| Article: 13044
From: gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett,news.answers,alt.answers
Subject: Terry Pratchett Bibliography
Date: 30 Sep 1993 12:00:05 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Sci., Victoria Uni. of Wellington, New Zealand.
Archive-name: pratchett/bibliography
Maintained-by: pratchett-faq@vuw.ac.nz <Nathan Torkington>
----------------------------------------
Changes made $Date: 93/08/30 14:12:12 $:
* Spanish info addded
* Italian translation
* Finnish info
----------------------------------------
This is the bibliography for the newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett. It
lists the books which Terry Pratchett has published, their
availability and gives the 'blurbs' for each.
This FAQ is currently posted to news.answers, alt.answers and
alt.fan.pratchett. All posts to news.answers are archived, and it is
possible to retrieve the last posted copy via anonymous FTP from
rtfm.mit.edu as /pub/usenet/alt.fan.pratchett/pratchett/bibliography.
Those without FTP access should send e-mail to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources"
in the body to find out how to do FTP by e-mail.
This FAQ was mostly written by Nathan Torkington, with numerous
contributions by readers of alt.fan.pratchett. The credits for
compiling the collective FAQs of alt.fan.pratchett are appended to the
body of the main FAQ. Comments and indications of doubt are enclosed
in []s in the text. Each section begins with forty dashes ("-") on a
line of their own, then the section number. This should make
searching for a specific section easy.
Contributions, comments and changes should be directed to
pratchett-faq@vuw.ac.nz
----------------------------------------
List of Answers
1 The Discworld Series
1.1 The Colour of Magic
1.2 The Light Fantastic
1.3 Equal Rites
1.4 Mort
1.5 Sourcrey
1.6 Wyrd Sisters
1.7 Pyramids
1.8 Guards! Guards!
1.9 Eric
1.10 Moving Pictures
1.11 Reaper Man
1.12 Witches Abroad
1.13 Small Gods
1.14 Lords and Ladies
2 Pre-Discworld
2.1 The Carpet People
2.2 Strata
2.3 The Dark Side of the Sun
3 The Nomes Series
3.1 Truckers
3.2 Diggers
3.3 Wings
4 Young Adult Books
4.1 Only You Can Save The World
4.2 Johnny and the Dead
5 Collaborations
5.1 Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)
5.2 The Unadulterated Cat (with Gray Joliffe)
6 Translations
6.1 German
6.2 Swedish
6.3 French
6.4 American
6.5 Dutch
6.6 Spanish
6.7 Italian
6.8 Finnish
7 Miscellany
----------------------------------------
1. The Discworld Series
Without a doubt this is the most popular series of books that Terry
Pratchett has written. Without exception, the references here are
to UK and Commonwealth editions. Note that Corgi is the publisher for
the paperback editions only.
----------------------------------------
1.1 The Colour of Magic
%A Terry Pratchett
%T The Colour of Magic
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 12475 3
Blurb:
Jerome K. Jerome meets _Lord of the Rings_ (with a
touch of _Peter Pan_) ...
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 ...
The wackiest and most original fantasy since
_Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_.
----------------------------------------
1.2 The Light Fantastic
%A Terry Pratchett
%T The Light Fantastic
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 12848 1
Blurb:
As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision
with a malevolent red star, the Discworld has only one
possible saviour. Unfortunately, this happens to be
the singularly inept and cowardly wizard called
Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of
the world ....
The funniest and most unorthodox fantasy in this or
any other galaxy.
----------------------------------------
1.3 Equal Rites
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Equal Rites
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13105 9
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 03950 7 (Hardback)
Blurb:
The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death
laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his
staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son.
Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic
(not to say mysogynistic) world of magic, he failed to
check on the new-born baby's sex ...
A third hilarious adventure by the author of _The Colour
of Magic_ and _The Light Fantastic_.
----------------------------------------
1.4 Mort
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Mort
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13106 7
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 04171 4 (Hardback)
Blurb:
Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered
him a job.
After being assured that being dead was not compulsory,
Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic
longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities
of being Death's apprentice ....
----------------------------------------
1.5 Sourcery
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Sourcery
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13107 5
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 04217 6 (Hardback)
Blurb:
There was an eighth son of an eighth son. He was, quite
naturally, a wizard. And there it should have ended.
However (for reasons we'd better not go into), he had
seven sons. And then he had an eighth son ... a wizard
squared ... a source of magic ... a Sourcerer.
----------------------------------------
1.6 Wyrd Sisters
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Wyrd Sisters
%I Corgi
%D 1989
ISBN 0 552 13460 0
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 04363 6 (Hardback)
Blurb:
Witches are not by their nature gregarious, and they
certainly don't have leaders.
Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the
leaders they didn't have.
But even *she* found that meddling in royal politics
was a lot more difficult than certain playwrights would
have you believe ...
----------------------------------------
1.7 Pyramids
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Pyramids
%I Corgi
%D 1990
ISBN 0 552 13461 9
Blurb:
Being trained by the Assassin's Guild in Ankh-Morpork
did not fit Teppic for the task assigned to him by fate.
He inherited the throne of the desert kingdom of
Djelibeybi rather earlier than he expected (his father
wasn't too happy about it either), but that was only the
beginning of his problems ...
----------------------------------------
1.8 Guards! Guards!
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Guards! Guards!
%I Corgi
%D 1990
ISBN 0 552 13462 7
Blurb:
This is where the dragons went.
They lie ... not dead, not asleep, but ... dormant. And
although the space they occupy isn't like normal space,
nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put
you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines
were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there's
a key ...
Guards! Guards! is the eighth Discworld novel - and after
this, dragons will never be the same again!
----------------------------------------
1.9 Eric
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Eric
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 575 04836 0 (Corgi)
%I VGSF (Victor Gollancz Ltd in association with Corgi)
ISBN 0 575 05191 4 (Non Illustrated)
ISBN 0-575-04636-8 (Hardback Illustrated)
Blurb:
Eric is the Discworld's only demonology hacker.
Pity he's not very good at it.
All he wants is three wishes granted. Nothing fancy - to
be immortal, rule the world, have the most beautiful woman
in the world fall madly in love with him, the usual stuff.
But instead of a tractable demon, he calls up Rincewind,
probably the most incompetent wizard in the universe, and
the extremely *intractable* and hostile form of travel
accessory known as the Luggage.
With them on his side, Eric's in for a ride through space
and time that is bound to make him wish (quite fervently)
again - this time that he'd never been born.
----------------------------------------
1.10 Moving Pictures
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Moving Pictures
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13463 5
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 04763 1 (Hardback)
Blurb:
The alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic
of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of
Holy Wood hill?
It's up to Victor Tugelbend ("Can't sing. Can't dance.
Can handle a sword a little") and Theda Withel ("I come
from a little town you've probably never heard of") to
find out ...
Moving Pictures, the ninth Discworld novel, is a
gloriously funny saga set against the background of a
world gone mad!
----------------------------------------
1.11 Reaper Man
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Reaper Man
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13464 3 (Paperback)
%I Victor Gollancz
ISBN 0 575 04979 0 (Hardback)
Blurb:
Death is missing - presumed ... er ... gone.
Which leads to the kind of chaos to *always* expect when
an important public service is withdrawn.
Ghosts and poltergeists fill up the Discworld. Dead
Rights activist Reg Shoe - "You Don't Have to Take This
Lying Down" - suddenly has more work than he had ever
dreamed of. And newly deceased wizard Windle Poons wakes
up in his coffin to find that he has come back as a corpse.
But it's up to Windle and the members of Ankh-Morpork's
rather unfrightening group of undead (*) to save the world
for the living.
Meanwhile, on a little farm far, far away, a tall, dark
stranger is turning out to be really good with a scythe.
There's a harvest to be got in. And a different battle to
be fought.
(*) Arthur Winkings, for example, became a vampire after
being bitten by a lawyer. Schleppel the bogeyman would be
better at his job if he wasn't agoraphobic and frightened
of coming out of the closet. And Mr Ixolite is a banshee
with a speech impediment, so instead of standing on the roof
and screaming when there's a death in the house he writes
"OooEeeOooEeeOoo" on a piece of paper and pushes it under
the door.
----------------------------------------
1.12 Witches Abroad
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Witches Abroad
%I Victor Gollancz
%D
ISBN 0 575 04980 4 (Hardback)
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13465 1 (Paperback)
Blurb:
It seemed an easy job ...
After all, how difficult could it be to make sure that a
servant girl *doesn't* marry a prince?
But for the witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat
Garlick, travelling to the distant city of Genua, things are
never that simple ...
