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A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories
Far away and long ago, when dragons still existed and the only arcade game was ping-pong in black and white, a wizard cautiously entered a smoky tavern in the evil, ancient, foggy city of Morpork...
A truly unmissable, beautifully illustrated collection of unearthed stories from the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett: award-winning and bestselling author, and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld series.
Twenty early short stories by one of the world's best loved authors, each accompanied by exquisite original woodcut illustrations.
These are rediscovered tales that Pratchett wrote under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. Whilst none are set in the Discworld, they hint towards the world he would go on to create, containing all of his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination.
Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and go on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork...
A truly unmissable, beautifully illustrated collection of unearthed stories from the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett: award-winning and bestselling author, and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld series.
Twenty early short stories by one of the world's best loved authors, each accompanied by exquisite original woodcut illustrations.
These are rediscovered tales that Pratchett wrote under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. Whilst none are set in the Discworld, they hint towards the world he would go on to create, containing all of his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination.
Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and go on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork...
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2023
1082 people are currently reading
7721 people want to read
About the author
Terry Pratchett
684 books46k followersSir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,047 reviews
October 15, 2023
I've read some quite mean reviews of this collection, which I really don't understand.
These short stories are the beginning of Sir Terry's work.
I didn't love the stories but what I did love was hearing this wonderful writer's voice again. These are the stuff that the Discworld grew from. If you're expecting polished Discworld #35 then you've been misinformed as to what this collection represents.
So many of the characters were there in their first incarnation - Cohen the Barbarian, Albert, Rincewind ... so much of the Discworld was in that brain waiting to be sprung.
I guess a lot of people will grumble about this book but I won't be one of them. These are the beginnings. Enjoy them. Had it not been for some diligent digging about we'd not have them so thankyou publishers for putting this out. And frankly if Sir Terry's daughter is happy for these stories to get more publicity then I don't think any moaner has a leg to stand on.
I'm off to listen to Hogfather or Tiffany or any other Discworld to cheer myself up or have a good cry. Either is good.
These short stories are the beginning of Sir Terry's work.
I didn't love the stories but what I did love was hearing this wonderful writer's voice again. These are the stuff that the Discworld grew from. If you're expecting polished Discworld #35 then you've been misinformed as to what this collection represents.
So many of the characters were there in their first incarnation - Cohen the Barbarian, Albert, Rincewind ... so much of the Discworld was in that brain waiting to be sprung.
I guess a lot of people will grumble about this book but I won't be one of them. These are the beginnings. Enjoy them. Had it not been for some diligent digging about we'd not have them so thankyou publishers for putting this out. And frankly if Sir Terry's daughter is happy for these stories to get more publicity then I don't think any moaner has a leg to stand on.
I'm off to listen to Hogfather or Tiffany or any other Discworld to cheer myself up or have a good cry. Either is good.
November 15, 2023
How it all began - 4/5
Og is a caveman who stumbles upon fire and becomes an inventor.
A very short story that manages to perfectly balance a couple of important themes. Like how people can be a bit skeptical of new technology in the beginning, before seeing the virtues of it. And also how great power comes with great responsibility.
The Fossil Beach - 4/5
A geology student unearths a fossilized sea shell. If you put your ear to it, you can hear the sea. Not the sea we know today, but the sea that was when dinosaurs still dominated the planet. When the digging continues, they find the remains of a small lizard with a newspaper in its mouth. And the date of that newspaper is today.
I don’t want to spoil it, but this is quite fun.
The Real Wild West - 3/5
Nice little Western-style train heist story, set in an English-Welsh border town.
How Scrooge saw the Spectral Light (Ho! Ho! Ho!) and went happily back to Humbug – 3,5/5
Scrooge gets a nightly visit from the ghost of his old business colleague.
Not a retelling of the story as you might expect. Scrooge is not fazed by the ghost appearing before him at all, as this is not his first rodeo when it comes to ghosts. Though he does wonder why the ghost visits him, as he’s already changed his ways since the last ghostly visit. But the thing is, you can also have too much of a good thing.
Wanted: a fat, jolly Man with a red woolly Hat - 5/5
Father Christmas has had enough and quits his job. So he tries out a few other jobs. And fails at every single one of them. Except the last one. He actually seems to be a natural at that one.
Seems like a precursor of the Death books in the Discworld series. I really enjoyed this one. And the ending is just the icing on the cake.
