2008: The 25th anniversary of the Discworld series!

Interviews

Retro News: Pratchett’s fan updates October-December 2008; health “stable”; documentary “looks pretty good”; Unseen Academicals finished by May?

1 January 2009 (15:02) Icon Comment!

Since October, Terry Pratchett has posted three updates on PJSMPrints, all of which contain a wealth of information about his writing progress, the media interest in Terry Pratchett The Alzheimer’s Patient, the documentary Living With Alzheimer’s, and so on.

To quote Pratchett’s October update (scroll down at the link):

At last some progress is being made on Unseen Academicals since we got through the making of the BBC2 documentary and all the alternative calls on my time that seemed to have filled the past year. Today, for example, I have nothing to do but write and Rob and I were just mentioning how odd it is to have a day which does not involve some kind of travel, meeting, or interview. In fact Rob is about to interview me right now:

(more…)

Welcome to the Year Of The Pensive Hare!

1 January 2009 (1:25) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett, in a celebratory news post about his recent knighthood, wished his fans a “Happy New Year, which on Discworld is the Year of the Pensive Hare.”

A look back at the top *ate* news items of 200*ate*:

So all that’s left is to wish everyone a very happy year of the pensive hare!

Announcing Sir Terry (Article Updated And Revised)

31 December 2008 (20:40) Icon Comment!

Queen Elizabeth II’s annual New Year honors list includes Terry Pratchett, who was named a Knight Bachelor for services to literature earlier today (Wednesday in the U.K.).

Pratchett has previously been named an Officer Of The British Empire (OBE).

This comes after a failed petition in August 2007 to award Pratchett the honor of knighthood.

Terry Pratchett responded to the announcement by saying, “there are times when phrases such as ‘totally astonished’ just don’t do the job….I am of course delighted and honored and — needless to say — flabbergasted.”

(more…)

Announcing Sir Terry

30 December 2008 (15:37) Icon Comment!

Queen Elizabeth II’s annual New Year honors list includes Terry Pratchett, who was named a knight earlier today (Wednesday in the U.K.).

This comes after a failed petition in August 2007 to award Pratchett the honor of knighthood.

Terry Pratchett responded to the announcement by saying, “there are times when phrases such as ‘totally astonished’ just don’t do the job….I am of course delighted and honored and — needless to say — flabbergasted.”
(more…)

Living With Alzheimer’s to air in January; more information about Alzheimer’s documentary

28 December 2008 (20:15) Icon Comment!

After hearing about the Alzheimer’s documentary (full title Terry Pratchett: Living With Alzheimer’s) off-and-on for almost a year, MedicalNewsToday.com has lots of information as to when the documentary will be aired and what it will contain.

The IWC Media-produced documentary will be aired in January on BBC Two, UK, as part of a documentary series focused on mental health called BBC Headroom.
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Retro News: Pratchett interview, in which he actually talks about things other than Alzheimer’s (29 November 2008)

28 December 2008 (19:57) Icon Comment!

Deborah Orr at the Independent.co.uk interviewed Terry Pratchett late in November, and in doing so provides some insight into Terry Pratchett’s writing process.

The article gets the requisite Alzheimer’s questions done early. Terry Pratchett summed up the effect of his very public diagnosis:
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Retro News: Pratchett interview (08 November 2008)

28 December 2008 (18:07) Icon Comment!

In a Daily Mail interview titled I’m not beaten yet: Terry Prachett on the frustration and fury of Alzheimer’s, Terry Pratchett shared with the interviewer some more about his attitude towards the “embuggerance” of Alzheimer’s. To quote the article:

Although he calls it a ‘wretched disease’, since disclosing that he has it, he has retained his dark sense of comedy. He began an address to his latest convention of fans by cracking a joke. ‘I said, “Hello my name is…” Then I retrieved a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket and read out my name,’ he recalls.

The audience laughed because Terry, afflicted by an illness that steals both memory and identity, was permitting them to do so.

(more…)

Terry Pratchett on With Great Pleasure: Recording available

25 December 2008 (13:03) Icon Comment!

Today at 12:00 in England BBC Radio 4 aired a special holiday edition of their program With Great Pleasure, which featured Terry Pratchett and some of his favorite pieces of writing.

A recording of the fifty-three minute show is available via BBC’s Listen Again feature, however the BBC site requires Real Player to play. (For those who are worried about Real Player’s security holes and intrusive nature, Real Alternative is an open-source software that many users use as an alternative.) (This is in no way an endorsement. Don’t blame us if installing either piece of software causes problems with your computer.)

From Rim To Hub has a high quality mp3 file of the program that you can download and play anywhere with any software.
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Retro News: Pratchett on BBC Breakfast and Channel 4 News (07 October 2008)

24 December 2008 (16:32) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett appeared on BBC Breakfast around the time of his highly publicized essay in the Daily Mail, talking about the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s in the U.K. today. Pratchett started off the interview in high form, answering the initial “How are you?” with “Fine … hah, you know, apart from the dementia.” Click through for more on his experience with Alzheimer’s.

He also appeared briefly on Channel 4 News as part of his series media appearances. You can watch the news report here. (Terry Pratchett appears about a minute in.)

Terry Pratchett featured on BBC Radio 4’s With Great Pleasure tomorrow

24 December 2008 (15:10) Icon Comment!

Tomorrow, December 25, at 12:00, BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a special edition of the program With Great Pleasure, entitled With Great Pleasure At Christmas, which will feature Terry Pratchett “revel[ing] in some of his favourite [sic] pieces of writing.”

In this festive episode, Terry Pratchett (with Helen Atkinson Wood, Michael Fenten Stevens, and Michael Maloney) presents readings from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Roughing It by Mark Twain, The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin, and The Book Of Job from the King James Bible.

Other writings selected for the episode are The Specialist by Charles Sale, Household Noises by Paul Jennings, The Maze Maker by Michael Ayrton, Lamb-Thoughts by J. B. Morton, Her Majesty’s Mails by William Lewins, The Poison Principle by Gail Bell, The Junkman Smiles by G. R. G. Worcester, Food In England by Dorothy Hartley, Sir George Caley by J. Laurence Pritchard, Republican Party Reptile by P. J. O’Rourke, and Once Upon An Ice Age by Roy Lewis.

The hour-long program will be rebroadcast December 26th at 8:00 on BBC Radio 4.

Last year’s With Great Pleasure At Christmas featured broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh.

Pratchett awarded honorary degree at Trinity College Dublin

23 December 2008 (23:11) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett, along with four other recipients, received an honorary degree at Trinity College Dublin at their Winter commencements ceremony on December 12, 2008. He and acclaimed naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough received Doctors in Letters, while astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, researcher Dame Ann Dowling, and criminologist David P. Farrington were awarded degrees in science.

Terry Pratchett gave a public interview the next day (December 13th), at which more than four hundred fifty fans–including the Trinity College Dublin Dean Of Research Dr. David Lloyd–were present. The interview, which was chaired by Lloyd, was followed by a reception.

