# Calling all Pratchett fans **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 4, 2000, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514 "2000-02-04T10:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TaleraRis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@TaleraRis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaleraRis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/1 "2000-02-04T10:36:00Z")
I’m curious. I see from time to time (especially in the Challenges and first line threads) mentions of Terry Pratchett’s books. So who out there is a fan? I can say I am a huge one, having read all the books excluding Sourcery, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man and The Fifth Elephant. And any Chicago fans might like this…he’s going to be here in March 🙂 * * * When are you going to realize being normal isn’t necessarily a good thing? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/2 "2000-02-04T11:38:00Z")
I think it’s been covered before as a topic, but what the heck. I’m a big fan - have been since very early on (when his latest book was Equal Rites, back in '87). I’ve read them all, except for Fifth Elephant. He is, by far, the most consistently entertaining author in the world today. No doubts 🙂 * * * **-PIGEONMAN-** Returns! [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **By Popular Demand!** Enjoy, enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/3 "2000-02-04T12:15:00Z")
I’m a fan. \but I’ve only read one book rocks\ ---
**Author:** ![Bobinelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@Bobinelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobinelli)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/4 "2000-02-04T12:51:00Z")
I’ve been a fan about as long as GuanoLad. I’ve read them all bar the Fifth Elephant, though I think his last three (Jingo, Last Continent and Carpe Jugulum) have been a bit weak. Check out [www.lspace.org,](http://www.lspace.org,) especially the annotations section - you’d be surprised at what you may have missed. ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/5 "2000-02-04T12:55:00Z")
I’m a brand new fan. I’ve only read two of his books so far but I thoroughly enjoyed them and intend to read more of his stuff. * * * Eat right, exercise daily, live clean, die anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/6 "2000-02-04T14:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And any Chicago fans might like this…he’s going to be here in March NO KIDDING? I’m there. Pratchett is the best-I’ve only been reading since _Guards! Guards!_, but I’ve yet to find an author that impresses me as much. * * * We interrupt this thread to increase dramatic tension. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/7 "2000-02-04T14:34:00Z")
When I started reading him, he only had two books out in the U.S. (The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic) I’ve been reading him ever since (even managed to track down a copy of STRATA, his SF novel). I’ve fallen behind recently – the last I read was Hogfather and probably skipped a couple before that. His is probably the only fantasy series that doesn’t deteriorate as move books are added. There have been some slow spots (MOVING PICTURES), but he’s bounced back and his more recent work is even better than his early stuff. I met Pratchett a few years ago at a Lunacon. Nice man. * * * “East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx Read “Sundials” in the new issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/8 "2000-02-04T16:09:00Z")
When I grow old, I want to be just like Granny Weatherwax. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/9 "2000-02-04T17:16:00Z")
A friend gave my husband a copy of “Reaper Man” a few years ago, which I stole, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m up through “Carpe Jugulum” now and looking forward to the others. Anybody know why it takes so bloody long for his newest books to hit the stores here? ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/10 "2000-02-05T06:36:00Z")
Can you give us some more details of his upcoming visit? Time and place? ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2000, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/11 "2000-02-04T21:20:00Z")
Yet another big-time fan here. My one major contribution to Pratchett-iana is finding him at a convention (the 1997 Worldcon in San Antonio) to convince him to let his agent sell the three “Johhny Maxwell” books to me for a 3-in-1 in the Science Fiction Book Club. To this date, it’s the only edition of those books published in the USA. * * * …but when you get blue, and you’ve lost all your dreams, there’s nothing like a campfire and a can of beans! ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/12 "2000-02-05T00:32:00Z")
