Terry Pratchett Month: Wrap-Up Post

It is the end of September and therefore, Terry Pratchett Month has come to a conclusion here at The Eagle's Aerial Perspective.

Throughout the past month, there were book reviews of The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Nation, Good Omens, Mort, Thief of Time, and The Fifth Elephant. There were discussion posts on Humor and Parody, Anthropomorphism, and World Building. There was a movie review of The Color of Magic.

There were old fans who got to comment on their favorites and share their thoughts, and potential new readers got a taste of what Discworld is like. And I'm sure there were newer-ish readers of the series, too, who--like me--love his writing but haven't read all of his books yet.

(SOURCE)

Terry Pratchett is a master at creating amazing worlds that combine humor and reality at the same time. He turns those little things we don't notice into important details, combines the deadly serious with the funny.

Final note:

At the time when I announced this series of posts, I did not know that Terry Pratchett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and wants to die an assisted death. As one of the most well-known Fantasy and Humor writers of today, he will be greatly missed by readers.

But there will always be his books, with their trademark humor, lovable characters, and detailed worlds, from the streets of Ankh-Morpork to Great A'Tuin, from the anthropomorphic personification of DEATH to the Monks of History.

Hope you enjoyed this series, everyone! Thank you all for coming by and reading/commenting on the Terry Pratchett Month posts. I know I had a lot of fun in September.


In fact, I'm thinking I might do this again sometime, not necessarily for Terry Pratchett, but perhaps for another author who's written a series of novels . . . what do you think of the idea, bloggers?


(And an aside: I'm still taking questions as part of my 800 Followers Celebration, so if you've got any of them, please ask away!)


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Fifth Elephant

Title: The Fifth Elephant
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2000
Page Count (paperback): 370
Cover Rating: 3 out of 5. They should have made this covers a bit fancier and a little brighter. They're not bad . . . they just don't pop out at you with all the wonders of Discworld.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary:

Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there word. So where is it? . . . 

When duty calls, Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers. Even when he doesn't want to. He's been "invited" to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other requires, well, ruby tights. Of course were cops (even those clad in tights) go, alas, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It's up to the dauntless Vimes--bothered as usual by a familiar cast of Discworld inhabitants (you know, trolls, dwarfs, werewolves, vampires and such)--to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. Which of course he does. After all, solving mysteries is his job.

My Thoughts: This was the first Discworld book I read, the second novel by Terry Pratchett, after Nation. I decided to read The Fifth Elephant because of the title, and the tone of the summary: I do love a character with attitude. Sam Vimes has it, too; he's one of the more amusing characters in the series, not just because of the crazy situations he ends up in, but because of the dialogue between him and other characters as well. He's still one of my top favorites. In addition, the supporting characters in this book are hilarious, from Lady Sybil to Colon to Corporal Nobby Nobbs.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: With great characters, a fast-moving plot, and an excellent setting, The Fifth Elephant is a Discworld book I recommend.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: Mort
Discussion Post: World Building Through A Series of Books: How And Why It Works
Book Review: Thief of Time


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Thief of Time

Title: Thief of Time
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2001
Page Count: 324
Cover Rating: 3.8 out of five. I cannot find a good resolution image of the cover that's on the library copy, but anyway, the yellow and purple are a little strange but go together okay. The cover I really like is the Australian one.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:

Everybody wants more time, which is why on Discworld its management is entrusted to the experts: the venerable Monks of History, who store it and pump it from where it's wasted, like underwater (after all, how much time does a codfish really need?) to places like cities, where harried citizens are forever lamenting "Oh where does the time go?"
   And while everyone always talks about slowing down, one clever soul is about to stop. Stop time, that is. For good. Going against everything known (and the nine tenths of everything that remains unknown) a young horologist has been commissioned to build the world's first truly accurate clock. It falls to History Monk Lu-Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd to find the timepiece and stop it before it starts. For if the Perfect Clock starts ticking, Time--as we know it--will stop. And then the trouble will really begin.

My Thoughts: Out of the 6 Discworld books I've read (of the whole 37 in the series . . .), this one ranks at the top.

First, because Susan Sto Helit is one of my favorite characters, as are Lobsang Ludd and DEATH, other major figures in this novel. Second, because I love stories that play on time and paradoxes. Third, because I thought it was particularly funny, even more so than other Discworld books, which I've always found amusing.

Other: None.

Verdict: The best novel in the Discworld series I have read so far, I highly recommend Thief of Time.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: Mort
Discussion Post: World Building Through A Series of Books: How And Why It Works


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: World Building Through A Series of Books: How And Why It Works

If there's one distinctive thing about the Discworld series--beyond Terry Pratchett's humor--it's that no matter which characters happen to be the main ones for a particular novel, the setting is the same. One flat world on the backs of four elephants, who are in turn standing on the shell of an enormous turtle called Great A'Tuin.