For one thing, all they've got is Mrs Gogol's voodoo, a
one-eyed cat and a second-hand magic wand that can only do
pumpkins. And they're up against the malignant power of
the Godmother herself, who has made Destiny an offer it can't
refuse. And finally there's the sheer power of the Story.
Servant girls *have* to marry the Prince. That's what life
is all about.
You can't fight a Happy Ending.
At least - up until now ...
----------------------------------------
1.13 Small Gods
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Small Gods
%I Victor Gollancz
%D
ISBN 0 575 05222 8 (Hardback)
%I Corgi
ISBN 0-552-13890-8 (Paperback)
Blurb:
Brutha is the Chosen One.
His god has spoken to him, admittedly while currently in the
shape of a tortoise.
Brutha is a simple lad. He can't read. He can't write. He's
pretty good at growing melons. And his wants are few.
He wants to overthrow a huge and corrupt church.
He wants to prevent a horrible holy war.
He wants to stop the persecution of a philosopher who has dared
to suggest that, contrary to the Church's dogma, the Discworld
really *does* go through space on the back of an enormous
turtle (*).
He wants peace and justice and brotherly love. He wants the
Inquisition to stop torturing him now, please.
But most of all, what he really wants, more than anything else,
is for his god to Choose Someone Else ...
(* which is true, but when has *that* ever mattered?)
----------------------------------------
1.14 Lords and Ladies
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Lords and Ladies
%I Victor Gollancz
%D 1992
ISBN 0 575 05223 6 (Hardcover)
Blurb:
It's a hot Midsummer Night. The crop circles are turning up
everywhere -- even on the mustard-and-cress of Pewsey Ogg,
aged four. And Magrat Garlick, witch, is going to be married
in the morning... Everything ought to be going like a dream.
But the Lancre All-Comers Morris Team have got drunk on a
fairy mound and the elves have come back, bringing all those
things *traditionally* associated with the magical, glittering
realm of Faerie: cruelty, kidnapping, malice and evil, evil
murder.[*] Granny Weatherwax and her tiny argumentative coven
have *really* got their work cut out this time... With full
supporting cast of dwarfs, wizards, trolls, Morris Dancers and
one orang-utan. And lots of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all
over the place.
[*] But with tons of *style*.
----------------------------------------
2 Pre-Discworld
These books are Terry's earlier efforts, and came before the success
of "The Colour of Magic". Technically speaking "The Unadulterated
Cat" should appear here as well, but it isn't really fantasy - see
the "Collaborations" section.
----------------------------------------
2.1 The Carpet People
%A Terry Pratchett
%T The Carpet People
%C
%I
%D
ISBN 0 552 13325 6 (1st Edition [?])
0 385 40304 6 (New HB edition)
Blurb:
"In the beginning, there was nothing but endless flatness.
Then came the Carpet..."
That's the old story everyone knows and loves (even if they
don't really *believe* it). For now the Carpet is home for
many different tribes and peoples -- from the empire-building
Dumii, to the nomadic Munrungs, the proud Deftmenes, and the
terrible creatures from the Unswept Regions. And now there's
a new story in the making.
The story of the time when Fray begins to move, sweeping a
trail of destruction across the Carpet.
The story of the power-hungry mouls, saddling up their snargs
and riding to the attack.
The story of Glurk and Snibril, Munrung brothers, who set out
on an adventure to end all adventures when their village is
flattened.
The story that will come to a terrible end -- if someone
doesn't do something about it. If *everyone* doesn't do
something about it...
----------------------------------------
2.2 Strata
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Strata
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13325 6 (Paperback)
Blurb:
The excavation showed that the fossilized plesiosaur had
been holding a placard which read, "End Nuclear Testing
Now".
That was nothing unusual.
But then came a discovery of something which *did*
intrigue Kin Arad.
A flat earth was something new ...
----------------------------------------
2.3 The Dark Side of the Sun
%A Terry Pratchett
%T The Dark Side of the Sun
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13326 4
Blurb:
Dom Salabos had a lot of advantages.
As heir to a huge fortune, he had an excellent robot
servant (with Man-Friday subcircuity), a planet (the First
Syrian Bank) as a godfather, a security chief who even ran
checks on himself, and on Dom's home world even death was
not always fatal.
Why then, in an age when prediction was a science, was his
future in doubt?
----------------------------------------
3 The Nomes Series
Ostensibly for children, these books form a series that has proved
popular for both adults and children. You may find these mistakenly
filed under the SF section of your bookstore. Diggers has been made
into a cartoon series by Cosgrove-Hall (see the FAQ for more
information).
----------------------------------------
3.1 Truckers
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Truckers
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 52595 2
Blurb:
To the thousands of tiny nomes who live under the floorboards
of a large department store, there is no Outside. Things like
Day and Night, Sun and Rain are just daft old legends.
Then a devastating piece of news shatters their existence:
the Store - their whole world - is to be demolished. And it's
up to Masklin, one of the last nomes to come into the Store,
to mastermind an unbelievable escape plan that will take all
the nomes into the dangers of the great Outside ...
----------------------------------------
3.2 Diggers
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Diggers
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 52586 3
Blurb:
A Bright New Dawn is just around the corner for thousands of
tiny nomes when they move into the ruined buildings of an
abandoned quarry. Or is it?
Soon strange things start to happen. Like the tops of puddles
growing hard and cold, and the water coming down from the sky
in frozen bits. Then humans appear and they really mess
everything up. The quarry is to be re-opened and the nomes
must fight to defend their new home. But how long will they
be able to keep the humans at bay - even with the help of
the monster Jekub?
----------------------------------------
3.3 Wings
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Wings
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 52649 5
Blurb:
Somewhere in a place so far up there is no down, a ship is
waiting to take the nomes home - back to wherever they came
from.
And one nome, Masklin, knows that they've got to try and
contact this ship.
It means going to Florida (wherever that is), then getting to
the launch of a communications satellite (whatever that is).
A ridiculous plan. Impossible.
But Masklin doesn't know this so he tries to do it anyway.
And the first step is to try and hitch a ride on a new kind
of truck, a truck with wings - Concorde ...
----------------------------------------
4 Young Adult Books
Aimed at the round-about-teenage market, "Young Adult books have fewer
teddy bears and more inner city grit" (so the man himself says).
----------------------------------------
4.1 Only You Can Save Mankind
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Only You Can Save Mankind
%C
%I Doubleday
%D 1992
ISBN 0 385 40308 9
Blurb:
The mighty alien fleet from the very latest computer game
thunders across the computer screen...
Hands poised on the joystick, Johnny prepares to blow them
into the usual million pieces...
And they send him a message: WE SURRENDER.
They're not supposed to do that! Where does it say in the
manual that they're supposed to do that?
But they've done it. This time they don't want to die. They
just want to go home.
Johnny is the only human who knows. So he has to learn how to
wage all-out Peace, and they don't make joysticks with a
'Don't Fire' button...
It's hard, trying to Save Mankind from the Galactic Hordes.
It's even harder trying to save the Galactic Hordes from
Mankind. But it's only a game, isn't it.
ISN'T IT?
----------------------------------------
4.2 Johnny and the Dead
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Johnny and the Dead
%C
%I Doubleday
%D 1993
ISBN 0 385 403011
`Call any time you like,' said the Alderman. `I'm always in.
That's something you learn to be good at, when you're dead
...'
Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to).
But twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And the dead are
nothing like he expected. They don't lurch about. They don't
push through walls. They can't even dance like they do in
videos. They're just people -- post-senior citizens -- and
they're always in.
At least, up until now. Now the council want to move them out
so the cemetery can be sold as a building site. But the dead
have learned a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to
take it lying down ... especially since it's Halloween
tomorrow.
Besides, they're beginnign to find that life is a lot more fun
than it was when they were ... well ... alive. Especially if
they break a few rules ...
An irreverent and highly-entertaining new fantasy tale
featuring Johnny Maxwell, first met in Terry Pratchett's
``Only You Can Save Mankind''.
----------------------------------------
5 Collaborations
To date, Terry has only written two books with other authors - "Good
Omens" with Neil Gaiman, and "The Unadulterated Cat" with cartoonish
Gray Joliffe. US readers should consider the US edition (see the
Translations section) where some of the funnier jokes in Good Omens
are explained for the benefit of the trans-Atlantic audience.
A new edition of The Unadulterated Cat is supposed to have been
released. The ISBN number listed below isn't for this new edition.