I’m a fan. I’ve read all his books except “the Fifth Elephant” which I hadn’t heard of. I’ve even read “The Carpet People”. I do agree the last few have been a bit more stale than the earlier ones. Is he getting bored maybe? Reaper Man was probably his best, although Small Gods stands out, too, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/13 "2000-02-05T01:11:00Z")
I’m a huge fan, almost decided to go to Aussiecon last year when I heard he was there. I’ve read every Discworld book, including Fifth Elephant except Nanny Oggs Cookbook. I’ve even gotten The Science of Discworld which is a great read, and not at all like the star trek/wars physics of type books. They try to explain how future tech might work, TSODW explains how the world actually does work. ## Why would he be in Chicago in March? Wouldn’t August be better, Chicagocon is then, and he’s very popular at worldcon. \>\>Being Chaotic Evil means never having to say your sorry…unless the other guy is bigger than you.\<\< —The dragon observes ---
**Author:** ![Jo3sh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jo3sh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jo3sh)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/14 "2000-02-05T03:10:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by RealityChuck: > \*\*His is probably the only fantasy series that doesn’t deteriorate as move books are added > \*\* Hm. I’m not sure I agree with you there. Granted, he’s not near as bad as Anthony, but I’m a little disappointed that his books have gotten so formulaic. Perhaps I fell off the train in one of those “slow spots” you mentioned, and never got back on, but I wish he’d just wrap up the Discworld and move on to another ficton. I guess now I’ll have to buy a few of his more recent books and try again, just to be fair. Anyone got a complete list of the Discworld books? * * * A committee is a lifeform with six or more legs and no brain. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/15 "2000-02-05T03:13:00Z")
Flyp: Do you still have _Guards! Guards!_? If so, I may want to borrow that from you – it seems to be one of the few that are out of print (along with _Reaper Man_). I was a big Pratchett fan a while ago, then stopped reading him, then started up again. Unfortunately, I started again with _Moving Pictures_ and thought, “Hmmm. I thought he was funnier than that.” Luckily, I plowed on. It helped that the library has several of his books on tape (none of this abridged crap either – the whole danged things) and I was able to listen in the car. They are very well done. Unfortunately, the library only has about 5 or 6 of 'em. Now I’ve got all the available books, but haven’t had time to read 'em. I may read _Small Gods_ soon, as I have a couple trips coming up. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/16 "2000-02-05T03:25:00Z")
I’ve read a couple of the “Discworld” books, and though I enjoyed them, “fan” may be too strong of a word. OTOH, the book he did with Neil Gaimen, _Good Omens_ is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, including the Hitchhiker series. I’m certainly a fan of that book. * * * Mr. K’s Link of the Month: What is John Kricfalusi (“Ren and Stimpy”) doing these days? [The Goddamn George Liquor Program](http://www.spumco.com/entertainment/webcartoon.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rincewind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Rincewind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rincewind)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/17 "2000-02-05T03:57:00Z")
As you can tell from my screen name, I am a Pratchett fan. My favorite book in the series is Small Gods. But I like any book with the Watch or the Witches. Does anyone know when “The Fifth Elephant” is coming out in the US? ---
**Author:** ![TaleraRis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@TaleraRis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaleraRis)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/18 "2000-02-05T04:13:00Z")
The Fifth Elephant, according to B&N, will be here in March and they’ve been taking advance orders for it for months. And that is so cool Da Ace, I’m a member of the Science Fiction Book Club and I have that addition. I also want to get Rincewind the Wizzard from them, since it has Sourcery and three other Rincewind books. Oh, and as for him coming in March, I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s because that’s the release date of his new book in the US. But here’s the specifics for his tour. 1. Terry’s USA “The Fifth Elephant” Tour Dates Terry will be touring the US in March and April on “The Fifth Elephant” singing tour. This information is based on a message Terry recently sent to the newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett.announce Friday, March 24 Murder By The Book Houston, Houston 6PM 2342 