r/discworld

So I feel that Sir Pratchett's heroes share some key qualities, mainly actively choosing to do the right thing, often the right thing being kindness and helping those who cannot help themselves.

I feel that the two heroes of the Disc that are most similar are Samuel Vimes and Granny Weatherwax. They both are leaders, both have dark thoughts, and both choose not to follow them.

But, them being such strong personalities, do you think they would actually get on? I think they would respect one another but I'm curious whether they would annoy each other.

Looking forward to hearing people's thoughts. And second thoughts. Plus the third ones too.

Rereading MaA. This is from early on when D'Eath is investigation Carrot's background.

"And finally he took a holiday in the Ramtops, where careful questioning led him to the dwarf mines around Copperhead, and thence to an otherwise unremarkable glade in a beech wood where, sure enough, a few minutes of patient digging unearthed traces of charcoal.

He spent the whole day there. When he’d finished, carefully replacing the leafmould as the sun went down, he was quite certain."

1.) What is the meaning of the charcoal?

2.) What does replacing the leafmould mean and why?

Thanks!

I've been reading (listening to) the Stranger Times series and got to "Ring the Bells".

I saw it recommended here a couple times as a Discworld successor. While I disagree about that, I've been enjoying it immensely. Personally I think it feels more like Neverwhere by way of Dirk Gently.

All that is preface for why I'm posting this now: in the last book there is a character named "Claremont Dibnah". He's a scam artist of the highest order. And I'm the audiobook at least I would have sworn it was pronounced "dibblah" until I looked it up. And "ClareMOnT"... Well....I feel like it is an obvious homage.

I can't find any confirmation of this online except Google's AI search, but it both confirms and denies it depending on how I phrase things and refused to provide any sources that had any actual info in either case.

Edit: to be clear, the way he feels like Dibbler is that he's known to run scam businesses but this time, somehow, it's all working and he's really successful! Except... There are unintended plot relevant consequences that catch up with him.

I’m only 25 pages in and Lady Sybil has just received invitations to various balls and IS THIS A GODDAMN AUSTEN PARODY BECAUSE I AM VERY EXCITED. (No spoilers please, but I just needed to share enthusiasm with folks who would get it.)

Hey guys, i have already read the color of magic and i am into the light fantastic but i dont know if i should continue the series or if i should try something new and come back to this one later. (Btw i love this series so much).

Seeing loads of people posting about "rain" falling. Still none here in South London. I don't believe them. I simply don't believe them. I don't think rain is a thing anymore. Water falling out of the sky? Do me a favour!

\"Sounds like a storm,\" said Rincewind.\"What's one of them?\"\"You know,\" said Rincewind. \"Rain.\"\"Aw, strain the flaming cows, you don't believe all that stuff, do you? My granddad used to go on about that when he'd been at the beer. It's just an old story. Water falling out of the sky? Do me a favour!\"\"It never does that here?\"\"Course not!\"

https://preview.redd.it/saes6lz6czjh1.png?width=563&format=png&auto=webp&s=966cb499920d24656a084f62bc3895290eb194f3

So for context, Tiddles is hiding under machinery, Moist is leaning in to grab him, and the text in the picture occurs.

It's bloody Alien, isn't it? Tiddles is Jonesy and Brett is Moist (because the engine room was very wet), and Mr Gryle is the xenomorph.

I miss you, Sir Pterry. I hope you have a good cackle every time someone facepalms when they get one of your references.

https://preview.redd.it/sq327wfiu0kh1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba65124e5b2d1bdb0cb37c42ab7b4e9bf5bb6e2d

And then it emerges in "Making Money"...

Dang it! I have read these books multiple times and I just caught that reference this past weekend!

It's been years, but I still periodically start getting that low-key excited feeling when my subconscious goes, "Ooh! It's been a while! New Discworld novel soon, surely?"

Then I remember.

I still can't quite believe we won't get another Vimes story. I physically miss Vimes and being in his head. His characterisation is amongst the best I have ever read and the Watch novel plots are so damned good. The way they delivered poignant social commentary again and again without ever once being didactic or boring or stodgy.

I also keep aching for another Ankh Morpork Times story. The things Sir Terry would do with the current state of media... The way he'd perfectly skewer the zeitgeist of oligarchy owned media, censorship and deliberate misinformation in a devastating but hopeful or galvanising way.

Can you imagine what he'd do with social media in the hands of Ankh Morpork?

Nobby would 100% start an Only Fans and stumble upon a very lucrative side business where people pay him to stop posting.

God.

I miss him so much.

Gnu Terry Pratchett.

EDIT: There's been a few requests for me to write out the Nobby and Only Fans idea. I've never written fanfiction for Discworld before, and it feels presumptuous, but I've had a bash 🙈

Made up on the fly so reader, so reader beware!

CMOT's much less sedate version had caught on like a fire pre Golem Trust:

Only Perverts: Your proclivities are our business!!.

Any Ankh Morporkian of age could create an account, and within a short space of time, a range of account holders catering to very specific tastes had gone plaguey. (1) Including some very surprising local figures rising to the top.

Reg Shoe who'd intended to start a political uprising had accidentally cross-posted there and had been beating them off with a stick ever since. (2)

Unable to forestall the gold that kept coming his way, despite his tearful attempts to stop it, several other Watch members had tried to follow suit.

One of the minor laws of human nature is that no matter how far-fetched or generally horrifying, there is an audience for everything. De gustibus non est disputandum in the old Latation. (3)

In this case the laws were fighting against the fact of Corporal Nobby Nobbs, and gave up.

Nobby, however, still turned a tidy profit since every time he posted on there, a missive marked special delivery was dispatched post haste to the Watch House, along with with a cash bribe, begging him to stop.

(1) Like a virus, but worse.

(2) No, not like that. Despite more than one request.

(3) There's nowt as queer as folk was the polite version used in the Ramtops. Best not to print the non-polite version favoured by Nanny Ogg.