Retro News: Pratchett letter to The Times on Alzheimer’s (07 October 2008)

20 December 2008 (15:17) Icon Comment!

In a letter to the Times in early October, Terry Pratchett reiterates his statements on the need for public recognition of Alzheimer’s. He writes:

Today, the Alzheimer’s Society publishes a new report, ‘Dementia: out of the shadows’…. I am calling for an end to the stigma and misunderstanding that surround this embuggerance of a condition….

New research shows that half of UK adults believe dementia is a condition plagued by stigma….

That’s why I’m calling for urgent investment in public awareness campaigns on dementia….

If we bring dementia out of the shadows, we can kill it.

Dementia: Out Of The Shadows can be found at the Alzheimer’s Society website.

Retro News: Pratchett signing in Southport and interview (02 October 2008)

18 December 2008 (20:44) Icon Comment!

On October 2nd, Terry Pratchett stopped at Broadhurst’s of Southport for a signing. Broadhurst’s won the privilege to host the event by putting together an award-winning Terry Pratchett window display.

SouthportVisitor.co.uk interviewed Pratchett at the event. To quote the article:

[Terry Pratchett] praised the Southport bookshop and said: “I can’t actually believe it’s real. I find it extremely hard to believe there are still bookshops like this with… books.

“In the manager’s office there’s one I’m going to steal if I can shove it down my trousers and get down to the street before he notices - an old one that you long to open.

“And, it’s great the children’s books are arranged like this.”

Terry said: “When you go on a signing tour, you get out of the helicopter or car, or off the train - into a large town or city and after a while it all looks the same but I have a suspicion I have been to Southport before.”

Terry, who admitted hating school had one piece of advice for writers. He said: “Stop writing to me asking for advice because the only advice I can give is… be you.”

Hundreds of fans lined up for hours to have Pratchett sign their books.

Retro News: Pratchett interview post-Alzheimer’s diagnosis, pre-Colour Of Magic airing (18 March 2008)

16 December 2008 (0:08) Icon Comment!

An old interview from the Guardian provides some insight into Pratchett’s attitude towards Alzheimer’s three months after announcing the diagnosis. He says, “I’m nearly 60 and I’ve never been nearly 60 before so I’m not sure if some of the things happening to me are Alzheimer’s or getting older. Nor is anyone else. If I say, ‘I keep losing my keys,’ someone will say, ‘That’s me!’ And, again, sometimes, I do find days really hard. If you have a really complex day with lots of fans ringing up or emailing, lots of meetings, by the end of it I just want to go and sit down quietly. But that in itself is not an Alzheimer’s thing. Everyone feels like that after a difficult day.”

To explain his decision to campaign for Alzheimer’s awareness, Pratchett said, “If you’re in a plane that’s crashing and you’re on the phone, what you do is keep talking all the way down.”

He also shared this poignant story from his days as a young reporter:

When I was a young reporter covering, as one did, the police stations on New Year’s Day, there was a story about a minibus and a car colliding. Six kids had been killed. I thought: ‘This is a great story. It’s going on page one.’ Then I got back to the office and the other trainee reporter was explaining why he was late, how he had had to console his mother because his sister hadn’t come back home.

So I looked at the names in my notebook, and her name - which wasn’t very common - was there. I ringed the name and handed my notebook to the news editor and went to the toilet. I went into a cubicle and locked the door. And then I laughed…. I laughed, but I wanted to scream. There was a lot of that sort of thing, and ultimately I didn’t want to do it.

Retro News: Pratchett on Washington Post chat (01 Oct. 2008)

13 December 2008 (17:30) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett chatted with Washington Post readers on Wednesday, Oct. 1st on Book World Live for a discussion about his most recent children’s book, Nation. To quote the full transcript:

Terry Pratchett: Hello, it’s Terry Pratchett, here to talk about my book Nation, and anything else. Except cookery, or mathematics. I’d like to start by thanking the Washington Post for the wonderful review in Book World. It’s nice when people spot the little twiddly bits. I was pleased to see that. The reviews have been very encouraging around the globe.

Houston, TX : How did you get the idea for Nation?

Terry Pratchett: I wish I knew, because if I did I would go back to the same place with a bucket. The initial idea and the image of Mau standing on the beach defying his gods came to me instantly, late in 2003, and it hung around for a long time…. what I originally had in mind was something like the explosion of Krakatoa, and the shipwreck of the Sweet Judy is very loosely based on a real event that happened after the volcano exploded.

Woodbridge, Va.: The Washington Post review of your book says that it deals with “fundamental questions about religious belief.” Are you a man of faith?

Terry Pratchett: Certainly I have no faith in Jehovah, although I think it quite likely that Jesus Christ, as a preacher and a wise man, did indeed exist. I think possibly the ending of Nation pretty much outlines what I think. Indeed, the whole of Nation outlines what I think, which is that if you do your best for your fellow man, then the issue of the gods is somewhat superfluous.

Falls Church, Va: … I have two questions: What is your favorite Discworld Book? More importantly, how young an adult is your “Young Adult Novel” appropriate for? My 12 year old son is a decent reader for a 7th grader. Do you think the book would be appropriate for him?

Terry Pratchett: I would say that I have done my best writing in the Tiffany Aching series, which are technically Discworld books, although they are meant for children.

Among the adult books, Nightwatch [sic] must be my favourite.

The question of age and suitability is a hot one here in the UK, where authors are banding together to stop publishers’ age-banding children’s/YA books. That is to say, they want to include advice like “suitable for a child of 7 1/2″ on the cover of the book. The reason this is a very hit-and-miss message is that it all depends on the child. I think I had read all the James Bond books that were available by the time I was 12, and you have to remember that a book like Pilgrim’s Progress was once considered a perfect Sunday afternoon for children of 7 or so. If a kid is bright and questioning, and really interested in the world, they will find a lot for them in Nation. Equally, I imagine there’s one or 2 adults that won’t get it!

Gaithersburg, MD: How are you feeling?

Terry Pratchett: I’m feeling good.

I think I feel a question that no one is quite asking here.

Yes, I have PCA, which is a rare variant of Alzheimer’s. Right now, its main effect on me is to mess up my typing skills, and also to make my spelling inaccurate — I mean to the point where I might actually fail to remember how to spell a simple 5-letter word just as I am about to type it. these [sic] things are a nuisance, and certainly slow down my work rate. But to some extent, technology can help. There is no cure. PCA is a strange thing, and no one is taking any guesses about how long I shall be able to keep working like this. My personal view is that the sheer grind of writing will get me down long before there’s still plenty of room for me to enjoy things in life. Oddly enough, the ability to plot and invent dialogue and characters seems to be totally untouched. It is worth pointing out that Nation, in its entirety, was written by a guy with PCA. I did not know that I had it until the late fall of last year, but throughout that year I had been putting down the problems of typing, etc. to other things, senior moments and just general aging. To put it bluntly, you would have to know me very well, and possibly even be familiar with PCA, to suspect that I was anything other than an average 60-year old guy.

