It’s time for our annual roundup of the Iowa State Fair! Wooo! Also, a fair bit of talk about writing, and reading, and pets. Enjoy!
QUESTIONS:
Cats vs Dogs — Why do some people always give the wrong answer? –Craig
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The reverse of the gods powered by their believers is New Nightmare. Again, I am referencing this same Freddy movie. In that, the ancient supernatural evil was trapped by being in a story and the more people that knew the story, the weaker the evil thing was.
You know, I’ve seen a lot of the Elm Street films, but never New Nightmare. And I always hear it’s really good.
This tidbit might be the final straw. I think I need to watch it.
I love Pose. The second season was equally good, perhaps better.
The correct answer is cats.
Terry Pratchett is my favourite author.
I have all the Discworld novels (I think more than half in hardback, and one signed in person), and some of the other books he wrote. I actually started out with Mort, the 4th book, and I think this might be a better introduction than The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. Not that the first two books are bad, but if you’re just not feeling the Rincewind/Unseen University ‘arc’ of characters, Mort is a better introduction, because this is where we meet Death. It’s true that there are story arcs that can definitely be read one after the other, without worrying about continuity throughout the series, but you’ll miss a) the persistent changes throughout the world and, specifically, Anhk-Morpork, (e.g., the Broken Drum versus the Mended Drum) and b) development of some of the characters that show up throughout, such as Death.
When I started comprehensive (high, for our American readers) school in 88, I sat by a guy a year older than me on the bus and got chatting. We tended to sit together throughout until I finished school. Anyway, in that Autumn of ’88 he lent me a copy of Mort. At this point, I read nothing, beyond monthly computer magazines. I also sucked at written English, as is oft the correlation between those two things. I couldn’t put Mort down, it was hugely entertaining and I immediately bought the first two books, which Tony has started reading (and maybe has read! I haven’t listened to the latest episode yet). Don’t let the antics of Rincewind and Twoflower put you off, the magicians arc actually becomes more about Rincewind and the luggage after those, and they’re actually hugely varied. I admit the first two books kinda start off like a fantasy Hitchhiker’s Guide duo shenanigans, but you soon get into the wider wizards stuff, which is really funny.
My favourite arc is the one about the Night Watch, which I won’t mention at all here (lest I spoil it) because it’s a total delight watching those characters develop. This one doesn’t start until Guards! Guards! if memory serves, which is a few books in.
It’s not just the humour with Discworld novels, for me, but the characters, fantastic universe he’s developed, but also the science humour (which, admittedly, is a bit meta). For instance, I think it’s Jingo where he describes a creature governed by the Heisenberg Principal, which is hilarious (trust me). And then clever language (I think, not being much of a book critic) like kicking off one of his books with “Thunder rolled.”, and then ending that not-chapter with “Thunder rolled. It rolled a six.”
I’ll stop there, I can talk forever about this. You guys let me know if you’d like to borrow them. Alas, my paperbacks are now super yellow given their age, but my hardbacks are pristine. I guess collect hardbacks if you like books, is the lessen.
Also, the British versions have WAY better artwork. Holy crap, the American editions are terrible. I genuinely don’t understand why they changed that.
Footnote : we go to our equivalent of high school at age 11. I realized it sounded like I got all the way to 16 without having read books.
The British education system really is that shown in Harry Potter, less magic and owls.
Whoa! Looks like we’ve struck a major nerd vein in Stu! 🙂
And no, I haven’t finished it yet. About halfway through.