Gaming in Discworld - anyone?

[Red Orc]

Ha ha! I agree that his later work is formulaic. Disagree that it's anything to do with 'modernism/post-modernism'.

It's just formulaic. 'Pyramids' is essentially the same as 'Sourcery', since which time he's more-or-less successfully repeated the same formula (or maybe formulae), in a couple of different settings; the 'Witches' books, the 'Wizards' books, the 'Watch' books...

But the last few have had more than their share of stinkers. 'Monstrous Regiment' was pretty ropey in my opinion, as was 'Night Watch'. 'Going Postal' and 'The Truth' however I thought were both great. But he's always been a bit patchy. I have no great love for 'Lords and Ladies' (despite some excellent and indeed challenging insights into mythical archetypes), and I similarly 'Masquerade' and 'Jingo' failed to grab my imagination.

On the other hand, I'm still reading him 25 years later, so he's got to be doing something right.

[Commander Vyper]

Ha ha! I agree that his later work is formulaic. Disagree that it's anything to do with 'modernism/post-modernism'.

It's just formulaic. 'Pyramids' is essentially the same as 'Sourcery', since which time he's more-or-less successfully repeated the same formula (or maybe formulae), in a couple of different settings; the 'Witches' books, the 'Wizards' books, the 'Watch' books...

But the last few have had more than their share of stinkers. 'Monstrous Regiment' was pretty ropey in my opinion, as was 'Night Watch'. 'Going Postal' and 'The Truth' however I thought were both great. But he's always been a bit patchy. I have no great love for 'Lords and Ladies' (despite some excellent and indeed challenging insights into mythical archetypes), and I similarly 'Masquerade' and 'Jingo' failed to grab my imagination.

On the other hand, I'm still reading him 25 years later, so he's got to be doing something right.

Also remember that with Mr P's alzheimer's affecting him quite badly now, one day soon all we will have is those books. But what a great legancy to leave.

[Hammers]

Also remember that with Mr P's alzheimer's affecting him quite badly now, one day soon all we will have is those books. But what a great legancy to leave.

Really? That is bad news.

[Commander Vyper]

Sir Terry Pratchett to give 2010 Dimbleby Lecture

'Shaking Hands With Death'



Sir Terry Pratchett, is to deliver BBC One's annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture on February 1st.

This will be the 34th lecture held in honour of the veteran broadcaster who died in 1965.

The first novelist to give the lecture, Sir Terry Pratchett is the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Discworld series. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983 and there are now 37 books in the series.

Regarded as a significant satirist, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was awarded an OBE in 1998, Knighted in 2009 and has received eight honorary doctorates. His novels have sold more than 65 million copies and have been translated into 37 languages.

In December 2007, he announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Since then, he has become Patron of The Alzheimer's Research Trust and has been closely involved in fundraising as well as making a sizeable donation to the charity himself.

In this keynote lecture, 'Shaking Hands with Death', Sir Terry Pratchett will explore how modern society, confronted with an increasingly older population, many of whom will suffer from incurable illnesses, will need to redefine how it deals with death.

Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One says: "I'm absolutely delighted that one of our most popular and best-loved authors has agreed to give this lecture. Sir Terry Pratchett has spoken with great bravery and honesty about his battle with Alzheimer's and I look forward to an intelligent and thought provoking speech."

Other previous Richard Dimbleby lecturers include the Prince of Wales, Bill Clinton, Dame Stella Rimington and Dr Rowan Williams.

The lecture will be executive produced by Phil Dolling and the producer is Victoria Simpson.
 

[Hammers]

That's a bit shit, isn't it? The man  makes a living of his wits a bit more than others, doesn't he?

The man is very much the reason I dug into the English vernacular as spoken by the British. I have all his books and "Where is my cow?" is currently Fiver's, son of Hammers, favourite bedtime story. 

[Verderer]

Ha ha! I agree that his later work is formulaic. Disagree that it's anything to do with 'modernism/post-modernism'.

It's just formulaic. 'Pyramids' is essentially the same as 'Sourcery', since which time he's more-or-less successfully repeated the same formula (or maybe formulae), in a couple of different settings; the 'Witches' books, the 'Wizards' books, the 'Watch' books...

But the last few have had more than their share of stinkers. 'Monstrous Regiment' was pretty ropey in my opinion, as was 'Night Watch'. 'Going Postal' and 'The Truth' however I thought were both great. But he's always been a bit patchy. I have no great love for 'Lords and Ladies' (despite some excellent and indeed challenging insights into mythical archetypes), and I similarly 'Masquerade' and 'Jingo' failed to grab my imagination.

On the other hand, I'm still reading him 25 years later, so he's got to be doing something right.

Aha, but it depends on what you consider to be postmodernist or modernist. What I mean by this is that Pratchett's approach to his characters, plots and themes is postmodernist, most obvious in his parody of fantasy. He's really talking about what fantasy literature is like (through parody and other devices). In his later works (pretty soon after Light Fantastic and Colour of Magic, actually, his focus shifts away from talking about literature (in this case genre fantasy mostly, but others as well), secondary worlds, and the writer's relationship to the reader.

He ends up discussing grand themes like life, love, violence, religion&faith, morals, death etc. and he tries to give us a lesson in these themes. So he's now talking about life rather than literature. And this seems very modernist to me. You might even say that he starts to take himself or his writing too seriously. Not that there is less comedy in his later books, or that serious themes are entirelyu bad.

 

[Commander Vyper]

In fairness the formulaic nature of the later work might have something very much to do with that horrible disease and his slow decline.

[Hammers]

In fairness the formulaic nature of the later work might have something very much to do with that horrible disease and his slow decline.

Well, one's inclined to think so...

[anevilgiraffe]

I remember a magazine years back had rules for Discworld using D&D I think... can't remember much more than that - or what magazine it was....

[Red Orc]

It was White Dwarf, back in the days when it still printed non-GW stuff and had 'Games Workshop's Role Playing Games Magazine' on the cover. Round about issue 80 I think, it was a tie in with the release of 'The Colour of Magic' I believe, so about 1986. This was of course in the days of 'D&D without numbers'.

I can of course find out later, but I have to go and look in my library.

(What? 25-year old games magazines? No, not me mate, don't know what you're talking about...)

@ Bezzo; sorry, didn't mean to divert the topic towards lit-crit. Gaming is where it's at.

[Verderer]

Verderer
And usually wins....!

Can we agree the guy is a "bit more" than a workday, journeyman hack writer. And something more akin to a modern day Swift, only far more funny, and approachable.

(I only set out to talk about Disc World wargaming honestly)

Sure, I am an admirer of Pratchett, and enjoy his books. My comments were never meant to be negative. I just found that his Discworld books sometimes handle issues which are rather self-evident (guns are bad, hmkay?), and they tend to get in the way of my enjoying his genius for witty writing. I probably wouldn't have even gotten my degree without him, so I am in his debt.

But like said, enough about literature.