new discworld book - Raising Steam, out Oct

Blackhorse Slim

Sounds interesting, will this one be a return to form, or have discworld books changed?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0857522272

endacl

'Return to form' doesn't really apply. A 'bad' DW book is kinda like pizza, or sex for blokes. Even when its bad, its still pretty good!

Looking forward to this.

MissFlitworth

I don't know if I can bring myself to read it. I thought Snuff & I Shall Wear Midnight were grim & just generally awful [But not as awful as I feel writing this down, I love Discworld so much it feels like a betrayal to not love everything he writes]. I'd rather not read it than hate another Discworld book.

Blackhorse Slim

Discworld has changed a lot over the years, getting more serious and thoughtful as the series progressed, but imo the lol moments have greatly diminished. I really like Night Watch., Thud!, Monstrous Regiment, but Unseen Academicals and Snuff needed more genuine humour.

johnnyskeleton

MissFlitworth wrote: »

I don't know if I can bring myself to read it.

Although going postal is a bit marmite (I thought it was great, by the way), another most Von lipwig reforms an industry book is getting pretty old. Maybe it will surprise us, but as soon as I read the synopsis it sounds a lot like Ernest goes Railroad!

Unless of course it's a parody of atlas shrugged, in which case I can't wait!

Orim

I can't bring myself to be excited for this the last few books just haven't great at all.

Going Postal was fantastic but Making Money was almost just a rewrite of it. I have a horrible feeling this is going to be the same but with railroads.

MissFlitworth

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Discworld has changed a lot over the years, getting more serious and thoughtful as the series progressed, but imo the lol moments have greatly diminished.

Totally. Much less snorting with laughter and much more rereading a page going 'what the FUDGE, did I just read that' (i shall wear midnight spolier)

like that kid being beaten till she miscarried in I Shall Wear Midnight. Not clever, just grim

. I've found the last 2 books have read like they were ghostwritten, potentially something to do with being dictated, all the characters are there but the brilliance with language just hasn't been for me.

God I'm SUCH a whinge. And a traitor I will so still buy and read it no matter how much I grumble

Blackhorse Slim

Wow. I didn't read any Tiffany Aching, thinking they'd be a bit childish. Now I'm glad I didn't, for a whole different reason.

MissFlitworth

I loved all of them up until I Shall Wear Midnight, I was practically chasing kids I saw with Harry Potter down the road throwing copies of Wee Free Men at them shrieking 'Read something good!!' but gah, it all went pete tong in that book.

smcgiff

It's amazing he is producing anything.

Guards! Guards! is my favourite, Granny weatherwax my favourite character. He's not producing anything like this now, but will still buy it.

GastroBoy

I must be in the minority by thinking that Unseen Academicals was actually pretty good

Looking forward to this, of course the older books will remain the best but given the circumstances, I'm just delighted that Terry is still producing books and I'll read whatever he publishes.

After all, a "bad" Pratchett novel is still a joy to read compared to most other novels!

gufnork

Yeah, not holding out much hope where this is concerned. His last couple really haven't been up to much. I like Moist but have to agree that trudging through the same old storyline over and over doesn't do much to spike my interest. I love steam trains though, and Anhk-Morpork so maybe he'll pull something out the hat. Here's hoping anyway.

pixelburp

There was a time a new Discworld book would have me first in line for even the hardback, but like many others my enthusiasm has waned given how much weaker the recent stuff has been.I simply find Discworld too familiar, too safe and too small a location now.

There was a time much of the Disc still felt like a complete mystery; an unknown land, and it wasn't always clear who might live or die. Heck even Ankh Morpork felt like a sprawling, dangerous quantity. Now everything's mapped and categorised thanks to marketing and fandom, with each book a parade of the same characters - Ankh feels more like a village now; I certainly expect all the usual crowd to turn up in Moist's (sigh) latest adventure.

On the other hand, having only recently read his co-work with Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth, I'd love to see more non-Discworld material. I know this isn't the forum for talking such heresy, but it was such a fresh, breezily written book, with plenty of Pratchett's old spark and wisdom behind the big ideas. I found myself genuinely wondering whether he enjoyed writing that more than the contractual Discworld material - because it kinda came out in the writing.

gufnork

pixelburp wrote: »

On the other hand, having only recently read his co-work with Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth, I'd love to see more non-Discworld material. I know this isn't the forum for talking such heresy, but it was such a fresh, breezily written book, with plenty of Pratchett's old spark and wisdom behind the big ideas. I found myself genuinely wondering whether he enjoyed writing that more than the contractual Discworld material - because it kinda came out in the writing.

Oh my! I can't remember how far I got into The Long Earth but I know it wasn't even half way. I found what I did read of it to be mind-numbingly tedious and struggled to get as far as I did. Maybe it picked up later but I saw nothing that would lead me to really believe that.

Blackhorse Slim

Just had a thought - Discworld goes steampunk?? :eek:

Blackhorse Slim

pixelburp wrote: »

There was a time a new Discworld book would have me first in line for even the hardback, but like many others my enthusiasm has waned given how much weaker the recent stuff has been.I simply find Discworld too familiar, too safe and too small a location now.