----------------------------------------
5.1 Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)
%A Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
%T Good Omens
%C
%I Corgi
%D
ISBN 0 552 13703 0
Blurb:
Crowley, Hell's most approachable demon, and an old friend
Aziraphale, genuine angel and London book shop owner, have
a problem. Armageddon - which will happen on a Saturday
Night. Next Saturday, in fact. So they've got no alternative
but to stopt he Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse, defeat
the Witchfinder Army and find and kill the Antichrist - an
eleven-year-old boy who loves his dog ...
----------------------------------------
5.2 The Unadulterated Cat (with Gray Joliffe)
%A Terry Pratchett and Gray Joliffe
%T The Unadulterated Cat
%C
%I Victor Gollancz Ltd.
%D
ISBN 0 575 04628 7
ISBN 0 575 05369 0 (Paperback)
Blurb:
Can you recognise a real, unadulterated cat when you see one?
Or have you too grown used to the boring, mass-produced
cats the advertising industry adores?
Real cats never eat from bowls (at least not the ones marked
CAT).
Real cats do eat quiche. And giblets. And butter. And anything
else left on the table. They can hear a fridge door opening
two rooms away.
Real cats don't need names. But they often get called them.
"Yaargeroffoutofityarbastard" does nicely.
----------------------------------------
6 Translations
Terry Pratchett's works have been translated into several languages.
The ISBN numbers for those editions are listed here. US readers
should consult the FAQ to learn about the Great Eric Saga, (subtitled:
"Why The US Lose on Eric").
Particular thanks to Ralf E. Stranzenbach and Bernd Reh for the most
excellent work in the German translation section.
----------------------------------------
6.1 German
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Die Farben der Magie
%I Goldmann Fantasy
%D 1985
ISBN 3-442-23869-2
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1992
ISBN 3-453-05860-7
Blurb:
Der naive Weltenbummler Zweiblum und Rincewind, der
unfaehige Unterzauberer, trafen sich auf der Scheibenwelt.
Sie wurde von der riesigen Schildkroete A'Tuini und vier
Elephanten auf ewig durch das All gezogen. Als Zweiblum in
Ankh-Morpock, der Stadt der Zauberer, ankam, war er in
Begleitung seiner Schatztruhe, die ihm wie ein Haushund auf
allen Wegen nachfolgte.
Weder ist sie von grosser Hilfe auf der abenteuerlichen Reise
zum interstellaren Golf, noch Unterzauberer Rincewind, dessen
Zaubersprueche meist nur heisse Luft bewegen.
Aber alles sollte noch viel schlimmer kommen...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Das Licht der Phantasie
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1989
ISBN 3-453-03450-3
Blurb:
Dies ist die Geschichte der Scheibenwelt, die von einer
Schildkroete getragen wird und die sich auf Kollisionskurs
befindet: einem Roten Stern entgegen. Die Sprueche des
Zauberbuchs "Octavo" koennen die Katastrophe verhindern; doch
ausgerechnet der tumbe Magier Rincewind hat den wichtigsten
Spruch im Kopf. Waehrend die Kollegen ihn aufzuspueren
versuchen, macht sich Rincewind in Begleitung des Touristen
Zweiblum und dessen laufendem Koffer aus dem Staub.
Da stiehlt ein verrueckt gewordener Magier das Buch "Octavo"
und ist drauf und dran, die Scheibenwelt dem Untergang
preiszugeben, Rincewind muss sich entscheiden...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Das Erbe des Zauberers
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1989
ISBN 3-453-03451-1
Blurb:
Ein alter Magier fuehlt das Ende nahen und uebergibt seinen
machtvollen Zauberstab dem ungeborenen achten Sohn eines
achten Sohnes. Doch als das Kind das Licht der Welt erblickt,
stellt man erschrocken fest, dass es ein Maedchen ist - und
Maedchen duerfen die Zauberkunst nicht ausueben.
Als die magischen Talente der kleinen Eskarina bedrohliche
Ausmasse annehmen, reist die resolute Dorfhexe mit ihr zur
Unsichtbaren Universitaet, um der Kleinen mit allen Mitteln
einen Studienplatz zu verschaffen und sie zur ersten
staatlich geprueften Zauberin der Scheibenwelt zu machen. Als
sie sich mit dem Erzmagier und seinem ebenso genialen wie
pickligen Zauberlehrling zusammentut, ahnt keiner, dass die
Kraefte der jungen Leute eine hochbrisante Mischung ergeben,
die die Scheibenwelt zum Einsturz bringen koennte.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Gevatter Tod
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1990
ISBN 3-453-04290-5
Blurb:
Mort findet keine Lehrstelle, bis ihn Gevatter Tod als Azubi
in seine Dienste nimmt. Fortan begleitet Mort die Seelen
Verstorbener ins Jenseits. Als Prinzessin Keli hinterruecks
gemeuchelt werden soll, faellt er dem Attentaeter in den Arm
und toetet ihn vorschriftswidrig. Das Universum reagiert
hoechst ungnaedig auf die Geschichtsverfaelschung: Es
ignoriert Kelis Existenz und quetscht sie an den Rand der
Realitaet. Im verzweifelten Kampf um das Leben der
Angebeteten wird Mort seinem Meister immer aehnlicher, bis er
eines Tages sogar IN GROSSBUCHSTABEN REDET...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Der Zauberhut
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1990
ISBN 3-453-04300-6
Blurb:
Wann immer der achte Sohn eines achten Sohnes eines achten
Sohnes zur Welt kommt: Er ist zum Magier geboren, auch wenn
er Magie nicht ausstehen kann und eine irrwitzige galaktische
Reise antreten muss - auf der Suche nach einem alten Hut.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T MacBest
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1992
ISBN 3-453-05408-3
Blurb:
Hexen sind nicht von Natur aus gesellig, und mit Sicherheit
haben sie keine Anfuehrer.
Oma Wetterwachs war die am meisten geachtete Anfuehrerin, die
sie nicht hatten. Aber sogar sie merkte, dass das
Herumpfuschen in koeniglicher Politik sehr viel schwerer war,
als manche Schriftsteller versuchen, einem glaubhaft zu
machen...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Pyramiden
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1991
ISBN 3-453-04505-X
Blurb:
Von der Assassinengilde in Ankh-Morpork ausgebildet zu werden
passte gar nicht zu dem, was das Schicksal fauer Teppic
vorgesehen hatte. Er wurde frueher Thron-erbe des
Wuestenkoenigreichs Djelibeby als er erwartete (was auch
seinen Vater nicht sehr freute), aber das war nur der Anfang
seiner Probleme...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Wachen! Wachen!
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1991
ISBN 3-453-05029-0
Blurb:
Hierher verschwanden die Drachen.
Sie liegen ... nicht tot, nicht schlafend, aber ...
schlummernd.
Zwar befinden sie sich nicht im normalen Raum, aber trotzdem
liegen sie dicht beieinander. Man mag versucht sein, in diesem
Zusammenhang an eine Sardinen- buechse zu denken -
vorausgesetzt, man haelt Sardinen fuer gross und schuppig.
Vielleicht gibt es eine Lasche, mit der man die Buechse
oeffnen kann...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Eric
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D November 1992
ISBN 3-453-06234-5 (Illustrated edition)
Blurb:
Kennen Sie Faust?
Vergessen Sie ihn, denn jetzt gibt es ERIC (13), den juengsten
Daemonologen der Scheibenwelt. Er beschwoert nicht nur Tod und
Teufel, sondern auch RINCEWIND, den unfaehigsten Zauberer
aller Zeiten, und seine TRUHE, das bissigste Gepaeckstueck der
Galaxis.
Als Eric den Zauberer vom Bann erloest, stehen ihm drei
handels-uebliche Wuensche frei: ewiges Leben, Macht und die
schoenste Frau der Weltgeschichte. Doch die Erfuellung des
totalen Gluecks wird zum Hoellentrip, buchstaeblich...
Those after Eric are not released in Germany yet.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Strata oder die Flachwelt
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1983 (out of print)
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Strata
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D 1992
ISBN 3-453-05834-8
Blurb:
Die Ausgrabung zeigte, dass der versteinerte Plesiosaurier
ein Plakat mit der Aufschrift "Stoppt Atomtests Jetzt"
gehalten hatte.
Das war nichts besonderes.
Aber dann kam eine Entdeckung, die Kin Arad stutzig machte.
Eine flache Erde war 'mal etwas Neues..
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Die dunkle Seite der Sonne
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D January 1989
ISBN 3-453-03902-5
Blurb:
Als Erbe eines gigantischen Vermoegens hat Dom Salabos das
feine Leben gepachtet, haelt sich einen Roboterdiener a la
Robinsons Freitag, einen eigenen Platenet und einen
Sicherheitsbeauftragten, der Anschlaege auf sich selbst zu
verueben pflegt. Selbst der Tod ist auf Doms Heimatwelt nur
eine Lapalie. Und zu allem Ueberflusz ermittelt man
mit Hilfe der Wahrscheinlichkeitsmathematik sowieso schon
vorher, was hinterher wann und wie passiert - die Prophezeiung
als strenge Wissenschaft sozusagen.
