In honour of Pterry’s latest Discworld® Witches book, I Shall Wear Midnight (A Tiffany Aching Novel). Official release date September 2nd in the UK.
As usual with Pratchett, a simple surface story of a young witch threatened by an eldritch force, and how she faces that threat, has many layers and unexpected edges that prod one’s thinking in rare directions regarding the complications of getting along with other people and how that fits in with larger social roles and responsibilities. Expect a proper review later this week.
What’s your favourite aspect of the Discworld® novels?
P.S. Another Pratchett Discworld® novel has been telemovied – here’s an extended preview of Sky’s new Going Postal, set in the heaving metropolis of Ankh-Morpork:
Categories: ethics & philosophy, relationships
QOTD for IWD: Aung San Suu Kyi 
QOTD: on the blaming of progressive scolds/shamers for the rise of Trumpists 
Myths about alpha males redux 
For those times when actually blocking someone on FB is socially awkward 
Hoyden About Town 
Oh my goodness! I did not know there was to be a new Tiffany Aching novel! I am super-excited for this now.
My favourite Discworld books are the witches ones and the Death/Susan ones. I find those two…strands, I guess you could say? explore a lot of really interesting ideas vis-a-vis morality (in the case of the former) and inevitability/fate/belief (in the case of the latter). Both of which are topics that interest me highly.
Plus, the characters in them are lovely. Granny Weatherwax, Susan, Agnes…
I need to reread some of my Discworld stuff now, geez. It’s been forever.
I’m just so selfishly thankful that assistive technology allows Pterry to continue producing books despite his Alzheimer’s embuggerance.
He posted this on Discword® illustrator Paul Kidby’s website last year:
BTW: Cast list for Going Postal:
Moist von Lipwig – Richard Coyle
Reacher Guilt – David Suchet
Lord Vetinari – Charles Dance
Adora Belle Dearheart – Claire Foy
Drumknott – Steve Pemberton
Groat – Andrew Sachs
Miss Cripslock – Tamsin Greig
Nearly bought the new Pratchett on the weekend. Why is it out in Aus already?
Watched the Hogfather in NZ last Xmas. Why can’t we watch it over here at Xmas I want to know.
I thought Hogfather did get shown here one Christmas…yup, Wikipedia says channel 7 had it in 2007. Don’t know if it’s been re-run since then though.
I adore the witches but I also have a soft spot for Sam Vines.
I love pre-releases. I bought this last week and I love it immensely. It is incredibly addictive, I read the entire thing in about ten hours (six of these at work).
I love the Witches and Susan. And of course Death. But Tiffany and the Feegles are the best 😀
I’m really looking forward to this one, and terribly jealous of everyone who already has it. I *can* brag of having already seen Going Postal though, and it’s definitely the best adaptation of any of the books so far (I do still love Hogfather), though it makes Spike a little less spiky.
I love the Witches and Susan books, but at heart I’m a Sam Vimes fan. Something about the noir-ish city/good-but-flawed policeman dynamic is irresistible to me, even though critically those are the books I’m most likely to pick holes in.
:gasp: i had no idea about the alzheimer’s!
Here I was always lamenting the loss of Douglas Adams, but comforting myself in the thought that Terry Pratchett would endure. Ah well – he seems to have an excellent attitude about it. good on him.
I watched the Hogfather that Christmas 🙂 and read the book at the same time… 🙂
squee!!
I’m so going to have to buy this book in London next week.
Such a fan of the witches! That trailer was pretty awesome as well.
To be honest, I will watch with glee anything Tamsin Greig is in. And I really liked Claire Foy in the BBC’s production of ‘Little Dorrit’.
Kirstente, agree with you on both counts! The photos of Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart look excellent, too – and such a good choice for her careerwise, to play somebody who kicks arse rather than sacrificially endures. Greig as the tenacious reporter will be fabbo too.
G, interesting that you had the feel of A-M as being older. There’s been quite a lot of Industrial Revolution things happening in A-M for quite a few novels now, so steampunk doesn’t surprise me at all. The clacks towers look fantastic.
I can’t wait to see David Suchet’s villainy, either. But would it have killed them to dye Charles Dance’s hair?
Saw it at Discworldcon this weekend and was a bit surprised at the generally Steampunk setting, as I always considered Ankh-Morpork a bit more 16th century. Pterry is a great guy and I am awaiting my book in the mail.
Snuff will be next and Vimes is the protagonist- I can’t wait!
Tigtog, that looks wonderful. Are the rest of the adaptations as good? i have avoided the adaptations since the computer game underwhelmed me in the mid nineties. silly i guess.
The Librarian used to be my fav, the sense of strength withheld and power rendered uncorrupting was the hook. a few of the characters have that trait, but i first saw it in that big orange heap of hair.
these days it is Vines, mostly ’cause of the home to read a story every day behaviour.