HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: pdcawley@cix.compulink.co.uk (Piers Cawley)
Subject: Re: Terry, don't read this, DW
Reply-To: pdcawley@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:58:41 +0000


TITLE: Re: Terry, don't read this, DW sug

in <1992Jul28.023704.856@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>
mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu(mike blaser) writes:
> NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> and dare I add
> 
> AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!
> 
> You CANNOT put that kind of <censored> into a <censored> discworld book. 
> For god's sake, these aren't vehicles for a load of <censored> computer
> geeks to rant about their latest add-ons to their pocket calculators. If 
> people are going to put any ideas down at all then can they at least try 
> and make them universally amusing instead of this sort of 'in joke'?

  Ah, but Mike, the whole point about having the thread is for us to
  kick around ideas that might be fun, but aren't likely to make it
  into the books. The discworld is an amazingly mutable creation. If
  we fancy having a laugh in this group by tossing about ideas about
  A'TuInterNet then, by the group's very nature, very few people who
  don't get the jokes are likely be reading.

  BTW, I meant Arteeyem, not Aremess.

+-------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Piers Cawley                  |                                      |
| pdcawley@cix.compulink.co.uk  |              THIS SPACE              |
+-------------------------------+                TO LET                |
| #include <pithy.statement     |                                      |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: nlc@vulcan.xtel.co.uk (Neil Cook)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Good Omens Gif in a.b.p.m
Keywords: GIF
Date: 21 Jul 92 13:29:31 GMT
Organization: X-Tel Services Ltd.

I am posting an 8 bit colour scan of the cover of Good Omens to 
alt.binaries.pictures.misc.

This was a really good book in my opinion, and it had the added bonus of being
by two of my favourite writers of the time. I was heavily into the Sandman 
comic, and of course all of Terry's books. I was absolutely stunned when I 
found out they were collaborating! I mean what happened? Did you read
my mind? How did you meet? Why do you always wear a black fedora-type hat in 
your publicity photos Terry? 

Hehe, just had a great idea - watch out for a Terry Pratchett GIF on a.b.p.m
RSN!

Re: The figures. I saw them in a shop in Nottingham, and I thought most of them
were great, especially the trolls. However, there was a touristy type figure
there, and if that was Twoflower, then I'm a small pottery jar used for storing
oat biscuits.

More gifs to follow if I can persuade my boss to let me borrow the video camera
again later - I've got Mort, Equal Rites (my FAVE Discworld book), and Pyramids
with me.

Actually, IMHO, Equal Rites was the first book with a serious side to it, and 
it actually made me realise that the DW (and Terry), had a LOT of mileage.

Care for a bite anyone?

Neil Cook(ie Jar).
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: ac463@yfn.ysu.edu (Rich Yauman)
Subject: The U.S.A. is being let down
Reply-To: ac463@yfn.ysu.edu (Rich Yauman)
Organization: St. Elizabeth Hospital, Youngstown, OH
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 05:56:24 GMT


Yes we in the U.S.A. are being let down, being let down by publishers
who don't bring Terry Pratchett's books over here.  Ok so Some books
do get here, but what about this book ERIC that I just heard about
because I mentioned Rincewind.  When I see a new Discworld book I buy
it without eveen reading the back cover, well ALright I do read the
backcover, but I already know that I'm going to buy the book before I do.
I think that most TP readers probably act pretty much the same when
a new DW book comes out, so why do publishers ignore the needs of thier
readers.  Its not like they can say that the books don't sell.  Because
if they didn't sell, they wouldn't of brought over the ones that they 
did.

That's my opinion, and I think I might right a letter to the publisher
about it.  Anybody know the name of who I should address it to?

-- 
 Rich Yauman ac463@yfn.ysu.edu  /  Only AMIGA USERS make it possible  /
------------------------------ /              ^^^^^                  /
If at first you don't succeed /_____________________________________/
Force it. If it breaks, it needed replaced anyway. -a Murphy's Law /
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu (Fox)
Subject: Unadulterated Cat
Summary: The Unadulterated Cat
Keywords: unadulterated cat book erm that's it
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 01:29:08 GMT

Has anyone read this one by TP?  I've seen it about, I followed its rise
and fall in the Sunday Times bestseller list and I totally failed to
get a copy to read myself or see any reviews on it.  Is this just a set
of observations on cats which any cat owner knows already?

