Monday, August 31, 2015

Musical Memories

This morning on my ride to BART, the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" popped up on my iPod.  I immediately taken back to a party with friends before I was moving away from Kentucky.  We were making a mix tape for me of music that they felt I needed to know.

They gave me some Dire Straits because I had only "Brothers in Arms", and some Earth, Wind & Fire that I asked for, and then they said, "You have 'Sgt. Pepper's, but do you have 'Magical Mystery Tour'?"  I said I'd never heard of it, and so we listened to it while it copied.

Little other music transports me like that.  Phil Collins' "But Seriously..." takes me to the concert at Arco Arena while I was in college.  Occasionally, Dire Straits and the credits music from "Buckaroo Banzai" (and strangely enough "Rock Me Amadeus") will take me to driving the country roads in Maryland.  It happens other times too in small ways, but it's always a surprise.

Discworld - Seeing is Believing

The Last Hero is an amazing graphic novel that brings Rincewind, Leonard of Quirm and Captain Carrot together against Cohen and the Silver Horde.  It's illustrated but the amazing Paul Kidby.  Kidby is to the Discworld what Alex Ross is to comic books.

I remember getting to see Alex Ross on a panel at Wondercon once.  He mentioned how he wanted to recreate, in his style, the iconic Muhammad Ali vs. Superman book cover.  The other artists on the panel said that was huge undertaking, and Ross said it wasn't that big of a deal, you just draw it.  One of the other artists then said, "You're like Superman when someone asks him how he flies, and he says, 'You just jump into the air.'"

Every page has his incredible artwork that perfectly illustrates the characters and the Discworld.  And sometimes it is literally the Discworld that he is illustrating.  Sometimes it's artwork in the margins, sometimes it's a faint drawing behind the text, and occasionally it's an glorious two-page spread.

The story itself seems brief, but there are bleed-over references to artwork, movies,  and other things.  It is a seminal Discworld book.

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Recurring themes and Characters appearing in this book:

Albert
Ankh-Morpork
Berghodlt Stuttley “Bloody Stupid” Johnson
Bibulous, god of wine
Blind Io
Borogravia
Boy Willie
Butterflies (quantum)
Caleb the Ripper
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Circumfence
Cohen the Barbarian
Death
Dried frog pills
Errol
Events in Guards Guards
Events in The Colour of Magic / The Light Fantastic
Fate
Fingers Mazda
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Hughnon Ridcully, priest of Blind Io
Krull
Leonard of Quirm
Lord Downey, Assassins’ Guild
Mad Hamish
Mr. Boggis, Thieves’ Guild
Mr. Slant, Lawyers’ Guild
Mrs. Palm, Seamstresses’ Guild
Mustrum Ridcully, archchancellor UU
Nuggan
Offler, the crocodile-headed god
Old Vincent
Om
Omniscope
Parrot labeled "Dog" (picture)
Patina, goddess of wisdom
Ponder Stibbons
Rimfishers
Rincewind
Sam Vimes, commander, duke, knight
Sybil Ramkin-Vimes
The Agatean Empire
The Bursar
The Chair of Indefinite Studies
The Clacks System
The Counterweight Continent
The Dean
The Death of rats
The High-Energy Magic building
The Lady
The Lecturer in Recent Runes
The Librarian
The Luggage
The Million-to-One Chance
The Pointless Albatross
The Silver Horde
The Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons
Truckle the Uncivil

Unseen University

Discworld - Everybody Does It

The World of Poo is the second tie-in book for the Discworld.  It's another children's book, but this time one that is trying to teach more than just reading.

It rides the edge of a book that is set in a world that is setting itself in that same work being fictional in that fictional world.  It was fun to read, and brought out even more Pratchett's interest Victorian times.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book:

Ankh-Morpork
Bergthodlt Stuttley “Bloody Stupid” Johnson
Cabbage
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Cunning Artificers
Dimwell
Doughnut Jimmy
Events in Feet of Clay
Felicity Beedle
Gumption snuff
Harry King, knight
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Hygiene
Igor
Interchangeable Emmas
Jolly Sailor Tobacco
Offler, the crocodile-headed god
Omnia
Sto Lat
Sybil Ramkin-Vimes
The Agatean Empire
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Opera House
The Brass Bridge
The College of Heralds
The Counterweight Continent
The Quantum Butterfly
The Street of Alchemists (guild)
The Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons
Uberwald
Unseen University
Young Sam Vimes

Discworld - A Primer of Animals and Citizens

Where's My Cow? is the first tie-in book from the Discworld.  It strikes me as similar to Goodnight, Opus as a book that tells the story of a children's book and a departure from the text.

