Anybody read the young adult Discworld novels?

[Walker]

WOAH. First thread I've made with the new software. When you type the title it spreads it out in big letters up top. How odd.

Anyway, I'm reading I Shall Wear Midnight at the moment, the new Tiffany Aching Discworld book. And I'm noticing the same thing I did in Unseen Academicals. Lot of continuity references. I'm not that far in, but I already saw Buggy Swires come charging in to tangle with the Nac Mac Feegle and got a very odd crossover kind of feeling. Don't remember seeing Swires recently, but I do remember people talking on the internet about how they wondered why he was so much like a feegle.

Suddenly I'm expecting to see Esk pop up or other things that have been irritating the internet fan-people. It's very odd.

Also, a witch in Ankh-Morpork? [CUE INCREDULOUSLY SHOCKED FACE.]

 

[HobbeBrain]

I read them! That's what i love about the novels, the references and continuity in them. The films aren't bad either, not as good as the books though.

 

[Walker]

Is it just me, though, or have there been more of them in the last few books? I mean, yeah, there was always a bit of that, but now there's been a lot of "see! remember this random character from four books ago? He's still around!"

Or am I crazy?

Also, it was Wee Mad Arthur who popped up in this one, not Buggy Swires. One small, violent Watchman is much like another, you know, and when I made that post I hadn't read any further than "small, violent watchman."

And Hobbe, have you read the most recent one? It came out just recently.

 

[HobbeBrain]

"And Hobbe, have you read the most recent one? It came out just recently."

Sorry, that just made me laugh.

Which is the most recent one?

 

[Walker]

Hey. I went to bed at two in the morning. Sure, I didn't wake up until ten, but EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP IS NOT ENOUGH. At least not when the eight hours started at two.

I Shall Wear Midnight? I think it came out beginning of October or earlier in September. But within the last month or so.

 

[HobbeBrain]

I Shall Wear Midnight? I think it came out beginning of October or earlier in September. But within the last month or so.

Oh, I'm reading that one at the moment, about halfway through. Also, have you read the Light Fantastic series? I don't know if they're young adult, but I found them pretty funny.

 

[White_Howler]

Read the Death Gate Cycle. Great series.

I have a hard time readin non-fiction. I get enough of real life in real life, and I'd much rather read about a different world.

 

[Walker]

I always have a hard time reading fantasies. I even have a hard time watching fantasies. I have tried and tried, but I feel like it's below my reading level.

... Um... you are a fan of the video game series known as Fable, are you not? Do you have a double-standard for your literature/movies and your gaming?

Oh, I'm reading that one at the moment, about halfway through. Also, have you read the Light Fantastic series? I don't know if they're young adult, but I found them pretty funny.

Er... how do you mean that? The Light Fantastic and the Tiffany Aching novels are part of the same broader Discworld series.

The Tiffany books and The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents are specifically targeted towards children young adults*. The rest of the Discworld books aren't, really. They're very similar, but the others are slightly more adult. The feel of the two segments are a bit different.

The Discworld series as a whole is divided into a bunch of different, occasionally overlapping sub-series. The Light Fantastic is one of the Rincewind books, right? He has a few. They usually deal with him running around and suffering. There're also the City Watch sub-series, the witches of Lancre sub-series (about Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax), the Death sub-series (about Death, his daughter, his apprentice, his granddaughter, and so on), now there's the Moist von Lipwig sub-series, as well as a few standalones.

Read the Death Gate Cycle. Great series.

I have a hard time readin non-fiction. I get enough of real life in real life, and I'd much rather read about a different world.

I enjoyed the Death Gate Cycle, but it isn't really one of my favorites.

I read nonfiction because it interests me, but nonfiction is a lot less engaging than fiction. Plus, it's frequently more depressing. Like you said, yes.

Edit: *Sorry about that. Not putting down the books. Even if I had done it on purpose, I wouldn't have been putting them down, but I miss-typed. They're targeted at 11-17 or so, but my library is really ****ty at getting books cataloged in what I would call an accurate way. So even though they're YA/teen, we own five of them, of which three are shelved as Juvenile Paperback Fiction, one as Adult Paperback Science Fiction and Fantasy, and one as Teen Paperback Fiction, even when we have a perfectly functional Teen PB SFF section. Because of that clusterfuck, I get mixed up about what they actually are.

 

[Walker]

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not. But yeah, Fable, especially 2, has an abysmal story.