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005 (713) 524-8597 (This one is ‘time out’ from Aggiecon) Tuesday, March 25 Texas A&M Bookstore,College Station 1PM Memorial Student Center, College Station, TX 77844 Monday, March 27 The Stars our Destination, Chicago 7PM 1021 W Belmont, Chicago IL (773) 871-2722 Tuesday, March 28 Cleveland Plain Dealer Book and Author 6PM Dinner, Cleveland (sorry, I don’t know much more about this except that a fellow author there will be Donald Westlake, which is just fine by me). Wednesday, March 29 Dreamhaven Books, Minneapolis 6PM 912 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN (612) 823-6161 Thursday, March 30 University Bookstore, Seattle 7PM 4326 University Way, NE Seattle, WA (206) 545-4363 Signing to be held on UW campus at Kane Hall Friday, March 31 Powells Books, Portland 7:30PM 1005 West Burnside Street, Portland, OR (503)228-0540 Saturday, April 1 Future Fantasy, San Francisco 1PM 2705 El Camino Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650)855-9771 Saturday, April 1 Booksmith on Page,San Francisco 7PM Park Branch Library, 1833 Page Street, San (415) 863-8688 Francisco, CA Sunday, April 2 Kepler’s, San Francisco 3PM 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 594-5935 Sunday, April 2 The Other Change of Hobbit 7:30PM 2020 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley CA 94704-1117 (510) 848-0413 Monday, April 3 Stacy’s, San Francisco 12:30 581 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 421-4687 Monday, April 3 7PM Dangerous Visions, Los Angeles (818) 986-6963 13563 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Tuesday, April 4 Waldenbooks/Brentano’s, Los Angeles 12:30PM 10250 Santa Monica Blvd Century City, (310) 785-0204 CA 90067 Tuesday, April 4 Vromans, Los Angeles 7PM 695 E Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 449-5320 Wednesday, April 5 Barnes & Noble Astor Place, New York 7:30PM 4 Astor Place NY, NY 10003 (212) 420-0816 I subscribe to Discworld Monthly, which I get through e-mail. Oh, and here’s another interesting tidbit as I scroll through all this. Terry will be a guest at the Gateway Sci-Fi Media Convention ([http://stlf.org/gateway](http://stlf.org/gateway)) this summer and in honour of his presence Beyond Reality Games is hosting a Discworld Live Action Role-Playing game. If you are going to be in the Mid-West of the United States on the weekend of July 14-16, you might want to stop by. Even if you aren’t or can’t, please pass this news on to anyone you know that might be interested! Below is the description of our event from the Gateway programming page: ``` Discworld Live Action Role Playing - play the part of denizens of the Discworld, in a 36-hour live game, featuring wizards, witches, trolls, and possibly animated travel accessories. The game is free form, allowing you to step out to get an autograph or listen to a speaker, and step back in at your leisure. Space may be limited, so please e-mail Josh Jeffryes jspektr@sprynet.com for advance registration if you are interested (there is a small charge to participate in the LARP, paid when it begins. Pre-registration is for intent to play only, it does not require advance payment). ``` If you want to subscribe to DM too, here’s the addy [http://www.ufbs.co.uk/dwm/](http://www.ufbs.co.uk/dwm/) Hope that fills everyone in 🙂 Oh, and I should add one more to the list that I haven’t read - Guards! Guards! My first book was Men at Arms and I was hooked from then on. I’ve read the Bromeliad and Johnny Maxwell, Strata and Good Omens. And I have to agree, that book is one of the funniest I’ve ever read. ## If anyone’s looking to find out of print Pratchett books, they always have them on Ebay at very reasonable prices. That’s where I just got Guards! Guards! and I’m going for Reaper Man next. When are you going to realize being normal isn’t necessarily a good thing? ---
**Author:** ![TaleraRis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@TaleraRis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaleraRis)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/19 "2000-02-05T04:18:00Z")
Oh, and for cher3 - I’m not entirely sure why it takes so darn long but I suspect since he’s enormously popular in England, and he’s from there, that his books have to run the gauntlet there first. Although like you I wish his books would get here a heck of a lot faster 😃 * * * When are you going to realize being normal isn’t necessarily a good thing? ---
**Author:** ![APB9999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB9999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB9999)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514/20 "2000-02-05T04:22:00Z")
David B, _YOU_ will definitely like Small Gods. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-all-pratchett-fans/13514.md?page=2)