Thirith on 6/11/2007 at 12:46

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I thought that Neverwhere and Stardust were fun diversions. Neither of them was as good as Sandman, and they were definitely far less ambitious, but as enjoyable fantasy fare they were competent and entertaining.

American Gods was far more ambitious, but it is a novel of episodes; I don't think Gaiman is very good at sustaining a plot for more than a short story. Sandman works because there's a lot in there that is episodic; it adds to the mythology and the characterisation, but it isn't one overarching story.

SubJeff on 6/11/2007 at 14:20

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Good Lord they have haven't they? IMDB reveals the horrors! I never read Hogfather tbh. I was sick of him by the 8th book no by the time I was 15 and realised what repeato-Adams rip-off pap it all is. "Hi I'm the hero (or one of them) and in this next scene for some hilaaaaarious reason something tooooootalllly improbable but hillllarious will happen to save me from death like perhaps the knife disappearing into another dimension because things like that happen to me lol or something tooootalllly zaaaaaany and cooooooooll." Shut up Pratchett. It was amusing the first time. What, you can't count past 10? Dude, learn up to 100. With your lack of originality you'll need it. How many jokes about traditional fantasy stereotypes/situations can you make on 1 page you say? A few I'll wager but numbers don't make the funnys oh a baboon lol how original GET OUT.

Come on fett, how much of his drivel do you need to absorb before the crappiness of it becomes apparent. I agree that it amused me back in the day when I'd only read a few books but I think it was Wyrd Sisters that just made me a hater - the mountain "moving" for someone on a broomstick. Or maybe Guards Guards or the other City Watch one. There was a bit with a baby dragon, the captain and a whole "Do you feel lucky" skit on Dirty Harry that just made me :rolleyes:

I hate this guy. Can you tell?

fett on 6/11/2007 at 14:51

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Yah - I can tell!

I actually think his earlier Discworld novels are quite crap. He's gotten much better and much broader in his satire and parodies just in the last 4-5 books. Plus, where else can you read such bizzare and pointed spoofs of everything from Shakespeare to Dante, to waht? The Internet? It's obvious that Pratchett hates the world, so I'm in good company with him.

I don't get the complaints about him being an Adams rip-off. Apart from them both being British and attempting humor, they are nothing alike IMO. Too much love for the metaphysical maybe, but there are hundreds of authors who are guilty of that.

Thirith on 6/11/2007 at 15:10

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I'd recommend The Night Watch. I liked the Death books, especially Mort and Reaper Man, because I liked what Pratchett did with the character, but beyond that I also got fed up with early Pratchett. In the later ones that I've read, he puts a lot more emphasis on credible, changing main characters, though.

JayDee on 6/11/2007 at 23:06

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On the subject of the Golden Compass trailers, when I saw the first I was worried that one of the nifty things from the books were gone. The Deamons. I don't remember seeing the golden haired monkey at all, and I remember a scene or two with lots of people and no animals.

'S the new trailer any better?