guards! Guards!

That's just my reccomendation though :shobon:

# ? Feb 12, 2011 05:29

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; коммунизм хранится в яичках

Decius posted:

Can't really agree, ISWM was one of my favourite books in the last 10 years and I enjoyed it very much (so much that it made me reread all the witches books again) without anything sound "off". Unseen Academical less so to be honest.

I'd agree with you there. ISWM didn't feel off to me at all, it just had more internal narrative on Tiffany's par, and she has picked up a lot from Granny in training. Since we almost never see what's really going on inside of Granny's head, just what Nanny or the other one see of it, someone with a similar perspective is a bit different.

I really liked UA as well, because it really seemed like the sort of thing that just crops up in Discworld, thanks to the way magic works, so of course it will it at UU. File alongside Moving Pictures and Soul Music.

# ? Feb 12, 2011 15:35

Entropic: Feb 21, 2007; patriarchy sucks

LooseChanj posted:

I don't get the hate for it around here, I thought it was excellent.

Equal Rites is so similar to a lot of the other early books like Sourcery especially, so whichever one you read last is going to seem really derivative.

# ? Feb 12, 2011 22:29

The Deleter: May 22, 2010

Put me in the "ISWM wasn't that good" camp. I really wanted to like it, I loved the Cunning Man, but there's just something wrong with it for me. My biggest gripes were the visit to Ankh Morpork and the obligatory Sam Vimes appearance, and the new, convienient romance replacement character and the ensuing subplot. The Feegles got old as well, a phrase I thought I'd never type. :smith:

Overall the book's okay, but it's not got the same charm as Pterry's others, which is a damned shame.

# ? Feb 12, 2011 22:44

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

Entropic posted:

Equal Rites is so similar to a lot of the other early books like Sourcery especially, so whichever one you read last is going to seem really derivative.

I know it's meant to be "Source-ry" but I keep thinking of this book as "Sour-cery"

# ? Feb 13, 2011 02:13

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.

Hedrigall posted:

I know it's meant to be "Source-ry" but I keep thinking of this book as "Sour-cery"

Among "honour," "colour," "flavour," etc., I just read it as "sorcery" until it was pointed out to me.

# ? Feb 13, 2011 02:34

Iacen: Mar 19, 2009; Si vis pacem, para bellum

Entropic posted:

Equal Rites is so similar to a lot of the other early books like Sourcery especially, so whichever one you read last is going to seem really derivative.

It might be because I've only read the translation, but to me Equal Rites suffer from the same undeveloped feel that Light Fantastic and the first ones have. Not bad, really, but not nearly as good as some of his best books.

# ? Feb 13, 2011 18:11

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

Hedrigall posted:

I know it's meant to be "Source-ry" but I keep thinking of this book as "Sour-cery"

I think thats what Terry intended with the title. Also, Rincewind is pretty loving bitter in that book too.

# ? Feb 13, 2011 21:58

Ika: Dec 30, 2004; Pure insanity

Just reread soul music after not having read any discworld for half a year or so. For some reason the magic done by the wizards in this one seems so much more casual than in other books.

# ? Feb 14, 2011 01:08

ONE YEAR LATER: Apr 13, 2004; Fry old buddy, it's me, Bender!; Oven Wrangler

seaborgium posted:

I didn't really hate it, to me it just didn't seem to fit all that well with the rest of the books.

If not for the stuff in I Shall Wear Midnight I'd agree but that turned it around a bit.

# ? Feb 14, 2011 14:33

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; коммунизм хранится в яичках

SeanBeansShako posted:

I think thats what Terry intended with the title. Also, Rincewind is pretty loving bitter in that book too.

I just re-red Eric as well, and yeah, early Rincewind is crazy bitter.

Not that he doesn't have good reasons to be. Of course, Eric's still in the days of Dead Mens' Shoes at UU, with a coherent Bursar, so things have clearly changed since.

# ? Feb 16, 2011 09:26

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

I find it amusing that any mention of the Coin incident with the current UU staff that all of them pretty much deny having anything to do with it still.

Then again, if you put yourself in Rincewinds well worn shoes I think we'd all be bitter. Took him ages to get over that Potato association thing.

# ? Feb 16, 2011 18:55

Iacen: Mar 19, 2009; Si vis pacem, para bellum

This is not exactly book related, but more Pratchett related. Still:

quote:

However, Snuff, with Commander Vimes of the City Watch as the main character, is now with the copy editor and I have finished our next documentary with the BBC, which has also required our major involvement since October. We have answered as much mail as we can and as I sit here I see a huge pile of stuff that we will have to work through over the next few weeks, while desperately trying to make progress on my part of the Long Earth.

There has been one hell of a lot of rumours regarding a Good Omens adaptation over the past few weeks, mostly started by me at the SFX Weekender. So, ladies and gentleman, I can hereby exclusively reveal that - YES - Neil and myself have shaken hands and received groats from Rod Brown sealing a TV deal. An official announcement from Prime Focus will follow in a couple of weeks time. However, I can reveal right now that Terry Jones (yes, the Python) and Gavin Scott (not a Python, but he gets it) are already on the job. It's been a long time coming, but it's looking good.

