Farewell Terry Pratchett

[doversoul1]

If you are not used to reading ‘alternative world’ novels, one way to appreciate him as a novelist is to read the books he wrote for children. You can see how seriously he took children as his readers. You need to shift your perception and don’t look for something to be amused or feel nostalgic about being a child. That wasn’t his concern.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Maxwell-Collection-%C2%A320-97-Mankind/dp/B00IG457K0/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426266644&sr=1-3

[aeolium]

I was so sorry to read of Terry Pratchett's death the other day. He has given such joy to many millions of readers of his work over a long period, and was courageous and determined in supporting the causes of Alzheimer's research and assisted dying in his last years.

I think of him as perhaps the best comic writer of his generation, and also one of the best writers of English prose in recent decades, with a wonderful, almost Dickensian gallery of characters, many of them idiosyncratically obsessional. Though ostensibly set in an imaginatively constructed fantasy world, his work was also about our time and society.

RIP

[Ferretfancy]

Just dip in, Ferret. It makes sense to start earlier if possible because you get to know certain characters, but it isn't necessary.

You have to simply accept that the world is disc-shaped with mountains in the centre and ocean to the rim where there is an everlasting waterfall. The world sits on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle called Great A'Tuin, who swims through space.

And a few other things....

The Turtle moves!

Thanks Flay,

It sounds fun!

There is a nice story of an American lady who believed that the world was supported on the backs of giant turtles, one on top of another. When asked where the pile ended, she relied "It's turtles all the way down! "

[MrGongGong]

There are plenty of myths about these things

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down

(when did the "lady" become American?)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

(when did the "lady" become American?)

I blame Stephen Fry (she was so en-nationalized when he told the story on QI).

[Jonathan]

I'd recommend the book I am currently reading - "Nation". It's not discworld but, having read all the discworld books (except "Raising Steam") there are echoes of situations in it! It is a brilliant book.

Discworld wise, and picking a stand alone book rather than one involving a recurring character (e.g. Rincewind, Vimes etc.) "Pyramids" is brilliant. If you read some of the Rincewind ones, I remember collapsing into complete hysterics on a train reading "Interesting Times" and getting some very funny looks.

[greenilex]

There is a collection of shorter fiction called A Blink of the Screen which I've just taken out of the Civic Centre Library.

I can't get enough of him - really big fan.