Und trotz aller dieser Bequemlichkeiten macht sich Dom Salabos
auf und reist durch Paralleluniversen und Multi-realitaeten,
um eine legendaere Superrasse aufzustoebern. Als er endlich
die gesuchte Spezies findet, holt die Illusion der Realitaet
die Wissenschaft der Prophezeiung ein. Nicht unbedingt zum
Nachteil der Beteiligten.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Wuehler
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D January 1993
ISBN 3-453-06264-7
Blurb:
Ein schoener neuer Tag begann fuer die tausende kleiner Nomen,
die sich in den baufaelligen Barracken eines verlassenen
Steinbruchs eingerichtet hatten. Oder?? Bald schon geschehen
jedoch seltsame Dimge: Die Klimaanlage des Draussen spielt
verrueckt, Pfuetzen bekommen einen komischen, kalten, harten
Ueberzug und das Wasser der unsichtbaren Sprinkleranlage
faellt als kleine Wuerfel herunter. Menschen erscheinen und
bringen alles durcheinander. Wie lange noch koennen sie sich
gegen diese wehren - selbst mit der Hilfe des Monsters Jekub??
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Trucker
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D December 1992
ISBN 3-453-06263-9
Blurb:
Fuer die Tausenden von winzigen Nomen, die unter dem Fussboden
eines grossen Kaufhauses leben gibt es kein Draussen. Dinge
wie Tag und Nacht, Sonne und Regen sind nur alte vergangene
Legenden.
Dann bringt eine verheerende Nachricht ihre Existenz zum
Einsturz: das Kaufhaus - ihre ganze Welt - soll abgerissen
werden. Und es bleibt Masklin, einem der letzten Nomen, die
ins Kaufhaus kamen, Aueberlassen, sich einen unglaublichen
Fluchtplan auszudenken, der alle Nomen in die Gefahren des
grossen Draussen bringt ...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Fluegel
%I Wilhelm Heyne Verlag
%D January 1993
ISBN 3-453-06265-5
Blurb:
Irgendwo, an einem Platz so weit oben, dass es kein unten
gibt, wartet ein Schiff darauf, die Nomen nach Hause zu
bringen - zurueck woher auch immer sie kamen.
Und ein Nom, Masklin, weiss, dass sie versuchen muessen, mit
diesem Schiff Verbindung aufzunehmen.
Das beudeutet, nach Florida zu gehen (wo immer das ist) und
dort den Start eines Kommunikationssatelliten (was immer das
ist) zu erreichen.
Ein laecherlicher Plan. Unmoeglich.
Aber Masklin weiss das nicht, also versucht er es eben. Und
der erste Schritt ist zu versuchen, per Anhalter mit einer
neuen Art Lastwagen zu fahren, einem Lastwagen mit Fluegeln -
Concorde ...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Ein gutes Omen
%I 2001/Rogner & Bernhard
%D 1991
ISBN 3-8077-0247-4
Blurb:
Wenn Sie in die Zukunft sehen moechten, dann stellen Sie sich
einen Jungen vor, der mit seinen Freunden und einem Hund
unterwegs ist. Denken Sie an einen Sommer, der niemals endet.
Wenn Sie in die Zukunft sehen moechten, so denken Sie an einen
Schuh mit losen Schnuersenkeln. Einen Turnschuh, der nach
kleinen Steinen tritt. Denken Sie an einen Stock: Man kann
damit nach interessanten Dingen stochern oder ihn fortwerfen,
vielleicht holt ihn der Hund zurueck, vielleicht auch
nicht. Denken Sie an ein leises, disharmonisches Pfeifen, das
eine bekannte Melodie bis zur Unkenntlichkeit entstellt.
Denken Sie an jemanden, der halb Engel, halb Teufel und ganz
Mensch ist ...
An einen Jungen, der hoffnungsvoll nach Tadfield latscht.
Fuer immer ...
%A Terry Pratchett/Gray Joliffe
%T Echte Katzen tragen niemals Schleifen
%I Droemer & Knaur
%D January 1991
Blurb:
Wuerden Sie eine echte Katze erkennen, wenn sie Ihnen ueber
den Weg laeuft?
Nicht diese gestylten, braven, gesunden und lieben Kreaturen
aus der Fernseh-reklame sind hier gemeint. Es geht um die
Sorte Katzen, die grundsaetzlich nicht aus den fuer sie
vorgesehenen Schuesseln fressen, die Flohhalsbaender verab-
scheuen, die immer das Oeffnen der Kuehlschranktuer bemerken,
selbst wenn sie gerade wieder einmal das Strickzeug in der
Mangel haben - launisch, frech, ver- schlagen und doch
liebenswert.
----------------------------------------
6.2 Swedish
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Magins F{rg
%I Target Games AB
%D 1989
ISBN 91-7898-062-3
Blurb:
RAMLA INTE AV KANTEN!
Skivv{rlden best}r, som namnet antyder, av en skiva som b{rs
fram genom universum p} en j{ttesk|ldpaddas rygg (av ok{nt k|n).
I dess st|rsta stad, Ankh, bor den misslyckade, fege och snikne
trollkarlen Rensvind (som l{mnade magikeruniversitetet med en
enda trollformel i bagaget). Han tvingas ta hand om en
Tv}blomster, en naiv fr{mling som str|r guld omkring sig i en
stad d{r de flesta utan att blinka skulle strypa sin mor f|r
arvets skull, men lyckas inte b{ttre {n att hela staden s{tts i
brand.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Det Fantastiska Ljuset
%I Target Games AB
%D 1990
ISBN 91-7898-073-9
Blurb:
[r vi fortfarande d|da?
Skivv{rlden befinner sig p} kollisionskurs med en ondskefull r|d
stj{rna, och det finns bara en person som kan f|rhindra
katastrofen! Oturligtvis r}kar det vara den ovanligt misslyckade
och fege trollkarlen Rensvind, som senast syntes till d} han
ramlade |ver v{rldens kant.
Enligt en urgammal profetia kan Skivv{rlden (som b{rs fram
genom rymden av en j{ttesk|ldpadda) bara r{ddas om alla de ]tta
Stora Besv{rjelserna uttalas samtidigt - det {r bara det att en
av dem finns i Rensvinds huvud, och den har just talat om f|r
honom att han ska h}lla sig undan...
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Trollkarlens Stav
%I Target Games AB
%D 1991
ISBN 91-7898-125-5
Blurb:
I morgon d|r jag!
N{r trollkarlen Drum Billet sk}dar in i sin egen framtid inser
han att det {r dags att |verl{mna sin trollkarlsstav till en
arvinge. Som alla vet {r det den }ttonde sonen till en }ttonde
son som har m|jlighet att bli trollkarl. Kvinnor kan inte bli
trollkarlar.
("Var st}r det att kvinnor inte kan bli trollkarlar?"
"Det st}r inte n}gonstans, det st}r |verallt.")
N{r man vet det, borde man d} inte vara lite noggrannare med att
ta reda p} om det }ttonde barnet verkligen {r en son eller
inte...
Vad som h{nder n{r lilla Eskarina f}r en trollkarlsstav den dag
hon f|ds och hur det g}r n{r Mormor V{dervax, legitimerad h{xa,
ska f|rs|ka l{ra henne allt hon kan, {r en halsbrytande fars som
du sent kommer att gl|mma.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Mort
%I Target Games AB
%D 1992
ISBN 91-7898-153-3
Blurb:
D\DEN TAR INTE ALLA!
Mort {r en f|ga l|ftesrik, g{nglig ton}ring som
blir l{rling hos D|den, men visar sig vara allt
annat {n l{mpad till att slussa sj{lar bort fr}n
v{rlden. Faktum {r, att n{r det g{ller den ganska
attraktiva prinsessan Keli (som skall l|nnm|r-
das), trampar Mort totalt i klaveret. Han d|dar
l|nnm|rdaren ist{llet, och l{gger sig d{rmed i
\dets of|rsonliga arbete.
Men verkligheten {ndras inte s} l{tt; historien
som den skulle ha utspelat sig b|rjar ta form
runt Kelis stadsstat Sto Lat. Kan Mort r{dda Keli
innan hon pressas ur tillvaron?
----------------------------------------
6.3 French
----------------------------------------
6.4 American
The Colour of Magic 0 451 45112 0 (ROC PB)
0 451 15705 2 (Signet PB)
The Light Fantastic 0 451 16241 2 (Signet PB)
Equal Rites 0 451 45092 2 (ROC PB)
Mort 0 451 45113 9
0 451 15923 3 (Signet PB)
Sourcery 0 451 16233 1 (Signet PB)
Wyrd Sisters 0 451 45012 4 (ROC PB)
Pyramids 0 451 45044 2 (ROC PB)
Guards! Guards! 0 451 45089 2 (ROC PB)
Moving Pictures 0 451 45131 7 (ROC PB)
Reaper Man 0 451 45168 6 (ROC PB)
Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman) 0 894 80853 2 (HB)
0 425 13215 3 (Berkeley, PB)
Strata 0 451 45111 2 (ROC PB)
[Others? Which of these are HB/PB Editions?]
----------------------------------------
6.5 Dutch
6.5.1 The Colour of Magic
%A Terry Pratchett
%T De Kleur van Toverij
%I Het Spectrum
%D 1991
ISBN 90 274 2757 7
Blurb:
Maak kennis met de schijf van de Wereld die rust op de gebruinde
schouders van vier enorme olifanten die getorst worden door De
Grote Schildpad. Ga mee op een vrolijke, explosieve, goddeloze
expeditie naar de Rand van de Planeet met een hebzuchtige maar
totaal onbekwame tovenaar, een naieve toerist wiens bagage zich
voortbeweegt op honderden kleine beentjes en met draken die
alleen maar bestaan als er in ze geloofd wordt...
----------------------------------------
6.5.2 The Light Fantastic
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Dat Wonderbare Licht
%I Het Spectrum
%D
ISBN
Blurb:
----------------------------------------
6.5.3 Equal Rites
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Meidezeggenschap
%I Het Spectrum
%D 1992
ISBN 90 274 2901 4
Blurb:
Dit verhaal gaat over toverij en waar die heengaat en misschien
nog belangrijker: waar die vandaan komt en waarom dan wel, al
heeft het niet de pretentie een antwoord te geven op al die
vragen of zelfs maar een ervan. Niettemin kan het helpen
verklaren waarom Gandalf nooit getrouwd is en waarom Merlijn een
man was. Omdat dit verhaal ook handelt over sex, zij het
wellicht niet in de atletische, rollebollende, tel-de-benen-en-
deel-dan-door-twee betekenis, tenzij de hoofdpersonen de
schrijver volstrekt uit de hand lopen. Ze zijn ertoe in staat.
Toch gaat dit verhaal vooral over een wereld. Hier komt hij al
aan. Kijk goed, de trucs en stunteffecten zijn tamelijk duur...
----------------------------------------
6.5.4 Mort
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Dunne Hein
%I Het Spectrum
%D 1992
ISBN 90 274 2995 2
Blurb:
Dunne Hein is een onnozele, talentloze bonestaak en zijn vader
is blij wanneer hij een baantje voor hem vindt als leerjongen
van De Dood.
Maar Hein blijkt ook al niet de gave te bezitten om zielen de
wereld uit te leiden. Sterker, wanneer de aantrekkelijke prinses
Kiela vermoord gaat worden, verknalt hij het volledig. Hij
vermoordt de moordenaar en verstoort daarmee de Onafwendbare
Werking Van het Noodlot.
En De Dood, die veel te veel aan Dunne Hein overlaat, begint
verrassend menselijke trekjes te vertonen: drinken, dobbelen en
grappen maken. Dunne Hein daarentegen wordt steeds minder
vrolijk en is steeds meer geneigd om IN HOLLE HOOFDLETTERS TE
SPREKEN...
----------------------------------------
6.5.5 Sourcery
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Betoverkind
%I Het Spectrum
%D 1992
ISBN 90 274 3103 5
Blurb:
Betoverkind is de achtste zoon van de achtste zoon van een
achtste zoon. Al op tienjarige leeftijd is hij machtiger dan de
machtigste tovenaar van de Schijfwereld. Vergeleken met zijn
magie is de rest maar geknoei in een punthoed.
Rinzwind is ook een tovenaar, maar een eersteklas prutser en nog
laf op de koop toe. Toch is hij het tot wie Conina het barbaarse
kapstertje zich wendt om de Hoed der Hoeden in veiligheid te
brengen.
De Hoed zelf, gewend aan het hoofd van het Hoofd der Tovenaars,
is weinig te spreken over haar keuze.
Ook Bagage is weer van de partij, de kist met de honderden
beentjes, waarvan niemand precies weet of het nu een reiskist,
een was- en strijkinrichting, of een maniakale moordmachine is,
en draagt het zijne ertoe bij de chaos op de Schijfwereld nog
groter te maken...
----------------------------------------
6.5.6 Wyrd Sisters
%A Terry Pratchett
%T De Plaagzusters
%I Het Spectrum
%D
ISBN
Blurb:
Koninkrijken wankelen, kronen wiebelen en messen flitsen op de
toverwereld van de Schijf als heksen zich gaan bemoeien met de
koninklijke politiek. Wanneer Opoe Wedersmeer (uit
_Meidezeggenschap_) voor het eerst met haar heksenkringcollega's
het theater bezoekt, ziet ze daar alles wat je ook in het echt
tegenkomt: gebochelde koningen, weggeraakte kronen, doodgestoken
prinsen en vermomde erfgenamen.
Alleen, Opoe ziet geen verschil tussen toneel en werkelijkheid
en verdeelt de rollen op haar eigen manier. Vandaar die
onweersbui met plankenkoorts en een heksenbezem die in de vlucht
wordt bijgetankt.
Ze zal alles op alles zetten om de rechtmatige koning op de
troon te krijgen...
----------------------------------------
6.6 Spanish
El color de la magia The Colour of Magic
La luz fantastica The Light Fantastic
Ritos iguales Equal Rites
Mort Mort
Rechicero Sourcery
Piromides Pyramids
There is no translation of _Wyrd Sisters_ available yet, but there are
translations of the Truckers series, and a rumour is going round about
a translation of _Good Omens_.
----------------------------------------
6.7 Italian
%T I colori della Magia
%I Mondadori
ISBN 88-04-35085-7
%X Contains: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Il mondo del Disco
%I Mondadori
ISBN 88-04-36520-X
%X Contains: Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Systers.
%A Terry Pratchett
%T Il piccolo popolo dei grandi magazzini
%I Salani
ISBN 88-7782-174-4
%X Italian translation of Truckers
%A Gray Jolliffe, Terry Pratchett
%T Il gatto doc
%I Sperling&Kupfer
ISBN 88-200-1096-8
%X Italian translation of The Unadulterated Cat
----------------------------------------
6.8 Finnish
The Unadulterated Cat has been published in Finnish as ``Tosikissa ei
kirppuja kiroile'' (Art House, 1990, Helsinki). Wyrd Sisters is
translated as ``Noitasiskot'' with the original Josh Kirby cover.
----------------------------------------
7 Miscellany
This section lists short stories, trade articles, and similar items
published by Terry.
----------------------------------------
7.1 Short Stories
His first short story was "The Hades Business", published in Science
Fantasy #60 (vol 20, 1963). He has also sold "Night Dweller" in _New
Worlds_ (187), and _Time Out_ magazine's Christmas 1987 issue (number
904/5) had "Twenty Pence With Envelope and Seasonal Greeting".
He has short stories in several collections:
* Digital Dreams. This is a collection of computer related
sf short stories. [?]
* After The King. This is a Tolkien tribute of fantasy
stories. His story is "Troll Bridge" and features
Cohen the Barbarian, from the Discworld. [ISBN ?]
* Forbidden Planet SF Anthology 2. "Forbidden Planet" is an
SF/fantasy/comics specialist shop in London. The ISBN is
1 85286 332 8.
* Now We are Sick, edited by Neil Gaiman and Stephen Jones. A
collection of grim poetry. Two editions: the Limited Edition
(ISBN 0-9630944-0-8) and the Trade Edition (ISBN 0-9630944-1-6).
* "Hidden Turnings", edited by Diana Wynne Jones. His story is
"Turntables of the Night". The book was first published in Great
Britain by Methuen Children's book in 1989. Then published 1990 by
Teens Mandarin, an imprint of Mandarin Paperbacks (Mandarin is an
imprint of the Octopus Publishing Group). ISBN 0 74970279 6.
* "The Drabble Project", edited by Rob Meads and David B. Wake. It
was published in 1988. The title of Terry's story is "Incubust".
----------------------------------------
Article: 13041
From: gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett,news.answers,alt.answers
Subject: alt.fan.pratchett FAQ
Date: 30 Sep 1993 12:00:05 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Sci., Victoria Uni. of Wellington, New Zealand.