Source

So not only's Snuff nearing completion (or so I understand it) but there's actually a movie adaption a la Hogfather in the works of Good Omens.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 16:26

ONE YEAR LATER: Apr 13, 2004; Fry old buddy, it's me, Bender!; Oven Wrangler

Man if they don't get Alan Rickman in that I will be very disappointed.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 16:31

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

Oh excellent, I was hoping we'd get another TV adaption of his work this year.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 16:32

Nilbop: Jun 5, 2004; Looks like someone forgot his hardhat...

SeanBeansShako posted:

Oh excellent, I was hoping we'd get another TV adaption of his work this year.

Good Omens is also one of the better books for this. The budget could actually be spent in sensible doses and the casting isn't very hard.

Now if they can just stick to the plot.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 18:45

rejutka: May 28, 2004; by zen death robot

Can they afford all that Queen though?

# ? Mar 10, 2011 18:53

magimix: Dec 31, 2003; MY FAT WAIFU!!!
She's fetish efficient; Nap Ghost

SeanBeansShako posted:

Oh excellent, I was hoping we'd get another TV adaption of his work this year.

Talking of adaptations... Was finally able to catch the recent adaptation of Going Postal recently. As is often the case with a much liked work, it was great in some areas, annoyingly deficient in others.

But *drat* if casting Charles Dance as Vetinari wasn't a masterstroke. Never would have pegged him for the role myself, but he seriously knocked it out the park. The definitive Vetinari. I'm quite certain that from now on, when reading the books, it'll be Charles Dance's portrayal I see and hear for that character.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 18:57

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

Yeah, if they do another Discworld one and replace him I will be pissed. That is one casting choice that works.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 20:44

Nilbop: Jun 5, 2004; Looks like someone forgot his hardhat...

SeanBeansShako posted:

Yeah, if they do another Discworld one and replace him I will be pissed. That is one casting choice that works.

What about Poirot as Reacher Gilt? I thought he was made up perfectly and was excellent at being a scenery-chewing villain (even though personally I would've asked him to dial it down a bit), but then I really don't like the Gilt character.

I mean he's wearing a loving eyepatch for gently caress's sake! And the show hosed up the entire point behind the eyepatch by making him actually blind in one eye in the final scene.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 21:42

magimix: Dec 31, 2003; MY FAT WAIFU!!!
She's fetish efficient; Nap Ghost

Nilbop posted:

I mean he's wearing a loving eyepatch for gently caress's sake! And the show hosed up the entire point behind the eyepatch by making him actually blind in one eye in the final scene.

Nothing will ever top the 'See, see, its your fault she started smoking! :argh:

' scene

That said, on a different tangent, the scene where Mr Pump chews out Moist over the impact of his many crimes was spot on.

# ? Mar 10, 2011 21:52

Jekub: Jul 21, 2006; April, May, June, July and August fool

More TV stuff on top of Good Omens, this news came through the Disckworld monthly newsletter :

quote:

2. News about a new Discworld Watch TV Series

We've just received this press release hot off the press:

Terry Pratchett's 'The Watch'

11 March 2011:

Sir Terry Pratchett and Rod Brown, Managing Director of Prime Focus
Productions, announce that they have come to an agreement for the
unprecedented and exclusive worldwide television rights to create
brand new storylines for the iconic characters of Pratchett's
phenomenally successful Discworld series.

Terry's universal success has seen him create one of the leading
fantasy fiction franchises of all time, with 70 million worldwide
sales of his 38 book Discworld titles (with a 39th being published
in October 2011). Whilst there have been three successful mini
series adaptations of his Discworld books made for television in the
UK, this is the first time that Pratchett has granted a production
company the international rights to his character's and world, for
the creation of new stories exclusively for a television audience.

The main focus of the series will be set in the bustling, highly
mercantile, largely untrustworthy and always vibrant city of Ankh
Morpork and will follow the day-to-day activities of the men, women,
trolls, dwarves, vampires and several other species who daily pound
its ancient cobbles (and, of course, Igor in the forensics
department). Terry commonly refers to the City Watch police force
series "the jewels in his Discworld Crown". These richly developed
and highly compelling characters will feature in a 'crime of the
week' episodic storyline. As each weekly adventure unfolds, viewers
will be taken on a ride through Pratchett's genius imagination, with
the author overseeing the creation of the series, where wild and
exciting encounters with werewolves, dragons, dwarfs, trolls and
golems and the classic heroes and villains, are an everyday
occurrence... many of whom even make outstanding crime fighters!

