April 2003 – Page 8 – Priscilla Spencer

Copied straight from the Discworld Fanfiction egroup. But I’m sure VimesLady, who wrote the post, won’t mind. Spreading the love!

The New Discworld Companion has just been released. I’m expecting my copy by the first of April. Those of you who have the original ‘Discworld Companion’ (and I pity the Discworld fanfic author who does not) are familiar with Stephen Briggs’ fascinating and painstakingly detailed documentation of Discworld facts. The new version covers especially the books from ‘Jingo’ straight through ‘Night Watch’, and is a 544 page paperback with an awesome Paul Kidby cover. Stephen is the ultimate annotator of Discworld facts, and he works very closely with Terry in this regard. This means that Terry very often gives him background information which never quite made it into the novels, as well as occasional glimpses into future books. Stephen also mentioned at last year’s convention that PTerry was actually writing some of the material himself, when Briggs found himself seriously short of meeting deadlines. I am sooo excited; I’ve been waiting for this book for years!

The Wee Free Men is the next novel due out by Pratchett. This will be the second Discworld children’s book, the first being ‘The Amazing Maurice’. It features a 9-year-old who just may be a witch, and is described by Terry as “a classic fairy story but with the addition of the Nac Mac Feegle.” Those are the little blue guys introduced in ‘Carpe Jugularum’. I have seen several Proof copies of this book on eBay, but none, unfortunately, at a price I could afford to consider. The 279 page hardcover, complete with a Paul Kidby cover, is due to be released on May 1.

The Art of Discworld is scheduled for release on October 16, 2003. Filled with colour illustrations by the amazing Paul Kidby, with text provided by Pratchett himself, the 112-page large-size hardback is being billed as a companion to ‘The Last Hero’. Personally, however, I am envisioning a deluxe, much expanded version of ‘The Pratchett Portfolio’. We are promised a compendium of Discworld characters including the City Watch, the Witches, and the Wizards (and Wizzard), as well as locations such as Lancre, Uberwald and, of course, Ankh-Morpork. I have always considered Kidby’s work as canon, since PTerry previews everything he publishes. Besides, the man seems to have an ability to get into my head and put onto paper the images Terry has painted in my imagination. This is another book I have been hoping for for years.

Monstrous Regiment, the next novel in the Discworld series, is scheduled for publication in November, 2003. Having heard Pratchett read a passage from his computer screen last September, I can tell you that it deals with a young woman, Polly, who disguises herself as a male in order to enlist as a soldier, hoping to locate her brother who has gone missing in the war. I’m guessing that this is the war between Borogravia and Mouldavia mentioned in ‘Night Watch’, but don’t quote me on that. I do know that the protagonist finds herself in a regiment that includes a troll and a vampire. Although some characters from past books appear in minor roles, all the major characters are new.

Excuse me while I explode in a fit of overjoyed squeeage. *bursts*