Out of curiosity, have you ever read Terry Pratchett? He's highly amusing, but weird. Those who love him, love him. Those who don't, don't. He might be the kind of thing you'd like.

Also... hmmm... brain freeze. Can't come up with anything. But quite honestly, if you don't like fantasy, you just don't like it. Nothing that anyone else can do about it. I've had enough banging my head against walls trying to get people to share my tastes. NO MORE!

EDIT: Perhaps Neil Gaiman. He writes much darker fantasy. Whatsisname. Douglas Adams? Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy-man? His fantasy-flavored fantasy, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, is good. And I really feel like I should come up with a good American fantasy author, yet I am failing... Eric Flint. Though his politics might make you choke on him. Forward the Mage and The Philosophical Strangler are both good, if perhaps hard to get into... Er... I guess you might like Barry Hughart. Bridge of Birds, specifically. Or Jim Butcher. He's fun, if not exactly intellectual. Dresden Files urban fantasy is a bit better than Codex Alera epic fantasy.

 

[Firis]

Leaving the replies aside, I have not read Discworld, I may check it out someday, right now I am pushing through the Dune books.

 

[HobbeBrain]

Er... how do you mean that? The Light Fantastic and the Tiffany Aching novels are part of the same broader Discworld series.

The Tiffany books and The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents are specifically targeted towards children young adults*. The rest of the Discworld books aren't, really. They're very similar, but the others are slightly more adult. The feel of the two segments are a bit different.

The Discworld series as a whole is divided into a bunch of different, occasionally overlapping sub-series. The Light Fantastic is one of the Rincewind books, right? He has a few. They usually deal with him running around and suffering. There're also the City Watch sub-series, the witches of Lancre sub-series (about Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax), the Death sub-series (about Death, his daughter, his apprentice, his granddaughter, and so on), now there's the Moist von Lipwig sub-series, as well as a few standalones.

Yes... I knew that. I was just asking.

 

[droded]

I've only read the City Watch and Rincewind books, as well as a couple other misc ones.

I like Terry Pratchett but I haven't had time to read any books recently.

 

[Walker]

Honestly, Rincewind and the City Watch are probably my favorite... maybe. As soon as I say that I suddenly want to start listing a bunch of others I like, and would probably end up mentioning all of them except maybe Tiffany Aching and the guy from Small Gods.

Yes... I knew that. I was just asking.

Sorry, yeah. I wasn't sure what you were asking. But yes, I have read them. If that was the question? I confuse easy.

SPOILER WARNING:

Incidentally, Esk from Equal Rites did come back. And the whole Wee Mad Arthur-sounds-like-a-Feegle thing was resolved. This gives me a horrible feeling that Pratchett is rushing around tying up loose ends and fan theories before he's unable to write any more.

And this makes me sad.

 

[HobbeBrain]

I don't know, I quite like the way Pratchett's making references. The question was simply 'Have you read the Light Fantastic series', I suppose I should have said sub-series to make it more obvious.

 

[Walker]

I don't know, I quite like the way Pratchett's making references. The question was simply 'Have you read the Light Fantastic series', I suppose I should have said sub-series to make it more obvious.

Be warned: Walker gets dumber the longer he lives.

I just finished it, and I really enjoyed it. You don't get much more fun than a Discworld book. And the Nac Mac Feegle are basically fun incarnate.

 

[droded]

Considering Pratchett has Alzheimers, I'm quite happy he's tying up loose ends asap.

 

[Walker]

Yeah, I know, Droded. I'm sad because that's the why and the what of what I think he's doing.

No sarcasm and we'll have to agree to disagree on the quality of the story.

Aye, Terry Pratchett is the author of the book you're talking about, I'm aware. It's his books that I've tried and tried to read and couldn't get into it. I can see Pratchett's work being read in high school and that's fine, but I need something more advanced because I lose interest quite fast. Such is the case with most fiction for me, but this is especially true with fantasies.I do like fantasy. I love the limitless potential of fantasy. I just don't like today's fantasy literature. Especially when authors try to mix it up with doses of humor, that's like having scenes from the Three Stooges cut into the Terminator.

You liked F2's story?

Sorry, I was confused. Because I was talking specifically about a Terry Pratchett book and several others specificially targeted at high schoolers and middle schoolers, and there you were talking about how fantasy in general was "below my reading level."

Anywho, I personally like humor with my fantasy. Or my science fiction, for that matter. Or, hell, my military and historical fiction. Hell, I remember laughing at the Terminator. Don't recall ever laughing at the Three Stooges, however. I might if I ever actually watched them.