A Partridge in a Post Box – 2,5/5
A postman has some trouble delivering a bird in a tree on his bicycle. It’s a present to a beautiful lady from her one true love. And the difficulty of the presents increases every time.
The New Father Christmas - 5/5
Father Christmas doesn’t agree with the demands of the workers in his big Christmas toy factory. So the workers go on strike. Afraid that he’ll have to cancel Christmas if this goes on any longer, Father Christmas decides to retire. And it doesn’t take the new Father Christmas long to modernize the entire factory. But is modernization always such a good thing?
The Great Blackbury Pie - 5/5
A millionaire wants to do something nice for the poor, to feed the world and let them know it's Christmas time again. So he asks the town clerk to provide him with one hundred pies. Unfortunately, the clerk wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation.
This is such a funny treat. And the thing is, the misunderstanding very subtly shows us that Christmas isn’t about the presents. It’s about people coming together and being able to share your joy and the festive experience with others.
How Good King Wenceslas went Pop for the DJ’s Feast of Stephen - 4/5
King Wenceslas notices a young man walking through the unbearably cold snow. Even though he is poor himself, the king wants to share what he has with the unfortunate young man on Christmas day.
What a heartwarming little twist.
Dragon Quest - 4/5
There’s a dragon sighting at Crumbling Castle. Since only one knight was brave enough to get out of bed in the morning, he’s sent to the castle to investigate and scare off the dragons.
This is another edition of a story known as Dragons at Crumbling Castle. Since I haven’t read that one, I can’t really compare the two. Though I’m very much looking forward to reading the other story. And it’s a sweet little story that shows that fighting isn’t always the answer.
The Gnomes from Home - 3/5
A man buys three garden gnomes. And it doesn’t take long for him to lose control of his own garden.
From the Horse’s Mouth – 3,5/5
What would a horse say if it was suddenly able to talk? And would it still allow itself to be treated the way it was? Or would it demand a little bit more respect?
Blackbury Weather - 3/5
Little black clouds attacking people. This could be a good premise for a Doctor Who story.
The Blackbury Jungle - 3/5
The mayor of Blackbury wants more flowers in the park. But the seeds the park keeper planted are rapidly growing and taking over the entire town.
The Haunted Steamroller - 3/5
When a steamroller overhears a conversation about her being scrapped, the steamroller lets everyone know that she’s not done living just yet.
The money Tree – 3,5/5
Rupert’s wife wants to buy a TV. But Rupert doesn’t have a lot of money to spare. But then he notices a lucrative advert in the papers. All he has to do is plant a little seed …
The old “money doesn’t grow on trees.” But what if it did?
The Blackbury Thing - 4/5
Something crashes deep into the ground. Something from out of space. Strange things start happening. And the police have no idea what’s going on.
The ending sure puts a smile on my face.
Mr Brown’s Holiday Accident – 5/5
On holiday, Mr Brown drives into something on an empty road.
A very interesting and creative concept. It shows that everyone is the protagonist of their own story. And that it pays off to go off track every once in a while. Funny ending too.
Pilgarlic Towers - 3/5
The ruins of Pilgarlic Towers are going to get pulled down, to make room for a motorway. But the ghosts living there don’t feel like haunting a motorway. So they make their way to London to save their home and let their voices be heard.
This feels a bit similar in concept to the later book Johnny and the Dead.
The Quest for the Keys - 4/5
A wizard walks into a bar, looking for a hired sword. Because the wizard wants to get his hands on some treasure and he needs some muscle to do all the hard and dangerous work for him.
This feels like the early seeds being planted of what would later blossom into the first Rincewind books. The wizard here has a few things in common with the Discworld’s first protagonist Rincewind, though he’s less sympathetic. And he also feels a bit reminiscent of another memorable Discworld character. So for any Discworld fan, this is easily one of the highlights of the book. The story itself also reminds me a bit of the classic Doctor Who story The Keys of Marinus.
These are all short stories Terry Pratchett wrote for a newspaper while he was still a journalist, before he officially became a full time author. And even though he still needed to sharpen his writing tools so early in his career as an author, it’s clear Terry Pratchett was already a very talented and creative writer at the time. The foreword by Neil Gaiman and the story of how these stories were re-discovered make this book all the more special, so I’ll not be spoiling that here.
