Talking Meme #10
For the Talking Meme, from 
hamsterwoman: How about something about Discworld? Favorite characters, favorite books, your history with the series, whatever you want to talk about, really.
Starting backwards (but not), my history with the series - well, given that I managed to start on Doctor Who with Silver Nemesis, I continued that trend by starting Discworld with Eric, the first one I randomly picked up in the YA section at the library. I think I had also been reading the Nomes trilogy, so gave it a whirl on that basis. (There was, I seem to recall, a Nomes adaptation on CITV around this time.) It wasn't the best place to start, but I liked it enough to try the next one I came across, and that was it, really. I think probably I met the Witches or Death next (I'm pretty sure it was longer before I stumbled over a Watch book).
Favourite characters? Probably Granny Weatherwax, the witches generally, and Death. And Vimes. But I am pretty sure Granny Weatherwax and Death were the ones I first latched onto. And Granny really is the best (just so she won't be the worst). My favourite moment for her is probably where she Weatherwaxes the vampires, but there are so many, for all of them. And Discworld is one of the few things where Death's appearances are always welcome. I was very annoyed on finding a new one if Death only appeared once in passing. (At least twice, please, Pterry; preferably more.)
As to favourite books, I've always had a soft spot for some of the one-offs, and particularly The Truth. I'm not sure if I could even say why - maybe because it's even more overtly about the power of words and truth and lies ("A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.") than usual, as well, of course, as being a tale of amusingly shaped vegetables and Discworld screwball comedy. (My only long-ish straight-up Discworld fic is an NYR William/Sacharissa fic that was the very last thing I did before I was ill.) And Otto and the terrible lure of flash photography for a vampire; a passion worth undying for every time.
In other things about Discworld, I think I grew up next to the model for the River Ankh* (otherwise known as the River Parrett in Somerset. (My home town, ladies and gentlemen and others, and its charmingly brown river. It's silt, I promise. It looks even better when it comes out at Burnham-on-Sea and you have blue sky (if you're lucky) and brown sea, but let's not get started on Burnham-on-Sea again.)
Also once in rl, I stood this near to Terry Pratchett. *holds out arms* He looked just like his pictures and had the hat. (It was the Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Award ceremony and he was a guest as a previous winner, but he was already under siege from teenage CKG shadowing groups.)
I don't know what else I have to say, except that I'm glad we had Pterry for a while and that we still have all the books with their mix of wit, wisdom, anger, compassion and puns, and all the characters who inhabit them. I found out that Pterry had Alzheimer's one December in York when I was meeting my two sisters (from London) to go Christmas shopping together. Over lunch, they told me they'd heard it on the news. And then stared at me in surprise to find I was actually upset and got worried about me.
I wanted to end with some quotes, and had no idea how you'd narrow it down, so I went for a few from The Truth (and then one from Hogfather I couldn't leave off):
William wondered why he always disliked people who said 'no offense meant.' Maybe it was because they found it easier to to say 'no offense meant' than actually to refrain from giving offense.
“Ah," said Mr Pin. "Right. I remember. You are concerned citizens." He knew about concerned citizens. Wherever they were, they all spoke the same private language, where 'traditional values' meant 'hang someone'.
Just for a moment there was an unusual feeling of bliss. Strange word, he thought. It's one of those words that described something that does not make a noise but if it did make a noise would sound just like that. Bliss. It's like the sound of a soft meringue melting gently on a warm plate.
Nothing has to be true forever. Just for long enough.
“Character assassination. What a wonderful idea. Ordinary assassination only works once, but this one works every day.”
And from Hogfather:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little-"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET-Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point-"
MY POINT EXACTLY. .... YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?"
* Obviously, it owes a lot to the state of the Thames before Bazalgette, but for rl modern models in a county Pterry lived in, I give you my brown river...
Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Please click through to comment. -- Current comments:
hamsterwoman: How about something about Discworld? Favorite characters, favorite books, your history with the series, whatever you want to talk about, really.
Starting backwards (but not), my history with the series - well, given that I managed to start on Doctor Who with Silver Nemesis, I continued that trend by starting Discworld with Eric, the first one I randomly picked up in the YA section at the library. I think I had also been reading the Nomes trilogy, so gave it a whirl on that basis. (There was, I seem to recall, a Nomes adaptation on CITV around this time.) It wasn't the best place to start, but I liked it enough to try the next one I came across, and that was it, really. I think probably I met the Witches or Death next (I'm pretty sure it was longer before I stumbled over a Watch book).
Favourite characters? Probably Granny Weatherwax, the witches generally, and Death. And Vimes. But I am pretty sure Granny Weatherwax and Death were the ones I first latched onto. And Granny really is the best (just so she won't be the worst). My favourite moment for her is probably where she Weatherwaxes the vampires, but there are so many, for all of them. And Discworld is one of the few things where Death's appearances are always welcome. I was very annoyed on finding a new one if Death only appeared once in passing. (At least twice, please, Pterry; preferably more.)
As to favourite books, I've always had a soft spot for some of the one-offs, and particularly The Truth. I'm not sure if I could even say why - maybe because it's even more overtly about the power of words and truth and lies ("A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.") than usual, as well, of course, as being a tale of amusingly shaped vegetables and Discworld screwball comedy. (My only long-ish straight-up Discworld fic is an NYR William/Sacharissa fic that was the very last thing I did before I was ill.) And Otto and the terrible lure of flash photography for a vampire; a passion worth undying for every time.
In other things about Discworld, I think I grew up next to the model for the River Ankh* (otherwise known as the River Parrett in Somerset. (My home town, ladies and gentlemen and others, and its charmingly brown river. It's silt, I promise. It looks even better when it comes out at Burnham-on-Sea and you have blue sky (if you're lucky) and brown sea, but let's not get started on Burnham-on-Sea again.)
Also once in rl, I stood this near to Terry Pratchett. *holds out arms* He looked just like his pictures and had the hat. (It was the Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Award ceremony and he was a guest as a previous winner, but he was already under siege from teenage CKG shadowing groups.)
I don't know what else I have to say, except that I'm glad we had Pterry for a while and that we still have all the books with their mix of wit, wisdom, anger, compassion and puns, and all the characters who inhabit them. I found out that Pterry had Alzheimer's one December in York when I was meeting my two sisters (from London) to go Christmas shopping together. Over lunch, they told me they'd heard it on the news. And then stared at me in surprise to find I was actually upset and got worried about me.
I wanted to end with some quotes, and had no idea how you'd narrow it down, so I went for a few from The Truth (and then one from Hogfather I couldn't leave off):
William wondered why he always disliked people who said 'no offense meant.' Maybe it was because they found it easier to to say 'no offense meant' than actually to refrain from giving offense.
“Ah," said Mr Pin. "Right. I remember. You are concerned citizens." He knew about concerned citizens. Wherever they were, they all spoke the same private language, where 'traditional values' meant 'hang someone'.
Just for a moment there was an unusual feeling of bliss. Strange word, he thought. It's one of those words that described something that does not make a noise but if it did make a noise would sound just like that. Bliss. It's like the sound of a soft meringue melting gently on a warm plate.
Nothing has to be true forever. Just for long enough.
“Character assassination. What a wonderful idea. Ordinary assassination only works once, but this one works every day.”
And from Hogfather:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little-"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET-Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point-"
MY POINT EXACTLY. .... YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?"
* Obviously, it owes a lot to the state of the Thames before Bazalgette, but for rl modern models in a county Pterry lived in, I give you my brown river...
Crossposted from Dreamwidth. Please click through to comment. -- Current comments: