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

i rather suspect that a book about nobby might ask (and answer) questions we never wanted to know about!

when i started reading this thread i thought "gosh i really can't think of one off the top of my head" but then reading everyone else's favourites i started to remember, and smile...

i have an incredibly large soft spot for the patrician, but that may just be because i'm political... I reckon we should start a campaign for a book about the patrician - he has been getting more coverage in later books but i want more!

Death was definitely my favourite in the earlier books, and is still one of my favs now, along with the Death of Rats and Quoth.

CMOT Dibbler, and his alter-ego in other cities, is just such a wonderful in-joke that he always cracks me up.

But I'm also a big favourite of the strong women in the books, especially Angua (don't know if i could put up with carrot myself though) and Magrat, who i notice no one has mentioned yet. I like Granny too, but Magrat appeals to me because she's probably quite close to home, especially the sticki-out-hair bit, and she has this great hidden strength despite getting picked on by the others. (Also because my middle name is Margaret and I am never quite sure if i have spelt it right.)

Or she would if she was real, ahem.

span

I think there should be a book with Nobby and a love intrest..someone for him to use his animal magantism and somewhat newly aquired knowlege of the opposite sex....


()

My fave characters are Nanny, Vimes, Vetinari and the Librarian. I'm also quite fond of the bursar!

I have to say that Vetinari is my favourite character. He is wise, dark and mysterious. That is why I think that there should NOT be a book about him. The great thing about Vetinari is the fact that he is so mysterious. We can’t tell if he’s a good guy or a bad guy. He moves in dark circles of uncertainty. I don’t think that Vetinari would like a book about himself (If he were real, that is); he would prefer to remain a dark figure about which we know little.

I reckon there should be a book whereby we learn only a little more about the Patrician - not too much though - granted Nightwatch was an insight but a little more might be in order - Other than that i reckon its about time we had another Witches book - Greebo Rules.

Not a favourite character - I haven't read a discworld book yet - but you lot seem to be experts so I've come to the horses mouth to ask a basic question - which book should I read first? Also I didn't know how to start a new conversation!

Please help,

Thanks

Start at the beginning! (Usually the best plan )

The Colour of Magic, then work your way in as chronologic an order as possible - eg The Light Fantastic etc, the list will be in the book. A lot of the fun is in following the development of the characters as they go along .

All the articles etc have a link which says 'Start a new conversation' near the bottom of the page - just click on that and there's the form , type in a title for the conversation in the subject window and type your comments or whatever in the big window then hit the 'Post Message' button and that's it!

My faves are Lord Vetinari (Anhk-Morepork a true democracy 'one man one vote, the Patrician's the man and he's got the vote) and His Grace Commander Sir Samuel Vimes a man with a good grip on reality, usually its nether regions.

well...I was going to post this a while back just never got around to it...when Mr P came to NY last month he said that he doesn't plan on any books right away focusing on charactors we know already because that ties him down to much...he wants to do some with new charactors with cammeos of older ones...like the Regiment book that just came out...or his next one which will focus on erm oh ya Going Postal which will be on the mail service or something


()

Thank you Wildman!

I know starting at the very beginning, is a very good place to start (time for a song?), but I couldn't work out which was the first one! Later editions of the earlier books list later books which weren't published when the first edition of that particular book was published ... I know what I mean.

Anywayhoo, colour of magic it is, thanks.

And as for that business about clicking on the 'start a new conversation' icon, I'm afraid I am still stumbling round the web - a sort of cyber-cretin, but I'm getting there.

Doesn't he fake his own death in one of them. I like all the anmes - so informative.
I love Vimes - the turn of phrase he gets given is wonderful.
Also the Wee MacNacFeegle from the Wee Free, are amazingly cool.

I heard a thing on the radio about Mort. Terry did a Q&A thing, and they had this long discussion about whether Death was an extension of the writer persnoality - observing, but not being able to get involved etc.

My favourite character has to be Sam Vimes, though I'm quite fond of Nobby and Lord Vetinari as well. Nanny Ogg is great too. And I'm one of the few who like Rincewind.

The next book, Thud, will be released in October this year. It's a Vimes one so lots of yayfulness.

I like Rincewind, Vimes is a great character

No-one has mentioned Hughnon Ridcully, the greatest archchancellor!

