#stephen briggs

[downthetubes]

From the author of The Magic of Terry Pratchett, the Locus Award-winning first biography of Sir Terry, Marc Burrows new book, The Terry Pratchett Reader’s Guide, will get a launch at the upcoming Discworld Convention before its general release on 30th August, a guide that Itakes Pratchett seriously as a literary figure without taking the fun out of him.

First volume of The Terry Pratchett Reader’s Guide gets early launch at Discworld Convention

First volume of The Terry Pratchett Reader’s Guide gets early launch at Discworld Convention

[bbyclnrbnsn]

GUYS I'VE JUST BEEN CAST AS MALADICT IN MONSTROUS REGIMENT THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

I know very little about Discworld, fandom I hope I do you guys proud 🙏 any wisdom would be appreciated

[dearydearyme]

When it comes to Discworld audiobooks and the different versions, I feel spoiled because I love many of the narrators for different reasons.

For instance, I adore Stephen Briggs’ characterization of Igor. He plays him with such a jovial tone, I cheer when Igor shows up in his narrations. It’s a detail, yes, but it makes me oh so happy.

[agoodflyting]

I have accidentally psychologically conditioned myself to get sleepy when I hear Stephen Briggs voice.

Every single night for at least 5 years now, I've been listening to the Discworld novels on Audible at bedtime. Most of the ones I have are read by Stephen Briggs.

I just put one on outside of bedtime and was nearly asleep in minutes.

[genericnamenotkidding]

The Truth

Ive been having trouble with The Truth.

Been wanting to say that!!!! 🤣🤪

Anyway it’s taken me 8 days to read 334 pages which is definitely not my established average for a Discworld Book. But come page 226 I’ve been hooked, which is good, up till midnight reading. And now I’ll just binge read it until I’m done. I’m in the downhill run portion as the story comes to together and marches towards the end.

Don’t know if it’s the ‘stand alone’ book effect or because I was listening to the audio book as well.

I was enjoying Stephen Briggs’ narration. I know people on here aren’t keen on his voices but the psychic damage I take listening to Nigel Planer (try Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, it’s exactly as it sounds), is going to take some overcoming.

I was surprised my Briggs’ take on Vimes’ voice and a few others didn’t feel/sound like I thought they would in my head but I could certainly tell the difference between character so that’s great.

I am enjoying The Truth it’s got some very excellent lines and moment. Spoilers below the cut.

My Favourite so far.

Stop the Press and then the press literally taking him out.

William de Worde’s excellent sense of doom

“You didn’t have to respect lumps of metal and machines. Machines weren’t alive” and then the ongoing sense that the press is alive and organic and compelling. The ongoing vibe that it’s foreign ideas intruding on the Disc again, just like in Moving Pictures. Even the Patrician was getting Moving Picture vibes.

Frog Pills being made of highly toxic Klatchen Tree Frogs and the Bursar hallucinating he’s a bursar

The Bursar name being Dr. A.A. Dinwiddie, D.M. (7th), D. Thau, B. Occ, M. Coll, B.F. and my copy saying with an O whilst the audio book said with an e.

You cannot apply brakes to a volcano

The Patrician questioning Goodmountain about the operation and being very surprised Dibbler isn’t there, nothings cursed or built on a space time rift. Then spending the rest of the book (so far) in a coma.

Mr Tulip, his baggie problem, art appreciation and The Little Flower of Perpetual Annoyance.

Williams relationship with The Truth. “He’d found a hard truth less hard than an easy lie” and then he discovered how easy it is to make the truth suit his needs. And a burning passion for the truth “Because it makes my blood tingle, he thought. And because I’m not going to be used. By anyone”.

A lie can run around the world before the truth has got its boots on.

The sword of truth beating the dragon of lies

Dwarf marriage customs

William just being done. - When did you start pissing in the fountain of truth

It’s time Mr Slant said hello to my little friend

Mr Longshaft beheading his boiled egg with his small but very axe-like axe

The Golem Fire Brigade

See a man about a dog, see a dog about a man

All the times Otto has dusted himself.

