# Pratchett and Baxter to collaborate on new project

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 17, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491 "2010-06-17T00:37:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491/1 "2010-06-17T00:37:46Z")

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[It’s in the Guardian, so it must be true!](http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/16/terry-pratchett-science-fiction-book)

I’m not ashamed to say that this made me Squee like a Twilight fan on the city limits of Forks, Wa.

It sounds awesome!

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**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491/2 "2010-06-17T00:51:08Z")

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I have never read Baxter, but now that you have mentioned this, I will look him up…to keep me occupied until such collaborations with Pratchett may complete.

/squee!

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**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491/3 "2010-06-17T01:09:40Z")

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Historically, if a competent and prolific author has not worked on a project for 20-odd years, there’s usually a good reason for it.

Quite frankly, given the state of Pratchett’s medical condition, and the evidence provided by the extremely uneven–even poor–quality of Unseen Academicals, I would not expect a new work to be of high quality.

It’s a shame. It’s tragic! But as with Eric Ambler and Robert Heinlein, even the best can lost their ability.

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**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491/4 "2010-06-17T12:07:20Z")

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I’m about to read **Baxter** ’s latest novel, _Stone Spring_, an alternate history in which the North Sea never formed and the British Isles stayed connected to the European landmass. It’s the first of a trilogy.  
I have to admit that other books of his I’ve read have been a bit slow.

He’s also written a _Foundation_ novel (after **Asimov** died) and collaborated with **Arthur C. Clarke** on a couple of books… And I just remembered he wrote a sequel to _The Time Machine_ as well!  
I’m sure he can do an adequate, if somewhat dull, job

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pratchett-and-baxter-to-collaborate-on-new-project/543491/5 "2010-06-17T12:15:35Z")

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I like Stephen Baxter a lot, though he can be a bit of a one-trick pony with his alternate worlds, and I love Sir Terry, of course, though he seems to be declining quickly. I’m going with one step past cautiously optimistic - cautiously excited.