There was a time much of the Disc still felt like a complete mystery; an unknown land, and it wasn't always clear who might live or die. Heck even Ankh Morpork felt like a sprawling, dangerous quantity. Now everything's mapped and categorised thanks to marketing and fandom, with each book a parade of the same characters - Ankh feels more like a village now; I certainly expect all the usual crowd to turn up in Moist's (sigh) latest adventure.

Good point. Discworld needs some danger - an expedition to the Dungeon Dimensions would be cool.

pixelburp

gufnork wrote: »

Oh my! I can't remember how far I got into The Long Earth but I know it wasn't even half way. I found what I did read of it to be mind-numbingly tedious and struggled to get as far as I did. Maybe it picked up later but I saw nothing that would lead me to really believe that.

I'll admit not a lot conventionally happens in the book - it's more like a journal from a scientific expedition than a standard novel - but I would definitely argue though it had bags more charm, wit and coherence than the more recent Discworld novels.

I actually found Snuff mildy depressing to read tbh; the prose had a rambling quality that hinted Pratchett's unfortunate condition (or maybe that was just me reading too much into it). The Long Earth didn't seem to have that at all, it practically crackled in places. Again, perhaps it was just the liberation that comes with an author able to try something new, unshackled from the expected obligations of writing yet another Discworld novel.

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Just had a thought - Discworld goes steampunk?? :eek:

Wasn't it always though? Not literally of course, but I always presumed the mid to later works had a certain Victorian-folly element that ticked most of the Steampunk boxes. Things like Hex, the inventions from Moving Pictures etc.: they all seemed to come from the same genetic lineage as Steampunk...

Blackhorse Slim wrote: »

Good point. Discworld needs some danger - an expedition to the Dungeon Dimensions would be cool.

Again, more heresy, but perhaps they should look to kill off some main characters. Not maliciously - I don't want any GRR Martin in my Discworld thanks - but the lack of inherent danger in the world is palpable now. It's particularly galling in the Watch novels, where new constables have become the series' Red Shirts, so Pratchett can avoid harm befalling the main cast. I had honestly thought he was going to bump Vimes off in Night Watch, it felt like it was building to it, but I guess he baulked at the end; one doesn't kill the golden goose...

johnnyskeleton

pixelburp wrote: »

On the other hand, having only recently read his co-work with Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth, I'd love to see more non-Discworld material. I know this isn't the forum for talking such heresy,

Charter updated - non-discworld TP heresy is now allowed, indeed positively encouraged!

Pawwed Rig

Delighted to see another book coming out. Whatever readers might think about the most recent books you can still be sure they will keep you engaged until the end. I for 1 am looking forward to it.

Antar Bolaeisk

Is this not coming to the Kindle? I can't find the kindle edition anywhere on Amazon, maybe I'm just being blind.

gufnork

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Is this not coming to the Kindle? I can't find the kindle edition anywhere on Amazon, maybe I'm just being blind.

There does seem to be a Kindle edition. Here's the link,

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Steam-Discworld-Novels-ebook/dp/B00DSO9RMC/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1378592247

Antar Bolaeisk

Weird, I can't find it when I search for it and it's showing up as being currently not available to purchase when I follow your link.

johnnyskeleton

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Weird, I can't find it when I search for it and it's showing up as being currently not available to purchase when I follow your link.

I think both the kindle and physical copies are being release on 7th nov, but you can pre order

Antar Bolaeisk

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

I think both the kindle and physical copies are being release on 7th nov, but you can pre order

Must be blocked because of my location...

Antar Bolaeisk

Has the release for this been pushed back again? I see Amazon are now showing it as released on the 25th of March.

GastroBoy

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Has the release for this been pushed back again? I see Amazon are now showing it as released on the 25th of March.

Still set for 7th of November. That could possibly be the paperback release date.

Morag

https://soundcloud.com/random-house-audiobooks/raising-steam-by-terry

A snippette from the audio book, link was shared with those on the email list.

johnnyskeleton

Anyone read it yet?

Reviews on Amazon suggest that it is objectively poor but if you are a Discworld fan and you squint while turning your head this way, it can be funny and interesting.

Orim

Read a couple of pages in the airport. Wasn't good enough to buy then. MIght pick it up if I see the paperback.

Pawwed Rig

I started reading this today. A few laugh out loud moments in first 30 pages or so. Seems to be following the format of the Moist Von Lipwig Books with a small bit of Leonard of Quirm mixed with a sprinkle of thief of time*


*based on 30 pages only

corkgsxr

I found it enjoyable reading. None of the diskworld books are the next word in book writing. There humorous entertainment. Light reading and I like them for what they are

Morag

The books have become more keen insight fulness about the world as seen through tht mirror the discworld has become. It are more wry smiles then laugh suddenly out louds, but enjoyable all the same.

Pawwed Rig

Generally I found the book enjoyable enough. It was standard MVL fayre. Maybe the character development was not great and the plot seemed incidental to the whole story but still an entertaining read.
There was a nod to most of the other main characters throughout the Discworld series which made me think it was a farewell novel but maybe that is my own paranoia.

DM addict

I found it disappointing, if I'm honest. There were a few good moments, but it did feel a lot like we'd seen most of this plot before.

Tired is probably the word I'd use.

Recondite49

I stopped reading this book after ten pages - it's strange it doesn't seem to be TP's writing style at all. I appreciate he's not well and maybe I'm being too nostalgic but it's odd. It's almost as if he'd taken some fanfiction and bundled it into a book.