William deliberately/explicitly choosing words over a sword

Finding Dibbler in the basement as the trapped source for all the Inquirer stories, which were oddly true. Talking dog, flying man, chicken lays egg three times in hurricane.

[betterthanapokeintheeye]

I've just published my review of Monstrous Regiment live in Cardiff performed by Monstrous Productions / Peculiar Productions.

A very welcome return to live Pratchett performances.

Review

[noirandchocolate]

In fact humans, once you get to meet them without a pitchfork in their hands, are remarkably focused and flexible creatures.  It is amazing what they will tolerate provided it is not done to them personally.  You will be pleasantly surprised.  These are city people.  Out in the rural areas, somebody sees everything.  In the city, however, provided you do not make too much noise or are excessively cruel to animals, and nod cheerfully to your neighbors should you encounter them, then no one will bother you until blood actually seeps through the partition wall.  And even then, they may well preface their opening remarks with ‘Excuse me…’  In short, humans in the city prevent themselves from going totally insane by ignoring all but a tiny amount of what is happening around them.  Provided that you follow our sensible advice and try to fit in, they simply will not notice you.

–Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs, “The Ankh-Morpork Archives”

(This is about vampires blending in with humans so I feel like it fits tumblr’s current collective fandom.)

[ankh-morpork-times]

A few words from Lord Havelock Vetinari

On the occasion of the twinning of Ankh-Morpork with Wincanton, 2002.

"This address was written by me, Terry Pratchett, and delivered with appropriate solemnity by Stephen Briggs, who has often played the part of Lord Vetinari in amateur dramatic plays: frankly, it’s hard to get him out of the costume! A bewildered bystander, I watched the twinning, which was of course attended by many, many fans wearing strange and exotic garments, in some cases quite possibly the same garments that they wear every day — but even they were very nearly outdone by the people of Ankh-Morpork who came out dressed, as they say, ‘en fête’. It was one of those occasions when some time afterwards you wake up and think ‘Did that really happen?’ And, on enquiring, I am very glad to hear that it did."

"My friends…

It is with extreme pleasure that I welcome this — I believe — very first twinning between one real and one apparently unreal city. I say apparently because here in Ankh-Morpork we are taking firm steps to make it clear to our citizens that there is indeed a place called Wincanton and that it hasn’t just been made up.

Fortunately we in Ankh-Morpork have the advantage of being the home of Unseen University, whose magical library potentially contains any book that will ever be written anywhere. And it was here, after some searching, we located A Specially Written Guide to Wincanton.

We learned that it is a town noted for the extreme wisdom of its men and the unsurpassed beauty of its women, for its racecourse and for its traditional manufacture of some wondrous thing known as ‘bed ticking’. Beyond that, it would appear that it does what my town does, which is to buckle down and make sure that tomorrow happens.

But we noted with particular interest its provision of large breakfasts to the passing world. According to the wizards of Unseen University, who are no strangers to the art of knife and fork, this is surely one of the noblest activities of mankind. We find, though, that after provisioning the hungry traveller the citizens of Wincanton let them continue on their way with most of their money intact, an oversight which would not be allowed in my own city, let me assure you.

Since an experimental portal was accidentally opened in the High Street, the citizenry may have noticed, in recent years, the occasional strange-garbed yet free-spending visitor from my world, just as we have occasionally received lost souls looking for a really good breakfast or the way back to a place called ‘the Ae Three oh Three’. After a meeting with your venerable councillors, it was decided that the only way to resolve the problem was to make this link formal.

And thus to the people of Wincanton we most heartily extend our hand of friendship, with the other hand hidden behind our backs, and I for one am looking forward to some big sausages and hearing my bed tick.

Lord Havelock Vetinari

Patrician of Ankh-Morpork"

— A Blink Of The Screen, Terry Pratchett