There is no particular reason why a majority or all of an author's books can't be set in the same world, over a variety of genres and/or age groups, with a collection of different characters. However, there are some features which make exploring the same place much more intriguing than if it had been left with only a single novel, that not all books have.

1. The existence of unexplored regions.

Rehashing the same places with different characters is interesting enough, but when they travel off someplace  mentioned in previous stories that remained relatively unknown, then it really adds a new dimension.

Example: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Fellowship followed a different path than Bilbo Baggins, encountered different creatures, and existed setting that may as well have been a separate world--except for the knowledge of locations linked to the previous story. This can also be done by setting a story in a different time. Example: The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. A different landscape and people, many years apart, but the same continent.

(SOURCE)

2. Different cultures.

There must be a range of characters (people or other beings, as it may be) that, like the setting, are put into the background for some stories but brought out in others. Again, it's much more interesting when you see another side to something that was less well-known before.

Example: Fire and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Fire is the companion novel to Graceling, set a little while before Graceling begins, on the other side of the mountains. A very different kind of magic and people, but with connections to each other culturally that only the reader notices.

3. The world must be big enough.

This relates closely to #1. If, say, you set your novel on a small set of islands, you are limiting yourself to that range. And while an archipelago can be excellent for a slave uprising (Example: Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce), there is a limit to how much you can pack onto it.

Same if you pick a setting that is too closely like good old real life--unless you happen to write Literary Fiction (which, for the record, I think is awesome) that doesn't leave much to the SF/F-style world building I'm talking about here. Once you've explored it once, then you must leave world building doors open if you want to go further. It's much like writing the second book in a series: if there isn't any opening, trying to continue it will just feel like a pointless extra (Example: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare).

(SOURCE)

How about you? Do you agree or disagree with the points I've made? What do you think are important elements of writing in the same world, for more than one book or series? Do you have a favorite cross-book world?

-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Mort

Title: Mort
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1987
Page Count (paperback): 243
Cover Rating: 3 out of 5. Again, compared to the original UK covers, this one is kind of boring, though it does match the story. (See the other one HERE.)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse — especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory.As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.

My Thoughts: I'd really been looking forward to this book, since I knew it was the first that featured DEATH as a main character. It certainly put a new face (beyond the grinning-skull one) onto this anthropomorphic personification, and I loved Mort, the boy who becomes his apprentice. Through him, you get an inside look at the world of DEATH, from his house to his cook to the hourglasses, or life-timers. The other characters were quirky and funny, ranging from the princess who everyone acts as if is dead to the magician who has the job of making sure people remember she's alive. The plot jumped all over the place, crossing realities and moving fast.


Other: According to some sites I found after noticing a reference on Wikipedia, Disney is making an animated movie out of Mort, with John Musker and Ron Clements directing (I've never heard of them before, or at least the names don't ring a bell, but apparently they did The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, and The Princess and the Frog).

They had better get it right, or this will be one irritated Terry Pratchett fan.

(What do you think? Do you look forward to a movie of Mort, or dread it?)


Verdict: Yet another humorous take on death from Terry Pratchett, Mort is an excellent story of a boy who becomes the apprentice of the ultimate reality. Recommended.


Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Movie Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Genre: Fantasy/Humor
Released (North America): 2009
Length: 197 minutes
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cast: David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry

My Thoughts: First off, I loved seeing Terry Pratchett in the opening scene as Astrozoologist #2. At first I didn't know why I recognized the man with the white beard and glasses, but then it clicked. I know who that person is!

But as for the rest of the movie? I don't often laugh at things onscreen, but I did several times during The Color of Magic. It stuck fairly well to the original plot of The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic (it's divided into two episodes), though they cut out a lot of the details and completely left out the Temple of Bel-Shamharoth, which I thought was too bad. That was one thing that bothered me: they left out so many characters and details, just glossing over some of the interesting (or just the funny) bits. Like, for example, there is no card game with Death, they omitted the gods, there are less heroes, and the Wyrmberg was just in-and-out compared to the book.

Nevertheless, the movie was quite enjoyable. It was awesome seeing the Discworld come to life, and I love the cast. Sean Astin was perfect for Twoflower (you know, Samwise Gamgee from LOTR?), David Jason was a great Rincewind (despite the fact I hadn't pictured him in my head as being that old), and Tim Curry was a perfectly disturbing, conniving wizard (though they did expand his part from the book-Trymon).

Other: Some violence (tavern brawl/swordfights/usual Fantasy) and mild swearing (there is one instance where it sounds like something worse than it is--when they're first introduced to Cohen the Barbarian's lack of teeth. You probably know what I'm referring to, if you've read the book.)

Verdict: A great adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic.





Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Good Omens

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Genre: Adult/Fantasy
Published: 1990
Page Count: 369
Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. I like this cover. Though I can't figure out it out. I got one copy from the library that's all black, the one I got on hold is all white, and I guess both are supposed to be set next to each other, since the words at the bottom "The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch" line up. Maybe it's supposed to get you to buy a second copy? Okay, probably not.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. 

    Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--each of whom have lived among Earth's mortals for many millennia and has grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. If Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him . . .

My Thoughts: This one is not entirely Terry Pratchett, but it has enough of his characteristic quirky style (along with being quite funny and co-written with another great writer) that I thought it deserved a mention. Good Omens is not the first Armageddon story, but it's the best I've read. The cast of characters is an eclectic, surprising mix of angels, demons, Horsemen, and practically every other kind of being, the plot moves fast and takes many turns, and, of course, the writing is excellent. For some reason it took me a while to get into it, but farther on I really wanted to know what happened.

Other: Thematic elements, language, some sex, violence.

Verdict: A humorous, original take on the end of the world, Good Omens is very entertaining and worth the read. Recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism definition (from The Free Dictionary):

Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

The most famous representation of natural phenomena from Terry Pratchett's  Discworld being, naturally, DEATH. Who speaks in SMALL CAPS (they are so exclusive that Blogger even refuses to let me use them), carries a scythe, and according to some sounds like the slamming lids of coffins, despite having no vocal cords.


DEATH is not the only character made out of something abstract. There are many gods and goddesses, such as the goddess of Things That Stick in Drawers, the god Fate, the god of Avalanches, and The Goddess Who Must Not Be Named (also known as Lady Luck), to name a few of the many that exist in Discworld.

(SOURCE)

Many other authors have made characters out of the abstract. For example, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief was told through the perspective of death. Tamora Pierce's novels, set in the Tortall universe, often have the characters dealing directly with gods and goddesses who represent different aspects of life.


Have you ever created a character out of something like death or another natural (or unnatural) phenomenon in your own stories? Do you think it has an important effect on the culture or feelings of the characters in a story if they believe in such gods/goddesses?


What is your favorite personification, from Discworld or another series/novel?


Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation




-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: On Humorous and Parodic Stories

***My Insecure Writer's Support Group post is below, in case you're here from the linky list.***

I wrote a post some time ago called Humor In Writing, in which I covered the three main areas where author can use humor: characters and dialogue, plot, and prose. One of the more interesting (and amusing) things about Terry Pratchett's writing is the fact he combines all three. But there's also the element of parody in his books--I'll admit I don't recognize all the references to other material, but even at a glance it's obvious he's poking fun at the traditional Fantasy that takes itself seriously.

Most books have at least one lighter side to them, whether it's in the form of the joker relative or friend, circumstances and plot twists, or the writer's third person snark. Terry Pratchett, on the other hand, incorporates the eccentric (or just plain barmy) characters, outrageous events that manage to seem inevitable, along with a host of descriptions and comments outside of plot and characters.

(SOURCE)

Parody isn't seen quite so often. Probably because it's easy to offend people if you parody something, and probably because to do so just the right touch has to be used; otherwise it's too repetitive and unoriginal. It's easy to ridicule something else--but harder to make the attempt not come off as trite.

What do you think of humor and parody? Do you like it when an author uses it in all of the story elements, or do you prefer more seriousness? Do you enjoy parody, or are they not worth the time? Who or what's your favorite humor author or book?

Other Terry Pratchett month posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Light Fantastic

(SOURCE)

Title: The Light Fantastic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1986
Page Count: 241
Cover Rating: 3.8 out of 5. It's okay. The book matches, as does the chain, and the color isn't bad, but it doesn't exactly pop out at you. Of course, it also says "Conan the Barbarian" on the front cover, which is wrong--it's Cohen the Barbarian. Come now; surely they could have picked that one up! Once again, I have to say I like the more recent cover better.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

In The Light Fantastic only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world . . .

My Thoughts: If The Color of Magic wasn't the best in the series, reading it through to get to the sequel (which picks up at a cliffhanger--rather literally) is definitely worth it. I found The Light Fantastic faster, more exciting, and quite funny.

Other: References, violence.

Verdict: A sequel that's even better than its predecessor, The Light Fantastic is a great Discworld book. Definitely recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Post(s):
Book Review: The Color of Magic


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1983
Page Count: 210 (paperback)
Cover Rating: I'm hard-pressed to say whether I like this version better than the other one, which I believe is the original UK cover (see HERE). The suitcase is nice, but it's a little too red. The one I really like, though, is this one.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet . . .

 
My Thoughts: A strong start to the Discworld series. I cannot say it's my favorite book in the series, compared to the other few I've read, but it's still a fun ride. Rincewind was quite funny, the tourist Twoflower was amazingly naive yet still managed (somehow) to survive, and the plot took plenty twists and turns along the way.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: Worth the read, and (fittingly enough, being the first book in the series) a good place to start on Discworld. Recommended.


-----The Golden Eagle