cherydactyl: (Default)
Some but probably not all of you on my f'list know that Terry Pratchett, one of my favorite authors and the source of much glee for me and for my kids, announced fairly recently that he has an early onset form of Alzheimer's. He subsequently gave US $1 million to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust in the UK. Here's a copy of the speech he gave, which is also a good read. [livejournal.com profile] fastfwd proposed on [livejournal.com profile] discworld (the Discworld is the major fantasy world he writes in, with over 30 books in this setting) and in this post on his own journal that a half million of Pratchett's fans ("us") give one pound each, that the fans could match PTerry's donation, US $1 million being very roughly half a million pounds.

Another fan, [livejournal.com profile] gillo created a banner featuring PTerry from one of his movie cameos for this purpose:


If you have any interest at all, please consider giving a couple of bucks to this cause. I don't have any opinion whether giving to the UK fund that PTerry did is preferable over giving to your local Alzheimer's research fund.

Furthermore, the very first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, has just been made into a movie, which will be premiered in the UK at Easter on Sky One. A replica Luggage from the production, a full set of autographed Discworld books, a 30th anniversary edition of The Colour of Magic, signed by the stars of the movie, Sir David Jason and Sean Astin, and production notes on building the Luggage signed by PTerry, are up for auction on EBay here, currently going for £2,150.00. Proceeds are to go to the cause. If I were rich enough, I would bid on this in a heart beat.

After S and I finish reading The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, I think we might start on Good Omens, which is a PTerry collaboration with Neil Gaiman, and was my gateway to Gaiman's writing. The mainline Discworld novels are some of the best satire I've ever read. The juveniles (Maurice and the Tiffany Aching series) are some of the best kids' fantasy, and PTerry has received awards to corroborate my opinion, such as the Carnegie award Maurice received. If you haven't read PTerry's books, I strongly encourage you to do so. If you have read them, no doubt you are also a fan, so please throw a few bucks in to the pot for Alzheimer's in his honor.

ETA: and here's a newly minted website:http://www.matchitforpratchett.org/
This site includes other efforts, including a T-shirt sale, links to the US Alzheimer's foundation, and other auctions such as the rare and valued Once More* with Footnotes short story collection. There's also an lj fan who's talking about making and selling silk lilac boutinieres, a reference to a particular fictional memorial event in the Discworld.
cherydactyl: (fire)
I finally went and looked at the BPAL Good Omens collection descriptions.

OMFG, I would like the Crowley one, but now I gotta get my WAR on:
____
WAR
She finished the drink, hefted the sword over one shoulder, and looked around at the puzzled factions, who now encircled her completely. 'Sorry to run out on you, chaps,' she said. 'Would love to stay and get to know you better.'

The men in the room suddenly realized they didn't want to know her better. She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, but not up close.

And she held her sword, and she smiled like a knife.

Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks.
____

Spicy scents are it. I suppose the Crowley one is meant for a man, but I have always preferred spicy and citrusy, which are traditionally male scents.
cherydactyl: (Default)


via the [livejournal.com profile] discworld community. Cut-me-own-throat Dibbler is in heaven.

OTOH, Puh-lease DO NOT tell my 8-year old daughter about these...! I beg of you!
cherydactyl: (Default)
I've been reading Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching story, The Wee Free Men, to S lately. We just finished that one last night, and tonight we started the sequel, A Hat Full of Sky. I'm having a great time doing the pictsie voices. Yes, PICTsies: red-haired, tattooed, woad-covered, kilt-wearing, head-butting picts 6 inches high, the fiercest fairies in the Discworld.

For example, at one point while searching for someone who turns out to be Tiffany, the pictsies invade her dollhouse with assorted inhabitants...

"Hey, see here, it's a hoose! See, with wee chairies and things!"
...
"Hey, hey, hey, we're in the cushy stuff noo! There's a beid in this room. Wi' pillows!"
"Keep it doon--we don't want any o' them ta wake up!"
"Crivens, I'm as quiet as a wee moose! Aargh! There's sojers!"
"Whut d'ye mean, sojers?"

They've found the toy soldiers, thought Tiffany, trying not to breathe loudly.
...
"I got one! Hey, pal, can yer mammie sew? Stitch this! Aargh! He's got a heid on him like a tree!"
"Crivens! There's a body here wi' no heid at a'!"
"Aye, nae wonder, 'cause here's a bear! Feel ma boot, ye washoon!"
...
"Someone bit ma leg! Someone bit ma leg!"
"Come here! Ach, yer fightin' yersels, ye eejits! Ah'm fed up wi' the pairy yees!"



There is no feeling to match causing uncontrollable giggles in your 7-year old daughter.

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cherydactyl

September 2010

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