Archive-name: pratchett/faq
Maintained-by: pratchett-faq@vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington)
----------------------------------------
Changes as at $Date: 93/09/15 13:19:51 $:
* UK tour date
----------------------------------------
This is the list of frequently asked questions (and their answers) for
the newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett. There is biographical information
about Terry Pratchett, a list of his books and their ISBN numbers, as
well as information about his books, his collaborators and other fun stuff.
Where possible, pointers to existing information (such as books,
magazine articles, and ftp sites) are included here, rather than
rehashing that information again.
If you haven't already done so, now is as good a time as any to read
the guide to Net etiquette which is posted to news.announce.newusers
regularly. You should be familiar with acronyms like FAQ, FTP and
IMHO, as well as know about smileys, followups and when to reply by
email to postings.
This FAQ is currently posted to news.answers, alt.answers and
alt.fan.pratchett. All posts to news.answers are archived, and it is
possible to retrieve the last posted copy via anonymous FTP from
rtfm.mit.edu as /pub/usenet/news.answers/pratchett/faq. Those without
FTP access should send e-mail to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "send
usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in the body to find out how to
get archived news.answers posts by e-mail.
This FAQ was mostly written by Nathan Torkington, with numerous
contributions by readers of alt.fan.pratchett (the Maestro himself
included). Credits appear at the end. Comments and indications of
doubt are enclosed in []s in the text. Each section begins with forty
dashes ("-") on a line of their own, then the section number. This
should make searching for a specific section easy.
Contributions, comments and changes should be directed to
pratchett-faq@vuw.ac.nz
----------------------------------------
List of Answers
1 Biographical Information
1.1 Personal History
1.2 How He came to write
1.3 Neil Gaiman
1.4 Josh Kirby
2 Eccentricities of Books
2.1 Eric
2.2 UK Bookstores
2.3 US Bookstores
2.4 Translations
2.5 Covers and the absence of Kirby
3 Computers and TP
3.1 His E-Mail address
3.2 His Setup
3.3 "The Colour of Magic" Game
4 Merchandising
4.1 The Royal Position
4.2 Discworld Models
4.3 Octarine
4.4 Discworld Maps
4.5 Truckers Video
4.6 Computer Games
4.7 The Mort Film
5 Related Files
5.1 The Terry Pratchett Bibliography
5.2 The Annotated Pratchett
5.3 The Pratchett Archives
6 Miscellany
6.1 Similar Authors
6.2 Rincewind's Name
6.3 More Rincewind
6.4 The Future
6.5 Inconsistencies
6.6 Appearances
6.7 The Hedgehog Song
6.8 Copyright (c) Terry and Lyn Pratchett
----------------------------------------
1 Biographical Information
This section contains the biographical notes from his novels, some
notes about how he came to write, and short biographical notes about
Neil Gaiman and Josh Kirby.
----------------------------------------
1.1 Personal History
Terry Pratchett is an author of humourous fantasy-based
science-fiction novels. He has been favourably compared to Douglas
Adams, P.G Wodehouse and Tom Sharpe. A lot of people rather like his
books.
(This is stolen from his liner notes:)
Terry Pratchett is, on average, a sort of youngish
middle-aged. He lives in Somerset with his wife and
daughter, and long ago chose journalism as a career
because it was indoor work with no heavy lifting.
Beyond that he positively refuses to be drawn. People
never read these biographies anyway, do they? They
want to get on with the book, not wade through masses
of prose designed to suggest that the author is really a
very interesting person so look, okay, he wrote these
other books, all right. Most were also about the
Discworld, and actually quite a lot of people liked
them.
He grows carnivorous plants as a hobby; they are a lot
less interesting than people believe.
* * *
For those people who really need to know, Terry Pratchett
was born in Buckinghamshire in 1948. He's managed to avoid
all the really interesting jobs authors take in order to
look good in this sort of biography. In his search for a
quiet life he got a job as a Press officer with the Central
Electricity Generating Board just after Three Mile Island,
which shows his unerring sense of timing. He now writes
full time. It's true about the carnivorous plants, though.
(and this one is stolen from Guards! Guards!:)
Terry Pratchett was born in 1948 and is still not dead. He
started work as a journalist one day in 1965 and saw his first
corpse three hours later, work experience _meaning_ something
in those days. After doing just about every job it's possible
to do in provincial journalism, except of course covering
Saturday afternoon football, he joined the Central Electricity
Generating Board and became press officier for four nuclear
power stations. He'd write a book about his experiences if he
thought anyone would believe it.
All this came to an end in 1987 when it became obvious that the
Discworld series was much more enjoyable than real work. Since
then the books have reached double figures and have a regular
place in the bestseller lists. He's also written three books
for children (the _Truckers_ trilogy). Occasionally he gets
accused of literature.
Terry Pratchett lives in Somerset with his wife Lyn and daughter
Rhianna. He says writing is the most fun anyone can have by
themselves.
The Carpet People adds:
[TP lives in Somerset] where he grows carnivorous plants and
tries to make computers do things they were never intended to
do.
Only You Can Save Mankind:
[TP lives in Somerset], and says he writes for anyone old
enough to understand.
Lords and Ladies:
He also grows carnivorous plants and thinks the world could
use more orang-utans.
----------------------------------------
1.2 How He came to write
He started writing short stories, several of which were published.
His first, "The Hades Business", which was published in Science
Fantasy #60 (vol 20, 1963) was the first story he ever wrote. He got
10/10 for it (the first time he had gotten 10/10 for anything except
for a painting which his teacher had *thought* were two dinosaurs
fighting) and it was published in the school magazine.
There it would have ended, except for his school headmaster who
addressed an assembly shortly afterward and announced that he didn't
approve of the "moral tone" of the story. Well, the magazine, which
would have struggled to break even, sold out within 15 minutes. He
learned an important lesson, right then - by writing it is possible to
infuriate your enemies as well as please your friends.
He then had the story typed up by his Aunt and sold it to Science
Fantasy, and with the profits bought a typewriter. This his first act
as an income-earner was to fire his Aunt. His mother rewarded this
Thatcherite attitude and paid for his typing lessons and he was on his
way.
----------------------------------------
1.3 Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is an sf author whose credits include:
* the _Sandman Comics_ (monthly, 5 collections so far:
- Preludes and Nocturnes [1 85286 326 9],
- The Dolls House [0 930289 59 5] and
- Dream Country [1 56389 016],
- Seasons of Mist [1 56389 041 0])
- A Game of You [? Vertigo/DC comics]
* _Black_Orchid_ (a one-off comic in 3 parts, also now collected in a
single graphic novel [1 85286 336 6] published by Titan Books),
* _Violent_Cases_ [1 85286 372 2] published by Titan Books, or
[0 9509568 64] published by Escape.
* _Signal_to_Noise_ [0 575 05284 8] published by VG Graphics. This
was originally serialised in _The_Face_ magazine. Dark Horse
Comics recently released in the US [1 878574 43 4].
* _The Books of Magic_ [1 56389 082 8], separate books I to IV,
illustrated by various artists, printed by DC Comics. The ISBN #
is for the collection.
* _Temps_ (a collection of superhero short stories which claims to be
"Devised by Neil Gaiman and Alex Stewart" [0 14 014560 5]), a
sequel being _Eurotemps_ [0 14 016713 7],
* _Ghastly Beyond Belief_ (an anthology of truly awful SF)
[0-09-936830-7],
* _The Weerde_ [0 14 014562 1] devised by Mary Gentle, Neil Gaiman &
Roz Kaveney
* _Villains!_ [0 14 014561 3] created by Mary Gentle & Neil Gaiman
* and _Don't Panic: The Official Companion to The Hitch-Hiker's Guide
To The Galaxy_ [1 85286 0138 8].
----------------------------------------
1.4 Josh Kirby
Josh Kirby is an artist who has been drawing covers for many years
now. He has done the covers for (among others) Terry Pratchett, Craig
Shaw Gardner, Esther Friesner, Dan McGirt and the new editions of Tom
Holt's novels.
He also illustrated the Discworld (sort-of picture) book "Eric". He
has at least two poster books out, one with large versions of the
first seven Discworld covers. One is "In the Garden of Unearthly
Delights", published by Paper Tiger in 1991. It's ISBN is
1-85028-154-8. It costs #9.95 (pounds sterling) and runs to 143 pages
of artwork. The other is "The Josh Kirby Poster Book" (they obviously
paid large sums to an advertising agency for that title) published by
Corgi in 1991. [ISBN?]