Sure, it's a short book, but it's silly fun, and truly a children's book for an adult.

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Recurring characters and themes appearing in this book:

Coffin Henry
Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler
Detritus
Foul Ole Ron
Gaspode (pictured)
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Sam Vimes, commander, duke, knight
Sybil Ramkin-Vimes
The Librarian
Where's My Cow?
Young Sam Vimes

Discworld - Just Taxes

"A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"  is a simple continuation of the ongoing argument of Unseen University paying its taxes.  And ties with A.E. Pessimal first seen in Thud.

It's unremarkable, but a fun bit of wizard arguing.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this story:

A.E. Pessimal
Braseneck College
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Mustrum, Ridcully, archchancellor UU
Ponder Stibbons
The Chair of Indefinite Studies
The Dean
The Lecturer in Recent Runes
The Librarian
The Senior Wrangler

Unseen University

Discworld - Watching Vacation

Snuff is another fine book of the Watch and Sam Vimes.  It's also another tightly written book.

It's the second book to have a tie-in book written for it: The World of Poo.  And no, I didn't forget an "h".

Snuff brings another sentient species into the Discworld in the form of goblins.  They are downtrodden and considered vermin, but we find out that there is more to these sword fodder creatures than people think.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book:

A.E. Pessimal, inspector
All Jolson
Ankh-Morpork
Billy Slick
Blind Io
Burleigh & Stronginthearm
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Cheery Littlebottom, sergeant
Detritus, sergeant
Diamond, king of trolls
Dr. Lawn
Drumknott, secretary
Events in Thud
Events in Unseen Academicals
Feeney Upshot, chief constable
Felicity Beedle
Fred Colon, sergeant
Goblin in the fairy book
Gumption snuff
Haddock, sergeant
Harry King, knight
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Hourly bells
Hygiene
Igor
Igorina
Koom Valley
Lady Margolotta von Uberwald
Lancre
Lord Ronald Rust
Mightily Oats, reverend
Mr. Slant, Guild of Lawyers
Mr. Trooper
Mr. Trooper
Nac Mac Feegle
Nobby Nobbs, corporal/acting sergeant
Nutt, orc at UU
Octarine Grass Country
Otto Chriek
Ponder Stibbons
Purity, maid
Quirm College for Young Ladies
Rhys Ryhsson, low king of the dwarves
Sam Vimes, commander, duke, knight
Shine of the Rainbow
St. Ungulant's Fire
Stoneface Vimes
Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, duchess
Tears of the Mushroom
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Opera House
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Clacks System
The Dark Clerks
The Duchess of Keepsake (ISWM)
The Goode Childe’s Book of Faerie Tales
The Marquis of Fantailer
The Summoning Dark
Unggue
Unseen University
Verity Pushpram
Wee Mad Arthur
Where's My Cow
William de Worde
Willikins
Young Sam Vimes
Zoons

Friday, August 28, 2015

Six Months in a Nimoy-less World

So, six months ago, Leonard Nimoy passed away.  Recently, William Shatner called for people to send selfies giving the "Live Long and Prosper" hand sign.

He put this together as a tribute:




I think it's a great way to say goodbye to a friend.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Discworld - Spirit of Wrath

If Unseen Academicals was the looking for the coat, I Shall Wear Midnight is the saying goodbye to people while looking for the host.  Characters are brought out that we may see for the last time, small themes are wrapped up and put away.  And questions are answered.

Again, my thought that Tiffany is what Esk might have been as a recurring character comes to mind.  Of course Esk showing up in this book shows how the path diverged, but again I get the sense of a path not taken and longed for.

But now, there comes Snuff which is the distraction on the way out the door that brings you back into the party...

