You can't compare Terry Pratchett to anyone. He's a unique, original writer. He's that rare individual who makes a new style. He is what others imitate. Much better to say that someone else, for example Asimov, is like Terry Pratchett. Pratchett is erudite, something that has gotten lost in the race for conquest. Pratchett isn't for everyone. He's for those who think, those who have a broad and deep general education and a questioning point of view. (Okay. His tales are like the National Enquirer—on steroids and yet they make sense.) He's for those who love intellectual adventure without a safety net.
The cover of my paperback edition reports with pride "Think J.R.R. Tolkien with a sharper, more satiric edge. (Houston Chronicle)" Pratchett is like J.R.R. Tolkien the way a window is like a door. If I had to save my life by offering a similie, I would say that Terry Pratchett is most like George Carlin, only he tells better stories. Tolkien told fairy tales. The tales Pratchett makes up aren't related to fairies—unless you think his dwarves are fairies. He also writes about werewolves, death, and vampires in a country that seems a bit like Siberia on a planet that is flat. Pratchett is irreverent, sending up things, ideas and processes that have needed sending up for quite some time. Fresh is another good adjective.
Although Pratchett is categorized by the book publishing behemoth as "Fantasy" I tend to think of his work more as science fiction. He offers alternative explanations for everything from death to the structure of the universe. The world he creates just might possibly exist in an intersecting universe with a divergent set of physics. Seems like science fiction to me. Or maybe it's biological fantasy. There are certainly plenty of alternative life forms. Or maybe it's political/social satire fantasy. Comical bio-political fantasy?
Apparently "Fantasy" is the dumping ground publishers use instead of "Other." Pratchett, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and Stephen R. Donaldson are all "Fantasy." The category needs some refinement for sure.
Tired of ordinary stories? Is your mind numbed by best-seller schlock? Try Terry Pratchett and remember why you started reading.
Current Fads
Music. Paul McCartney Chaos and Creation in the Back Yard
Movie. The Inspector General (1949)
Radio. NPR (88.9); Liberty (98.9)
Activity. home work
Gadget. Palm Zire 21
News Source. BBC News - Americas
Reading. The Man Who Fought Alone –Stephen R. Donaldson; How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life –The Dalai Llama; Fortune; Learned Optimism –Martin E.P. Seligman; The Merriam Webster Thesaurus –Merriam-Webster; Better Homes and Gardens; Style Weekly; selected holiday circulars and catalogues. (Yes, I really am reading them all right now—I'm a reading addict. What can I say?)
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