----------------------------------------
2 Eccentricities of Books
Terry's books are available to varying degrees in the different
countries around the world. Enclosed here is some information on
which books were released where, as well as some addresses for stores
that are reliable.
----------------------------------------
2.1 Eric
Eric wasn't released in the US, because Roc were uneasy about the big
edition and didn't buy it; people are talking to them now about the
mass market version. (source, Terry Pratchett post on 8 Aug 1992).
----------------------------------------
2.2 UK Bookstores
Andromeda Books,
84 Suffolk Street,
Birmingham,
BA1 1TA,
UK
Forbidden Planet,
11 (I think, but what the hell, it'll find them) New Oxford Street,
London
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2.3 US Bookstores
[?]
----------------------------------------
2.4 Translations
[?]
----------------------------------------
2.5 Covers and the absence of Kirby
Later US editions don't have Kirby covers. Apparently the Kirby
covers make for confusion with Craig Shaw's Gardner's "humourous"
fantasy (which isn't at all in Terry's league). This is only true of
Sourcery and later books. The Colour of Magic through Mort had the
same Kirby covers as the UK editions.
Non-Kirby covers are coming out on reprints of his earlier Discworld
books, in the hopes of attracting an audience that would otherwise be
put off by the Kirby covers.
----------------------------------------
3 Computers and TP
Terry is not only interested in computers, but is also on the net.
----------------------------------------
3.1 His E-Mail address
His e-mail address is TerryP@unseen.demon.co.uk. He warns that
"people who email me direct will get terse answers to the 'Hey, you're
not really TP, are you?' type questions, which still seem to be
turning up -- and I also tend to get a bit brief when its questions
that get regularly aired in the conference. Apart from that, I'm a
real polite correspondent -- if I have time ...".
----------------------------------------
3.2 His Setup
He owns the fastest 486 he could buy, he writes with WordPerfect 4.2
and uses a laptop when travelling. He doesn't like windows or mice.
He also used to own an Amstrad, and is a fan of the classic isometric
perspective games, _Batman_ and _Head Over Heels_.
----------------------------------------
3.3 "The Colour of Magic" Game
There was a game called "The Colour of Magic" released by Delta 4,
which contained passages straight from the book. It was available for
8-bit machines, the Spectrum and C64. It was produced by the company
behind _Bored of the Rings_, _Robin of Sherlock_ and _The Boggit_,
using the Quill adventure creator. It even had a picture of Death
when you died, wearing a "Have a nice day" badge.
----------------------------------------
4 Merchandising
There are a lot of informal efforts at merchandising around, but no
really commercial ones. This section explains why.
----------------------------------------
4.1 The Royal Position
"'Everything works if people are sensible': It's all down to
who's doin what, for whom, and what might loosely be called
the spirit of the whole thing. Fans doing things for other
fans, such as Octarine does in the UK, (t-shirts and stuff
for cost+) -- that's fine. And I've let people do more
than that to raise funds for a con. I'd only get twitchy
if it looked as though we were in real merchandising
territory -- four-colour sweatshirts in Forbidden Planet,
adverts in magazines ... and my concern there would be as
much about fans getting value for money as anything else."
----------------------------------------
4.2 Discworld Models
Thanks to gds@ukc.ac.uk (G.D.Staines) for this:
Discworld characters - everyone from Death to Great A'Tuin himself (or
herself) - step (or crawl) out of the page in a new range of models by
Bernard Pearson,
ClareCraft,
Woolpit,
Suffolk
IP30 9SH.
Tel:+44 359 41277 for a list of stockists or further information.
----------------------------------------
4.3 Octarine
Terry has this to say:
The officially unofficial Not-the-Terry-Pratchett-Fan-Club. The guy
to write to is Chris Tregenza, 14 Runswick Drive, Wollaton,
Nottingham, NG8 1JN. It's like this: a couple of years ago they
approached me, and I said I thought it would be an amazingly bad idea
(I mean, what do you do after issue three of the magazine: 'Um. He's
done another book. It's great/okay/ not as good as the last one IMHO.
Um. Is he losing more hair, or what?' So I suggested they broaden
the base to include humourous sf/fantasy generally. And it seems to
have worked. They resemble ZZ9 a lot and there's an overlap of
members; I'd say it's probably more an organisation that people who
like the DW books might enjoy belonging to rather than a fan club). I
go along to their birthday meetings (to merry cries of "Who's he?",
"Throw him out!" and so on). But there's no learned articles on the
DW, no signed photos of The Master, no 'official news' ... and that's
fine by me.
----------------------------------------
4.4 Discworld Maps
A map of A-M is being prepared for the Discworld Companion. The guy
doing it had to pinpoint the Assassins' Guild, for example, from
references in six different books. Worked, too. (Don't ask when it's
coming out -- one day ...). Did you know there are no fewer than
eight eating/drinking places mentioned in A-M? TP didn't.
More information - the guy doing it is Steven Briggs (the chap who is
also adapting books for theatre) and it will probably, weighing one
thing with another, in the balance of circumstance, given full
reservation and understanding that the world is an uncertain place, be
out in late '93.
----------------------------------------
4.5 Truckers Video
There is a video of _Truckers_ available. The details are:
Thames Television International, Video Collection International
VHS TV 8159, 110 minutes, VHS-PAL, price: approx. 8 pounds.
----------------------------------------
4.6 Computer Games
See section 3.3. The company went out of business, so currently there
are no Discworld computer games.
Terry wants you to seek his OK before you write Discworld MUDs. His
e-mail address is in section 3.1
----------------------------------------
4.7 The Mort Film
A production company was put together and there was US and
Scandinavian and European involvement, and I wrote a couple of script
drafts which wet down well and everything was looking fine and then
the US people said "Hey, we've been doing market research in Power
Cable, Nebraska, and other centes of culture, and the Death/skeleton
bit doesn't work for us, it's a bit of a downer, we have a prarm with
it, so lose the skeleton". The rest of the consortium said, did you
read the script? The Americans said: sure, we LOVE it, it's GREAT,
it's HIGH CONCEPT. Just lose the Death angle, guys.
Whereupon, I'm happy to say, they were told to keep on with the
medication and come back in a hundred years.
Currently, since the amount of money available for making movies in
Europe is about sixpence, the consortium is looking for some more
intelligent Americans in the film business. This may prove difficult.
It could have been worse. I've heard what Good Omens was looking like
by the time Sovereign's option mercifully ran out -- set in America,
no Four Horsemen...oh god.
(from Terry himself, 2 Nov 1992)
----------------------------------------
4.8 Plays
The Guards! Guards! play (early June next year):
Write to:
Stephen Briggs,
23 Elms Drive,
Old Marston,
Oxford OX3 ONN
.... who is in the bemused state of taking tons of orders ALREADY.
In the wind also are another version of MORT and, aha, a musical based
on Wyrd Sisters. There are also various tentative plans for DW
productions in Australia and California (GAG ME WITH A SPOON). As
soon as things are firm, they'll get posted here and on CIX in the UK.
(Terry himself, 29 Oct 1992)
MORT...the Play.
The three-thespian version of Mort was by the Flying Thing Theatre
Company of Liverpool and was on in that city earlier this year. I've
just heard that they're well into planning a tour in SW England for
the first three months of '93. They're worth seeing. I laughed a lot
(even though they're partly mime artists).
As soon as I hear their finalised tour dates, I'll post them here and
on CIX.
(Terry himself, 2 Nov 1992)
----------------------------------------
5 Related Files
Terry is a popular chappie. Here are some other electronically
available documents which you might like to look at.
----------------------------------------
5.1 The Terry Pratchett Bibliography
Circulated by
Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz
this contains ISBN numbers, titles and blurbs for all TP's books.
It should be available (soon) via FTP as
ftp.uu.net:/pub/usenet/news.answers/pratchett/bibliography
This is posted around the first and fifteenth of every month to
alt.fan.pratchett
alt.answers
and news.answers
----------------------------------------
5.2 The Annotated Pratchett
Circulated by
leo@cp.tn.tudelft.nl
(Leo Breebaart), this explains the subtleties of Terry's works. It is
currently at v5.0 and can be retrieved via anonymous FTP from the
Pratchett Archives.
----------------------------------------
5.3 The Pratchett Archives
Leo Breebaart (leo@cp.tn.tudelft.nl) maintains an FTP site of
Pratchett related material that is mirrored around the world. The
home site is:
ftp.cp.tn.tudelft.nl:pub/pratchett
It is mirrored in the USA by
theory.lcs.mit.edu:/pub/pratchett
rincewind.mech.virginia.edu:pub/pratchett
and in Australia by
ftp.uts.edu.au:/Mirror/Pratchett
This FAQ, the Annotated Pratchett, the bibliographic information,
rules for Cripple Mr Onion, lyrics to the Hedgehog Song, and gifs of
all the covers are kept on these sites as well as quote files and .sig
files.
