h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

:o)

Sorry for the gratuitous use of Carrot's punctuation there.

What's poor Jasper done now?

Been shooting Moles again I expect....

Am I missing something? 'Cos I haven't a clue what you're talking about...

Must be the Minister of Idiocy kicking in...

Sorry, Jasper Carrot sidetrack I think. On my blue funky moped...

Oh.

My fault

Doesn't "The Truth" have a different "feel" to it than the others? This ain't a complaint but it just seems different somehow ...

How so? I suppose it is slightly different, but it is mostly to do with Pratchett's increasing desire to put every one of his recurring characters in every book I think.

Desire to put every one of his characters in one book? I don't think so. I can think of many Ankh-Morpork characters that don't feature in The Truth. The thing is, he's described so many of the characters of Ankh-Morpork that whenever there has to be a policeman, or a barkeeper, or a salesman, or a butcher - etc... he can just stick one in out of stock, and people who've read the books will go "Oh, him again," and people who haven't won't notice a thing...

...if you get my meaning...

Yeah, it just seems that the watch are getting an extremely long run of parts lately. That and the city has got very comfy and stable, no more do the Archchancellors of UU get blown up constantly, Ridcully has seen to that and it just doesn't have that constant pool of ever evolving nutcases that it used to. I say it's time for another "Small Gods" with a whole load of new characters that you'll never see again except in the odd obscure reference.

Yeah, in 'The Truth' Vimes was a totally different person...

I've been thinking about that.

In most of the Watch novels Mister Vimes is a hero. The story, when it mentions him is his story with his fight through alcoholism backed by a good woman and an interested Patrician. He develops into a cunning and effective thief taker. In "The Truth" the focus has shifted to de Worde and Vimes is a character with whom de Worde comes in contact rather than one of the heroes. The same is true of the other watchmen and even, to an extent, of the Patrician.

I think that's what Krans was heading towards.

~grin~... me not think Terry wrote Vimes to be a traditional hero... above reproach that sort of thing... he's human... and has faults... and personally me wouldn't want himm any other way...

Don't forget that in the "Watch" novels you're seeing Vimes from the point of view of people who know him, his colleagues/employer, whereas in The Truth you're seeing him from the point of view of someone who doesn't know him. Neh?

Re the city being more stable... I think TP's novels are swinging more towards satire nowadays. I find the latest books more interesting by far than the first two, because by making AM more like a real world city, he can make much funnier jokes while staying in context.

I do understand why he seemed like a different person in the Truth, because he was being seen in a totally new point of view, but he still didn't seem like the same character to me....

I agree re the satirical nature of the books now. AM to its fans is a 'real' city, much like middle-earth to Tolkien fanatics (ummm, me included in that one too!) but because of the humour of Pratchett, AM is more alive. The happenings of said city are more like a soap opera sometimes!

I have to agree with you Krans, the first two books just aren't as funny as the more recent satirical forms. They almost read like conventional fantasy in places.

Yeah, exactly...

...of course, this leads to the conclusion that TP's books are gradually getting less conventional...

...or their creating a convention all by themselves.

Speaking of conventions, is anyone going to this year's Discworld convention?