Discworld Monthly - Issue 189 - January 2013
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial
2. News
3. Readers' Letters
4. DiscTrivia
5. Review:The Compleat Ankh Morpork
6. Review: Turtle Recall: The Discworld Companion ... so far.
7. The End
1. Editorial
Welcome to issue 189 and the first issue of the new year! It's been very quiet on the news and email front this month. I guess people have been away from their computers spending time with family etc. - as I have, which is why I am writing this in early January rather than late December!
Don't forget there are still tickets available for Dodger in Abingdon this month. See the dates section for how to purchase your tickets or visit:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/CurrentPlans.html
The Discworld Monthly facebook group has grown again since last month. We now have just over 3500 members. I would like to thank all the members of the group that keep it so busy.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/52773169006/
Don't forget, if you visit a play or a talk and would like to let the world know about it, please feel free to email your review to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk and we will consider it for publication.
Also if you have written an article that you think we might want to include in the newsletter please feel free to email me at the address below. We will of course give credit for anything we use.
--
Jason Anthony (Editor) info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
William Barnett (Deputy Editor)
Richard Massey (WH40K Specialist)
2. News
From Lady Sybil:
The Bookseller positions have been very static, so here are the most recent ones:
A Blink of the Screen is at no. 15 in the Top 20 original fiction having sold nearly 6,000 copies in the previous week (Bookseller 21/28 Dec.) and Dodger is at no. 3 in the Top 10 Children's fiction, having sold just over 10,000 copies in the previous week.
However, if you go to the Guardian website you may find the Best Sellers of 2012 and follow a link. Dodger is at no 78 having sold over 125, 000 copies; and Snuff is at no. 90, having sold over 112,000 copies in paperback this year.
News from the facebook page of Snowgum Films (the makers of Troll Bridge):
So what's happening 2013? Well, we hope to make even MORE music video clips, we'll be starting pre-production on another fantasy fiction short by another VERY special world creator, but more importantly... we'll be releasing TROLL BRIDGE. Yes, there, I've said it. The epic stuff. ;) Come hell or high water, after a decade of excruciatingly hard work, TROLL BRIDGE will be unleashed to the masses!
While an exact - precise - date is still yet to manifest itself, we do have some rough guesses. We'll know more once we get an idea on how long each process and element is taking to churn through in post-production... but personally, we're pushing for the release to be available for at least at one Discworld Convention this year. :)
We still have a whole heap of work ahead of us though, and we're going to need all the help we can get during post-production, but you'll start to see the updates become more frequent again. Up till now it's all mostly been me sitting in front of a computer tapping away at locking an edit... which admittedly isn't exactly the most exciting stuff on the planet. If you do stuff in post, now is the time to contact us. We're about to build a very large team indeed.
We also never announced it here (it wasn't the grandest update), but we got some pickup shoots done early December. We decided to get some shots of the troll within the bridge listening to Cohen above, so we disassembled some of the bridge walls and made a crawlspace for him. Can you see the dust coming down between the cracks? That's the TROLL BRIDGE release date bashing through!
Thank you for sticking with us through the year - we promise you only bigger and grander things in the future!
Happy Year of the Troll everyone!
- Yours Sincerely, The Snowgum Team
A new video has recently been published on YouTube of Terry talking about libraries and how he learnt more in the library than he did at school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBQWp-DqdAI
This year's BBC Lifeline charity programme featured Terry Pratchett and Tony Robinson talking about the charity RICE (which visitors to any Wincanton events will recognise as the charity of choice for the auction and other fundraising events). RICE deals in dementia research and the programme gave some great information about the work that RICE does.
For more information about RICE visit http://www.rice.org.uk/
The video has been uploadted to YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qvy6xdU45A
An interview Terry had with Alan Titchmarsh back in 1995 has been released on YouTube. Terry was promoting the TV adaptation of Johnny and the Dead and the interview talks about the Discworld computer game, Terry's work for the CEGB, fan mail and approaches from Hollywood.
The description of the video claims it is from the TV show Pebble Mill but I think it is actually Alan Titchmarsh's chat show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hS0ws1lBqw
Terry's has posted a few tweets since last issue - below is a roundup of those posts. You can follow Terry at: https://twitter.com/terryandrob
9th December 2012: Patrick Moore has died peacefully at his home in Selsey. Sir, you'll be sadly missed #skyatnight
9th December 2012: Our fondest memory will always remain eating astronomers chilli with Patrick Moore & @DrBrianMay at 3am during a Perseid shower. A legend.