Fox
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  /\_/\ F    
  \O O/ O               "What is a figment anyway?" 
   \o/  X 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes)
Subject: Re: New Questions for the FAQ
In-reply-to: nickles@sage.cc.purdue.edu's message of 22 Jul 92 18:28:28 GMT
Organization: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 00:34:12 EDT

In article <54765@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> nickles@sage.cc.purdue.edu (john a nickles) writes:

>Q: Is this the only newsgroup in which the object of affection himself
>appears?
>
>To the best of our knowledge.

I'm told that Mike Jittlov visits his fan newsgroup.

Then there's Kibo, of course, who reads all 3 (at last count) of his
fan groups.

--
  - Rich Holmes - - - - - - - - - - - - - rsholmes@mailbox.syr.edu -
	WARNING: This .sig has been cruelly tested on animals.
From: wald@theory.lcs.mit.edu (David Wald)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Reaper Man spoiler (was Re: DW setting and typoes)
Date: 27 Jul 92 17:42:34 GMT
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT

In article <4132@inca.comlab.ox.ac.uk> gordon@robots.oxford.ac.uk
(Gordon Buxton) writes:
>Do the humour possibilities of this stage interest you then? A
>specific example is the part in Reaper Man when Death talks to
>Azrael.  I found it a bit off putting to read the conversation on the
>left hand page, with this *HUGE* 'YES.' staring out from the page
>opposite, destroying the comic tension (IMHO).

You mean there was actually something *better* about the American
edition?

Wow.

-David
--
============================================================================
David Wald                                           wald@theory.lcs.mit.edu
   "Blessed are the peacocks, for they shall be called sonship of God"
             -- Matt 5:9, from a faulty QuickVerse 2.0
============================================================================
From: peter@micromuse.co.uk (Peter Galbavy)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Unadulterated Cat
Keywords: unadulterated cat book erm that's it
Date: 22 Jul 92 12:24:01 GMT
Organization: MicroMuse Limited, London, England.

In article <1992Jul22.012908.5856@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu>, mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu (Fox) writes:
> Has anyone read this one by TP?  I've seen it about, I followed its rise
> and fall in the Sunday Times bestseller list and I totally failed to
> get a copy to read myself or see any reviews on it.  Is this just a set
> of observations on cats which any cat owner knows already?
 
Yes, but done in the uniquely (strange) Pratchett style. Great book, and
the cats liked it too...

-- 
Peter Galbavy
Tech Support, Micromuse Ltd
Phone: +44 71 352 7774		E-Mail: P.Galbavy@micromuse.co.uk
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: berry@athos.pei.com (Berry Kercheval)
Subject: Re: DW Ideas 
Reply-To: berry@pei.com
Organization: Protocol Engines, Inc., Mt. View, California
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:12:29 GMT

>>>>> On Tue, 28 Jul 92 02:09:00 GMT, mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu (mike blaser) said:

mike> even if they DID read it. How can a wannabe writer pluck up the
mike> _courage_ to start jotting things onto paper?

Someone, I think it may have been R. A. Heinlein, once said "If an
aspiring writer CAN be discouraged from writing, he SHOULD be."

Meaning, as I interpret it, that one is more concerened with
publication, and will the editor like it, and what royalty rate will I
get, and should I double space the manuscript, and why won't they take
my 8" CPM diskette in wordstar format, and should I write in first
person or third? than with WRITING the darn book, then one doesn't
have the inner fire and drive it takes to be a writer.

Heinlein (and this time I'm sure it's him) also had several rules for
aspiring writers, just to show he wasn't all negative:

1) WRITE.  This seems obvious, but too many people (me, for instance)
   just talk about writing and never actually write anything.

2) FINISH what you write.

3) SEND it to editors.  KEEP sending it until you either run out of
   editors or it sells.

4) NEVER REWRITE except to an editor's request (i.e. an editor says "I
   will buy this if you make the elves cuter...").

5) KEEP WRITING!  While manuscript one makes the rounds, start on
   manuscript 2.  Go to step 1.


There!  Now the *real* writers can flame me to a crisp about how I've
got it all wrong and I'll sit back and learn something....


