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Gaiman and Pratchett
On the back of my father’s copy of Good Omens was this photo. I read it in the mid-nineties and remember thinking how perfect it was for the book, how hilariously rock star they looked, and how I needed to grow Pratchett’s beard someday. Neil Gaiman wrote this about it: It was taken in Kensal Green Cemetery in February. Terry borrowed the white jacket from our editor, Malcolm Edwards, and grumbled that it did nothing to keep him warm on a very cold day. “Sometimes you have to be cold to look cool,” I told him. “It’s all right for you,” he said. “You’re wearing a leather jacket.” “You could…
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Hogfather (Discworld #20)
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Published: 1996 This is the 20th Discworld novel, and in it the Hogfather has gone missing. It’s absolutely imperative that the children get their presents on Hogswatch morning, so Death takes up the mantle (or in this case, the red and white suit stuffed with a pillow). The fate of the Discworld may depend on him. I always forget how much I love Terry Pratchett, and then I finally get around to reading another of his books, and I LOVE TERRY PRATCHETT. I thought I only read the beginning of Hogfather in high school, but about 200 pages in I finally realized I’d already read the…
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The Little Lies
Death explains to his granddaughter, Susan, why belief is important in Discworld. “All right,” said Susan. “I’m not stupid. You’re saying that humans need … fantasies to make life bearable.” Really? As if it was some kind of pink pill? No. Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape. “Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little —” Yes. As practice. You have to start out learning to believe the little lies. “So we can believe the big ones?” Yes. Justice. Mercy. Duty. That sort of thing. “They’re not the same at all!” You think so? Then take the universe and grind it down…