Rod Brown, Managing Director of Prime Focus Productions said, "I
believe that the globally successful Discworld franchise will
readily translate to the small screen in the form of a high-end,
mass appeal weekly drama series. It will give the audience the
anticipation and excitement of brand new Discworld stories every
week through the medium of television, rather than books. It's a
huge responsibility to get this right for Terry, his legions of
Discworld fans and the new followers to his work that we will
attract along the way, but I believe they will be in for a treat
with a high calibre writing team already attached, including 'Monty
Python's' Terry Jones and Gavin Scott (Small Soldiers, The
Borrowers). We have already spoken to a number of international
broadcasters who have shown early interest and we hope to move
forward very quickly to bring this exciting project to fruition".

Sir Terry Pratchett said, "I'm very excited! I really am incredibly
happy about this because Rod was part head of the team that produced
the very successful Sky One adaptations and my message of
encouragement to him now is; don't bugger it up!"

I am, erm, a bit confused over this, I love the watch and would love to see a television adaptation but I'm a bit confused over how this is going to work out, if it gets made at all.

# ? Mar 12, 2011 11:56

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

In a perfect world where it wouldnt cost billions of dollars, the best possible adaptation of Discworld would be a themepark.

# ? Mar 12, 2011 11:59

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

gently caress yes, I for one am quite excited.

But I'm curious if this will be stand alone sort of thing or will they adapt the plots from the later Watch books?

# ? Mar 12, 2011 16:19

AXE COP: Apr 16, 2010; i always feel like

somebody's watching me

Hooooly poo poo they're actually making a Watch TV series, it's like my dreams came true :dance:

# ? Mar 12, 2011 19:34

Alhazred: Feb 16, 2011

Hedrigall posted:

In a perfect world where it wouldnt cost billions of dollars, the best possible adaptation of Discworld would be a themepark.

Pratchett has actually been approached by people who wanted to build theme parks. He turned them down.

# ? Mar 12, 2011 20:05

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

Alhazred posted:

Pratchett has actually been approached by people who wanted to build theme parks. He turned them down.

I still think it was awesome when they approached him to make Mort into a movie, but only if they made Death human.

Terry told those guys to get on their bicycles and peddle.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 00:43

Iacen: Mar 19, 2009; Si vis pacem, para bellum

gently caress yes! This is the week of great Discoworld announcements!

SeanBeansShako posted:

gently caress yes, I for one am quite excited.

But I'm curious if this will be stand alone sort of thing or will they adapt the plots from the later Watch books?

It seems to be "for
the creation of new stories exclusively for a television audience" so I guess it will be like CSI: Ankh Morpork, but hopefully with tons of humor (I'm okay with this, btw).
But it would be awesome if at least some of the Watch novels are adapted to this format. Both Feet of Clay and Men at Arms could probably be adapted without having the biggest budget.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 09:03

Tarezax: Sep 12, 2009; MORT cancels dance: interrupted by MORT

Just finished ISWM, and I thought it was great. Plus the epilogue is so wonderfully sappy and lovely.

As for the City Watch series, I imagine it'll be set at some unspecified time between Watch novels. Only question is, between which ones?

# ? Mar 13, 2011 10:09

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

Tarezax posted:

Just finished ISWM, and I thought it was great. Plus the epilogue is so wonderfully sappy and lovely.

As for the City Watch series, I imagine it'll be set at some unspecified time between Watch novels. Only question is, between which ones?

Personally I hope it is just after The Fifth Elephant. I just hope they cast somebody grizzled enough for Sam Vimes.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 17:00

Staggy: Mar 20, 2008; Said little bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wanted to
These expensive
These is red bottoms
These is bloody shoes

SeanBeansShako posted:

Personally I hope it is just after The Fifth Elephant. I just hope they cast somebody grizzled enough for Sam Vimes.

It's a pity about Pete Poselthwaite. He would have been perfect, and wasn't he actually the sort of look that Terry was going for?

# ? Mar 13, 2011 17:05

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

Staggy posted:

It's a pity about Pete Poselthwaite. He would have been perfect, and wasn't he actually the sort of look that Terry was going for?

Possibly, though thats a little difficult for me as he'll always be a certain over the top arsehole Sergeant. And for him being sadly dead

# ? Mar 13, 2011 17:11

Vengeance of Pandas: Sep 8, 2008; THE TERRIBLE POST WENT THATAWAY!

SeanBeansShako posted:

Personally I hope it is just after The Fifth Elephant.

I have to disagree with you there, the time frame between Fifth Elephant and Night Watch is just too limited for me. Personally I'd like to see them going from post Men at Arms or maybe Feet of Clay so that we can see the watch grow in size and importance.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 18:38

Tarezax: Sep 12, 2009; MORT cancels dance: interrupted by MORT

One last note about ISWM: I'm sure it's been said before, but it seems that Eskarina Smith is now basically the Doctor.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 19:20

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# ? May 24, 2024 22:19

AXE COP: Apr 16, 2010; i always feel like

somebody's watching me

Vinnie Jones could make a decent Vimesy.

# ? Mar 13, 2011 19:48

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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