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

American english can be problematic in some ways. I tend to defend it not out of any affection for it but because I've come across far too many people who bash it without having any understanding of the subject at all. Clearly you aren't one of those people so bash away.

Genua *is* Louisiana, French creole. There are probably other touches of America here and there, like Imp y Celyn being Buddy Holly.

Yes Yes I have a faulty mouse button, so I have atendency to say things more than once.

I give you Kudos for the stunning and perfectly trite way you put me in my place!

Sorry for the blast about America. I am a tad unpredictable when drinking Absynth!! (Wow Baby!)

MadHamish
(I bow to an obvious sarcastic God and give him my throne)

Can we leave the USA bashing and get back to Pratchett.
I particularly like the Watch books, the bit in Nightwatch involving Ridcully's bathtub had me in stitches.

Though it always annoys me the way liturature reviewers (and English teachers) always dismiss Pratchett as not being a proper author. like on that review program on BBC2 where they panned one of his books, but the only thing they said was wrong was that he doesn't use chapters (which they went on and on about.)

I mean you've got to give kudos to an author who has two characters who only wasy "ook" and "SQUEEK" as still maintains an understandable narative.

> Can we leave the USA bashing and get back to Pratchett.

Ooh, I quite like USA bashing... It's impossible to get a decent cup of tea over there for one thing...


> (and English teachers) always dismiss Pratchett as not being a proper author

??

I know several teaching staff[1] who wouldn't dare make such a criticism; especially as they are mad pTerry fans themselves. It makes a change from Hairy Plotter. The main critisism of that seems to stem from the fact that many schoolchildren see the film, and do not as a result pick up a book (not necessarily that book, but any book) as a result. Apart from two animated films by Cosgrove Hall, pTerry's work has spread among he reading school population[1] very well, even though I'm sure that they don't quite understand all of the more subtle content..

Besides:
au-thor, n:
1: The writer of a book, article, or other text, 2: One who practices writing as a profession 3: One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system 4: An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan
From latin: Autcor, (creator)

I'm making my way through Jingo again, mainly because I've given up waiting for the next paperback to be released. (I admit I'm a cheapskate in that I don't buy hardback fiction, but paperbacks fit in my coat pocket so I can read them on the bus in the morning)

[1]..Being both a computer scientist involved in technical and scientific research areas, and a part time bookmaker, it's amazing who you get to know..
[2]..And there's quite a lot of non-reading population around here too, especially at certain local schools I could mention. It's still not seen as 'cool' to read. (At atleast one school I come into contact with on an almost daily basis, it seems to be more 'cool' to run up a list of criminal convictions and ASBO's[3])
[3] For the non-UK readers, an ASBO is an Anti-Social Behaviour Order, placing restrictions on an individual for previous anti-social behaviour (vandalism, petty crime, being an obnoxious *********, etc.) the breaching of which will land the perpetrator with (potentially) jail time.

Is it just me or did Harry Potter just come off as an "Unseen University" rip off? JK rowling is just a thief who cannot come up with any original ideas. Everthing in her books is stolen from one place or another, but mostly pratchett's wizards!

MH
(The literary world refuses to see the merit in something to make you laugh, even if the point it is making is relevant and insightful!)

Quote Discworld Companion:

"I'd swear some people who interview mepositively /want/ me to be anti-Potter but what on earth for? The books are fine...

...I do get some stick from newcomers to fantasy who think I pinch ideas from the Harry Potter books. The trouble is that when I patiently explain that something in a book of mine published in 1986 probably /wasn't/plagiarised from a [HP] book published 15 years later they ... start saying, 'Oh, so you're claiming that she got th idea from you, are you?' ... mostly no-one pinches anything from anyone. Wizards /always/ wear pointy hats, there have been lots of magical universities and so on. These ideas are generic - that's why they call fantasy a genre, for heaven's sake."

Fair point. I read both Potter an Discworld (and love both) and nothing occurs to me that either has stolen from the other. I agree about the Night Watch books though, they are my favourites too.