Wallace, N.C: You once wrote a short story about a female King Arthur (Queen Ursula) and Mervin (a geeky Merlin). Have you ever thought about returning to that particular story and finding out how the Table is different? (Speaking as a huge female fan of Arthurian legend, I have always wondered what would happen after Ursula pulled the sword out of the stone! She was a very impressive character.)

Terry Pratchett: Thank you! I was very pleased with that short story and had planned, which circumstances are likely to derail, to extend it into a novel. Since Merlin was a time traveller, I did wonder if we would end up with something like an Elizabethan age several centuries ahead of its time. There are so many ways it could have gone. Nevertheless, it was quite good fun doing it as a straight short story, just to introduce the idea.

Washington, D.C.: You hail from the nation that built a global colonial empire, but also wrote the Magna Carta and fought both Napoleon and Hitler. One theme that seems to run through many of your novels is the conception that good is relative but evil is the absolute inability to care about other living things, be they golems, people, or cats. Are there any specific religious beliefs, philosophical texts, or life events that shaped this conviction?

Terry Pratchett: See my earlier answer about being a reader. It was SF and fantasy that got me reading, and SF writers in particular have pack rat minds. They introduce all sorts of interesting themes and ideas into their books, and so for me it was a short leap to go from the F and SF genres to folklore, mythology, ancient history and philosophy. I did not read philosophy because I set out to become a philosopher; I read it because it looked interesting. All I am really promoting in the books is the Golden Rule, which I hope everybody knows to be “do as you would be done by.” It has one or 2 flaws, but it is a good soundbite. Evil starts when you treat other people as things. There are perhaps worse crimes, but they begin when you treat other people as things.

Manchester, UK: When I had the pleasure of meeting you at the DWCON in Birmingham this year, you said you were a little unsure of the book on the whole - you weren’t sure whether to tweak it somewhat, etc, and what the reaction from your fans was going to be with it being so completely unlike anything you’ve done before. After Nation was released and became a top seller (again!) and the reviews have been wonderful - Do you feel any differently towards it now?

Terry Pratchett: … Somebody once said that books are not finished, they just escape. I probably spent five months doing the final rewrites and edits of Nation. It was so long because I tend to be very “big brush” on the early drafts. I look at it now and see places where I could have improved it, but in reality, I would probably have had to put in 100% more work for 1% improvement.

Philadelphia, Pa.: Do you have a writing process? About how long do you think about your storyline before you put it down on paper? How much of writing is rewriting?

Terry Pratchett: Good one. Nation was written in a very strange way. I was doing draft 5 of the first few chapters when I was on draft 1 of the ending. In a sense, it was written in a way more suitable to painting; in effect I was working on the whole thing all the time.

Generally I start writing when I have even the smallest idea of how a book is going to go, because the physical process of writing itself keeps the mind active and focused on the job at hand. Usually I write in about 5 drafts, but that simply means there are 5 definite times when I go in a linear fashion from the beginning to the end of the book.

Terry Pratchett also talked about his Alzheimer’s and a book he is currently working on, which he says is set on the Discworld and follows an almost completely new suite of characters.

Terry Pratchett on Second Life (Updated: transcript)

9 October 2008 (14:40) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett answered questions on Second Life in a live chat starting at 3:00 EST today in a promotional event for the release of Nation. Terry Pratchett (second life name TerryPratchett Morpork) introduced himself, after much digital applause, with “Hello everybody! Sorry, I’m new at all of this kind of stuff and so can anyone tell me how to get the rocket launcher?” to much lol-ing.

Terry Pratchett in front of a giant picture of Terry Pratchett on Second LifeAfter some initial banter with the fans (”As far as I am concerned, my books are Second Life.”), the questions and answers started. (The banter never really stopped.) Some highlights:

[12:03] Matty567 Dallagio: Why was “Nation” not set on Discworld?
[12:04] TerryPratchett Morpork: Good question; for one thing, the fact of it being on Discworld would change all kind of things that I could do. After all, Nation is hardly full of laughs. Setting Nation on a thinly disguised “alternate” world does, I think, give it more power and urgency.

[12:05] Matty567 Dallagio: Why a slightly alternate Earth instead of the real one?
[12:07] TerryPratchett Morpork: Because the real one has already happened. I wanted this world, but with a few interesting alterations. One details I’m sure you will have noticed is that Carl Sagan is still alive in that alternate earth.

Full transcript:

[11:59] Robby Pomeray: .-’`'-. APPLAUSE APPLAUSE .-’`'-.
[11:59] Kelli May: *applause*
[11:59] IYan Writer: ***** APPPPPPPLLLLAAAUUUSSSSEEEEEEE***********
[11:59] Carl Blue: YAY
[11:59] Dedric Mauriac: YaY!
[11:59] Salaamata Afarensis: applause!!!!!!!!
[11:59] iAlja Writer applauds!
[11:59] Rain Runningbear: hurrah
[11:59] Matty567 Dallagio: applause
[11:59] Riss Altman: appluses
[11:59] Morrigan Vendetta: hooooo
Susan Sto-Helit in the audience[11:59] Mocksoup Graves: YAY!
[11:59] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Loud cheers
[11:59] Jo Sapeur claps
[11:59] Ron Khondji: clap clapclap clap
[11:59] Dedric Mauriac: lol
[11:59] Riss Altman: woohoo!
[11:59] Murdock Pennell: clap calp
[11:59] Vernes Veranes: Yaj Terry :D
[11:59] Tioh Fluffy: SQUEAK!
[11:59] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: clap clap
Granny Weatherwax in the audience
[11:59] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: made it
[11:59] Charis Parx: welcome!
[11:59] Tatsuki Kurosawa: Gday Mate!
[11:59] Brett Usbourne: Isn’t this romantic?
[11:59] You: clap
[11:59] iAlja Writer: lol
[12:00] Nick Gloucester: first question please
[12:00] Nick Gloucester: Vernes you had some good ones
[12:00] Vernes Veranes: jay! :D
[12:00] TerryPratchett Morpork: Hello everybody! Sorry, I’m new at all of this kind of stuff and so can anyone tell me how to get the rocket launcher?
[12:00] Roxette Wise: lol
[12:00] Mocksoup Graves: lol
[12:00] Dedric Mauriac: lol
[12:00] Robby Pomeray: lol…
[12:01] Samantha Poindexter giggles.
[12:01] IYan Writer: I think it’s “5″ ;)
The audience waits for Terry Pratchett
[12:01] Kelli May grins
[12:01] IYan Writer: (plasma on 6 ;) )
[12:01] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: i love the fact we’re all papping Terry and taking pictures as in RL!!
[12:01] Jo Sapeur: sure, I have a few to spare! ^.^
[12:01] SignpostMarv Martin: lol, Terry’s first pulbic appearence in Second Life and he asks for a rocket launcher X-D
[12:01] Vernes Veranes: Must be odd, virtual Q&A
[12:01] TerryPratchett Morpork: …and I’m not really into all of this YourTube into MyFace kind of stuff!
[12:01] Vernes Veranes: But we’re all real behind our pc’s
[12:01] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I missed the rocket launcher :(
[12:01] Michaelx Beerbaum: Question is if Second life will appear in one of the books
[12:02] Robby Pomeray: i bet, he’ll have a zillion in a minute ;-)
[12:02] Vernes Veranes: I though roundworld was secondlife? :P
[12:02] TerryPratchett Morpork: As far as I am concerned, my books are Second Life.
[12:02] Brett Usbourne: Hi Nick - yep, Gav is here! - so is Zeb
[12:02] Vernes Veranes: yeah
[12:03] Matty567 Dallagio: Why was “Nation” not set on Discworld?
[12:03] TerryPratchett Morpork: Okay, I know that you have to get the shotgun first, but sometimes you get lucky.
[12:03] Multi Gadget v1.55.2 by Timeless Prototype
[12:03] Mocksoup Graves: lol
[12:03] Mocksoup Graves: closest thing I have to a rocket in my inventory… now if you had asked for a nice pair of stillettos…
[12:04] Charis Parx: I have an extra black hat
[12:04] Samantha Poindexter: Indeed. SL tends toward Make Clothes, Not War. :-)
[12:04] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: i have ice skates :(
[12:04] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: and a snowball fight thingy he he
[12:04] Dedric Mauriac: Should we be giving our questions to someone else to hold in a queue?
[12:04] TerryPratchett Morpork: Good question; for one thing, the fact of it being on Discworld would change all kind of things that I could do. After all, Nation is hardly full of laughs. Setting Nation on a thinly disguised “alternate” world does, I think, give it more power and urgency.
[12:05] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: should we IM them to Terry?
[12:05] Michaelx Beerbaum: Most books are so realistic, I guess the banking disaster might be a nice topic
[12:05] Sweetie Saunders: wasnt there a notice from nick in the group as to how to do questions?
[12:05] Matty567 Dallagio: Why a slightly alternate Earth instead of the real one?
[12:06] Carl Blue: IM HERE TO LISTEN TO TERRY NOT EVERYONE ELSES COMMENTS
[12:06] Nick Gloucester: can you im your quiestions to TYerry direct
[12:06] Roxette Wise: We would like to hear the questions too
[12:06] Robby Pomeray: yep
[12:07] Nick Gloucester: yes we will copy them back before answering
[12:07] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: why dont we all IM them to one person then one person asks the questions on our behalf? That would work and that way we would see the questions that terry is answering
[12:07] TerryPratchett Morpork: Because the real one has already happened. I wanted this world, but with a few interesting alterations. One details I’m sure you will have noticed is that Carl Sagan is still alive in that alternate earth.
[12:08] Sweetie Saunders: nods.
[12:08] Nick Gloucester: ok immortality you are nominated
[12:08] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: okay dont mind
[12:09] Nick Gloucester: thanks thats great Imotality….
[12:09] Nick Gloucester: first question please
[12:09] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: okay first question: What was the inspiration behind the book?

[12:11] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Q: Hi Terry, how does it feel to be in a virtual world were everything is possible and wierd is excepted as normal
[12:11] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: hmm thats two questions there and there are a lot more. I shall wait for answers on those two first!
[12:11] Vernes Veranes: Let’s hear his answer first, yes
[12:12] TerryPratchett Morpork: I came up with the idea in 2003 and it was not long before I was going to do a talk and signing in Folyes in London. I was so excited that I told Sarah Lefanu and I’m glad that I did because she is one person who can vouch that I came up with the idea before the big Asian Tsunami.
[12:12] Sweetie Saunders: lol
[12:12] FromRimToHub Morpork: That tsunami is such a copycat
[12:13] April Kohl: haha
[12:13] Sweetie Saunders: bit like making money and the northern rock crisis :)
[12:13] TerryPratchett Morpork: I think I’ve lived in one of those for the past 60 years :o)
[12:13] Kelli May: hehe
[12:14] Charis Parx: yes, it’s weird to be normal these days
[12:14] TerryPratchett Morpork: Another question, please.
[12:14] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Question: Hi Terry, how does it feel to be in a virtual world were everything is possible and wierd is excepted as normal from Carl
[12:14] Charis Parx: ithink he just answered that
[12:14] Sibella Starbrook: When is the next discworld book ?
[12:14] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Have you any thoughts on how your characters (from Nation, Discworld, Carpet People ) SignpostMarvMarvinmight react if they found themselves in Second Life ?
[12:14] TerryPratchett Morpork: I have just answered that one…
[12:15] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: sorry just trying to track them up argggghhh
[12:15] Angel Slocombe shouts: Please submit your questions to ImmortalitySou Ballinger in IM
[12:15] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Any plans to do another non-Discworld book soon? from Charis Parx
[12:16] TerryPratchett Morpork: I think Sam Vimes would be very annoyed, whereas the witches would just deal with it. I have to say that I quite like the idea of Second Life, because it is a totally human activity. Monkeys wouldn’t be able to join.
[12:16] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Q: Q: What are you views on people in second life creating people, places, and things from your books and either giving or selling them to other players. from Dedric Mauiac
[12:16] Jo Sapeur disagrees!
[12:16] SignpostMarv Martin: I think the Librarian might object to that comment :-P
[12:16] IYan Writer: Oook.
[12:17] Jo Sapeur: SL is ape-friendly
[12:17] Matty567 Dallagio: The Librarian Isn’t a Monkey!
[12:17] Tenebrous Pau notes that the librarian is not a monkey ;)
[12:17] Dedric Mauriac: SL is L-Space
[12:17] TerryPratchett Morpork: I did not know about Nation until the idea hit me. I had no advance warning and that is how it happens. Sometimes an idea comes out of nowhere and grabs you by the throat.
[12:17] Sweetie Saunders: M word! ook
[12:17] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: First of all: THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SL! ^.^ (yay!) - Q: I noticed that religion was a major topic in “Nation”, how did the response from readers look so far? from Jo Sapeur
[12:17] SignpostMarv Martin: though one wonders if the Librarian would find SL as easy to navigate as L-Space…
[12:19] Dedric Mauriac: If the librarian is dislexic, it wouldn’t be a problem SL/LS Space-L
[12:19] TerryPratchett Morpork: It would be interesting to see what the law could do about Second Life! Regrettably for you, copyright and trademarks exist everywhere, but in reality I see this sought of thing as fan activity.
[12:19] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Do you think Moist Von Lipwig would have managed the banking system better than those currently in charge? from Ciaran Laval
[12:20] Meester Freese: Such a good idea to publish a non-Discworld book in the 25th year of Discworld.
[12:21] TerryPratchett Morpork: Religion; fantasy writers like religion. It’s so interesting to play with and it is a great forum for asking questions.
[12:21] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Terry we know you are a fan of computer games like Alien vs Predator, what do you make of Second life which doesn’t appear to have a plot or goal? from Trago Mills
[12:22] Sweetie Saunders: waves to Trago!
[12:22] Vernes Veranes: /nod
[12:22] TerryPratchett Morpork: It seems that, primitive as it is, the Discworld economy is considerably more stable than the one here. And, come to think about it, Moist’s solution to the problem was not a long way from what has been done over here…
[12:23] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Question for Pterry: “You haven’t written a non-Discworld book for a while. What kinds of mental adjustments did you have to make as you wrote it?” Question from
[12:24] You: that’s from www.FromRimToHub.com (me, if you couldn’t tell)
[12:24] Angel Slocombe shouts: For new arrivals - Please submit your questions to ImmortalitySou Ballinger in IM
[12:24] Sweetie Saunders: Elizabeth?
[12:24] TerryPratchett Morpork: Oblivion is my current computer game of choice, specifically because we (me and Rob) discovered modding, and I get a thrill from the thought that thousands of people write some wonderful mods and distribute them at no cost.
[12:25] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: What are you views on people in second life creating people, places, and things from your books and either giving or selling them to other players. from Dedric sorry folks I have just realised how to do this easliy so give me a chance to catch up o your questions :(
[12:25] Dedric Mauriac: I think he already answered :)

