Merchandise

New Discworld miniatures of Death, Weatherwax, Vimes, Ogg, Rincewind

27 December 2008 (17:45) Comment!

Micro Art Studio is now issuing a series of Discworld miniatures. Miniatures of Death, Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Nanny Ogg, and Rincewind are already available.

Miniatures of Nobby Nobbs and the Luggage are planned.

The miniatures are based on the artwork of Paul Kidby. According to Micro Art Studio, the miniatures are “30 mm scale high quality metal cast” miniatures and are sold unpainted.

Discworld Collector’s Edition Calendar 2009

26 December 2008 (14:37) Comment!

The Orion Publishing Group has published a Discworld calendar for the year 2009. This year’s featured artists include Paul Kidby and David Wyatt, who have done several book covers in the Discworld series, Stephen Player, who did conceptual art for the Hogfather mini-series, Les Edwards, David Frankland, Mel Grant, Dominic Harman, Edward Miller, Jackie Morris, Sandy Nightingale, and Jon Sullivan.

The calendar is in full-colour and features scenes and characters from the novels.

Limited edition of Nation, exclusively from Waterstones

23 December 2008 (21:56) Comment!

A limited edition of Nation is available for pre-order at Waterstones. The book jacket features stars, constellations, and a telescope.

There are be 5,000 numbered copies of the limited edition book, with the ISBN 978-0-385-61636-2. The book, which costs £16.99, is available for pre-order (with a discount) at the Waterstone’s website.

The limited edition book has the same number of pages–432–as the regular edition book, possibly implying that the content of both is the same.

Competition: Win The Turtle Moves!

19 September 2008 (19:42) 2 Comments

Lawrence Watt-Evans’s new guide to the Discworld series, The Turtle Moves!: Discworld’s Story Unauthorized.  In celebration of its release last month, FromRimToHub is hosting a competition to win a free copy!  Just answer the following question in the comments or by email (fromrimtohub * at * gmail ~dot~ com):

The title of Watt-Evans’s book is taken from rallying cry of the Omnian rebels in Small Gods.  If you were to write a Discworld fan guide, what would you call it and why?

You can find a review of The Turtle Moves! on this site.

The first ever FromRimToHub book review: The Turtle Moves!

14 September 2008 (20:23) Comment!

Thanks to BenBella Books, who sent FromRimToHub a review copy of The Turtle Moves: Discworld’s Story Unauthorized, we can tell you if it’s worth buying.  (Psst, here’s the short version: it is!)

The Turtle Moves! is, as Lawrence Watt-Evans admits, literary criticism, but “it’s light and fluffy literary criticism, not deep and scholarly”–and that’s a perfect description. Part plot summaries, part commentary, and part ode to Pratchett, The Turtle Moves! is a breezy, casual introduction to Discworld’s literary aspects.

The first part (which contains chapter titles like Why You Should Read This Book If You Haven’t Already Read A Bunch Of Discworld Stuff, And Maybe Even If You’ve Never Heard Of Discworld, which should give you an idea of the style of this book)–anyway, the first part of the book explains why Watt-Evans chose to write it, why fans should read it, and, indeed, why people should read it even if they aren’t. Following Part One are general comments about the Disc and its stories, a short chapter for each of the three dozen Discworld novels (and even short stories), notes on the series as a whole, a chapter for nearly every sub-series, a brief look at the minor characters and places, and finishes up with a chapter called The Secret Of Discworld’s Success. The book also includes an extensive references section, which inexplicably neglects to mention FromRimToHub. (I’m looking at you, Mr. Lawrence Watt-Evans.)

But aside from that egregious omission, The Turtle Moves! has its fine points. Watt-Evans comments impartially on the media-generated “feud” between Terry Pratchett and J. K. Rowling, provides insights into the science-fiction aspects of Discworld (yes, they’re there!), explains particularly obscure references (for example, who knew Carrot is named after an actual carrot who becomes king in a comic opera?), and analyzes Discworld’s evolution from The Colour Of Magic to Making Money. The book is well cross-referenced, and allusions to to interviews, other Discworld-related publications, and film adaptations belie either very good research or obsessive fannishness. Watt-Evans’s analysis of the series is grounded in the concept of narrativium, the power of story, and his analysis of Small Gods is particularly good.

The organization of The Turtle Moves!, however, isn’t very thought-out (do we really need three different parts titled Comments, More Comments, and Yet More Comments?), and Watt-Evans’s conversational style is off-putting at first.