His completely outward manner and character always crack me up, Alberto Malich is another cracker, the dry butler was at his best in Mort. How about Walter Plinge, or Twoflower all cracking characters!

The best book, The Last Continent, Pratchett's parody on Australia had me in fits.

I'm glad I've had that off my chest.

From the amount of understanding of people's mind his authorship displays, I would hazard a guess that Terry modelled Havelock Vetinari over his own darker side.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Esmerelda Weatherwax for fave character. She is divine! Especially in the second of the Tiffany novels I would hope that one day Terry sees the potential in letting Granny will clasp with Havelocks, and then just stand back and watch the outcome in fascinated awe...

BTW if anybody makes a film of Wyrd Sisters, would you have Bette Midler play Granny or Nanny?

I could see her as Nanny...with a bit of make up mind you

the lady that plays that teacher in Harry Potter...Maggie Smith might make a good granny

Sorry to be a prick.

Hughnon Ridicully is the chief priest of the the head god Blind Io. I think you mean Mustrum Ridicully, current Archchancellor of UU and Hughnon's brother.

In the Fave Character stakes,

Vimes and the Patrician playing off each other, All the Sto Helit tribe(including Death), Granny Weatherwax prodding buttock and I really like the main character in Going Postal. I just wish I could blag like that.

Anyone heard any news on a new book?

According to a website, the new book (Discworld proper, possibly called "Thud") is WELL overdue...expect it by Christmas?

Agnes Nitt: the character hasn't "developed" enough yet to be memorable... I guess it was necessary that Magrat had to temporarily retire from witching to become Queen, then lose her "maiden" status by becoming "mother", so a new Third Witch had to be recruited. I'm wondering why it couldn't have been a sullen and resentful Diamanda, with all the potential for SERIOUS personality clashes with Granny.

I have this sort of very vague idea concerning Lancre suddenly becoming seriously important on the world stage, maybe vast octiron deposits are found underneath Copperhead and every world power wants a slice of the raw fuel that powers Magic... there is a State Visit of the king and queen of Lancre to Ankh-Morpork.

Having not received the latest news from Home, Carrot, as captain of the honour guard receiving the Monarch, is taken aback to see his old village witch stepping out of the carriage to review a Guard of Honour which includes Nobbs and Detritus.

Naturally, the Queen has ended up, somewhat unwillingly, with at least two Ladies of the Bedchamber (Granny and Nanny) in her retinue. They are here purely out of mischief, perhaps out of a desire to see that Princess Esmeralda happens to nobody. (Much to her discomfort, Magrat, though vague and ineffectual as a witch herself, has given birth to a Natural Witch. Toddler strops therefore take on a different and possibly fatal dimension, and the news has reached the Guild of Nannies, who have black-listed the job. Enter Susan Sto-Helit, to take on a difficult job?)

I see Magrat (shades of Diana Spencer?) rebelling against protocol and wanting to do normal things like go out for a quiet beer in a quiet pub. Sergeant Angua is deputed to bodyguard, Susan tags on, and the atmosphere in Biers becomes riotous - Igor ducks for cover as three independently-minded ladies deal with casual sexism or other unwise provocations in a very resolute manner.

Meanwhile, Granny Weatherwax sidles in to a meeting of prominent Guild members to debate a crisis in the management of Ankh-Morpork. Challenged by the unwise (Boggis of the Thieves Guild) to justify her presence among Guild notables, Granny smiles, says "Fair point, fair point", and produces a Guild membership card. For the Seamstresses' Guild. Rosie Palm explains that this is a honorary membership for somebody whose herbal skills have done much to restore the health of Guild members who have been rendered, er, indisposed, by occupational hazards of the job. "On their backs, but unable to work, so to speak"

Ridcully also points out to Boggis, while letting his staff tilt casually towards the hapless Thief so that the knob on the end may be seen in better light, also points out that Granny is at the VERY least the equivalent of an eigthth- level Magus, having fought a previous archchancellor to a draw in a magical duel, and not only that, PROFESSOR Weatherwax has the status of Visiting Emeritus Professor of Witchcraft and Women's Studies, and is therefore a Faculty member. Any objections, Boggis?

"Wonen's studies?"

"well, she does a lot to educate young wizards who think that women can't do magic. Got a pond full of 'em back at the university!"

And so on....