10th December 2012: No phones and no Internet. Again. Not even the Victorians had no Internet.
11th December 2012: We've just watched our Borneo documentary - Facing Extinction - for the first time. Don't know how they've done it, but it looks fabulous.
19th December 2012: The auspices have decreed that next year is "The Year of the Frog Ascendent". Thanking you.
31st December 2012: Our very next tweet is Terry's contribution to the @3hundredand65 Story Project http://www.3hundredand65.co.uk @TeenageCancer
31st December 2012: In the silence a female voice said "At last. Then you who are the chosen one. Let me take you to the place where the wild croissants dance."
Discworld Dates...
This section will contain events that you need to keep in your diary. Entries will remain until they go out of date. New entries will include the word [New] next to them. If this section gets too large we will start pruning entries.
[UK] On the first Friday of every month there will be a meeting of WOTS - Omnian Temperance Society - Wincanton branch - to be held at The Bear Inn from 7pm. New members or visitors from other places always welcome.
[UK] The Broken Drummers meet at The Monkey Puzzle, Paddington, London, W2 1JQ, England at 7pm. For more information contact Helen Nicholls on nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
The Drummers are always happy to welcome new visitors. You can find out more about the Drummers at http://www.brokendrummers.org/
[AU] The Drummers Downunder are groups of fans that meet up monthly in Australia.
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
The Drummers Downunder (Perth) will be meeting from 6pm at The Vic Hotel, 226 Hay St, Subiaco, Australia. You can contact the organiser Daniel Hatton on daniel_j_hatton@yahoo.com.au
[AU] The Drummers Downunder (Sydney) meet at Maloneys Hotel on the corner of Pitt and Goulburn Streets (across the road from World Square), Sydney, Australia from 6.30pm. For more information contact Sue (AKA Granny Weatherwax) on kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
[Adelaide, AU] The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in
Adelaide and South Australia. We have regular dinner and games
nights, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social
activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our
mailing list, visit: http://ausdwcon.org/pages/smallgods
[UK] The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Chris Moran will be performed by The Progress Theatre, Reading from Thursday 17th to Saturday 26th January 2013 at 7:45pm (with Matinees on Saturday 19th and 26th at 2:30pm)
Tickets are 10 GBP (8 GBP concessions) and are available in advance from Reading Arts Box Office (booking fee applies):
On 0118 960 6060, online at http://www.readingarts.com or in person at the Hexagon or Town Hall
[UK] The Studio Theatre Club will be presenting Dodger, adapted and directed by Stephen Briggs, from 22 to 26 January 2013 at 19:30 (+ 14:30 on 26 Jan) at Unicorn Theatre, Thames Street, Abingdon
Tickets cost 8.50 GBP and are now on sale. Tickets tend to sell out quickly so please book your tickets soon by:
Sending your ticket order (with back-up choices if you're after Friday or Saturday tickets) along with your cheque (payable to 'STC'), and a stamped, self-addressed, envelope to:
Studio Theatre Club (Dodger), PO Box 1486, Oxford, OX4 9DQ
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/CurrentPlans.html
[UK] Chichester Players will be presenting a production of Night Watch, adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, in March 2013. The dates are still to be finalised.
[UK] The Cult Classic Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland has recently been given permission to adapt Good Omens for the stage and the show will take place in March 2013. Rehearsals for the play started in October.
http://www.cultclassic.org
[UK] A small drama group are planning on performing Monstrous Regiment from 23rd to 25th May 2013 at The Exchange, Sturminster Newton, Dorset. Apparently The Exchange is a great 300 seat venue.
The group are looking for any society events which might like to be arranged at the same time?
According to the group Terry lives within spitting distance of the venue and has been to it before and they are hoping he may come along as well. Perhaps even Stephen Briggs! Who knows?
[NL] The second Dutch Discworld Convention CabbageCon will take place from 24 till 26 May 2013 in Zandvoort aan Zee. The new website is available at:
Dr. Jack Cohen will be a guest at the Second Dutch Discworld convention and they now have some special items for the charity auction.
[US] North American Discworld Convention 2013
The North American Discworld Event 2013 will take place from July 5th - 8th 2013 in Baltimore, MD.
http://www.nadwcon.org/
http://www.facebook.com/NADWCon2013
http://twitter.com/nadwcon
http://nadwcon.tumblr.com/
http://pinterest.com/nadwcon2013/
[UK] Wadfest 2013 will take place from the 9th - 11th August 2013. Wadfest has a new home and will be at Wood Green, Animal Shelter, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NH
The new site features a licensed bar, an event area with its own PA system, a cafeteria and a couple of shops.