If you’re already a fan of Terry Pratchett, you’ll love this. If you’re new to him as an author, this probably isn’t the best place to start. Because here, Terry Pratchett was still experimenting, polishing his skills and trying to find his own writing style. Though one can already see his brilliance and flashes of what’s to come on display here, as some of these stories form the rough foundations upon which some Discworld stories were later built.
Og is a caveman who stumbles upon fire and becomes an inventor.
A very short story that manages to perfectly balance a couple of important themes. Like how people can be a bit skeptical of new technology in the beginning, before seeing the virtues of it. And also how great power comes with great responsibility.
The Fossil Beach - 4/5
A geology student unearths a fossilized sea shell. If you put your ear to it, you can hear the sea. Not the sea we know today, but the sea that was when dinosaurs still dominated the planet. When the digging continues, they find the remains of a small lizard with a newspaper in its mouth. And the date of that newspaper is today.
I don’t want to spoil it, but this is quite fun.
The Real Wild West - 3/5
Nice little Western-style train heist story, set in an English-Welsh border town.
How Scrooge saw the Spectral Light (Ho! Ho! Ho!) and went happily back to Humbug – 3,5/5
Scrooge gets a nightly visit from the ghost of his old business colleague.
Not a retelling of the story as you might expect. Scrooge is not fazed by the ghost appearing before him at all, as this is not his first rodeo when it comes to ghosts. Though he does wonder why the ghost visits him, as he’s already changed his ways since the last ghostly visit. But the thing is, you can also have too much of a good thing.
Wanted: a fat, jolly Man with a red woolly Hat - 5/5
Father Christmas has had enough and quits his job. So he tries out a few other jobs. And fails at every single one of them. Except the last one. He actually seems to be a natural at that one.
Seems like a precursor of the Death books in the Discworld series. I really enjoyed this one. And the ending is just the icing on the cake.
A Partridge in a Post Box – 2,5/5
A postman has some trouble delivering a bird in a tree on his bicycle. It’s a present to a beautiful lady from her one true love. And the difficulty of the presents increases every time.
The New Father Christmas - 5/5
Father Christmas doesn’t agree with the demands of the workers in his big Christmas toy factory. So the workers go on strike. Afraid that he’ll have to cancel Christmas if this goes on any longer, Father Christmas decides to retire. And it doesn’t take the new Father Christmas long to modernize the entire factory. But is modernization always such a good thing?
The Great Blackbury Pie - 5/5
A millionaire wants to do something nice for the poor, to feed the world and let them know it's Christmas time again. So he asks the town clerk to provide him with one hundred pies. Unfortunately, the clerk wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation.
This is such a funny treat. And the thing is, the misunderstanding very subtly shows us that Christmas isn’t about the presents. It’s about people coming together and being able to share your joy and the festive experience with others.
How Good King Wenceslas went Pop for the DJ’s Feast of Stephen - 4/5
King Wenceslas notices a young man walking through the unbearably cold snow. Even though he is poor himself, the king wants to share what he has with the unfortunate young man on Christmas day.
What a heartwarming little twist.
Dragon Quest - 4/5
There’s a dragon sighting at Crumbling Castle. Since only one knight was brave enough to get out of bed in the morning, he’s sent to the castle to investigate and scare off the dragons.
This is another edition of a story known as Dragons at Crumbling Castle. Since I haven’t read that one, I can’t really compare the two. Though I’m very much looking forward to reading the other story. And it’s a sweet little story that shows that fighting isn’t always the answer.
The Gnomes from Home - 3/5
A man buys three garden gnomes. And it doesn’t take long for him to lose control of his own garden.
From the Horse’s Mouth – 3,5/5
What would a horse say if it was suddenly able to talk? And would it still allow itself to be treated the way it was? Or would it demand a little bit more respect?
Blackbury Weather - 3/5
Little black clouds attacking people. This could be a good premise for a Doctor Who story.
The Blackbury Jungle - 3/5
The mayor of Blackbury wants more flowers in the park. But the seeds the park keeper planted are rapidly growing and taking over the entire town.
The Haunted Steamroller - 3/5
When a steamroller overhears a conversation about her being scrapped, the steamroller lets everyone know that she’s not done living just yet.
The money Tree – 3,5/5
Rupert’s wife wants to buy a TV. But Rupert doesn’t have a lot of money to spare. But then he notices a lucrative advert in the papers. All he has to do is plant a little seed …
The old “money doesn’t grow on trees.” But what if it did?