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book

!!!!!
Angua von Uberwald, captain
Ankh-Morpork
Annagramma
Big Yan
Boffo
Brian, sergeant of the guard
Brutha
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Chaffinch's Mythology
Daft Wullie
Death
Eskarina "Esk" Smith
Events in Equal Rites
Events in Hat Full of Sky
Events in Wee Free Men
Events in Wintersmith
Fred Colon, sargeant
Goblin in the fairy book
Granny Aching
Granny Weatherwax
Haddock, constable
Horace, the cheese
Hygiene
Jeannie, kelda
Lancre
Leticia, baroness
Long Tall Short Fat Sally
Lord Alfred Rust (ancestor of Ronald Rust)
Magrat Garlick, queen of Lancre
Mightily Oats, reverend
Miss Level
Miss Perspicia Tick
Miss Sacharissa Crisplock
Miss Treason
Mr. and Mrs. Aching
Mr. Trooper
Mrs. Eunice Proust
Mrs. Snapperly
Nac Mac Feegle
Nanny Ogg
Nobby Nobbs, corporal
Petulia Gristle
Preston
Rob Anybody
Roland
Sam Vimes, commander, duke, knight
Simon
Stoneface Vimes
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Baron of the Chalk
The Duchess of Keepsake
The Goode Childe’s Book of Faerie Tales
The Lady Sybil Free Hospital
The Royal Ankh-Morpork Opera House
The Royal Art Museum of Ankh-Morpork
The Toad
The Unreal Estate
Tiffany Aching
Two Shirts
Unseen University
Verence II, king of Lancre
Wee Mad Arthur, constable
Wentworth
You, the cat

Discworld - Be a Sport

Unseen Academicals was a book that came out after a seeming drought of Discworld books.  Pratchett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at this point, and we all were wondering how he would continue.  I think he ended up slowing down with the writing, but at the same time was trying to get everything in his head out onto paper that he could.

This was not yet the saying goodbye, but it was like the beginning of the looking for you coat at the end of the party.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book:

“A lie can run around the world while the truth is getting its boots on.”
“The world is an oyster.”
Adrian Turnipseed, professor
Alphonse Nobbs, bledlow (no relation)
Angua von Uberwald, sergeant
Ankh-Morpork
Bergholdt Stutley “Bloody Stupid” Johnson
Bill Rincewind
Bishop Horn
Bluejohn, constable
Boffo
Bows & Ammo
Brazeneck University
Bugarup University
Burleigh & Stronginthearm
C.M.O.T. Dibbler
Cabbage
Death
Diamond, king of trolls
Dimwell
Dolly Sisters
Dr. (Mossy) Lawn
Dr. Hix (Hicks), Head of the Department of Post-Mortem Communications
Emberella
Events in Sourcery
Haddock, constable
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Hex
Hwel, dwarf playwright
Igor
Lady Margolotta von Uberwald
Lancre
Lord Rust
Madame Sharn
Micro Mail
Mightily Oats, Reverend/Brother/Pastor 
Molly, maid
Moving Pictures
Mrs. Whitlow
Mustrum Ridcully, Archchancellor UU
Nobby Nobbs, corporal
Nutt
Ponder Stibbons
Professor Earwig (retired and married...)
Queen Ynci
Rhys Rhysson, low king of the dwarves
Rincewind
Shatta
Sto Lat
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Art Museum
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Bank and Mint
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Post Office
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Assassins’ Guild
The Beggars' Guild
The Bursar
The Cabinet of Curiosity
The Chair of Indefinite Studies
The Clacks System
The Dean/Archchancellor Brazeneck University
The Evil Empire
The Fools’ Guild
The High Energy Magic Building
The Koom Valley Accord
The Lady Sybil Free Hospital
The Lecturer of Recent Runes
The Librarian
The Luggage
The Postmaster (Most von Lipwig)
The Quirm College for Young Ladies
The Royal Opera House
The Senior Wrangler
The Squid in the hall
The Thieves' Guild
The Uberwald League of Temperance
The Undertaking
Thud
Uberwald
Unseen University
Verity Pushpram
William de Worde
Winkle's Old Peculiar

Monday, August 17, 2015

Discworld - All the Money That's Fit to Print

Making Money, a direct sequel to Going Postal, has a lot of things happening in the background.  And looking forward to the next, and last, Mosit von Lipwig book titles Raising Steam, I notice that all three books titles have the same grammatical structure: verb ending in "-ing" followed by a noun.

But this book is lots of fun with another plot to displace/replace Vetinari as the Patrician.  And some of the best lines go to him as well.  My favorite is one from near the end of the book: "Mr. Lipwig, do I need to wear a button that says TYRANT?

It's also another book that visits or mentions a lot of past characters.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book:

"A Fresh egg" (The Rite of Ashk-Ente)
Alberto Malich
Angua von Uberwald, sergeant
Ankh-Morpork
Anoia, goddess of cutlery and things stuck in drawers
Berenice Houser, priestess of Anoia
Black Ribboner; Uberwald League of temperance
Boffo Novelty and Joke Shop
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Cut-Me-Own-Throat “C.M.O.T”. (Claude Maximilian Overton Transpire) Dibbler
Dark clerks
Death
Detritus, sergeant
Dorfl, constable
Dr. Hicks, head of the Department of Post-Mortem Communications
Dr. Whiteface, Fool’s Guild
Drumknott, secretary
Elm Street
Events of Feet of Clay
Fred Colon, sergeant
Gladys, golem
Haddock, constable
Harry King
Havelock Vetinari, patrician
Hex
Igor
Jolly Sailor Tobacco
Koom Valley
Lancre
Lord Downey, Assassins’ Guild
Ludmilla Cake
Miss Adora Belle “Spike” Dearheart
Miss Macalariat
Miss Saccharissa Crisplock
Moist von Lipwig
Mr. Bent
Mr. Fusspot, dog, chairman
Mr. Slant, Lawyer’s Guild
Mr. Tiddles, cat
Mrs. Cake
Mustrum Ridcully, Archancellor Unseen University
Nobby Nobbs, corporal
Ordained donkey (Ossory's ass)
Otto Chriek
Ponder Stibbons
Professor Flead
Samuel Vimes, commander, knight, duke
Stanley Howler
Tacticus, general
Teemer & Spools
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Bank and Mint
The Ankh-Morpork Royal Post Office
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Assassins’ Guild
The Beggars’ Guild
The Cabbage Stamp
The Cabinet of Curiosity
The Campaign for Equal Heights
The Chair of Indefinite Studies
The Dark Clerks
The Dark Empire
The Department of Post-Mortem Communications
The Fools Guild
The Golem Trust
The Librarian
The Low King, Ryhs Ryhsson
The Merchants’ Guild
The Orthodox Potato Church
The Pink Pussycat Club
The Squid in the hall
The Undertaking
Tolliver Groat, assistant postmaster
Uberwald
Unseen Unveristy
Vetinari's aunt
William de Worde

Wuffles, dog (deceased)

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Discworld - Boffo

This time reading through Wintersmith, I began to wonder if this had been part of Terry Pratchett's plan all along: to have a female character growing up through his books.  In Equal Rites, we meet Eskarina Smith as an eight-year-old, and Tiffany is nine in Wee Free Men.  Now I don't know if he had these stories in his head, but Tiffany certainly follows a path much like Esk might have if Pratchett had followed her as much as he does Rincewind and Vimes.

Tiffany is shaping up to be very powerful.  She has fought the Queen of the Fairies (WFM), traveled beyond the door of death (HFoS), and now has learned to be a fulcrum in the transfer of heat and will learn to do something similar with pain.  The only thing she hasn't learned so far to put her closer to Granny Weatherwax's true heir is learning borrowing.

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Recurring themes and characters appearing in this book:

Ankh-Morpork
Annagramma Hawkin
Anoia, goddess cutlery and things stuck in drawer
Awfully Wee Billy Big Chin
Baron of the Chalk
Big Yan
Boffo
Callus Tacticus, general
Chaffinch's Mythology
Daft Willie
Death
Dimity Hubbub
Eldritch means Oblong
Events from A Hat Full of Sky
Events from Wee Free Men
Gertrude Tiring
Granny Aching
Granny Weatherwax
Greebo
Hamish
Horace, the cheese
Jeannie, kelda
Lancre
Lucy Warbeck
Lulu Darling
Miss Eumenides Treason
Miss Level
Miss Perspicacia Tick
Morris Dancers
Mr. Joe and Mrs. Aching
Mrs. Lettice Earwig
Mrs. Snapperly
Nanny Gytha Ogg
Old Mother Blackcap
Old Mother Dismass
Petulia Gristle
Rob Anybody
Roland de Chumsfanleigh
Sensibility Bustle, wizard
Sergeant Roberts (with Kevin, Nigel, and Trevor)
Shawn Ogg
The Goode Childe’s Book of Faerie Tales
The Hiver
The Nac mac Feegle
The Quirm College for Young Ladies
Tiffany Aching
Tolliver Groat, assistant postmaster
Two Shirts
Unseen University
Wee Dangerous Spike
Wentworth Aching
Where’s My Cow?
You, the cat
Zakzak Stronginthearm

Monday, August 10, 2015

Discworld - Watching Koom Valley

There are two parts in Thud that really struck me emotionally.  They are moments that make me choke up like you read in 60s comic books.  The only other time I'm felt that way in a Pratchett book is at the end of Hogfather when Susan is protecting the forms of the Hogfather.  This time it is when Vimes is running to save Young Sam and when he is stumbling through the dark of the caves.

Pratchett really escalates his game in this book.  The action rolls forward again, but it's stronger and moves into being more Disc encompassing.

This is book 35 in the Discworld series, and I can see the end coming.  I still have The Last Hero, what could really be called the original Discworld graphic novel, to go.  But aside from that and The Shepherd's Crown, I have five books left in the series.

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Recurring characters and themes appearing in this book:

Angua von Uberwald, sergeant
Ankh-Morpork
Anoia, goddess of cutlery
Argent, grag
Bashfull Bashfullson, grag
Bergholldt Stutley “Bloody Stupid” Johnson
Bhrian Bloodaxe, First Low King of the Dwarves
Biers
Bluejohn, Constable
Boggis, Thieves’ Guild
Brick
Burleigh & Stronginthearm
Cabbage
Carrot Ironfoundersson, captain
Cheery Littlebottom, sergeant
Chrysoprase
Copperhead
Death
Detritus, Sergeant
Diamond, King of Trolls
Dis-organizer/Gooseberry
Doreen Winkins, countess
Dorfl, constable
Events of Guards! Guards!
Events of Jingo
Events of Night Watch
Events of The Fifth Elephant
Foul Ole Ron
Fred Colon, sergeant
Gimlet and his delicatessens
Grabpot Thundergust
Haddock, constable
Havelock Vetinari, Patrician
Igor
Koom Valley
Lancre
Llamedos
Mr. Pony
Mustrum Ridcully, Archchancellor UU
Nobby Nobbs, corporal
Otto Chriek
Rhys Rhysson, Low King of the Dwarves
Ruby
Sally von Humpeding, constable
Sam Vimes, Commander, Knight, Duke
Scumble
Stoneface Vimes
Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Ducchess
Tak
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Breccia
The Bucket
The Cabbage Stamp
The Clacks System
The Lady Sybil Free Hospital
The Librarian
The Pink Pussycat Club
The Pork Futures Warehouse
The Quirm College for Young Ladies
The Royal Art Museum
The Royal Post Office
The Silicon Anti-Defamation League
The Summoning Dark
The Uberwald League of Temperance
Uberwald
Unseen University
Verity Pushpram
Visit "washpot",constable
Where's my cow
Wilkins, butler
William de Worde

Young Sam Vimes

Friday, August 07, 2015

Just a Bit Too Late

Why, oh why, couldn't this have been found a month or so ago?

This would have been a perfect birthday present.  Not that I can think of any of my geologist friends whose wives would let them decorate their bed with this.  But it sure would make a nice blanket for sitting on the couch.

I like the labels, and the fossils and crystals.  But the best thing is the stick-figure trees.  My professors would always draw a line for the surface, and then draw a couple trees and maybe a house or cabin.  The department chair would always joke that this was required in any proper cross section drawing.




I may have to get one anyway.  It's just too cool.

Thursday, August 06, 2015

Picky Picky

I'm fine.

No, really I'm fine.

But really, this study is interesting.

I just have to say two things:

1.  Introduce a strange food up to 52 times?  One a week for a year?  Every day for almost two months?  That's not getting used to something, that giving up out of boredom.  Except for hot dogs.

2.  And really, fifty-two times?  Who did this study, DC Comics?

Discworld - Glom of Nit

Going Postal introduces another recurring protagonist to the Discworld: Moist von Lipwig.

One of Moist's philosophies is always keep running because you never know who might be catching you up.  It's very fitting for this book, because it keeps running for its entire length.  It is a fast paced book that bring to mind a roller coaster in reverse.  Even after having head is many times, I found myself looking forward to lunch and time on the train to get back to my reading.

Again, Pratchett is detailing bits of his main city and calling back to the first time the post office was mentioned.  We learn where the missing letters from the motto went.  And we learn more about the working of the clacks system.

Next, is a return to the Watch with Thud.

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Recurring concepts and characters appearing in this book:

Adrora Belle "Spike/Killer" Dearheart
Angua, sergeant
Ankh-Morpork
Anoia, goddess things that stick in drawers
Berhodlt Stutley "Bloody Stupid" Johnson
Blind Io
Cabbage
Carrot Ironfoundersson, Captain
Clerk Brian
Dark Lord
Death
Dimwell
Dolly Sisters
Dr. Mossy Lawn
Drumknott, secretary
Extremelia Mume, priestess of Anoia
Fred Colon, sergeant
Gladys , golem
Goitre, Posthumus Professor UU
Harry King
Havelock Vetinari, Patrician
Hex
Hobson's Livery Stable
Igor
King of Lancre (Verence II)
Ladislav Pelc, Proefessor UU
Lady Margolotta von Uberwald
Lancre
Lela, volcano goddess
Lord Downey, Assassins’ Guild
Miss Macalariat
Moist von Lipwig
Mr. Pony
Mr. Slant, Guild of Lawyers
Mr. Tiddles, cat
Mr. Trooper, hangman
Mrs. Cake
Mustrum Ridcully, archchancellor UU
Offler, the Crocodile-Headed God
Om
Omnniscope
Otto Chriek
Ponder Stibbons
Quantum
Queen (Keli) of Sto Lat
Sacharissa Crisplock
Sam Vimes, knight, duke, commander
Stanley, assistant postman
Sto Lat
Teemer and Spools
The Ankh-Morpork Times
The Assassins’ Guild
The Cabbage Stamp
The Campaign for Equal Heights
The Chair of Indefinite Studies
The Clacks System
The Dark Clerks
The Golem Trust
The Guild of Merchants
The High-Energy Magic Building
The Lady Sybil Free Hospital
The Lecturer in Recent Runes
The Low King of the Dwarves (Rhys Rhysson)
The Mended Drum
The Opera House
The Royal Bank
The Royal Post Office
The Thieves' Guild
Thud, game
Tolliver Groat, junior/senior postman
Uberwald
Unseen University

Witch flying into clacks tower (Granny Weatherwax)



Monday, August 03, 2015

Discworld - The Witches' School

A Hat Full of Sky is a return to the world of Tiffany Aching.  I probably should have mentioned in my post about Wee Free Men, that there were a few pokes at J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.  There are a few in this book as well but not as much.

While I know Rowling had to be a Pratchett fan because of a few references that I caught in her series, she did once say that she did not realize that she was writing fantasy with the Harry Potter series.  In response, Pratchett said, "I would have thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden worlds... would have given her a clue?"

Looking back at this book, it could seem like a bridge story because of the new characters introduced that will be used again, including the Hiver entities.  But taken by itself, A Hat Full of Sky shows Tiffany's continued growth as a witch and begins her socialization in a world of her contemporaries.  It also shows again that she has amazing potential as a witch.

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Recurring characters and themes in this book:

"A Witch should never stand between two mirrors."
“The world is your... Shrimp”
Annagramma Hawkin
Awfully-Wee-Billy-Bigchin Nac Mac Feegle
Bells of St. Ungulant
Big Yan
Cabbage
Daft Wullie
Death
Dimity Hubbub
Dragons on the Moon
Events of Carpe Jugulum
Events of Maskerade
Events of Wee Free Men
Gertrude Tiring
Granny Aching
Granny Weatherwax
Hamish
Harietta Bilk
Jeannie, kelda
Lucy Warbeck
Lulu Darling
Miss Level
Miss Perspicacia Tick
Mrs. Earwig
Mrs. Snapperly
Nac Mac Feegle
Petulia Gristle
Ratbag, the cat
Rob Anybody
Roland, son of the Baron
The Baron
The Goode Childe’s Book of Faerie Tales
The Hiver
The Lancre Witch Trials
The Queen of the Fairies
The Yellow Toad
Tiffany Aching
Two Shirts
Unseen University
Wentworth Aching
Zakzak Stronginthearm