2015 WORD COUNT = 13064
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Sometimes bad news can have a silver lining. While the act
itself can be something unwanted and the cause of sadness, deep down a part of
us knows that it’s all better now.
So it is with the sad passing of Sir Terry Pratchett last
Thursday. While his family, friends and fans all mourn him in their own way, we
must be grateful that his ordeal with ‘That Embuggerance’ is over and he can finally
rest.
While Pratchett wrote many things over the years, his
greatest achievement and biggest body of work belongs in the Discworld. A
hilarious ode to the greatest of fantasy worlds, the Discworld not only pokes
fun at the tropes of so many fantastical stories but also holds a mirror up to
our world.
With forty novels set in the magically flat world (that
resides on the backs of four elephants who stand on the shell of mighty A’Tuin
the turtle) the Discworld books contain every ingredient required of a fantasy world;
wars, cities, trolls, swords, magic and so much more. But, while most epic
fantasy stories are filled with mighty sorcerers and heroic knights, the
Discworld is instead filled with somewhat more colourful characters from the
other end of the spectrum (all eight colours of it!). While I wouldn’t use the
term ‘realistic’, I guess it’s just nice to see characters react differently when
fighting evil – like running away.
My trundle into the mind of Pratchett took three separate
attempts.
The first was back in 1997 when I was nearing the end of my
second year of college. My girlfriend’s friend lent me a copy of Good Omens, a book Pratchett co-wrote with Neil
Gaiman. People tell me how good this book is all the time but, unfortunately,
I’ll have to take their word for it. You see, I never even opened the book and,
several months later, handed it back unread.
Flash forward a few years to 2000. After giving up on my
education I was working full time in my local Video Shop. My manager started a
conversation one day about the Discworld books he’d read years previous and I
built up a little interest. They whole premise sounded like something I could
really enjoy so I looked a little more into it. That was when I found I was
already twenty four books behind, enough for me to walk away from such a
mammoth undertaking.
Another three years passed and one day I found myself stood
in a Tesco store looking at a copy of Night Watch for £3.73. The series I thought was intimidating at
twenty four books was now at twenty nine. I figured that if I didn’t start
there and then I probably never would. Plus I was powering through books during
that period of my life so I saw the entirety of the Discworld series as a
rather appetising meal. Not wanting to miss a bargain I thought it best to grab
Night Watch for the future and then went about getting myself of The Colour of Magic a few days later.
And I never looked back.
Rincewind’s adventures with Twoflower and the Luggage had me
hooked by page ten. I enjoyed the comedy and language, both of which Pratchett
excelled at. I powered through the book but was incredibly shocked to find
myself at a literal cliff-hanger (or, more accurately, an ‘edge of the world’
hanger). At the first opportunity I went back to my nearest bookshop (which was
a 40 minutes bus ride away!) and purchased The Light Fantastic. And Equal Rites. And Mort. Well, Waterstones had a 3 for 2 sale on.
And so my collection grew. Birthdays and Christmases added
more and I carried on with the regular six month releases of the later books
through the exceedingly good Tesco price point.
Despite how much I enjoyed them, I never rushed through the
books. Instead I took my time, coming back to Discworld when someone else’s
novel had left me unfulfilled. I knew where I was when walking the streets of
Ankh-Morpork or paying a visit to Lancre. It was safe and relaxing, fun to
visit; my literature holiday destination of choice.
The books fall into one of four sets; Rincewind and the
Wizards of Unseen University, Granny Weatherwax and the Witches of Lancre, the
caps lock talking Death, and, my personal favourite, Ankh-Morpork and the City
Watch. Ever since Guards! Guards! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the
adventures of Samuel Vimes as both law and order have been dragged, kicking and
screaming, back to the streets of the biggest city in the Discworld. In fact,
Vimes is my all-time favourite character in the series (hence why my middle
name is Samuel).
There really is something for everyone. Other than the first
two books, there are no real sequels. Sure, if you read the lot then you can
see the characters grow, and, like the Marvel universe, there’s a lot of
character crossover. But I think you can really start anywhere.
Something I’m really looking forward to is handing the books
down to my son when he’s old enough (and quashed his need to bend covers!). I
hope that he finds the same enjoyment as I have and finds his own favourite
character.
I still have a little way to go towards, what I now know, is
the end. Yesterday I finished Monstrous Regiment, a brilliant story that’s like Mulan
on steroids mixed with a little Joan of Arc. I gave it five stars and it is
probably going to make my top five.
I’ll be sad when I eventually turn the last page on the
series but there are two glimmering lights of hope.
A couple of years ago Pratchett joined forces with sci-fi
author Stephen Baxter to write a novel called The Long Earth. The tale of
multiple worlds sat side by side, it tells of what happens when mankind no
longer has to fight for space and can expand indefinitely. It sounds epic and
is the start of a five book series of which the fourth is due for release this
June. I’m hoping they planned the final book and that Baxter wraps it all up as
I expect Pratchett would wish.
As for the Discworld? Well, sources say that his daughter,
Rhianna Pratchett, will carry the torch and continue the stories of what is a
truly amazing world. I look forward to seeing what she does with it.
I never met Pratchett and he never had any idea who I am.
But, for the last twelve years, his stories have made me laugh and for that alone
I’m extremely grateful.
“DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING
EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”
Well said, sir. Well said.
See you in seven.
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