Terry Pratchett [Archive] - TOKYOPOP Message Board

Aratos

03-18-2006, 05:55 AM

Read quite a few of the Discworld books. Depends really, some characters I like and some I don't. I'm particularly a fan of the watch though. And Rincewind. Strata was quite interesting, too. It's a bit like Ringworld, but with a flat world shaped like a disc. He wrote it before he started foing Discworld proper.

franchan

03-18-2006, 06:41 AM

I love the Discworld books! Apart from that Trucker series; for some reason they never appealed to me (perhaps because they were more aimed at younger people, whereas I began reading the adult ones from when I was young).

You can blame my mum for that, because she always had Discworld books around the house! Heh. Her favouirite character is Death, while mine is a toss up between Death and Luggage.

Aratos

03-18-2006, 06:49 AM

Truckers, Diggers and Wings weren't discworld, hence the different style. To be honest, the only Pratchett series I've not enjoyed was those "johnyy and the bomb" things. Just found them incredibly dull.

franchan

03-18-2006, 07:21 AM

Oh, I thought they were. ^^;; Silly me.

Werewolflemming

03-19-2006, 05:18 AM

The Discworld books are so funny! My favourite one so far is Thief of Time. My fave characters are Death and Susan. :)

elisegrey

03-19-2006, 10:45 AM

Anyone else read the wonderful world of Discworld?
Yep - I've read 'em all! I think they're just fantastic. :D

Do you not think, though, that they're kind of getting a little... tired? Pterry seems to be losing his touch. His latest few, for example, are really not up to scratch, comparatively, and Vimes (my favourite Discworld character ever) is slowly but surely turning into a bit of a Mary Sue. It makes me a little sad, really - until Thief of Time, I couldn't really say I disliked any of them. (Okay, Nightwatch was still amazing, though...)

Also, is it just me that wants to see Rincewind again, even if only once for a kind of goodbye?

three

03-19-2006, 10:50 AM

Terry Pratchett is awesome.

I also love the book he co-wrote with Neil Gaimen, Good Omens.
I love Good Omens. LOVE.

elisegrey

03-19-2006, 10:52 AM

Terry Pratchett is awesome.

I also love the book he co-wrote with Neil Gaimen, Good Omens.
I love Good Omens. LOVE.
Oh, *joins you oh-so-much*. That was my favourite book for about half a year - my original copy fell apart. :D

GlazedDonuts

03-19-2006, 11:03 AM

See, I love Neil gaiman, and i love Terry Pratchett, so when I found out they wrote a book together, I almost spontaneously combusted, I made my mum unlock the library and sighn me out the book, and then I bought it. Not from the library, from coles, but I still bought it. ive read all the discworld except for Thud and Hat full of sky, which I am currently waiting on.

froggyguy

03-19-2006, 02:17 PM

Do you not think, though, that they're kind of getting a little... tired? Pterry seems to be losing his touch. His latest few, for example, are really not up to scratch, comparatively, and Vimes (my favourite Discworld character ever) is slowly but surely turning into a bit of a Mary Sue.

I whole heartedly agree :3 The first few of his I didn't like, then they were awesome, and then with Monstrous Regiment he lost it again. He took a decent, if a tad overdone theme, and then killed it. and then stomped on it. and then burned it a little just to make sure it was really really dead.
I thought Going Postal was good, probably not a top 3, but a top 10, but then in Thud Vimes did start going over the edge. He was my favorite character too ;_;

elisegrey

03-19-2006, 02:25 PM

I whole heartedly agree :3 The first few of his I didn't like, then they were awesome, and then with Monstrous Regiment he lost it again. He took a decent, if a tad overdone theme, and then killed it. and then stomped on it. and then burned it a little just to make sure it was really really dead.
I thought Going Postal was good, probably not a top 3, but a top 10, but then in Thud Vimes did start going over the edge. He was my favorite character too ;_;
Hee! Like the description. :D

Really? You liked Going Postal? Personally, I just couldn't engage with what's-his-name, the protagonist - at least not as much as his other one-shot characters, like William de Worde or even Tiffany Aching, on a good day.

*weeps for Vimes with you* God, he used to be kick-ass, but in a flawed way... The original Vimes couldn't, you know, kill an entire cavern of enemy dwarfs/trolls/whatever. D:

GlazedDonuts

03-19-2006, 02:29 PM

Leonard of Quirm, FTW

elisegrey

03-19-2006, 02:32 PM

Leonard of Quirm, FTW
"Tell me, Leonard, has it ever occured to you that one day war will be fought with brains?"
"Oh dear. Won't that be rather messy?"

Sorry for quoting, but that line cracks me up every time I read it. So much love for Leonard. :D

GlazedDonuts

03-19-2006, 02:42 PM

My new favourite quote.

ParaKiss

03-19-2006, 05:50 PM

Terry Pratchett has the most awesome version of Death I've come across. And I've read ALOT of books.

2kdav

03-25-2006, 01:51 PM

A great quote from Going Postal:

" ‘Apprentice Postman Stanley,’ mumbled Groat. ‘Orphan, sir. Very sad. Came to us from the Siblings of Offler charity home, sir. Both parents passed away of the Gnats on their farm out in the wilds, sir, and he was raised by peas.’

‘Surely you mean on peas, Mr Groat?’

‘By peas, sir. Very unusual case. A good lad if he doesn’t get upset but he tends to twist towards the sun, sir, if you get my meaning.’ "

mei-chan

03-26-2006, 09:26 AM

i just love the wee-free men, they were in the first tp book i read and i keep saying crivens

LordD

03-26-2006, 11:24 AM

mr pratchett does wonders! i love his books and his sense of humour. Though i still haven't read all of his books (but i'm working on it)

As a favourite character: why hasn't anyone mentioned Granny Weatherwax yet? She's my alltime favourite, the way she does headology is brilliant. Death follows closely on the second place. He makes dying seem like not so big a deal afterall.

chousenjin

03-27-2006, 10:56 AM

I'm trying to read the DW books in order, but I got stuck at Small Gods.
Pratchett has some funny, quirky trademarks like footnotes and Death, but he has a lot to learn about keeping the flow of a story going.
Neil Gaiman is better in that respect.

Aratos

03-27-2006, 11:08 AM

There's an order? I mean, I know the books starring certain individual characters have an order, but is there really a bigger picture there?

chousenjin

03-27-2006, 12:47 PM

well, I meant, the order in which the books were released.
That seems to be in chronological order, as far as I can tell so far, anyway.

Aratos

03-27-2006, 01:10 PM

I seem to remember that not being the case, actually. But then I go reading them in order based on characters. Right now i'm reading through all the city watch books, then onto rincewind.

spellcaster9

03-27-2006, 01:26 PM

I love Terry Pratchett! I've been rereading a lot of his books lately. I particularly love the Discworld series and of that I like the Vimes books best. Vimes is definitely my fave character.
I'm not a big Rincewind fan, though. Dunno, just can't get into those books. I like the witches and most of the rest though. Thud! was awesome. I was a bit disappointed by Mountrous Regiment though. That book felt like it was written just to be written, you know?
Looking forward to his next Discworld (I know we're going to have to wait a while) and would love to see him collaborate with another author again soon.
(and hey, if Neil can write comics, why can't Terry? I would love to see Terry take on something in the comic book world!)

Iblis

03-27-2006, 01:29 PM

There is a chronological order; at first glance the books might seem episodic and in no particular order, but there are changes from the earlier books such as the UU faculty being entirely different in the first three or four books than the last twenty. Certain characters are dead, certain characters have kids (that weren't there before :D), certain characters are older. The Night Watch-based books seem to follow the most concrete storyline, with Angua and Carrot's relationship and Vimes' marriage and subsequent development of a family. But beyond Rincewind interacting with Watch Officers who weren't around 10 books ago and misc. other things, there doesn't seem to be a huge direction the whole thing is going in.

mei-chan

03-27-2006, 02:01 PM

spellcaster9

03-27-2006, 07:01 PM

i went to a lecture of tp and he said he started writing after he met some live action roleplayers
he admitted his first books are more like rp manuals, his stories weren't that elaborate and complicated, but he got better along the way
i even had my copy of the wee free men signed:D
Cool! You got to meet him and have him sign your book? That's wonderful. I read an interview he did once over the internet (like a live chat thing sorta) and he seemed pretty witty and urbane. Very British with a Capital B, if you take my meaning.