  --berry


--
Berry Kercheval :: berry@pei.com :: Protocol Engines, Inc.  Mt. View, CA
"And there's more where that came from!"
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu ( )
Subject: Re: DW Ideas 
Organization: Oakland University, Rochester MI.
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 17:29:15 GMT

In article <BERRY.92Jul28111229@athos.pei.com> berry@pei.com writes:
>1) WRITE.  This seems obvious, but too many people (me, for instance)
>   just talk about writing and never actually write anything.
>
>2) FINISH what you write.
>
>3) SEND it to editors.  KEEP sending it until you either run out of
>   editors or it sells.
>
>4) NEVER REWRITE except to an editor's request (i.e. an editor says "I
>   will buy this if you make the elves cuter...").
>
>5) KEEP WRITING!  While manuscript one makes the rounds, start on
>   manuscript 2.  Go to step 1.
>
>
>There!  Now the *real* writers can flame me to a crisp about how I've
>got it all wrong and I'll sit back and learn something....

Actually, Heinlein's rules on how to be a writer and Stephen King's
ideas (as per a magazine article about a year ago) on how to write
are some of the most useful guidelines on the mechanics of these
things that I've ever seen.

-- 
Michael Lucas				mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu
From: Jim.Davies@prg.ox.ac.uk (A Wooden Fish on Wheels)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: tb meets tp
Date: 28 Jul 92 23:28:23 GMT
Organization: Foundations for the Laboratory of Computer Science, Oxford



This is bait.  Ignore it.  In the context of talk.bizarre, it is
still sad, but somewhat less disturbing.

    NEWSGROUPS: ALT.FAN.PRATCHETT
    SENDER: RONE@ALCOR.USC.EDU (RON ECHEVERRI)

    FOLLOWUP-TO: ALT.FAN.PRATCHETT,MISC.TEST,TALK.BIZARRE

Note the clever followup line.  

    I'VE BEEN LOOKING THROUGH THIS GROUP AND I'VE GOTTA SAY <...> 
    <...> PRATCHET <...>

Note the shallow but insulting body.  Note the deliberate spelling
mistakes.  

      _ __                 __
     ' )  )               /  `     /
      /--' ________      /--   _. /_  _ , __/> __  __  o
     /  \_(_) / / <_    (___, (__/ /_</_\/ (__/ (_/ (_<_


Note the use of ye olde but goode uglyscript.  

    RUSH ARE WAY, WAY KOOL!!!

Note the final, crushing, blow to the readers sensibilities. 

There was a golden age of talk.bizarre, honestly.  When the only
groups to receive cross-postings were alt.prose, rec.arts.poems, and
rec.aquaria.  Insults would fly, sure, but they were _original_
flying insults.  The periodicity police made sure of that.  

It's going through a bit of a bad patch at the moment.  And this is
one of the symptoms.  Baiting other newsgroups, and trying to provoke
a response.  The result is a collective yawn, plus a little anger
from the innocent fish.  And that includes yours truly.  love.  Jim. 

     <@><  
     o o

--
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tdc1004@dircon.co.uk (Barry Freeman)
Subject: Re: DW setting and typoes
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 13:28:34 GMT

gordon@robots.oxford.ac.uk (Gordon Buxton) writes:

>In article <36199@sdcc12.ucsd.edu> garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton) writes:
>>In the meantime, where does Azrael (the name) come from ... I
>>know I have heard it before.
>
>err... Good Omens, by any chance :-)  (he does seem to have been
>'promoted' since then, though)
>
>Gordon
>
>-----------------------------
>gordon@ ...
>
>----- oh what's the use?
 
That's Aziraphael - the Guardian of the Gate of Eden...
BAzz
-- 
+-------------------------------------+---------------------------+
| TDC1004@dircon.co.uk                |  \__/  'Hey, Laser-Lips,  |
| The Fox's Den BBS +44-(0)689-827085 |  |oo|     Yer mother was  |
| Bazz@compulink.co.uk                |  :==:      a snow-blower!'|
From: andrewc@spider.co.uk (Andrew Cannon)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: DW ideas
Keywords: ideas thoughts idea plot plots
Date: 24 Jul 92 10:29:00 GMT
Organization: Spider Systems Limited, Edinburgh, UK.

In article <1992Jul22.220402.13550@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu (mike blaser) writes:
>
> (Stuff deleted)
>
>Think of it.  A band of vigilantes in rather amusing outfits sudenly appears
>on the scene in Ankh--Moorpork and proceed to 'wipe out injustice and
>crime wherever it may hide'.

The Shades.

> This is closely followed by a very fast disappearing act.

See I told you they'd gone into the Shades. Fighting crime in the Shades is a 
clever as a swimming gala in the river Ankh

>Enter the City Watch (and why not? When trouble beckons call
>in the Keystone Cops) who prove to be totaly useless as normal but
>have lots of fun while doing it.  Now the oppertunity arises for
>almost any pastiche on cop movies to be incorporated too (unless it's
>been done already in Guards! Guards!).  Why not have all the guilds
>contribute to making an R&D department for the Watch allowing
>them to make the DW equivalent of RoboCop? Or alternatively
>a total secret weapons workshop can be set up...

This dragon is the most powerfull dragon in the world......


>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>  /\_/\ F    
>  \O O/ O               "What is a figment anyway?" 
>   \o/  X 
                                    ^^^^^^^^
				   Its what you get in a light bulb init ?

-- 
|       Andy Cannon         | Bonvolu alsendi la pordiston,       |
|  Misplaced Yorkshireman   | lausajne estas rano en mia bideo.   |
|    Spider Systems Ltd     |                                     |
|   andrewc@spider.co.uk    |    1972 RD250 - "The Squeler"       |
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: mblaser@nyx.cs.du.edu (Fox)
Subject: Re: Good Omens Gif in a.b.p.m
Keywords: GIF
Organization: University of Denver, Dept. of Math & Comp. Sci.
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 01:17:41 GMT

nlc@vulcan.xtel.co.uk (Neil Cook) writes:

>More gifs to follow if I can persuade my boss to let me borrow the video camera
>again later - I've got Mort, Equal Rites (my FAVE Discworld book), and Pyramids
>with me.

>Actually, IMHO, Equal Rites was the first book with a serious side to it, and 
>it actually made me realise that the DW (and Terry), had a LOT of mileage.

>Care for a bite anyone?

GOOD GRIEF!!  Someone else who thinks Equal Rights is the best thing since
the last best thing!  I'm not alone *8)

ER WAS the first one with a serious side.  It seemed to be put together more 
like a comedy film than the preceeding two 'cartoon trailers' if you
see what I mean.  If you don't then don't worry, I'm useless at
analagies anyway *8)

Fox
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
  /\_/\ F    
  \O O/ O               "What is a figment anyway?" 
   \o/  X 
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: jarvis@smeg.reo.dec.com (Neil Jarvis)
Subject: Re: O and A levels
Reply-To: jarvis@smeg.reo.dec.com (Neil Jarvis)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 07:19:01 GMT


--
In article <35999@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>, garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton) writes:

>Someone@somebody.edu posted a message asking what O and A
>levels were. They are a relict of the British educational
                                       ^^^^^^^
>system, which was designed to get most people to 16+ at high
>school, with an extra 2 years for smart/destined for University.

Actually it is only England, Wales and Northern Ireland that have
O and A levels. Scotland have their own system of Lowers, Highers 
and Sixth Year Studies. Confusing, well even the English Universities
don't know what they are when you apply to them :-)

-Neil "British, unless provoked, when I become Scottish"
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: lpj@col.hp.com (Laura Johnson)
Subject: Re: Upcoming Stuff
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 15:35:20 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

morrow@fnalo.fnal.gov (The Jack Elmo Society Black Book) writes:
> 	Anybody have the address and name of Roc's publisher so we can badger
> and hedgehog him into releasing TP books faster?
> -- 

We must wolverine him. Much nastier.

On the same subject, does anyone know (Hi Terry) *why* we Americans are
thus disadvantaged? Do the DW books actually sell so poorly here that it's
not even worth publishing the hardcovers? That's kind of hard to believe,
at least for us rabid fans. 

-Laura
-- 
lpj@hpctdls.col.hp.com
Opinions expressed are my own, but may be licensed for a nominal fee.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
Subject: Re: Reepor Man
From: gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz (Nathan Torkington)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 02:15:55 GMT
Organization: Contract to CSC, Victoria Uni, Wellington, New Zealand

graeme@transquest.oe.fau.edu (Graeme Rae) writes:

   First Roc Printing, July 1992
   10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (what are these numbers for anyway!??)