All told (and it is all told in this book), The Turtlle Moves! is a great book for the literary-minded but casual Discworld reader. The insight of another fantasy writer into Terry Pratchett’s creation is a good addition to any fan’s library, and it’s all written with a humor fans are sure to appreciate.*

* And yes, there are footnotes.

Unofficial Discworld guide The Turtle Moves!, now available!

6 August 2008 (21:19) Comment!

The Turtle Moves: Discworld’s Story So Far (The Turtle Moves!: Discworld’s Story Unauthorized in the U.S.) is now available in paperback.  Published by Benbella Books, the unofficial guide “offers 62 chapters describing the Discworld for fan and neophyte alike,” according to the product description on Amazon.co.uk.  Another description reads:

From the banks of the river Ankh to the walls of Sto Lat, the entirety of Terry Pratchett’s renowned Discworld series is explored in this expansive resource. Essays discussing a range of topics—among them Pratchett’s place in literary canon, the nature of the Disc itself, and the causes and results of the Discworld phenomenon—accompany a chronological account of the more than three dozen novels in the series. Perfect for veteran fans and neophytes alike, this is the complete guide to the world on the cosmic turtle’s back.

The book is “highly recommended by those in the know,” according to fan newsletter Wossname.

An update from Terry Pratchett

4 August 2008 (8:58) 2 Comments

www.PJSMPrints.com has another update from Terry Pratchett. Here it is in full:

Folks,

To those that want to know, it would be true to say that my life right now is occasional short periods of writing interspersed and interrupted with requests for interviews.  As my UK readers will know, merely catching a variant of Alzheimer’s has propelled me onto more prestigious chat show sofas than I have ever seen in 25 years of quietly writing the Discworld series. 

My general health is good.  The most recent test by my specialist indicates, in effect, that I am no worse now, and possibly slightly better than I was at the back end of November.  I have no idea when Unseen Academicals will be finished, simply because of the amount of media interest that continues to be generated by recent developments in the treatment of AD.  Frankly, and with the agreement of my publishers, I feel that this is something that I should give priority to.

In a week’s time we are flying to the States to talk to a number of specialists in AD research and, incidentally, go out with the LAPD officers who are tasked with – and I am not kidding – locating and bringing home those elderly joggers with memory difficulties who have jogged five miles and can’t remember where they live.  I thought this was an urban myth, but apparently it is true.  We will, obviously, be back in time for UK convention, which I would not miss for root canal surgery.

The bad news is that it looks as if, for various reasons, Going Postal The Movie will be delayed and shooting will not begin until the start of next year. However, the guys from Mob turned up this morning and filmed my sequence for the Colour of Magic DVD which will be released in October.

Colour Of Magic DVD to be released October 2008 in U.K.

29 July 2008 (22:03) 11 Comments

Despite rumors that the The Colour Of Magic DVD would not be released, PJSM Prints has confirmed that the DVD will be released this October in the U.K. by Twentieth Century Fox. There is no information available about DVD extras, though entertaining “Tourist Guides” and other video extras can be found on Sky One’s official site.

The Colour Of Magic adaptation, starring David Jason as Rincewind and Sean Astin as Twoflower, aired as a two-part miniseries on Sky One this Easter, and is based on events from the first two books in the Discworld series.  Terry Pratchett also appears in a cameo part.

There is no information pertaining to a U.S. airing of the film.

Update: More up-to-date information can be found on our Colour Of Magic Release/Airing Dates and Information page.

Warning: Do not buy Discworld novels from Hill House, Publishers until further notice

1 May 2008 (19:53) 5 Comments

Hill House’s proposed facsimile editions of the first twelve Discworld novels, advertised since at least 2005, will probably not be published, according to Terry Pratchett’s agent Colin Smythe.

The new editions were supposed to reproduce the early Discworld novels “in exact facsimile editions,” with the use of identical binding, paper, type, and jacket art as the originals. The books were due to be published about every four months and since 2005 only The Colour Of Magic and The Light Fantastic have been published.

Terry Pratchett’s literary agent Colin Smythe responded to questions with “as far as I’m aware, the owner of Hill House, Publishers Peter Schneider has been ill and as it’s a one man operation I don’t believe that he’s going to publish any more of the facsimiles. It’s a considerable disappointment.”

Discworld fans should be warned that the series of facsimiles is still being advertised on the site, with no mention of these concerns.

“I … paid the company $210 for the first six titles–[which] sounded like a good deal,” said one fan, whose complaint brought the situation to light. “As of [April 2008] only two books have been published. At $105 per book this doesn’t sound like as good a deal.”

He had emailed Hill House repeatedly, with no response and no refund.

Reminder: Hogfather DVD release in U.S.

4 March 2008 (18:46) Comment!

This is a reminder to fans in the United States that they can finally buy the Hogfather DVD anywhere–the general release date for the DVD is set for today, March 4, 2008. Remember that the DVD has been available, but only at Borders stores. Now is the time to stop watching your illegally downloaded versions and start supporting the franchise!

Book news: Translations in Czech, Romanian

16 February 2008 (16:31) Comment!

In book news, Terry Pratchett’s agent has given us this information:

Talpress in the Czech Republic will be issuing a 2-in-1 omnibus of The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of the Discworld. They’re also issuing a collection of the contents of the Discworld Diaries 1998-2007 in a single volume.

Rao in Romania are taking licenses for Pyramids, Moving Pictures, and an unillustrated edition of Eric.

Laguna (Serbia and Montenegro) have acquired licenses for Hogfather and Jingo.

Proszynski (Poland) have just signed a license for Monstrous Regiment.

Colour of Magic screenplay on Amazon

9 February 2008 (16:01) 3 Comments

The illustrated screenplay for the Colour of Magic adaptation is now available for pre-order on Amazon, with a price of 11 pounds on the U.K. version of the site. (No price is yet available on the American Amazon). The 196-page hardcover screenplay (full title “The Colour of Magic: The Illustrated Screenplay”) is published by Gollancz, and has a recorded release date of March 6, 2008. No cover art is yet available.

Hogfather 3rd U.S. re-airing

21 December 2007 (20:54) Comment!

Ion Television is re-airing Hogfather for the third time in the United States, as part of RHI Movie Weekend on Sunday, December 23 at 7/6c. This will be Hogfather’s third U.S. airing in less than a month since its U.S. debut November 25.

Reminder to our British fans: As we reported previously, Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather will also be airing in the U.K. December 24 and 25.

The DVD is already available in the U.S. at Borders. Its general release date is set for March 2008. It is already widely available in the U.K.

Discworld translations

14 December 2007 (23:54) Comment!

Terry Pratchett’s agent Colin Smythe has sent us the following information about soon-to-be published translations of the Discworld novels and related publications.

“Goldmann will be publishing Lu-Tze’s Yearbook of Enlightenment as their 2009 diary, as will Talpress, who will also be publishing the illustrated version of Eric.

“Karisto (Finland) will be publishing The Last Continent.

“Dela Vision (Hungary) are acquiring a licence for Soul Music, and Conrad (Brazil) for Small Gods.

“In January 2008 Ediciones Altaya in Spain are market testing news-stand editions of The Colour of Magic, Mort, Sourcery, Wyrd Sisters and Pyramids.

“Proszynski (Poland) have published the graphic novel of The Colour of Magic, which will be followed by The Light Fantastic. They have also acquired a licence for Night Watch.”

Hogfather U.S. DVD to be available March 4

7 December 2007 (18:44) Comment!

TVShowsOnDVD.com is now reporting that the general release date for the Hogfather United States DVD is set for March 4, 2008. Remember that the DVD is already available, but only at Borders stores.

Reminder: Hogfather airs tonight in U.S.

25 November 2007 (14:52) Comment!

This is a reminder for Discworld fans in the United States: Hogfather is being broadcast on Ion Television as part of RHI Movie Weekend. Watch the award-winning, four-hour film adaptation tonight, at 6 or 7 p.m. Use TitanTV’s guide to find the specific time and television channel in your area. The American TV spot is available on cinemablend.com (scroll down), and don’t forget that the American DVD of Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather is available now at Borders

Hogfather DVD, book giveaway

18 November 2007 (17:42) Comment!

Screenhead is offering a Hogfather giveaway in celebration of the impending U.S. broadcast. Simply comment (with your email) on this article before November 24 to get a chance to win the Hogfather book and DVD, as well as three other extras.

Update: TVgasm is also offering a Hogfather giveaway, with the same prizes but slightly different requirements. Good luck to all!

Reminder: Hogfather on TV, DVD in U.S.

17 November 2007 (22:18) Comment!

This is a reminder for Discworld fans in the United States: Hogfather is being broadcast on Ion Television as part of RHI Movie Weekend. Watch the award-winning, four-hour film adaptation on November 25, at 6 or 7 p.m. Use TitanTV’s guide to find the specific time and television channel in your area. The American TV spot is available on YouTube. Also, don’t forget that the American DVD of Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather is available now at Borders.

Edit: A more complete video of the TV spot is available on cinemablend.com. (Scroll down.)