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In the four decades since his first book appeared in print, Terry Pratchett has become one of the world's best-selling and best-loved authors. Here for the first time are his short stories and other short-form fiction collected into one volume. A Blink of the Screen charts the course of Pratchett's long writing career: from his schooldays through to his first writing job on the Bucks Free Press, and the origins of his debut novel, The Carpet People; and on again to the dizzy mastery of the phenomenally successful Discworld series.
Here are characters both familiar and yet to be discovered; abandoned worlds and others still expanding; adventure, chickens, death, disco and, actually, some quite disturbing ideas about Christmas, all of it shot through with Terry's inimitable brand of humour. With an introduction by Booker Prize-winning author A.S. Byatt, illustrations by the late Josh Kirby and drawings by the author himself, this is a book to treasure.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 17, 2015 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780804193603
- File size: 246016 KB
- Duration: 08:32:31
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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As soon as one hears longtime Discworld narrator Stephen Briggs's comically heartfelt and mildly tuneful rendition of Discworld's national anthem, one realizes why some books should be heard and not just read. The devil hires a publicist. An artist paints the sky the wrong color. This collection of razor-sharp satire spans Terry Pratchett's long and prolific career, dating back to 1963. The sound of words and the sound of ideas always attracted Pratchett, and both Briggs and Michael Fenton Stevens excel at emphasizing Pratchett's special blend of sophistication and silliness, especially when they're providing character voices to dozens of witches and wizards. Wonderfully entertaining and an absolute must-listen for all longtime Pratchett fans. B.P. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine -
February 2, 2015
Diehard Pratchett fans will celebrate this first-ever collection of short fiction from the world-famous author of the Discworld novels. These 32 pieces, which show Pratchett “playing with words to see what happens,” include his student writing and stories that anticipate his later novels. The author’s wry wit shines early on with the publicity-minded devil of “The Hades Business,” written at age 13. “Kindly Breathe in Short, Thick Pants,” “And Mind the Monoliths,” and “There’s No Fool like an Old Fool Found in an English Queue” celebrate “half-baked politicians” and bureaucrats. In “The Glastonbury Tale,” “Twenty Pence, with Envelope and Seasonal Greetings,” and “Once and Future,” Pratchett twists classic tales from Chaucer, Dickens, and T.H. White. Discworld characters Cohen the Barbarian, Granny Weatherwax and her fellow witches, the wizards of Unseen University, and Lord Vetinari, ruler of Ankh-Morpork, make appearances in a special section of Discworld-related works. “Short stories cost me blood,” Pratchett reminds readers, citing his much greater comfort with novels. Though the stories here aren’t his absolute best writing, there is plenty to entertain curious fans. Longtime Pratchett illustrators Josh Kirby and Paul Kidby provide entertaining artwork.
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