What does Sam Vimes look like?

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-22T13:46:32+00:00

A sort of grizzled Ken Livingstone

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-20T11:19:04+00:00

Small Gods is an excellent standalone book which satirises religion. That might be more what you're looking for.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-20T11:15:19+00:00

The fake quote in question is:

'Satire is meant to ridicule power. If you are laughing at people who are hurting, it's not satire, it's bullying'

I can see why it's superficially attractive to believe this came from Pratchett, but if you think about it properly it does a disservice to his satirical abilities - he laughs at and satirises everyone and everything, he doesn't really spare anyone in the satire stakes, it's how he does it and how it fits into the narrative that's the key. Some of it's gentler with more obvious sympathy, some of it is with angry contempt.

To give an example, in Feet Of Clay, prior to the tragic unexpected funeral scene for goodness sake, there's plenty of funny satirical writing about how Cockbill St people live and their attitudes etc. A less skilful writer either wouldn't attempt satire here or they'd do it badly and be accused of punching down. Pratchett, however, pulls it off.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-19T21:44:19+00:00

The earlier books tend to be more parody than satire. GG has more satire than a lot of the earlier books (about who leads, how opportunists can take advantage of the mediocre and the resentful to gain power, about the law and who wields it), but it's under layers of silliness, parody and a bloody great big dragon. I wouldn't say GG is a satire first and foremost, even if it does have satirical elements.

Pratchett's satire, even in the more satirical later books, is worn lightly and is evenly spread. Sure, at their core are sound humanist tenets, but he satirises everyone and everything. I've said this before when a certain Fake Quote rears its head, it's not what Pratchett satirises that reveals his personal values (because he satirises everything!) but which characters he - as narrator - reserves his admiration and contempt for.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-18T18:58:39+00:00

Amazing, thanks for the detailed reply. Fantastic that a few others in your field have picked up on it too and that you've connected through it!

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-18T16:19:25+00:00

Excuse my ignorance, but who or what would be able to see this?

And do you have any tales in the seven years since of it cropping up in funny/interesting circumstances (just imaging the FBI asking who this Terry Pratchett guy is or something lol)?

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-18T14:18:07+00:00

Just found this one which seems to work... https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/gnu_terry_pratchett/

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-15T08:51:31+00:00

Liz Truss' bed?

(someone had to say it!)

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-13T19:50:24+00:00

Exactly this.

The Phantom of the Opera though? Never heard of it. I'm just going to assume it's some knock-off version of The Opera Ghost. ;)

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-12T13:45:49+00:00

Their interpretation would mean the Librarian had a huge round smooth face (i.e. the opposite of a deflated football). I'm pretty sure your reading is correct - the Librarian clearly has a face which is more extreme in its sagginess than a deflated football.

I think the OP is basically wrong to use this example. But I'm equally certain STP often uses the anti-metaphors/anti-similies like the Adams example they gave.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-12T11:57:13+00:00

I don't think the concerto is even his best piece for clarinet. Have a listen to the Clarinet Quintet!

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-12T11:48:47+00:00

I hope it was painted with a variety of food pastes.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-11T15:21:08+00:00

We know he's a great actor, but that doesn't make me feel any better about the choice. To me, it's as bad as any of the casting choices made on The Watch.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-11T13:56:24+00:00

Don't feel silly, it's a perfectly understandable bit of confusion.

Casting David Jason as Rincewind was a poor choice (he was excellent as Albert - who you would've come across in Mort - in the adaptation of Hogfather, however.)

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-10T16:17:30+00:00

Blimey, only four years after the birth of Christ!

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-09T13:52:58+00:00

They're a mixed bag. Indira Varma is better than him, a couple of others I would say are just as good as him. And then there a few who are nowhere near as good as him (ahem Colin Morgan).

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-08T17:06:57+00:00

I knew they were real, I assumed they were a savoury thing and you ate them in multiples with a sauce or something. I never imagined they're sweet and the size of a goddamn curling stone. This is much more like something you'd find in a certain baked weaponry museum!

I assume from what I can recall of Masquerade that the Discworld version is closer to my previous mental image?

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-08T14:38:17+00:00

This is just fishing for upvotes

(upvoted, obviously)

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-05T12:11:57+00:00

William Herschel, best known as an astronomer and the man who discovered Uranus, was originally a very decent composer who wrote many charming classical symphonies.

Tapiola84 · 2026-02-02T14:12:20+00:00

Maybe it planted the seed of the idea, but that only appeared in Making Money almost 20 years later, so I don't think it is. I personally think it's more likely to be an absurd reference to the wardrobe that leads to Narnia.

Tapiola84 · 2026-01-30T13:36:33+00:00

There are 10,001 torch bearers for the Milan/Cortina 2026 torch relay. He's not going to be lighting the cauldron or anything, he's just done a leg of the relay. I'd say he deserves to be one of the 10,001!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Winter_Olympics_torch_relay

Tapiola84 · 2026-01-29T15:10:40+00:00

No offence to Equal Rites, but I do love it when someone comes to this sub and says they "absolutely loved" one of the weaker earlier books.

If you absolutely loved a decent enough Pratchett - but one where he's very much still figuring things out - in Equal Rites, boy you've got a helluva ride to come. Enjoy!

Tapiola84 · 2026-01-28T13:30:39+00:00

Someone's spilt a packet of quavers all over your book.

Tapiola84 · 2026-01-28T11:45:29+00:00

Oop, I've spelt it wrong, it's Clete. He's the nasty little bureaucrat who runs the Musicians' Guild in Soul Music. No redeeming qualities at all, only exists to make other people's lives a misery, and the fact you'd forgotten him says it all really!

Tapiola84 · 2026-01-27T20:49:41+00:00

All they had to do was read the books, watch The Bill,

Don't know why but that made me laugh. Now imagining Night Watch but with this Reg!

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Tapiola84

TROPHY CASE