# Psst... Pratchett fans... Going Postal's out! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 29, 2004, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645 "2004-09-29T08:48:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/61 "2004-10-01T12:56:08Z")
Excuse me for a moment. I’ve just read the first chapter. Yeah. _Chapter_. WTF is PTerry doing writing in chapters??? He never writes in chapters! Didn’t he once say tht he felt chapters were unnatural to his flow of writing??? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/62 "2004-10-01T13:25:18Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > Another Q > > SWALK = Sealed With A Loving Kiss. I get that. I was unable to come up with the expansions for > > L.A.N.C.R.E and K.L.A.T.C.H > > does anyone have any ideas if Pratchett had anything in mind or are you just supposed to send yourself batty thinking about it for hours? It’s pretty obscure even to Brits. I only know this from growing up with the army… Apart from the well known SWALK on letters there are also NORWICH and BURMA which soldiers used to write on letters: NORWICH: (k)Nickers Off, Ready When I Come Home BURMA= I’m not sure on this but it’s something like Bum up Ready My Angel In other words they’re saucy greetings for sweethearts. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/63 "2004-10-01T13:50:33Z")
It’s finally worked its way through the swamp of my memory… BURMA = Be Upstairs Ready My Angel I have a dirty mind. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/64 "2004-10-01T13:53:55Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > It’s finally worked its way through the swamp of my memory… > > BURMA = Be Upstairs Ready My Angel > > I have a dirty mind. I thought the first version sounded a little risque to be on the outside of the envelope 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/65 "2004-10-01T14:20:04Z")
_Karefully Lay Across The Couch, Honey?_ What? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/66 "2004-10-01T14:23:10Z")
LANCRE = Laying Awake, Needing Comfort, Ready for Embracing? OK…I really needed to focus on work now… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/67 "2004-10-01T14:31:30Z")
2 very credible attempts **silenus**. I’m impressed ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/68 "2004-10-01T16:24:15Z")
re: 12.5%… Gilt is referred to as being piratical. Pirates’ parrots normally screech ‘pieces of eight’. Gilt’s a banker. 12.5% is 1/8, or a piece of eight. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/69 "2004-10-02T10:04:12Z")
> [@Angua](#): > > Let me get hold of it, and I’ll explain it to you. 😉 > > > [@](#): > > > > I just realized (having half read two Asimov books) that the [things I forgot the name of] are ankh-morporks version of robots. Servile, Always active, do whatever you tell them without question > > The golems? They’re actually a _much_ older Jewish myth that Pratchett’s using. I can’t remember exactly, but in Jewish mythology a golem is a ‘thing’ made of clay, which will do the task for which it is created. Apparantly some incantations give it the impression of life. Look at _Feet of Clay_, the fonts that the golems write in is distinctly Hebrew-esque in its appearance, and not co-incidentally, I think. Oh, I realize they are not _from_ asimov. It just struck me, reading Going Postal that this particular golem reminds me a _lot_ of the more basic robots (non-humaniform) in the Particular Books I’m reading (Naked Sun, and Robots of Dawn) Even down to the laws of robotics. The Golems seem to follow those laws too… > [@](#): > > 1. A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm > > 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law [ok, so Pump 19 doesn’t quite follow this one] > > 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law I get the feeling Pump 19 is following those laws to some extent. P.S. I love the way Pratchett takes the piss out of the apostrophe to indicate "here comes an ‘s’ " crowd. And his little bit about criticism of snap judgements (something like, “one might assume the guy in the stripy jumper climbing through your window is just lost on his way to a fancy dress party” ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/70 "2004-10-02T10:46:27Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I get the feeling Pump 19 is following those laws to some extent. Not particularly. Pump 19 is following the laws written on his Chem. That he must follow the words in his head. That’s all. Its not the laws of robotics per say, just a moral code, that’s written in his Chem. I can see where you’re seeing the parallels, but the golems are alive, as opposed to robots… ---
**Author:** ![Lars\_Aruns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Lars\_Aruns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lars_Aruns)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/71 "2004-10-03T23:17:41Z")
> [@Angua](#): > > Not particularly. Pump 19 is following the laws written on his Chem. That he must follow the words in his head. That’s all. Its not the laws of robotics per say, just a moral code, that’s written in his Chem. I can see where you’re seeing the parallels, but the golems are alive, as opposed to robots… Absolutely. In fact, in the early pages of the book good ole Lord Vetinari shows the main character that Pump 19 is more than capable of hurting him aplenty if there ever is a need. Oh, and by the way, I just finished the book. I did enjoy it but not as much as the previous ones. I think PTerry is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Not sure he can come up with other good works. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/72 "2004-10-04T00:16:11Z")
I’m really tempted to go Canadian and buy it and “Night Watch.” The US covers aren’t a patch on the UK versions. Heck, I’d buy a poster of “Night Watch” if it were available. Shame so much great detail is lost on a small size. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645/73 "2004-10-04T00:51:49Z")
Finished it last night! I’d put it right up there with “The Truth”, as someone here already opined. A _good_ book! (I liked it better than “Monstrous Regiment” too) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psst-pratchett-fans-going-postals-out/266645.md?page=3)