Discworld-Terry Pratchett

[Weatherwax]

Any other Discworld fans out there? I became a Discworld fan only in August, but I've read all of the novels, both GURPS Discworld books, the Streets if Ankh-Morpork Mapp, the Discworld Mapp, and The New Discworld Companion.

I've mentioned some of my plans to run a Discworld campaign in the following thread: http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=10319 , but I don't want to monopolize space where more general GURPS issues are discussed. At any rate, I'd love to discuss anything Discworld-related with fellow fans.

[Chindogu]

I'm a bit of a Discworld fan myself, and I have GURPS Discworld and Discworld Also, though I've yet to get a chance to play with them. It's strange that SJ Games has created a role playing game based on it, but hasn't imported the board game, or made an American version of the board game. Surely they could produce THUD! for far less than 25 pounds, plus 16 pounds postage. I'd like to see it at Warehouse 23, anyway.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by Weatherwax

Any other Discworld fans out there?

Wrong question.

Are there people on this board who aren't Discworld fans?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

Are there people on this board who aren't Discworld fans?

At one point I wasn't. I tried to read The Light Fantastic and hated it. Later on I decided to give Discworld another go, and am glad I did.

I still think that the Rincewind books prior to Eric aren't very good, however.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I still think that the Rincewind books prior to Eric aren't very good, however.

He needed some practice, I guess. ;)

My favorite books are the City Guard series, and my favorite character is Sam Vimes. He is badass while still remaining very, very human.

And he is slowly getting the hang of politics, too. I wonder if the Patrician is slowly grooming him as a successor...

[ArchonShiva]

Early DW books, besides possibly Mort, really aren't that good. Not for Pterry anyway. By I am a major fan.

Favorite books are Small Gods (possibly my favorite book ever, and one of the extremely few books I read twice through) and Interesting Times, as well as whatever I last read, usually.

Favorite characters are Susan (love her), Ridcully, and, well, lots of people when you think about it. Not a Rincewind fan.

Haven't read past Monstrous Regiment, and I've got A Hat Full of Sky lying on a shelf somewhere waiting for me.

[Weatherwax]

What board game do you mean? Is there a board game other than Thud associated with Discworld? I've seen Thud sets for sale on British websites, but they're rather expensive, prohibitedly so for me after shipping costs to the States are added in. I'd buy a set of Caroc cards if they make them; I've even toyed with the idea of designing my own deck, if I can figure out 24 Major Arcana cards (to give a deck of 88 cards, naturally). I'd love to try playing Aqueduct sometime. Cripple Mr. Onion has much less appeal to me.

Anyway, I'm guessing that you've already figured out that my favorite character in the series is Granny Weatherwax. Apparently Pratchett is finding it difficult to plot stories for her, though. I admire people who have the toughness yet caring that Esme does, because I don't. I resemble Magrat a lot more in personality and Agnes Nitt plus 20 years in body.

My favorite books in the series are Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Small Gods, Soul Music, Interesting Times, The Last Continent, Carpe Jugulem, The Last Hero, Monstrous Regiment, and Going Postal. But I really enjoy all of the books and have read each at least twice.

One reason I think many of the earlier books suffer is that Pratchett doesn't revisit many of the main characters later. What happened to Eskarina Smith and Simon, for example? What did Teppic do after he abdicated? Did Victor Tugelbend get his UU diploma after his abortive career in moving pictures?

One thing that puzzles me: why are so many of the lead characters unmarried? The only main character couples are Sam Vimes and Sybil Ramkin, and King Verence II and Queen Magrat.

It is nice to see that there are a few other Discworld fans out there. Reading the GURPS forum, I got the impression that most of the regulars (Jürgen excepted, of course) were more into the modern or futuristic and dark genres.

[MIB2826]

I've stopped buying Discworld books, as iMHO, Pratchett is now scraping the barrel.

The novelization of the boardgame Thud was bad enough (even though I haven't read it, the idea alone is enough to make me gag), but "Where's My Cow" really is proposterous.

The last books I've read are "Monstrous Regiment" which sucks, and "A Hat Full of Sky" which is barely so-so.

Also I've started to dislike the preaching and moralization he's started to insert in his books. Esp the Guard books.

I've been a big fan of him with currently 67 books (co)written by him and the 2 GURPS books (one signed) on my bookshelf, but enough is enough.

[Bookman]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

My favorite books are the City Guard series, and my favorite character is Sam Vimes. He is badass while still remaining very, very human.

Agreed. Those are uniformly great.

I also liked Monstrous Regiment and The Truth. Haven't cared much for the Death/Susan books.

[ArchonShiva]

Originally Posted by Weatherwax

One thing that puzzles me: why are so many of the lead characters unmarried? The only main character couples are Sam Vimes and Sybil Ramkin, and King Verence II and Queen Magrat.

Mortimer and Ysabell, though you could make a case for it not counting, with them being dead and everything.

I loved Monstrous Regiment, though I think Pratchett was stretching the parody a bit much.

As In understand it, however, Thud isn't the novelization of the board game, it's about the Battle of Koom Valley, an important cultural event to both dwarfs and trolls, which was the inspiration for the board game. It not very different from Night Watch, about the events that put Mad Lord Snapcase to power. Once you've discussed historical events enough that people become interested in them, they are worth telling, I believe.

As for the Cow thing, I'd tend to put it with the Mappe and Almanacs: likely to be enjoyable, but not a real book.

Has Pratchett completely gone over the top? Possibly. But I still enjoy his work every bit as much so I can live with that.