The Blackbury Thing - 4/5
Something crashes deep into the ground. Something from out of space. Strange things start happening. And the police have no idea what’s going on.
The ending sure puts a smile on my face.
Mr Brown’s Holiday Accident – 5/5
On holiday, Mr Brown drives into something on an empty road.
A very interesting and creative concept. It shows that everyone is the protagonist of their own story. And that it pays off to go off track every once in a while. Funny ending too.
Pilgarlic Towers - 3/5
The ruins of Pilgarlic Towers are going to get pulled down, to make room for a motorway. But the ghosts living there don’t feel like haunting a motorway. So they make their way to London to save their home and let their voices be heard.
This feels a bit similar in concept to the later book Johnny and the Dead.
The Quest for the Keys - 4/5
A wizard walks into a bar, looking for a hired sword. Because the wizard wants to get his hands on some treasure and he needs some muscle to do all the hard and dangerous work for him.
This feels like the early seeds being planted of what would later blossom into the first Rincewind books. The wizard here has a few things in common with the Discworld’s first protagonist Rincewind, though he’s less sympathetic. And he also feels a bit reminiscent of another memorable Discworld character. So for any Discworld fan, this is easily one of the highlights of the book. The story itself also reminds me a bit of the classic Doctor Who story The Keys of Marinus.
These are all short stories Terry Pratchett wrote for a newspaper while he was still a journalist, before he officially became a full time author. And even though he still needed to sharpen his writing tools so early in his career as an author, it’s clear Terry Pratchett was already a very talented and creative writer at the time. The foreword by Neil Gaiman and the story of how these stories were re-discovered make this book all the more special, so I’ll not be spoiling that here.
If you’re already a fan of Terry Pratchett, you’ll love this. If you’re new to him as an author, this probably isn’t the best place to start. Because here, Terry Pratchett was still experimenting, polishing his skills and trying to find his own writing style. Though one can already see his brilliance and flashes of what’s to come on display here, as some of these stories form the rough foundations upon which some Discworld stories were later built.
October 29, 2023
A Stroke of the Pen is a brilliant collection of short stories by the late Terry Pratchett.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was super excited to be approved for this ARC on NetGalley. Not to mention that the forward is written by Neil Gaiman, who is my very favorite author, so … bonus!
As expected, Sir Terry did not disappoint. This collection is tremendously amusing and full of humor that I could only describe as, well, Pratchett-esque. It's not quite Good Omens perfection-wise, but it's probably not really fair to compare a bundle of short stories to a full-length novel. My favorite story of the group is perhaps “A Partridge in a Post Box,” in which an extremely dedicated postman must figure out how to deliver some rather unexpected items to a young lady's home. Really, though, all of these stories are worth reading and there's not a bad one in the bunch. I found myself frequently chuckling out loud, which is not something I often do while reading.
The stories themselves aside, I also really enjoyed learning about how they were rediscovered after having been lost for decades. Bravo to the amazing individuals who made it possible, because I am absolutely thrilled to be reading “new” works by Terry Pratchett after all these years.
This book is an absolute must-read for any fans of Terry Pratchett, or for new fans-in-the-making who enjoy humorous and clever fantasy stories.
Final rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up. Definitely give this one a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
As expected, Sir Terry did not disappoint. This collection is tremendously amusing and full of humor that I could only describe as, well, Pratchett-esque. It's not quite Good Omens perfection-wise, but it's probably not really fair to compare a bundle of short stories to a full-length novel. My favorite story of the group is perhaps “A Partridge in a Post Box,” in which an extremely dedicated postman must figure out how to deliver some rather unexpected items to a young lady's home. Really, though, all of these stories are worth reading and there's not a bad one in the bunch. I found myself frequently chuckling out loud, which is not something I often do while reading.
The stories themselves aside, I also really enjoyed learning about how they were rediscovered after having been lost for decades. Bravo to the amazing individuals who made it possible, because I am absolutely thrilled to be reading “new” works by Terry Pratchett after all these years.
This book is an absolute must-read for any fans of Terry Pratchett, or for new fans-in-the-making who enjoy humorous and clever fantasy stories.
Final rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up. Definitely give this one a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
December 14, 2025
„Едно драсване на перото“ е много симпатичен сборник! Той съдържа различни неизвестни разкази, които Пратчет е писал като млад за вестниците. Не успяха да ми въздействат толкова силно, колкото по-късните му гениални творби, но все пак приятно ме изненадаха и мисля, че ще допаднат на всички почитатели на автора. Любимата ми история от книгата е „Джунглата в Блекбъри“.