[12:25] TerryPratchett Morpork: I answered that one as well…
[12:25] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: DeutroJesaja Gothly: I read Carpe Jugulum when I was studying to become a missionary and reverend. How did you get the Quite Rev. Oats so right?
[12:25] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: April Kohl: If you haven’t already got too many questions, could I ask: “Was there any novel you found particularly difficult to write?”
[12:25] Meester Freese: Yay, Rob!
[12:25] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: sorry :(
[12:26] Vernes Veranes: It’s ok, don’t panic
[12:26] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: just as it was going so well he he
[12:26] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: its my first time at this be gentle with me
[12:27] TerryPratchett Morpork: Probably it was Nation. Probably because I wrote the first draft in six months and then spent the next six months wrestling it into the right shape.
[12:27] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: okay did you answer both questions there was one after another
[12:28] Dedric Mauriac: It’s best if it is in the shape of a book
[12:28] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: on that occassion?
[12:28] Tenebrous Pau: that helps dedric :)
[12:28] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: heres the next one
[12:28] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Kelli May: I hope this isn’t too morbid, but a lot of the characters in Nation question why fate or the gods have inflicted various trials on them. Is this a question that’s on your mind these days?
[12:28] Free Radar HUD v1.1 by Crystal Gadgets
[12:28] TerryPratchett Morpork: For obvious reasons, mostly because I am the poster boy for the battle against Alzheimer’s, there have been quite a number of days when I have been unable to write a word.
[12:28] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Vernes Veranes: What was the inspiration behind the book?
[12:29] Sweetie Saunders: ty for what you do.
[12:29] Sweetie Saunders: poor terry.
[12:29] Jo Sapeur: ty Terry
[12:29] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Jo Sapeur: How long does it usually take you to write a book?
[12:29] Ladyjane Plympton: oops sorry
[12:29] IYan Writer: :( best wishes in your battle from all of us, I’m sure
[12:30] TerryPratchett Morpork: Err, no. I don’t believe in Gods.
[12:30] Carl Blue: not even small ones?
[12:30] Vernes Veranes: :)
[12:30] Gellan Glenelg: but do they believe in you?
[12:30] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: have you answered Jo’s question terry?
[12:30] Vernes Veranes: If they read books they do :P
[12:30] Jo Sapeur: … I think a better question would be: Do you believe in humans?
[12:31] Dedric Mauriac: not even small gods
[12:31] Harmony Linden wonders if Terry believes in potatoes?
[12:31] Tenebrous Pau: lol harmony
[12:31] Sweetie Saunders: ofc :)
[12:31] TerryPratchett Morpork: For Unseen Academicals I won’t even hazard a guess. But for the last several years I have only done one book a year because of all the other distractions placed on an author’s life. Put it another way: Don’t ask a man to reply to every email AND do a full thousand words a day :-)
[12:31] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Carl Blue: Which of your characters do you feel is most like you?
[12:32] Vernes Veranes: ooh, good one
[12:32] TerryPratchett Morpork: Yes, I actually have a small potato in my coat pocket. In time of hunger a potato is more likely to be more useful than prayer.
[12:32] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: someone somewhere owes me a cup of cofee
[12:32] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Salaamata Afarensis: my wife Ab (sadly at work) asks: it seems from reading the early Discworld novels that you grew to respect characters like Granny Weatherwax and Sam Vimes the more time you spent with them. These two characters, in particular, have come to represent standards of ethical behavior. Do you find that your relationship with the characters in the books has changed over time?
[12:33] Sweetie Saunders: nice question!
[12:33] TerryPratchett Morpork: There is probably a bit of me in all the major characters. I would like to be like Sam Vimes, but deep in my heart I know I am Rincewind.
[12:33] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: thanks Harmony
[12:33] Samantha Poindexter: Hee.
[12:33] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Ciaran Laval: Would you like to see more of your books repoduced on film in the fashion they haven been by SKY?
[12:33] Tenebrous Pau is totally Rincewind lol
[12:33] Harmony Linden: Closest I can come to coffee, Immortality. :)
[12:34] Dedric Mauriac: we all have a bit of rincewind in us
[12:34] Vernes Veranes: let’s let him answer a few questions first.
[12:35] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: :)
[12:35] Jo Sapeur: stupid question: has anyone told Terry how to open the chat history?
[12:35] SignpostMarv Martin is keeping track of the answers to questions on http://www.flickr.com/groups/terry-pratchett-in-sl/discuss/72157607890478353/
[12:35] Jo Sapeur: (CTRL + H)
[12:36] TerryPratchett Morpork: That is a good question. It seems to me that if you get a character just right, they start doing the work for you. It is as if they become a subroutine in your own brain and you are right when you point out the similarity between Granny and Vimes; you might notice that both of them seem at every stage to be fighting some internal demon.
[12:36] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Vernes Veranes: Has your experience with discworld influenced the nation book (and how)?
[12:36] Jo Sapeur: heh, I didn’t want to ask about that ^.^
[12:37] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Ineed more questions….
[12:37] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: have one more lined up
[12:37] Angel Slocombe shouts: Please submit your questions to ImmortalitySou Ballinger in IM
[12:38] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: perhaps I shouldnt have said anything he he
[12:38] Angel Slocombe hears all LOL
[12:38] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: okay okay I am stacked again hang fire now until I get through this lot
[12:38] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: thank you for your patience :)
[12:38] TerryPratchett Morpork: Yes, but I don’t have any particular hopes for Hollywood. Besides, I like the British stuff, even though the budget is much lower than it might be in the States, I can get involved at just about every stage in the production. To an author, that is worth a great deal.
[12:38] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: DeutroJesaja Gothly: I know you don’t belive in gods, but do you mind if books or quotes from your books is used in Christan teaching for young people?
[12:39] Sweetie Saunders: hanging around set makes your feet hurt though!
[12:39] Jo Sapeur: don’t let Hollywood botch your stories, Terry :)
[12:39] Robby Pomeray: George Clooney would give a great Vimes;-)
[12:40] Jo Sapeur: I’m gso lad that you don’t let them butcher the Discworld so far
[12:40] TerryPratchett Morpork: Not at all. I have no problem with the existence of Jesus Christ, who I think was very probably a wise man and a compassionate teacher. It’s just that I don’t believe in the same god that he believed in :-)[12:40] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Vernes Veranes: Where in Second Life can I buy a complete SL-version of the book? Is Second Life even concidered a Niche market?
[12:40] DeutroJesaja Gothly: ty.
[12:41] SignpostMarv Martin would prefer Pete Postlethwaite for Sam Vimes
[12:41] Samantha Poindexter imagines trying to read a novel on an HUD and shudders.
[12:41] TerryPratchett Morpork: As an aside, myself and Rob would like to wish Lisa and Jason ‘Discworld Anthony’ our very best wishes on the birth of their baby Isobel.
[12:41] Charis Parx: Oh wow!
[12:41] Charis Parx: Congrats to them!
[12:41] IYan Writer: congrats!
[12:42] Jo Sapeur: …that won’t work, Verne - all content in SL is technically owned by Linden Lab
[12:42] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Congrats
[12:42] Sweetie Saunders: wtg Jason and Lisa
[12:42] Salaamata Afarensis: congrats!
[12:42] Angel Slocombe: Not true Jo. Linden Lab respect IP rights.

[12:42] Samantha Poindexter: Is NOT, Jo. Leaving intellectual property in the hands of its creators is one reason SL’s taken off.
[12:42] Dedric Mauriac: The IP of that content though is owned by the authors
[12:42] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: has Vernes qwuestion been answered?
[12:42] Vernes Veranes: Jo: actually, they stated that the creator has copyright of its own creation
[12:42] IYan Writer: (not so Jo, creators retain IP - some books have already been published in SL, too)
[12:42] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: sorry about typos typing too fast!
[12:42] TerryPratchett Morpork: All I can tell you is that my publishers are watching this event. They are probably disguised as palm trees.
[12:42] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: he he
[12:42] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Carl Blue: Whats you fave book, not your own?
[12:43] Salaamata Afarensis: lol
[12:43] Robby Pomeray: lol…
[12:43] Sweetie Saunders: what is Colin disguised as?
[12:43] Harmony Linden always was suspicious of those Linden trees.
[12:43] Dedric Mauriac: Let’s carve some canoes!
[12:44] TerryPratchett Morpork: Colin would be disguised as a bottle of wine.
[12:44] Sweetie Saunders: lol
[12:44] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: guys dont ask any more questions until I ask you am conscious of time
[12:44] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: What kinds of mental adjustments did you have to make as you wrote it?” Question from www.FromRimToHub.com.
[12:44] Elizabeth Burleigh: a nice cabernet, maybe?
[12:44] Sweetie Saunders: two bottles of excellent red!!
[12:44] Sweetie Saunders: i believe i can hear terry laughing?
[12:44] Charis Parx: and Rob is hiding in the mic
[12:45] Dedric Mauriac: oh, i want a gesture with terry laughing
[12:45] TerryPratchett Morpork: Actually, maybe a Pina Colada. With an umbrella.
[12:45] Gail Linden: hehe
[12:45] Sweetie Saunders: lol
[12:45] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Willi Reino: when you read for relaxation, who are your favourite authors?
[12:45] Charis Parx: what a picture that is
[12:45] Sweetie Saunders: Bit blue oyster club?
[12:46] TerryPratchett Morpork: I have a whole library shelf of favourite books. However, I still think that one of the funniest and best works of fiction was the “Evolution Man” by Roy Lewis. My favourite bedtime reading at the moment is “Feeding Nelson’s Navy” by Janet MacDonald. Believe me, it’s considerably more thrilling than the title might suggest.
[12:46] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Charis Parx: If you had a day with no demands on you at all, what would you do with it, BESIDES writing. :)
[12:47] Dedric Mauriac: no writing? that sounds like a demand
[12:48] Sweetie Saunders: sounds like a punishment.
[12:48] TerryPratchett Morpork: What do you mean, besides writing?
[12:48] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Wai Kamachi: Do you plot your novels?
[12:48] Samantha Poindexter grins.
[12:48] Charis Parx: Hah. I was trying for the answer I couldn’t predict
[12:48] Charis Parx: I failed!
[12:48] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I’m guessing that was the answer ….!
[12:48] Sweetie Saunders: smiles at Charis.
[12:49] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Samantha Poindexter: Any chance we’ll ever see Esk of Equal Rites again?
[12:49] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: whoops sorry pressed say!
[12:49] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Oh, I do hope so
[12:51] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: dont worry will repeat question after terry answers wais first
[12:52] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Nick I hope Terry can stay a bit longer as answering questions in text takes longer than voice and I have a number still lined up
[12:53] Sweetie Saunders: Sandra may kill Rob though!! :)
[12:53] Dedric Mauriac: maybe he crashed
[12:53] TerryPratchett Morpork: Believe it or not, I seldom read a novel these days. Nearly all the books in the 3ft pile beside my bed are social histories or the biographies of intereting, if not important, people. I’m also a sucker for the kind of books with titles such as “Picky – The History of 500 Years of Snot in Britian”.
[12:53] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Samantha Poindexter: Any chance we’ll ever see Esk of Equal Rites again?
[12:53] Mocksoup Graves: lol
[12:53] Samantha Poindexter laughs.
[12:53] Vernes Veranes: wow
[12:53] Malburns Writer: lol
[12:54] Sweetie Saunders: lol
[12:54] Dedric Mauriac: is that a real book?
[12:54] Jo Sapeur: … someone wrote _that_ book?? O.O
[12:54] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: i must look that book up my last one was pies and prejudice!
[12:54] TerryPratchett Morpork: Pies and Prejudice - I like that :o)
[12:55] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: by stuart marconi!
[12:55] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: very good
[12:55] TerryPratchett Morpork: I think that if the last Tiffany Aching book, which will be called “I shall Wear Midnight”, gets finished it will probably re-introduce Esk.
[12:55] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: DeutroJesaja Gothly: Howcome everybody knows a Granny and a Nanny?
[12:55] Vernes Veranes: yes!
[12:56] Samantha Poindexter: YAY!
[12:56] Salaamata Afarensis: omg! yay! Tiffany!!
[12:57] TerryPratchett Morpork: Because they are a widespread social sterotype and I am an observant author.
[12:57] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Dedric Mauriac: What fan art has impressed you the most?
[12:58] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: even my greek cypriot granny was a weatherwax down to the nose!
[12:58] Vernes Veranes: Can’t possibly seen it all :P
[12:58] TerryPratchett Morpork: Sorry. I really can’t remember.
[12:58] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: April Kohl: Many writers and publishers in modern magazines talk about how much more difficult it is to get a first novel sold now than it was even ten years ago. Do you think you had it easier than the new kids on the block?
[12:58] Rain Runningbear: deutro is marrying a Nanny act alike :)
[12:59] Harmony Linden: Argh, gotta go back to work. This has been fabulous! Thanks, Terry and the folks who put this together!
[12:59] Salaamata Afarensis: lol Rain
[12:59] Sweetie Saunders: see you harmony!
[12:59] Jo Sapeur: byebye Harmony
[12:59] Vernes Veranes waves
[12:59] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: bye say hello to Glenn
[12:59] Angel Slocombe: LOl Harmony you’re a Linden you’re AT work hehe *waves*
[12:59] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: and babbage et al
[12:59] Gail Linden: bye
[13:00] Nick Gloucester: bye
[13:01] TerryPratchett Morpork: I don’t think it was all that easier when I started, but the parameters have changed. If you can go on a comedy show and are on the telly long enough, and sometimes not for all that long, getting a novel published appears to be very easy and sometime you don’t even need to write it.
[13:01] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: SignpostMarv Martin: Would Terry consider a Discworld-based MMO, perhaps using something like OpenSim as the underlying tech ?
[13:01] Sweetie Saunders: two words naomi campbell lol
[13:01] SignpostMarv Martin pokes Immortality to paste the first part of that question as well plz
[13:01] Dedric Mauriac: John Stewart?
[13:02] Vernes Veranes: first part sounds cool anyway
[13:02] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: oh gosh sorry
[13:02] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: SignpostMarv Martin: for Terry: There haven’t been any full-length official Discworld games since Discworld Noir in 1999- now that Discworld films are being made, are there any plans for new games to be made ?
[2008/10/09 12:42] SignpostMarv Martin: ^as an addition,
[2008/10/09 12:43] SignpostMarv Martin: Would Terry consider a Discworld-based MMO, perhaps using something like OpenSim as the underlying tech ?
[13:02] TerryPratchett Morpork: What is an MMO? What is OpenSim? Can we accept for a moment that I’m not that engrossed by online activities?
[13:02] SignpostMarv Martin: lol
[13:02] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: sorry
[13:02] Mocksoup Graves: hahhah
[13:03] SignpostMarv Martin: Massively Multiplayer Online game
[13:03] SignpostMarv Martin: lots of Discworld fans running around the back of the disk of a virtual Great A’Tuin
[13:03] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Carl Blue: Will you be coming to live with us here in SL?
[13:03] TerryPratchett Morpork: Then no.
[13:03] Vernes Veranes: Aww chucks
[13:03] SignpostMarv Martin: OpenSim: open source Second Life server
[13:03] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Jo Sapeur: Is there a chance that you will return to SL for another Q&A session? I have several friends who are mourning because they couldn’t come after the the sim was full.
[13:04] Dedric Mauriac: man, i would love to play around an an ankh morpork, or grab a hotdog from CMOT Dibbler
[13:04] Vernes Veranes: We have a sim of Morpork now, but that’s not what you mean I think
[13:04] DeutroJesaja Gothly: A warm canine?
[13:04] Charis Parx: Dedric - that might be the last thing you ever do, though!
[13:04] Samantha Poindexter: I think he means a sausage inna bun. :-)
[13:04] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Sound very CMOT
[13:05] Sweetie Saunders: another visit would be really great!
[13:05] Sibella Starbrook: rat on a stick
[13:05] Sweetie Saunders: someone already built the Cloning Artificer shop
[13:05] Salaamata Afarensis: there is “Rat Onna Stick” in sl :D
[13:05] Sweetie Saunders: it had Bernard smoke rings coming out the chimney
[13:06] TerryPratchett Morpork: Early in 2003 we had approaches from about 5 or 6 games developers. I told them all to go away and knock up something that would show me that they had a grip on what Discworld would be about, and none of them came back. I’m not unhappy about that. Certainly I would require a new Discworld game to be as immersive as Thief II and with the sound and graphics suitable for the times.
[13:06] Malburns Writer: wonders how many discworld inspired avatars there are? esp after graphic novel version
[13:06] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Dedric Mauriac: Have you ever drempt that you were in one of your novels?
[13:07] Vernes Veranes: I like that answer :)
[13:07] Salaamata Afarensis: nice question!
[13:07] Sweetie Saunders: hear hear!
[13:07] SignpostMarv Martin: ooh. that’s a good answer. Especially taking into account that Terry is a fan of Oblivion, I think we can rest assured if there’s a new game, it would be really good :-)
[13:08] Vernes Veranes: indeed!
[13:08] Rain Runningbear: indeed
[13:08] SignpostMarv Martin: ^better wait for the possibility of a good game than have a rushed tie-in with one of the Sky films
[13:08] TerryPratchett Morpork: I think you’re going to have to improve the graphics considerably before I come back to Second Life. The graphics in Oblivion allow you to see the graphics in the bottom of a pond and I think that came out in 2002.
[13:08] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: i havnt seen the films :(
[13:08] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Mocksoup Graves: [12:48] Siyu Suen: Both you and Neil Gaiman’s visions of Death are pretty similar in some ways. They’re very human and more friendly than the typical grim reaper image. I know you two have worked together, did you guys talk about Death at all in morbid moments?
[12:49] Mocksoup Graves: Question from Siyu for Terry
[13:08] Adri Saarinen: For fans, by fans is the way to go for games, but it does sometimes proculde the great graphic quality
[13:09] Tenebrous Pau: hehe… Good Omens movie PLEASE thanks… lol :)
[13:09] Sweetie Saunders: there was a great panel in Noreascon with Terry and Neil
[13:09] Sweetie Saunders: about Death
[13:09] Lasynda Shichiroji: Are there any plans to do another book with Mr. Gaiman? I absolutely *love* Good Omens
[13:09] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I feel I know so little :(
[13:09] Lasynda Shichiroji: oooo a Good Omens Movie that would be really cool :)
[13:10] TerryPratchett Morpork: No, but I have often dreamt of scenes, usually just before I wake up.
[13:10] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Sibella Starbrook: the people on nation are asking if there is a chnace terry can pop pver there at the end ?
[13:10] Jo Sapeur: I hope Gail can relay that message to the other Lindens ;)
[13:11] Samantha Poindexter: Well, if you crank up the graphics settings here, things can be better, but, yeah, a platform in which all content is user-created and streamed on the fly is inherently more limited than one with a more constrained library you can install up front…
[13:11] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: as every Terry is just as popular in SL as in RL
[13:11] TerryPratchett Morpork: desire. The same could be said about Mort.
[13:11] Dedric Mauriac wonders how long it will be before he sees avatars looking like Terry Pratchett
[13:11] Sweetie Saunders: and we truly appreciate just how available you make yourself to your mad fans Terry ty
[13:11] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Do you think virtual environments will play a large role for the marketing of books (of fiction)?
[13:12] Carl Blue: You cant fall in love in a game.
[13:12] Sweetie Saunders: the answers are quite delayed.
[13:12] Sweetie Saunders: but you can fall in love in SL
[13:12] SignpostMarv Martin: coughSLisnotagamecough
[13:12] Samantha Poindexter: …you can’t?
[13:12] April Kohl: Carl: Tell that to the people who got married in WoW
[13:12] Willi Reino: so where *can* you fall in love???
[13:12] Sweetie Saunders: i know… looks at wedding ring.
[13:13] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: sorry has Terry answered last question?
[13:13] Vernes Veranes: No
[13:13] SignpostMarv Martin: I have no idea which question Terry’s last message was in response to
[13:13] Charis Parx: the dream one
[13:14] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I forgot to say who asked it. Sorry to whoever it was :(
[13:14] TerryPratchett Morpork: Good Omens movie? Regrettably people with enough money do not share your
[13:14] Sweetie Saunders: cant we all send terry gilliam some cash?
[13:14] Tenebrous Pau: if only that’d do it :)
[13:14] SignpostMarv Martin: Charis: this one: “[13:11] TerryPratchett Morpork: desire. The same could be said about Mort.”
[13:14] TerryPratchett Morpork: desire. The same could be said about Mort.
[13:14] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: okay so shall I go back through the list?
[13:14] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: or plough on with the next one?
[13:14] Tenebrous Pau: ahhh understand now :D
[13:15] Vernes Veranes: My question is still to be answered Sou
[13:15] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I shall go onto next question Terry
[13:15] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: Vernes Veranes: Do you think virtual environments will play a large role for the marketing of books (of fiction)?
[13:15] Elizabeth Burleigh: just wait til I win that lottery jackpot ;)
[13:15] Vernes Veranes smiles
[13:15] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: there you go vernes …!
[13:15] TerryPratchett Morpork: History says that Terry Gilliam is a worrying man to give money to :-)
[13:15] Sweetie Saunders: yeah…
[13:15] Tenebrous Pau: lol yes :)
[13:15] Sweetie Saunders: but we can hope.
[13:15] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Lol!
[13:15] Jo Sapeur: I guess film producers still try to remove Death from the movie scripts for proposed discworld movies
[13:16] DeutroJesaja Gothly: That’s just silly
[13:16] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: hmm where would quentin tarantino be without death and destruction
[13:16] DeutroJesaja Gothly: My kids love Death in Hogfather
[13:16] Lasynda Shichiroji: yeah Death is the coolest character
[13:16] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: probably writing scripts for childrens tv
[13:16] Tenebrous Pau: … sesame street probly
[13:16] Tenebrous Pau: hehe
[13:16] Dedric Mauriac: I like the name of deaths horse
[13:18] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: ive just realised I havent asked a single question :(
[13:18] TerryPratchett Morpork: Folks. We are now overtime on this chat and so I’m off to hang about on Nation island for a bit. Cheerio.
[13:18] Vernes Veranes: ok
[13:18] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Farewell for now….
[13:18] Tenebrous Pau: thanks so much Terry :D
[13:18] Willi Reino: bye terry