PeterAhlstrom

03-27-2006, 10:35 PM

I really like the Watch books, random Ankh-Morpork books like Going Postal, the Death and his granddaughter Susan books, and some of the random other books like Small Gods and Pyramids. I don't really like the Rincewind books, especially the first 2, and think the Witch books are only fairly entertaining. The first book I read was book 3, Equal Rites, and I really liked that. If I'd started with book 1, I would have been very nonplussed.

mei-chan

03-28-2006, 12:11 AM

Cool! You got to meet him and have him sign your book? That's wonderful. I read an interview he did once over the internet (like a live chat thing sorta) and he seemed pretty witty and urbane. Very British with a Capital B, if you take my meaning.

it was a really cool, witty lecture
He told all kinds of funny stories. He really is awesome:D

mangadragon

03-28-2006, 12:33 AM

love terry pratchet. his books are just so funny!! :D My fave is The last hero, tho i think guards!guards! is good too.

spellcaster9

04-03-2006, 07:24 PM

it was a really cool, witty lecture
He told all kinds of funny stories. He really is awesome:D
Yeah, he seems like he would be really cool to meet in person.
have any of you guys ever heard his books on audio? I have. Unfortunately, he doesn't read them himself (like some other authors do) but they are great. They had a bunch of them at the library where I used to live. Man, I miss them. I've scoured the internet looking for them but only place I've ever found any was on Ebay and I will not buy anything from there. (long story, don't ask.)

Beppo

04-03-2006, 08:25 PM

Pratchett's writing is so much fun, and so highly-quotable! Vimes is definitely my favorite character, although Vetinari is a very close second. Night Watch is my favorite book, but then when Monstrous Regiment came out I was a little...disappointed. Not just because it was about new characters (presumably characters we aren't going to see again?), but also because I felt like the Ankh-Morpork characters were uprooted and just dumped there. I guess I can accept that William and Otto were there to do reporting for the newspaper, but I was never entirely clear how the Watch had gotten themselves involved.

Satsuki

04-04-2006, 04:29 AM

read it, loved his books....Discworld and such....especially THE LAST HERO book.....

mei-chan

04-05-2006, 07:43 AM

read it, loved his books....Discworld and such....especially THE LAST HERO book.....

Those drawings are hilarious!!!!
I especially like the drawings by Josh Kidby, with Death and the Grim Sqeeker in them, the little rat death is way too funny:D

LordD

04-05-2006, 03:51 PM

especially the way he build up the character of Death of Rats....and the depth of his dialogues is just great! :-p

haleth1

04-05-2006, 04:36 PM

Wonderful stuff! I've only made it up to Moving Pictures- but I've never laughed so hard or out loud so much while reading a book!

Holly Short

04-06-2006, 12:30 PM

Have any of you ever seen the cartoons based on the discworld series? I was wondering if they were any good. I also love the Wee Free Men. If you can listen to it on CD, it's really good, great for driving long distances, cept when you start to laugh.

Aratos

04-06-2006, 12:50 PM

Not seen them yet, but Pratchett himself said he liked them, so I assume they're good. Keep meaning to get them.

The games were certainly good anyway.

Iblis

04-06-2006, 01:58 PM

Have any of you ever seen the cartoons based on the discworld series? I was wondering if they were any good.

I thought they were terrible. Then again, I'm not much for cartoons, especially ones based off of books. They were just... ugh. Badly done IMO.

spellcaster9

04-06-2006, 06:53 PM

I thought they were terrible. Then again, I'm not much for cartoons, especially ones based off of books. They were just... ugh. Badly done IMO.
I've seen them. They were terrible. And i even liked the old Lord of the Rings cartoon (which almost everyone hates!) so that tells you something!

mizushimo

04-11-2006, 07:20 PM

Terry Pratchett is awesome, his stuff are the only books I read consistantly anymore. There's always something really interesting in his books, he hasn't written any truely horrible ones. The 'bad' ones usually just have a weak ending, as with "Moving Pictures". I've read all of them up to "Going Postal", I'm waiting for "Thud!" to come out in paperback

Fumi

04-14-2006, 08:45 AM

Oh! I love Pratchett! He's the awesomest author ever~! Thud is hilarious! It has well, everything! Humor, jealously, suspense, heart-felt moments. I'd go on but I don't want to make any spoilers for you. And yeah, the cartoon sucks. I've only seen the Wyrd Sisters one but the characters don't look good.

Kyaa the Catlord

04-14-2006, 09:17 AM

I like his one shots best. Pyramids. Small Gods. Moving Pictures. Especially Moving Pictures. It is just brilliant.

Fumi

04-15-2006, 10:43 AM

spellcaster9

04-15-2006, 04:03 PM

Moving Pictures was awesome! Personally though I thought the incest in Pyramids was wrong (however I did support the pairing until I found out it was incest) and Small Gods is actually my least favorite Discworld book.
I actually didn't care for Moving Pictures. Of the stand alones I thought The Truth was the best. (actually I thought the Truth was just about the best Discworld book Pratchett has ever written. I loved it.) I hated Small Gods though. Really disliked it. Don't ask why cause i don't know. Just...intense dislike.
And, of course, I'm not fond of the Rincewind novels. But love the rest.

Fumi

04-15-2006, 04:32 PM

I liked Rincewind, his cowardice appeals to me for some reason. Truthfully? I didn't like the Truth and neither liked nor disliked Monstrous Regiment (Must they ALL be girls?), but I get the feeling that the Truth might become reference for important supporting events in future books. An interview of Death perhaps? Oh, a one shot one that I think I like more than Moving Pictures (I liked it because of its satire, like the gonne) was Going Postal. I thought the stamps thing was, bluntly ingenious.

It just shows the huge range of interest in this series right? Because it has so many different opinions and has its series within series.

GlazedDonuts

04-15-2006, 09:59 PM

I really like how he can take massive social issues and turn them into something that appears to be completely different, but still conveys a good message.

@ Parakiss from several pages back.

Pratchetts Death is the best traditional Death I've ever seen, but of all Deaths, traditional or not, its tied with Death from Neil Gaimans Sandman series in my books, love them both.

Iblis

04-15-2006, 10:48 PM

I actually didn't care for Moving Pictures. Of the stand alones I thought The Truth was the best. (actually I thought the Truth was just about the best Discworld book Pratchett has ever written. I loved it.) I hated Small Gods though. Really disliked it. Don't ask why cause i don't know. Just...intense dislike.
And, of course, I'm not fond of the Rincewind novels. But love the rest.

The Truth is my favorite as well. I've read it 10+ times and it's always a great read every time. Thief of Time is second. I love (nearly) all of the Discworld books, and I like it when there's continuity between the stories, but these two fairly isolated stories are my favorites. Small Gods holds that special "turtles screaming horrible curses and insults at unnoticing people" place in my heart. Rincewind books (especially 1-3) are not my favorites, but I thought Interesting Times and The Last Continent were superb books for ones featuring him.
I didn't like Moving Pictures, Eric or Pyramids. And I hold that the worst Discworld book ever is The Colour of Magic. I fell asleep three times while trying to read that book. It's a very good thing that I read the later books before I tried the first one, or I would have been totally turned off from the entire series.

LordD

04-17-2006, 03:32 PM

i started with the wee free men and i still say 'crivens!' if i swear XD

Pedes

04-17-2006, 03:56 PM

Pratchett's writing is so much fun, and so highly-quotable!
True, true. I'd love to wriite my linguistic work on the use of language in Pratchett's book (or rather one book) bit it's in a fev eyars to come and I don't know if they let me too...

mei-chan

04-19-2006, 12:55 AM

You couls at least try, then you would be having fun and doing something usefull at the same time! Always a good combo!

Pedes

04-19-2006, 03:45 AM

You couls at least try, then you would be having fun and doing something usefull at the same time! Always a good combo!
:D I will, but first I have to get past the end fo 1st year, than second than third.............................

seren-enfys

04-19-2006, 04:46 AM

I love the Jhonny Maxwell series- they are soo funny! My sis is big into the discworld novels. and yes, there is nothing more quoteable then his books, i love music with rocks in lol

spellcaster9

04-19-2006, 04:26 PM

The Truth is my favorite as well. I've read it 10+ times and it's always a great read every time. Thief of Time is second.
Thief of Time was a pretty good book, I actually just read that recently.
Anyone here read Equal Rites and if so what did they think of it? (I've read it and thought it was ok but not fantastic.)

Iblis

04-19-2006, 11:26 PM

Well... it was written at a time when PTerry was still honing his skills, so to speak, and so it wasn't as good as it could have been. It was a good plot but kind of a drag to actually read. I can't really put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn't like about it.

Fumi

04-19-2006, 11:28 PM

You know, that is my exact same opinion of that book. He should rewrite it. It had so much potential but not enough zing

spellcaster9

04-22-2006, 07:22 PM

He should rewrite it. It had so much potential but not enough zing
That would actually be pretty cool, if he were to rewrite it! Someone should ask him, if they ever meet him/talk to him. "Would you be interested in rewriting Equal Rites?" (isn't that a mouth full!)

welshrevolver

05-15-2006, 02:23 PM

ok i just wana know your opinions on books and stuff like wot u think of his writting .and if any1 here is goin 2 the disc con in august cos i am . ok i hav 3 Qs
1. wot do you think of the books /writting ect.
2. r u going to the convention
3. who is ur fav char

and iff u hav no idea wat im talkin about thenjust ask an ill tell ya or just leave this thread
:D

Klawzie

05-15-2006, 02:28 PM

1) I think he's an excellent writer, but I don't like the stories he tells.
2) No.
3) Luggage.

welshrevolver

05-15-2006, 02:35 PM

1) I think he's an excellent writer, but I don't like the stories he tells.
2) No.
3) Luggage.

well that was a wierd comment you like his writting but dont like his stories hmmm conmnfussing well ne ways my fav is a close 1 between the luggage nobby nobbs and big yann! thankx

Klawzie

05-15-2006, 02:41 PM

It's not so weird! :) At least, I don't think so.

He has a way with words that I really admire and hope I have elements of the same brilliance in my own writing.

However, I generally do not like where his stories go. I read the first few Discworld books. I enjoyed the first one or two. There were a few in the middle I liked enough to finish. And then I was in the middle of the... 5th(?) book when I said to myself, "If he does this to Rincewind, I refuse to finish the book." And he did. So I didn't finish it. I had even bought the next book in the series and didn't bother to read that either.

I'm going to give some of his other books not in the Discworld series a shot, simply because I do think he's a talented writer.

PS: I like DEATH too. :3

welshrevolver

05-15-2006, 02:45 PM

Klawzie

05-15-2006, 04:03 PM

I guess it was "Sourcery" - but that's not why I put it down. I'm not even certain if I got to the point where Rincewind had problems with Death. :3

welshrevolver

05-16-2006, 05:34 AM

I guess it was "Sourcery" - but that's not why I put it down. I'm not even certain if I got to the point where Rincewind had problems with Death. :3

well wot eva you think rincewind only every gets in to bad situations nvr dies

Klawzie

05-16-2006, 01:23 PM

welshrevolver

05-17-2006, 12:54 AM

me neither :rolleyes: well anyway the books after sourcery are all different thing i prefer the watch series starting with guards guards! the series starts off ok.. but it gets better and by the fifth elephant its like some crazy who dun it best series he dose (its in the discworld series but as a separate one)
:D

Kantami

05-18-2006, 11:50 AM

Hmmm! I can't read his books! Why are they so hard to follow?!

elisegrey

05-20-2006, 03:51 PM

Hmmm! I can't read his books! Why are they so hard to follow?!
Really? I always admired that they were so easy to understand, even though at times they should have become overly-complicated.

Perhaps it has something to do with age? This is assuming you're young, so I'm so sorry if I've got that wrong!

Pedes

05-21-2006, 06:06 AM

This is true. :3 He does, and it's (generally) funny. I suppose there was just a point where I got used to the pattern and seeing things coming so often got annoying, rather than making me feel smart. It's the same reason I never watch sitcoms. :3
Actually Rincewind dissapears later and the bookjs are about other/different characters (never been a fan of Rincewind).
I presonally recommend you books about the watch - I thing Guards! Guards! is the firs, and the "Thief of time" (My presonal favourite^^)