Small Gods has my vote...

I wonder if any of Pratchett's four have gotten into the Big Read...

Mort wouldn't have been one of my suggestions (out of Mort, Guards! Guards!, Night Watch and Good Omens in the Big Read).

Would have been Small Gods for me.

Terry pratchett has got to be one of my favourite authors. But i dont think i would like to see his books turned into films. when you watch a film, you are merely a spectator, but when you read a book, your imagination can run wild... and i would hate to see the wonderful characters turned into two dimensional probably computer generated things... Even the illustrated book, i forget the name, with the pictures of cohen and co in it, tried to strangle the imagination. so imagine what the hollywood treatment would do.

i actually thought fifth elephant was a fantastic book, i have read it at least six or seven times, and always find it comforting.

Add Colour of Magic to my previous list...

The Fifth Elephant is one of my favourties too.

I think Small Gods should be required reading for every single person who wishes to become a priest/rabbi/imam/official Godbotherer of any sort.

Of course, then we'd get all these Bible-Belters and fundamentalists burning it.

Which would prove quite a lot of points.

And perhaps we should send a copy of Jingo to Blair and to Bush - maybe someone in the White House knows how to read and will read it to him .

I think Small Gods is my favourite. And Wee Free Men has become a big favourite too.

I have read a lot of Terry's books and enjoyed most of them although Lords and Ladies nearly put me off him for good.

Sourcery, Small Gods and Pyramids are my favourite Discworld novels but my favourite Terry Pratchet book has to be Good Omens (the one he co-wrote with Neil Gaimen). I heard that Terry Gilliam was making it in to a film but it seems to have died a death unfortunately.

Finally, have any of you read anything by Robert Rankin? If not, I'd give one of his books ago. Terry Pratchet's books always made me smile and chuckle but Robert Rankin is still the only author that has made me laugh so hard that I'm bent over clutching my stomach and gasping for air - which looks a bit odd on the bus on the way to work.

What was wrong with Lords and Ladies??

First novel I read from Pratchett... then got the games... then The Fifth Elephant...

Have you tried the google image search, and entered

Bush book upside down

Click the first image after that...

I rest my case


As for fundamentalists/moralists/lunatics trying to burn pTerry's books, what better publicity is there than someone trying to ban your work. Look what it did for the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, or many a literary work (see http://title.forbiddenlibrary.com/ for some details)

But it's a smegger for sales...

Davew666: Rankin is p*ss funny! Have you read the Brentford "Trilogy"? or the Armaggeddon series?, or the Hugo Rune series? All screamingly funny. I think I've read all of his stuff, it does tend to embarrass you when reading in public though, I agree!

MH
(Just wishing for an allotment all of my own, and a good Woodbine to smoke!)

"What was wrong with Lords and Ladies??"

Well, I found it a bit twee! - sort of Disney like and a bit nicey nicey. If I remember correctly, most of the book was ok but it had a completely unfunny slushy ending.

I have enjoyed a lot of the other books though, and as I said above, Good Omens is my favourite.

Robert Rankin really really makes me laugh though. I've read all of the books up to Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse but I've got that and The Witches of Chiswick queued up and ready to go. The bloke is a star and I've yet to find another author who can make me laugh more.

If you've not tried any of his books, give one a go - have a search in h2g2 for Robert Rankin and read the main article and choose a book! Probably a bit more adult oriented than Terry Pratchet but not much in the way of swearing in the books really apart from in The Brentford Triangle where a captain of an alien space ship who is returning home to his planet Ceres (that is now an asteroid belt!) who expressed his surprise at this eventuality with a stream of filth that has to be read to be believed. Now he was foul mouthed!

Witches of Chiswick?
You have more knowledge than I do!

MH
(The search begins!)

I've just read The Science of Discworld II: The Globe. It was interesting throughout though there was perhaps a bit too much science, because Terry likes to write short snippets.