[13:18] Murdock Pennell: bye
[13:18] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I have two more questipns lined up :(
[13:18] Vernes Veranes: Bye terry
[13:18] Salaamata Afarensis: Thank you so much!! :DD
[13:18] DeutroJesaja Gothly: Thank you
[13:18] GaiusJulius Drut: Tahnky Terry
[13:18] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: oh well sorry folks
[13:18] Samantha Poindexter: Thanks for coming, and answering, and putting up with us! :-)
[13:18] Willi Reino applauds!
[13:18] Malburns Writer: Many thanks terry
[13:18] Carl Blue: thank yo terry
[13:18] IYan Writer: bye Terry, thanks for being here!
[13:18] Malburns Writer APPLAUDS!!!
[13:18] Elizabeth Burleigh: ta, Terry!
[13:18] Roxette Wise: Thanks Terry
[13:18] April Kohl: Bye, Terry. Thanks for coming and putting up with us
[13:18] Sweetie Saunders: ty so much terry
[13:18] Morrigan Vendetta: byes and thank you
[13:18] Malburns Writer APPLAUDS!!!
[13:18] Robby Pomeray: thank you Terry :-)
[13:18] Charis Parx: Good to see you here!
[13:18] Salaamata Afarensis: apppplausse!!!!!!!
[13:18] Robby Pomeray: .-’`'-. APPLAUSE APPLAUSE .-’`'-.
[13:18] ImmortalitySou Ballinger: I will send them to Nick
[13:18] Roxette Wise: Applauds!!!
[13:18] Jo Sapeur: Take care Terry and thanks for joining us today ^.^
[13:18] iAlja Writer: bye, thank you!
[13:18] April Kohl cheers
[13:18] GaiusJulius Drut claps

More pictures are available at the flickr group.

Pratchett to address Conservative Party tonight

29 September 2008 (14:42) Icon Comment!

Terry Pratchett will be appearing at the Conservative Party Conference tonight in his continuing campaign for increased funding for Alzheimer’s research, saying it is under-funded compared to other diseases.

“I am appalled that research into Alzheimer’s and related diseases which affects 700,000 people in the UK, currently receives just three per cent of government medical research funding,” he plans to say in his speech tonight. “Perhaps that is why, for example, I know three people who have successfully survived brain tumours but no-one who has beaten Alzheimer’s.”

Pratchett donated £500,000 earlier in 2008 to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, for which Rebecca Wood is the Chief Executive.

“Dementia costs the UK economy £17 billion a year …” Wood said. “Politicians from all parties must recognise that the only socially just and financially prudent policy is to vastly increase funding for dementia research.”

The U.K. government spent £25 million on Alzheimer’s in the 2005-2006 period, an amount which a Department of Health spokesperson called “significant Government funding.”

Pratchett essay on Nation from HarperCollins

19 September 2008 (21:43) Icon Comment!

HarperCollins had published an essay Terry Pratchett wrote (slight spoilers at link) on his newest non-Discworld book, Nation which comes out September 30 in the U.S. (It is already available in the U.K.) To quote the essay:

I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on a book…

Nation was born several years ago…. About four months later, when I hadn’t even scheduled the book, Indonesia was struck by the most recent tsunami, and I thought: There will be a time for Nation, but it’s not now. The story still cooked itself through, at the back of my mind, while I waited a few years.

After that disaster, I saw footage of people celebrating because the wave, which had flattened their whole village, had miraculously left their new mosque standing. But that seemed to me to be not much of a miracle—one that flattens flimsy huts and fails to disturb a solid-looking house of worship. Surely the miracle of a caring god would have razed his holy temple but left every little house intact? What had in reality taken place was the opposite of a miracle, wasn’t it? The trouble is, we call these things acts of God….

Is this the right kind of topic for a young adult book? Probably none better, I thought.

And the rest of the book fell into place like a clicking Rubik’s cube.

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