The event organisers have managed to negotiate a much better deal with the new site and have therefore managed to pass on a huge discount on the price of tickets which are now 20 GBP each (5 GBP per ticket less than Wadfest 2011).
[DE, Updated] German Discworld Convention 2013
With a 1000 camels the German Discworld Convention moves to the mysterious continent of Klatch! Make room in your schedule from October 3rd to 6th in 2013 for the fourth German Discworld Convention. Be there when it's getting hot!
Visit our homepage for tickets and a 3-D tour of the castle. http://www.Discworld-Convention.de
[IE] The Third Irish Discworld Convention 2013 takes place from Friday 1st November to Monday 4th November 2013 at Radisson Blu Hotel in Limerick, Ireland. Other details are sketchy at the moment.
Visit http://www.idwcon.org/ or see the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/idwcon
[UK] Terry is due to be the special guest at Eastercon 65 from April 18th - April 21st 2014 at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Glasgow.
[UK, New] The Discworld Convention 2014 will take place in Manchester at the Palace hotel from 8th - 11th August. People with long memories will remember that the original Discworld Convention took place in Manchester in 1996 but at a much smaller hotel.
Visit http://www.dwcon.org/ or see the facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/489457174398254/
3. Readers' Letters
If you have any letters or comments, please email them to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
We assume any correspondence is eligible for use in the newsletter unless otherwise stated, including the sender's email address. We may also edit your letters while eating leftover turkey.
It is vitally important that you don't pass off other people's work as your own. If you use information from other resources please let us know so we can give proper credit.
* From: "Dave Tant" d.tant@sky.com
As a cockney I'm prompted to write to help Mr O'Connor over "Cockney Slang". While "Tile" is slang for hat, as is "Lid", (hat goes on head, tile goes on roof, lid goes on pot) Dimwell attempts "Cockney Rhyming Slang", unfortunately confusing figs and prunes. And rhyming slang for hat is "Titfer" (tit-for-tat = hat). So "Tile" is nowhere near a Dimwell!
However, while putting finger to keyboard I'd like to express my amazement that people profess to enjoy "The Long Earth": boring doesn't adequately describe it. Like many of your readers I have all Terry Pratchett's books and have greatly enjoyed them, mostly several times, the Discworld series more than the others (surely the wonderful Havelock Vetinari is based on Hercules Gritpyppe-Thynne), but this just does not read like Pratchett. I've seen it described as "with Stephen Baxter" but I suspect it's almost wholly Stephen Baxter with Terry Pratchett's name added to boost sales. I detected two sentences which read like vintage Pratchett and am not going to torture myself by reading the book again to spot where they are.
I came to the Discworld by accident in a science fiction bookshop some thirty years ago, having read and collected science fiction and fantasy all my (long) life and over the years have read several alternate earth yarns, all better than this. And I gather there are to be sequels. Well, forewarned..
The best part of the book is the cover: not the dustjacket but the hard cover. It would have been perfect for Clifford Simak's "Ring Around The Sun", the first of the genre I read, over fifty years ago.
With thanks for your enjoyable and informative 'zine,
* From: "Allison Messerly" amesserly@pvaz.net
Please have Terry do an Alphabet book based on the Wee Free Men's descriptions: ie) "fat man walking" etc.
I have thought of this ever since I read the Tiffany book in which Rob (!) learns to write.
Plus I love the Wee Free Men.
* From: "Ellie Di Julio" ellison.di.julio@gmail.com
I'm writing because I'm planning a trip to the UK in September 2013 and am quite anxious to meet Sir Terry while closer to his natural habitat. I've been scanning the listings in the last few newsletters, but I haven't spotted anything that I might attend for such purposes.
Have you any news of Sir Terry being up and about during the fall in, say, Scotland or England?
* From: "Phil Barker" pc.barker@blueyonder.co.uk
There was indeed a series of revelations about the weird financial and business practises at the English National Opera that emerged shortly after Masquerade appeared. We just watched Phantom of the Opera on our new wide screen TV. The first half was splendid (I would love to have those artistic statues of attractive ladies holding up lamps), but after the second half we went to the shelf to get out M. Terry has a better ending (and tunes). We saw Masquerade at Birmingham Rep years back, and I have never forgotten their rendering of that magnificent dying speech on stage!