Reprint numbers - they remove one each time they do a reprint; I
believe it works out easier than adding a new number each time.
Something stupid like that, anyway :-)

Nat.
(gnat@kauri.vuw.ac.nz -- Nathan Torkington -- is the electronic text and
 MS-DOS archivist for the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Subject: Re: Indonesian mythology
Reply-To: winalski@adserv.enet.dec.com (Paul S. Winalski)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Nashua NH
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:35:26 GMT


In article <36270@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>,
garton@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Simon Garton) writes:
|>
|>Why do I remember something about turtles, elephants and a flat
|>earth ? A friend I knew once had this gorgeous wooden statue of
|>the discworld, about 3ft high, only it wasn't the DiscWorld, but
|>the traditional Indonesian view ...
|>
|>or something ...

Hindu (Indian), I think.  In full form, I think a lotus flower grows out of
Vishnu's navel.  Swimming in a pool in the lotus flower is the world turtle,
on whose back stand four elephants facing in the four compass directions.
On their back is balanced the flat, disc-shaped world.

--PSW
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Re: DW setting and typoes
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 08:20:48 +0000

>On the occasions when the publishers actually took the disc of your book
>instead of paper did you do the typesetting and other DTP stuff at
>home and include it in the disc or was that strictly their department?

>Fox

No, as soon as we had a finished version (ie, my final draft plus any
editorial changes we agreed on) I turned over the disc.  I'm not interested
in the whole DTP bit -- I'm not knocking it, and maybe I'll get involved if
publishers get a little less technophobic, but right now I'm not hugely
attracted to it.

Terry
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk (Terry Pratchett)
Subject: Reepor Man                              
Cc: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Reply-To: tpratchett@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 14:01:00 +0000

Graeme, if you've got them noted can you email me so of the more stupid ones?
And I'll hit Roc with them.

Terry
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu ( )
Subject: Re: Patrician's assassination, plus two questions
Organization: Oakland University, Rochester MI.
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 12:20:24 GMT

In article <BrtHsq.CH6@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> cgreuter@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Chris Reuter) writes:

>sequel to Good Omens is just a rumour.  Besides, I recall reading here that 
>TP and NG have had a falling out over the movie rights to GO.  
>(Actually, it would be nice to get some details on that, lest rumours of 
>death threats and blood feuds start to circulate.)

What do you mean, "lest rumours of death threats and blood feuds start to
circulate"????

This is the only newsgroup that I've been on since its creation that hasn't
had a good, old-fashioned, all-out flamefest/rumorfest/backstabbing-growling-
throwing-things-even-quite-heavy-furniture-fest.  You people are all too
complacent and peaceful.  The rest of the Internet is going to get wind of
this, and who knows where it'll wind up!  They might end up disbanding us
as a threat to the network's violent integrity...


-- 
Michael Lucas				mwlucas@vela.acs.oakland.edu
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett
From: uhschreg@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Ulrich Schreglmann)
Subject: Re: Reepor Man 
Organization: Student Pool, CSD, University of Erlangen, Germany
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 07:27:28 GMT

uli@aida.intellektik.informatik.th-darmstadt.de (Ulrich Grepel) writes:

>In article <RSHOLMES.92Jul24002846@rodan.syr.EDU>, rsholmes@rodan.syr.EDU (Rich Holmes) writes:
>|> In article <BrsvB9.FrL@apollo.hp.com> johnf@apollo.hp.com (John Francis) writes:
>|> 
>|> >Oh - you said Roc?  Never mind!
>|> 
>|> Hitting a roc is a bad idea, too, unless you manage to kill it on the
>|> first try.
>|> 
>If you are careful enough, the Roc might not notice, but I won't try...

Why all the fuss killing it yourself? Just go into this sandwich joint
and order "Roc on Roll".


May the Cool be with You!

(C)OOL mcmxcii
From: ljc@otter.hpl.hp.com (Lee Carter)
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 14:03:06 GMT
Subject: Re: Alligator Sandwich
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett

This is a reference to a very, very old joke the correct rendition
of which is; "Get me an alligator sandwich and make it SNAPPY. "
Oui?
It was interesting to see how many variations of this joke Granny
Weatherwax could tell and still get it wrong.

Lee.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett