Great Discworld Re-Read: Mort and Sourcery

I realize it's been a minute since I've posted about the re-read, so I'm back with updates! As a reminder, I'm building up to reading the last book in the Discworld series by re-reading all* of the books in publication order.

Our next entry is Mort (1987), the first book centering on the character of Death. Death appears in every book in the Discworld series, but this is the first book where he is one of the central characters. I can't say he's the main character here, because while he sets the plot in motion, he's not the one doing all the heavy lifting. That would be Mort, his apprentice.

Mort is a bog-standard human who's very earnest, but not particularly good at anything. His father is worried about him, because he's coming into adulthood and who's going to hire a kid that's earnest but not particularly skilled? So he takes him into town to find an apprenticeship, and at the very last strike of the clock, Death appears to take Mort on.

Seeing Death as a character is a marvel. Yes, he's the personification of the natural ending of life, but he also has likes (cats, Klatchian food) and dislikes (people who are unkind to cats). He's curious, he's trying to figure out how to do things Properly, and he has a daughter that was adopted under unknown circumstances, indicating that he's willing to bend the rules when he sees fit. He has something in common with Mort, in that he's also earnest, but not always very good at what he's trying to do.

Watching Mort grow and develop is also a wonder. He starts off as the standard Awkward Teen, and he grows and develops into an adult, while taking a side path into being Death for a little bit while Death himself takes a break (which he'd never done before, and was very confused by in the beginning). We get to see him grow into himself and find a way to make his earnestness a strength while also developing the skills he was lacking in the beginning. It's a satisfying book overall, and makes it clear that there's more to Death that we originally thought.

Finally (for this entry) there's Sourcery (1988), and we're back with the wizards. This time we encounter something beyond a wizard, a sourcerer - someone who can access the source of magic itself. There used to be sourcerers before the Magic Wars, but after nearly destroying the Discworld, rules were put in place and wizards established themselves as the primary magic users in the Disc, mostly by not doing magic at all.

The sourcerer in question is a child, raised in no small part by his wizard father who earthed himself in his wizard's staff. By the time the child shows up at Unseen University to take his "rightful place" as Archchancellor, he's been told repeatedly that he is the one true magic user, and thus all others should bow before him. Well, him and his father, who's the one actually pulling the strings - after all, he's still just a child.

This book makes me uncomfortable. When the sourcerer appears, he demonstrates more magic than the wizards had been able to access in generations, which leads most of them to allow him to take the lead, even though - and I cannot stress this enough - he is a CHILD. While he has phenomenal cosmic power, he has the mind of a 10-year-old, and everyone around him is trying to steer that mind to their own purposes. It takes far too long for people to realize that the power he has access to (and that he's able to give them access to) is incredibly dangerous.

And then there's Rincewind again. He appears mostly because he was the only wizard not at the University when the sourcerer appeared, so he's the only one outside of his influence in the beginning. There's a whole side quest with the Archchancellor's hat and Cohen the Barbarian's daughter, which feels a little forced and like he was being added because people like the character, not necessarily because he's the best/worst man for the job.

Once again with the wizards, the book ends with a whimper - the sourcerer goes off into a world of his own creation (again, a CHILD), and everything goes back to the way it was. There doesn't seem to be any growth or development in the characters - this was just a thing that happened, and now it's done.

On that note, I'll be writing up the next two books (Wyrd Sisters and Pyramids) soon, so stay tuned!

*Except the supplemental books

Great Discworld Re-Read: The Light Fantastic and Equal Rites

Welcome back to the Great Discworld Re-Read! I've decided it's been long enough, it's time for me to re-read through the entire* Discworld series of books in publication order and finish by reading The Shepherd's Crown, the last book written by Terry Pratchett which was published ten years ago and which I have never read.

                                               

Next up to bat is The Light Fantastic (1986), which is the direct continuation of The Colour of Magic. As far as I can remember, this is the only true duology in the series where one picks up almost immediately where the other ends. The fact that he and his publishers made readers wait three years to find out what happened to Rincewind and Twoflower seems a little cruel to me, but I live in a time where a book a year is pretty common for series (with some exceptions, of course). Hell, I don't even like having to wait a week for the next episode of The Great British Baking Show, so, you know, I'm impatient like that.

Rincewind and Twoflower are dealing with the after-effects of The Colour of Magic, and discovering that the world has more in store for them than just letting them fall off the edge of the Disc. We learn a little more about the magic of the wizards, and we meet the greatest hero in the Disc, Cohen the Barbarian. I love seeing what happens when a hero ages, and how he handles listening to Twoflower tell of his exploits from his younger days. It's a lovely touch.

I'll be honest - the wizards are probably my least favorite of the characters of Discworld. They're pompous, arrogant, and just plain irritating most of the time, and I don't quite understand why so many people want to join their ranks. Still, watching Rincewind stand on the sidelines of what he feels like he should have had, I can see it a little bit.

This leads me into the next book, Equal Rites (1987). Here we meet one of the more formidable characters of the Disc, Granny Weatherwax. We're still dealing with the wizards, but now we're coming at them from a different angle.

And what an angle it is! Being able to see the two distinctly different magic systems in play, and how they're not just different systems, but entirely different ways of looking at magic, is a master stroke. It's something that Sir Terry keeps up throughout the series, with the witches more focused on headology and the ways in which you don't use magic while the wizards are bent on gaining as much power as they can and using it in as many flashy ways as they can. Both groups are very intent on making sure everyone else knows that they are a witch or a wizard - the hats are critical in identifying a magic user on the Disc - and the ways people respect (or don't) those hats is fascinating.

Eskarina, the first woman wizard, has a lot to overcome in order to become a fully-fledged wizard. While there are some great pieces in this book, it's a bit of a let-down when you see that there's a lot of the internalized misogyny on the Disc. The wizards, of course, are convinced that a woman can't become a wizard, because that's simply not done, but Granny Weatherwax also has a lot to overcome in order to take Esk to the Unseen University for wizard training. Even then, there are pieces where it feels like Granny loses a bit of herself as she becomes more of a "fashionable" witch in the city, and it feels like she stops being the character I know her to be. The end of the book seems to indicate that she'll lecture for the Unseen University, and that she'll date (!) the arch-chancellor, both of which are things that are dropped in later books and are never heard of again, from what I remember. It just doesn't feel like Granny.

This is the danger of reading such a long-running series again - I know the characters as they've developed over time, and so going back to their first appearances feels like reading the rough drafts, before they've had a chance to get some polish on them. To a certain extent, that's exactly what it is - again, I have to remind myself that this is one of the first books of 41, and if I were to look back at my own writing from thirty years ago, well, it wouldn't be pretty. (Honestly, looking back at my own writing from five years ago ain't that great, either.)

Either way, both of these lay some groundwork for the world and the characters, and it's always fun to go back to their roots and see how far they've come. Now, on to Death's first prime-time appearance in Mort (1987).

*Except the supplemental books

Great Discworld Re-Read: Overview and The Colour of Magic

Anyone who knows me knows that the Discworld books by Sir Terry Pratchett are some of my favorite books of all time. The series is mighty, weighing in at 41 core books and assorted related books (like the Science of Discworld series), and it's not the kind of series where every book has to be read in order to be able to understand what's going on. There are sub-series within the main books, as several books focus on different characters, and you do get to see the characters grow and develop over the books. (Hi, we're Discworld fans - let us show you our flow charts!)

You thought I was joking, didn't you?

Sadly, Sir Terry passed away in March 2015. The last book that he finished, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, and as much as I love the series, I have never read the last book. So long as it remained unread, there was still a "new" Discworld book for me to discover, and I could pretend it wasn't over.

Recently, however, articles were coming up about the tenth anniversary of the publication of The Shepherd's Crown, and there was a message from Rob Wilkins, Sir Terry's longtime assistant. The message read, in part, "I also know that Terry wanted his books to be read and enjoyed far more than he wanted them kept on a shelf. And as time passes it becomes ever more apparent how much the Discworld books reward re-visiting, perpetually revealing something new, literary gems Terry had hidden away for a second or third, or even more, re-read. Every Pratchett is to some degree an unread Pratchett, including the ones you've already enjoyed and including The Shepherd's Crown."

This made me realize that it's time. But, because I'm me, I can't just jump to the last book - that almost feels like cheating, somehow. So I'm starting from the beginning, and going through them all* in publication order. It's been ages since I've touched some of them, and just a few months for others - if I did all my reading with physical books, there are a few that would be falling apart by now because of how often they've been read. I'm also taking the opportunity to update the audiobook versions I have to the newest editions - much as I love the Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs versions, having Bill Nighy read all the footnotes in all of the books has a pleasant continuity that I'm looking forward to.

I started at the beginning with The Colour of Magic (1983). Here's where it all begins - the introduction to the Discworld, the Great A'Tuin, Rincewind, the wizards, all the things. It's where the world starts!

And it's...OK. One thing that I've learned as a writer is that the more you write, the better you get, and it's unfair to compare one of Sir Terry's first books against the ones he wrote, you know, thirty-some books down the line. The ideas and the characters are there, and there are breadcrumbs that he drops here - in book ONE - that pay off again, thirty-some books down the line. He manages to develop a world that is different enough from the "average" fantasy world to be interesting (light moves slower than sound! The world is a disc carried on the back of four elephants which are riding a giant turtle!) while still being familiar to fantasy readers (wizards doing magic, trolls, references to the gods who have a direct hand in the affairs of mortals). His turns of phrase haven't gotten the polish that they'll develop, but (and it might be because I know what it will become) I can see the potential underneath.

I admit that Rincewind, the failed wizard who is the main character of this book (along with the Disc's first-ever tourist, Twoflowers) is not my favorite character. At least, he hasn't been in the past. This time through, I feel a little bit more for the guy - he has the ability to see just how badly things can and will go, and realizes that there's not really anything he can do to stop it, but he's going to try (usually by running away). He's the ultimate pessimist/realist. Twoflowers, on the other hand, is the epitome of an optimist - he's certain that nothing bad can really happen to him, because he's not directly involved in what's going on, and really, everything can be settled if people just sit down and behave "sensibly." The combination of the two mindsets is the engine that drives the book, and it's a solid machine.

The book ends on a cliff...well, not quite hanger, since they've fallen off the cliff, but you know what I mean - the story is obviously going to continue in the next book. And I'll be following right along with it.

*There are probably one or two books that I'll end up skipping because I know I don't like them very much, and I don't intend to hit the related books in this read-through.

My WorldCon, let me show you it (Seattle WorldCon 2025)

It's taken a couple of days, but I feel like I've recuperated a bit from WorldCon. I definitely learned a few lessons.

Not the longest string of badge ribbons by a long shot, but a solid effort

• I overscheduled myself like crazy. I was on two panels, took part in one workshop, and was the solo lead of a second workshop, and I volunteered for a total of about 12 hours. For some people, this would be a workable schedule; for me, it was on the verge of too much. I missed out on things and people that I would have loved to spend my time doing and meeting because I was simply drained. I need to guard my energy more carefully.
• Having said that, I am capable of more than I think I am. I was able to be on a panel with Gail Carriger, and tell a room full (!) of people about the history of tomato ketchup off the cuff. I was able to lead a workshop on my own, teaching a full (!) room of people how to cross stitch and do blackwork embroidery, and get some of them excited about the crafts.

I taught under keen surveillance.

• Seeing friends from the internet in 3D will never not be awesome. There were a number of members of the Lady Astronauts' Club who found each other and spending time with them off-screen was simultaneously super-exciting and incredibly soothing. There are few things I enjoy as much as being around my people.
• Getting business cards printed (shout out to Moo was a random idea and, it turned out, a very good one. There were several times I was able to hand over a card and make connections on the spot, and it also gave me an easy way to point people here for links to the resources I put together for my panels and such.

Overall, now that I've had a couple of days to rest and think back on things, I'm glad I did as much as I did. I'm always more comfortable at a convention when I'm doing something, rather than just attending, and now I have "WorldCon panelist" as something to add to my list of achievements. That, I must admit, is pretty danged neat.

Isms and Phobias in Gaming Panel

It's WorldCon day 3! I've somehow survived the first two days. If you all are coming here from the cards I gave away at my panel today (Friday), hello! Here is a link to the character generation project that I mentioned. As you can see, it's been a few years since I've done anything on it, but I'm hoping to pick it up again soon. If you have any suggestions on what games should be next, let me know!

Food in History Panel

WorldCon day two begins! I just finished my first-ever panel, so for those of you coming here from a card you received the, welcome! There's a link at the top of the page to the bibliography I mentioned, which you can also find here.

Thanks so much!

WorldCon 2025

WorldCon approaches! August 13-19 in Seattle, the geeks will descend. I'm going to be on panels and giving workshops (eee!), so see my schedule below!

Hope to see you there!