4. DiscTrivia
This month I've opened Turtle Recall at random pages and found a question from each page visited. Some are easy, some are quite hard. Well at least I think they are ...
The (hopefully correct) answers can be found at the end of this issue.
5. Review: The Compleat Ankh Morpork
Review by Jason Anthony
The Compleat Ankh-Morpork is both a map and a city guide. The original map of Ankh-Morpork called The Streets of Ankh-Morpork was published in 1993. A lot has happened in Ankh-Morpork in the last nineteen years so Bernard "The Cunning Artificer" Pearson was asked to produced a new updated map.
The map is a thing of beauty. On one side is an wonderfully illustrated artist's impression of the city from an aerial view. If you've seen the animated sequence at http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk you will know how amazing the illustration looks. This really is something you could have wall mounted and displayed.
On the reverse of the illustration is the detailed map. The guys at the Discworld Emporium must have spent months digging out all the references of street names in the books as well as how they fitted together. Every street, alley, close and square is named. Each pub / inn / tavern etc is marked with a tankard as is each public well and pump. Many an hour can be spent locating roads and streets and just mapping your way around the city.
What map would be complete without a city guide and again the presentation is simply amazing. The book starts with welcoming the traveller to Ankh-Morpork and lays out some basic rules such as where to find hospitals, temples etc and a brief idea of what will a) get you arrested and b) get you killed.
The guide then moves onto pages listing various places of interest such as accommodation, food and drink and location of post offices and clacks towers. Each entry includes a map reference to ensure they are easy to locate and entries are recorded in alphabetical order.
Later there are guides to the various guilds, information about the Unseen University and locations of some of the headquarters of the more popular religions.
The largest part of the guide deals with the directory of merchants, traders and services. If you've been involved with Discworld fandom for a while you might recognise some of the product / company names.
There is a huge amount of fun information in the book and it's fun to read through the directory to see what jokes and references you can find.
The only problem I can see with the Compleat Ankh-Morpork is that you'll probably want three copies: one for the illustrated map for the wall, one for the detailed map for another wall and one to keep.
If you purchase your copy direct from the Discworld Emporium you will also get an A3 double sided The Compleat Story which gives details on the research required to try to get the map, mapped out. It also features a few things that didn't make it into the final release.
You can order The Compleat Ankh-Morpork direct from the Discworld Emporium at: /url/COMPLEATAM
or via Amazon UK at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857520741/87
or Amazon US at: http://discworldmonthly.co.uk/USISBN/0857520741
6. Review: Turtle Recall: The Discworld Companion ... so far
Review by Jason Anthony
The last time I really looked at the Discworld Companion was the original version way back in the late '90s. At the time I liked the idea but was disappointed by the gaps in the text. You couldn't for example find an entry on headology. So when a copy of Turtle Recall arrived in the post I quickly looked to see if this issue had been resolved in the intervening years. Sadly it's still not there! Well, it is if you look up magic and go to Witches Magic. It's not even mentioned in the section about Esmerelda, Weatherwax. I then had a think about it and realised that the companion is more about places and people not 'ideas' or 'concepts'.
Turtle Recall is the second update and now includes information from all the books up to and including Snuff. Unfortunately for a book like this to be useful it needs to be up to date and while it features new characters like Mr Nutt from Unseen Academicals some of the old listings haven't been updated to reflect changes. At random I looked up Willikins (Sam Vimes' butler). The entry starts: "One of VITOLLER'S strolling players, who specialises in female roles, Willikins is also the name of Lady RAMKIN's butler." It goes on to provide more information but surely after his adventures in novels like Snuff the entry should be updated to include him as the main reference for the name with VITOLLER's man relegated to the aside? Elsewhere in the book the entry for Brian, for example, had been split into Brian (1) and Brian (2) to represent two different people. So why wasn't this applied to Willikins?
Despite these minor issues I do like the book. It is fun to pick up and look up a character and read about them (I'd like it more if it mentioned all the books a character appeared in).
Used in conjunction with Stephen Briggs's The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld you can find a lot of information about the Discworld and its inhabitants. I've put this book to the test by using it to ask the Trivia questions this month.
If you're a fan of the previous versions of the Companion then this is a good update as it includes many more books. If you haven't read it before I suggest giving it a go.
You can order Turtle Recall from Amazon UK at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0575091185/87
or from Amazon US at: http://discworldmonthly.co.uk/USISBN/0575091185
7. The End
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The Long Earth (with Stephen Baxter)
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Dodger
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TURTLE RECALL: The Discworld Companion
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