----------------------------------------
6 Miscellany
Here's some stuff that didn't fit into any other category.
----------------------------------------
6.1 Similar Authors
P.G. Wodehouse, Douglas Adams, Jerome K. Jerome, Robert Rankin, Tom
Sharpe, Tom Holt, Calvin Trillin, P.J O'Rourke and Dave Barry are some
people whose styles are similar.
----------------------------------------
6.2 Rincewind's Name
Terry himself pronounces it to rhyme with "Mince pinned" and in Eric,
Rincewind meets his ancestor whose translated name means "Washer
[Rinser?] of Winds". Evidence would then tend to point to this
pronounciation.
----------------------------------------
6.3 More Rincewind
Terry has said that he will write another Rincewind novel. When?
Well, that's a different question :-) [more?]
----------------------------------------
6.4 The Future
The next DW book will be a sequel to Guards! Guards!, containing a
slightly expanded City Watch (a troll and a dwarf now on the strength
as a result of affirmative action hiring procedures) Captain Vimes'
wedding day, and Carrot learning a thing or two.... The title is "Men
at Arms", and it will be published in November.
----------------------------------------
6.5 Inconsistencies
Well, he *is* fallible. Known inconsistencies are:
* the number of eyes that Greebo has in _Witches_Abroad_
* in _TCOM_, All's Fallowe is the one night of the year when witches
stay home in bed. In _Wyrd_Sisters_ however, this occurs on
Hogswatch night.
* there are inconsistencies about smells: in _TLF_, Rincewind asks
what a smell is, and Twoflower thinks that it is bacon. Later on,
however, Twoflower is described as having "no sense of smell".
Rincewind, in _Sourcery_, is an Ankh-Morporkian who (like all
Ankh-Morporkians) has no sense of smell.
* there are lots of geographical inconsistencies, which caused TP to
preface _Sourcery_ with "This book does not contain a map. Please
feel free to draw your own". One of the major inconsistencies
which few people spot is that given the size of the Disc, and the
distance the sun would therefore need to travel around it in 24
hours, and that light travels at the speed of sound in the high
magical field, then the sun is actually orbiting the Disc at twice
the speed of its own light.
* When Rincewind meets Death in Ankh-Morpork, in _The_
Colour_Of_Magic_, people walk through Death. Whereas later on,
people are described as avoiding him.
* In TCOM, Death kills a fly. The Death from Mort and later books
would never do such a thing - it changes reality.
* In TCOM, Liessa is referred to as "Liessa" right through the
book, until the bit where she rescues Hrun from the long drop off
Twoflower's dragon. Then she gets called "Lianna".
* REAPER MAN: Miss Flitworth refers to "[her] Reggie" about midway
through the book, but refers to "Rufus" when the two lovers' souls
are finally reunited.
----------------------------------------
6.6 Appearances
Book signings:
None. We cut his arms off so he wouldn't sign any more books and he'd
just get on with writing them. Well, maybe:
29th October: Belfast (Easons?)
30th Dublin (FP or Waterstones) and then dropping in on
Octacon in the afternoon
3rd November HAMMICKS, Harrow - 7pm
4th Waterstones, Leadenhall Mkt, London - 12.30
" Books Etc, Oxford St - 6.30
5th Dillons, Ealing Boradway Centre - 12.30
" Murder 1, Charing Cross Road - 5.00
6th Andromeda, Suffolk St, Birmingham - 10.30
" Forbidden Planet, London -- 3.30
18th HEFFERS, Trinity St, Cambridge - 1pm
19th GEORGE'S, Park Street, Bristol - 12.30
" W H Smiths, Union Street, Bath - 4pm
20th H J LEARS, Royal Arcade, Cardiff - 11.30
" Forbidden Planet, Lear St, Cardiff - 3pm
23rd Waterstones, Orchard Square, Sheffield - 12.30
" Probably Dillons or Waterstones in York
24th Austicks, Wood House Lane, Leeds - 12.30
" Waterstones (talk/signing) Albion St, Leeds - 7pm
25th Waterstones, Southport, Merseyside - 12.30
" Waterstones. Fishergate, Preston -- 7.30 (and
afterwards talking to the local SF society.
26th SHERRATT & HUGHES, St Ann's Square, Manchester -
12.30 - then on to one at Odyssey 7 in the
Precinct Centre at 4.30
Cons:
Orycon - Portland, Oregon, November 1993
----------------------------------------
6.7 The Hedgehog Song
It would appear that there was a Hedgehog song around the '20s, if not
before, with the same refrain as the Discworld song. However, Terry
says "since I doubt it ever could have been in print, I can bravely
plead parallel evolution at most. There is a certain, how shall I put
it, natural cadence to the words."
----------------------------------------
6.8 Copyright (c) Terry and Lyn Pratchett
Terry assigns copyright to himself and his wife for financial reasons
(tax, etc). This is perfectly legal, and is often done, he assures us.
----------------------------------------
Credits
Nathan Torkington (gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz), Adrian N Ogden
(ano@uk.ac.rdg.cs.csres), Vicky White, PR James
(prj91@ecs.soton.ac.uk), Adrian Waterworth
(Adrian.Waterworth@newcastle.ac.uk), Chris Stratford
(cs@ib.cc.rl.ac.uk), Steven Ellis (steven@XDML2.ico.olivetti.com),
Lesley Walker (lesley@phobos.actrix.gen.nz) Leo Breebaart
(leo@ph.tn.tudelft.nl), Darkstar (pmygdk@mips.ccc.nottingham.ac.uk)
Harry Broomhall (haeb@demon.co.uk), Jonathan Lennox
(jml12@cunixca.cc.columbia.edu), Martin V. Walser
(mvw@anywhere.umd.edu), Melanie Dymond (mdymond@isis.cs.du.edu), All
The Madmen (9021147K@Levels.UniSA.Edu.Au), Daniel Veditz
(daniel@borland.com), Dhanesh (dks@Athena.MIT.EDU), D.J.T.
(dtrindle@jarthur.Claremont.EDU), Carl Edman
(cedman@golem.ps.uci.edu), Jerzy Michal Pawlak
(PAWLAK@vxdesy.desy.de), Michael Norrish (mnorrish@comp.vuw.ac.nz),
Terry Pratchett (TerryP@unseen.demon.co.uk), Malcolm Mladenovic
(mbm@dsbc.icl.co.uk), Klaus Kluge (klaus@inphobox.w.open.de), D N Crow
(daniel@scs.leeds.ac.uk), Andrew Conway (arc@mundoe.maths.mu.oz.au),
Jan van 't Ent (vantent@cvx.eur.nl), Simon Read
(segr@nessie.mcc.ac.uk), Ralf E. Stranzenbach (ralf@reswi.en.open.de),
Mark Cook (markc@unipalm.co.uk), G. Wilde (no net access), Kai Siering
(wusel@lime.in-berlin.de), Paul M Schwartz (pms@acsu.buffalo.edu),
Mike Kerstetter (msk@espresso.boeing.com), Martin Carstensen
(cash@infko.uni-doblenz.de), John Rickard (jrickard@eoe.co.uk), Paul
Ashley (pashley@sdcc13.ucsd.edu), Matthew Duhan
(mduhan@husc10.harvard.edu), Benedikt Heinen
(Benedikt_Heinen@firemark.fido.de), Heiko Rath (HR@brewhr.swb.de),
Thomas Wolmer (d90-two@nada.kth.se), Steve Leahy
(leasgeog@zygochloa.anu.edu.au), Marek Repinski
(Marek.Repinski@eos.ericsson.se), astoker@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew
Stoker),sirowe@suncis.ycc.yale.edu (Si Rowe), Juan Alonso
(c890172@asterix.fi.upm.es), James Ojaste
<jojaste@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>, Rui Madeira
(rui.madeira@canrem.com), Tom Pearson <phucz@csv.warwick.ac.uk>, Al
Crawford (awrc@dcs.ed.ac.uk), orin@mundil.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Orin
Davyd-Leslie THOMAS), Tom Koelman <tkoelman@cs.vu.nl>, Ingo Brandauer
(100273.623@compuserve.com), Alec.Muffett@uk.sun.com,
amn@ubik.demon.co.uk (Anthony Naggs), Bernd Reh <reh@rhrk.uni-kl.de>,
tjhamala@cc.helsinki.fi (Timo-Jussi Hamalainen), Maurizio Codogno
<mau@beatles.cselt.stet.it>.
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