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

We-ell...

Discworld does have a series of characters who evolve and grow when each of their epresentative books come out...

Each one also contains subtle references to each other character such as the Omnian's following a religion carved out through the exploits of the star of small gods plus each character having their own distinct mannerisms easily recognisable to fans and contain some many parallels to our own lives and actions and opinions that we find compelling...

Plus Colour of Magic beat Hitch-Hitchers in the Big read's battle of the Books!

Weell, Im sorry to say that the Colour of magic should not have beat the hitch hikers in britians big read. Im sorry but theres no comparison.
Hitch hikers is a revolutionary series written with truly innovational ideas.
Actually, to be honest, I cant really compare because i have never read beyond the first five pages of any of terry pratchetts books. I cant get carried away with his writting and believe me, i have tried.
I must say though that while Douglas Adams has given me many happy hours in another world, I have had to fight to get through the first page of Terry Prachetts books

LONG LIVE THE HITCH HIKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree completely, and I can say that I have perservered with the Terry Pratchett, and although I appreciate them, and enjoy Terry Pratchett's sense of humour, I enjoy Douglas Adams' books more, as I feel that there is more to them than just escapism and humour.

Hmmm....
I like Adam's stuff but I don't think that they have the same kind of humour as Pratchett's stories. The charcaters in Discworld are vivid and imaginative, individual and compelling. Plus there is the excellent worl he's created: Ankh-Morpork with the Watch and the various guilds, the Lancre witches, the Hedgehog song, the excellent Death (the one character you know for certain will be in every Discworld story) et al. i also like the way he can parody just about everything and make you laugh. Unfortunately I don't get the same thrills from DNA's 'trilogy'. Infact it's almost depressing at times! And I think the humour in his books has been stretched and overused to death on this site. There's barely a page on h2g2 that doesn't have one of his jokes on. Hold on, I DO like his books though.

Oh, and I was intrigued to see that Colour of Magic made it on to the top 100. I don't like the first few books as much as the latter ones. Just my opinion.

Silunaka:

You say: "I cant get carried away with his writting and believe me, i have tried." But you also say "i have never read beyond the first five pages of any of terry pratchetts books".

Not trying *very* hard, are you now?

Personally I grew bored with both of them about ten years ago.

deemikay

hear hear!
5 pages isnt exactly stretching yourself... though i must admit, the first few times i read pratchett the first pages were the hardest, but believe me, its worth the effort

Absolutely, he's worth the wait.

I still kick myself to this day that I missed out on a chance to meet Pratchett. I'd only read Good Omens and, although an excellent book, I didn't really see what the fuss was about, so I turned the invitation down.

A few weeks after, I read the Colour of Magic. And promptly started hitting myself over the head with it for being so bloody stupid!

But in going back to Matilda's comment about escapism and humour, don't you think both authors offer that to you? DNA gives as the galaxy, Pratchett gives us a totally different world, yet both environments are oddly familiar...

Can't get enough of Pratchett, meself. Own all the Discworld series, plus a few of his other books... and Monsterous Regiment is out in less than a month!

What's this Monsterous Regiment then??

must be his new book. sounds interesting.

i gotta say i am with Pratchett here. it is also interesting to see some people find it hard to follow his writing so go with Dougie instead. i find it almost impossible to keep track with Dougie myself and i have read HHGTTG and TRATEOTU and found them very hard to focus on, but i read Pratchett like i was breathing air. perhaps there is a generation gap here? it would be interesting to know that?

I guessed it was his new book, but what about???

i am a fan of both writers, i've read all of adams' books and quite a few of pratchett's. i like them for different reasons, i love pratchett's characters, especially death and carrot... but i can't imagine any of pratchett's books ever being as important to me as hitchhikers guide has been.

i read pratchett's books to 'escape', to kill some time and be entertained.

as a result of reading adams' books i have the opportunity to be an active part of the realization of his fantasy, i'm here

Okay, Okay Deenikay, Im going to have another go anyway so Ill let you know. Ive had the colour of magik beside my bed for a few years and I can never get bored of the artwork on his covers. in fact my computor table is an Equal Rites jigsaw box. Im on night duty tonight so Ill give it another go.

I'll start for you:

'In a distant and second-hand set of dimensions...'

Cheers Red, I nearly got that far last time

Further than 'Prologue'??!!!

Nearly, I had a fleeting glimpse of A'Turin the turtle before my eyes started watering
Anyway, like I said, Im about to start work and I'll have another shot then

Good luck!

I have to go with DA for one simple reason,
I have never read any Terry Pratchet, although
his books come highly recommended by friends and
he obviously has a very large fan-base I honestly
have no intrest in his books.
Now that I come to write this it occurs to me that I
have no real reason for this dis-intrest. Odd.
DA however tickled my funny bone by sheer chance, HHGTTG I picked up at a friends house and found it the most facinating read ever.....
.....until I discovered Drik Gently

I have a friend who doesn't see what the fuss is over Hitchhiker, he prefers Mr Gently too.