We say goodbye to our friends Debs & Errol and also to Terry Pratchett
Topics Discussed and/or Spoiled:
Strike! Debs & Errol farewell concert, Terry Pratchett’s passing, The NaNoWriMo Musical, Geek Bands, Discworld, and Good Omens.
Our outro is Debs & Errol’s Geek Love Song
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I require guidance! I’m looking to start reading a new book series, and I’m deciding between The Vorkosigan Saga and the Terry Pratchett books. Which way would you steer me? Follow-up question: if I go with the latter, should I start at the very first book (because I’m me and that’s how I roll) or go with a fan favourite as an introduction (given that I’m more likely to enjoy it)? I’m not very good at starting in the middle of things, but it did work with Buffy and musical episode that Rachel had me watch…
Oh! That’s a terrible choice to have to make between Pratchett and Bujold. I feel like Bujold is objectively better and Cordelia’s Honour is one of the absolute best starter books you’ll ever find but given recent events, perhaps Pratchett is more suitable. Also, you can pick up and put down his series pretty easily.
The big choice to make is whether you want to commit to reading all of the series or if you’re fine hitting highlights. Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic are the very first and are some of the poorest of the series which given how good the series is, not so quite so damning. The benefit of reading them first is that they are all the harder to read later after his writing improves. Equal Rites I’d almost suggest skipping outright.
Really Mort is the best book to start with. It encapsulates a lot of what is fun with the Discworld series and let’s you know whether you’ll want to keep going. Weird Sisters and Guards, Guards do a good job of introducing those particular characters but I think Mort is really your best bet.
1. Like Cheryl, I too, require guidance. You have effectively sold me on Terry Pratchett, but would appreciate a recommendation on where to begin. If it helps, I do have a great appreciation for the earlier Hitchhiker’s Guide books, especially Restaurant at the End of the Universe, so if any of his works lean in that direction of humor, I’m in. But mostly, I trust your judgment in steering a Pratchett neophyte in the right direction.
2. ARRRRRRRRRGH! We were devastated to miss the D&E final concert. We actually had a nice, cheap hotel booked about three blocks from the venue, had the weekend off, and were even prepared for the 16-hour drive from Northern Minnesota. What we could not overcome was the sudden scheduling of a Monday morning meeting at work, and the subsequent return trip that would have conflicted with it. I was glad that the concert was streamed live. (I was glued to my iPad for the duration) but oh, how we would have loved to be there for the live experience. Also, as a loyal listener, it would have been an extra bonus to meet you guys face to face. As Kaa said to Shere Kahn, “Another time, perhaps.”
You can see my above comment to Cheryl as it really does depend on how invested you see yourself getting into the series. Mort is a really good jumping off point before deciding where to go next. Small Gods is also a decent stand alone that gets into some of Pratchett’s theological musings.
I’m sad you weren’t able to make it to the final concert as it would have been great to meet you folks face to face and it was a fantastic coming together.
“Loved to HAVE BEEN there.” Not “be there.” Proofread before posting. Always proofread.
OK, all the outpouring of grief re: Pratchett is making me want to try him again. I really, really liked Mort but couldn’t get into Maskerade (I think it was too much into the metaplot part of the series for me to fully get what was going on) and found the tone of Lords and Ladies to be off-puttingly smug, which was also an issue I had with Maskerade (I love Pratchett’s jokes when they’re told to me by someone else, but in those two books, I couldn’t shake the irritating feeling that I was reading someone who was only about 90% as funny as he thought he was). Given that Mort actually worked for me, should I try another Death book?
I would certainly say so. Maybe try Guards Guards which is a bit more character based and less gag-tastic.
Are you familiar with the Mark Does Stuff family of websites? He’s this guy who reads books and watches TV shows unspoiled and blogs about the experience. Last year we convinced him to start reading Discworld, and he’s up to Moving Pictures now. I love his sites because it’s almost like being able to vicariously experience the joy of discovery all over again. If you want to look him up, the Discworld reviews can be found at markreads.net.