December 2, 2023
I saw this not too long ago and was afraid it was a money-grab. Fans of Sir Terry know, after all, that he had instructed his assistant to destroy all his notes and ideas for future books after his death (and he did). After a little research, I was pleased to find out that these were, in fact, very OLD stories. Usually published in newspapers, often under pseudonyms. Some fans started tracking them down and preserving them at one point and contacted other people who had some they didn't.
Thus, we get 20 stories of a very young Sir Terry. Stories of various topics (we get time travel, dinosaurs, cavemen, ghosts, and more).
Some stories had elements and names that either reminded me of Discworld or actually ended up as a place or character in that later series. So that was nice.
However, the stories themselves, while in no way bad, were ... mediocre?
We sometimes get a few dryly witty lines that so are Sir Terry's trademark, but nothing like we are all used to and love in his magnum opus. I didn't expect these to be as good as the later books, but it still filled me with a bit of melancholy.
Nevertheless, it IS a nice collection with a touching introduction by Gaiman and I like that so many big names of the UK literary and TV scene have come or been brought together to breathe life into these tales. Oh, and at least the hardcover edition has some lovely black-and-white illustrations, too!
Yes, this is for fans and completionists mostly. But I don't care. It was a nice few hours spent with one of my favorite authors - or the him that preceeded that genius.
Thus, we get 20 stories of a very young Sir Terry. Stories of various topics (we get time travel, dinosaurs, cavemen, ghosts, and more).
Some stories had elements and names that either reminded me of Discworld or actually ended up as a place or character in that later series. So that was nice.
However, the stories themselves, while in no way bad, were ... mediocre?
We sometimes get a few dryly witty lines that so are Sir Terry's trademark, but nothing like we are all used to and love in his magnum opus. I didn't expect these to be as good as the later books, but it still filled me with a bit of melancholy.
Nevertheless, it IS a nice collection with a touching introduction by Gaiman and I like that so many big names of the UK literary and TV scene have come or been brought together to breathe life into these tales. Oh, and at least the hardcover edition has some lovely black-and-white illustrations, too!
Yes, this is for fans and completionists mostly. But I don't care. It was a nice few hours spent with one of my favorite authors - or the him that preceeded that genius.
July 16, 2024
Yesterday, July 11, 2024, I started listening to the audiobook and was enjoying it so much that I invited Simon to join me. This evening, I started over from the beginning, this time with Simon.
Update on Weds, July 16th: We finished listening this evening, with our feet up, leaning back on the couch after a long day of shopping for items for our new home. The stories varied in length and there were several narrators, some whom have read previous books by Terry Pratchett and others who were connected with the author in some way. It was a real treat to hear new stories from such a creative and imaginative person, and read by some of my favorite narrators.
The book is introduced and an explanation provided of how the stories were rediscovered, and then published. Next, Neil Gaiman provides a lovely, yet very honest, ode to Terry Pratchett, which he wrote in May 2023 and reads aloud himself.
Gaiman refers to these stories as "ram raider stories," and adds that Pratchett "has a certain amount of space on the newspaper page, which means he has a certain number of words to fill, no less, and no more, and he's going to start, build, and finish his story to the word count. He's going to hook you as quickly as he can and drag you through to the end. He's not a humorist, not yet, and he's definitely not the blazing satirist he would become."
Then, there is a short introduction by publisher Colin Smythe who explains that Pratchett wrote short stories for the Western Daily Press under the pseudonym Patrick Cairns.
Finally, here are the stories in the order that we heard them:
How it all Began - read by David Tennant (8 minutes)
The Fossil Beach - read by Claire Foy (20 minutes)
The Real Wild West - read by Steffan Rhodri (13 minutes)
How Scrooge Saw the Spectral Light (Ho! Ho! Ho!) and Went Happily Back to Humbug - read by Jon Culshaw (8 minutes)
Wanted_A Fat, Jolly Man With a Red Woolly Hat - read by Derek Jacobi (8 minutes)
A Patridge in a Post Box - read by David Jason (7 minutes)
The New Father Christmas - read by Derek Jacobi (7 minutes)
The Great Blackbury Pie - read by Katherine Parkinson (6 minutes)
How Good King Wenceslas Went Pop for the DJ's Feast of Stephen - read by Paterson Joseph (7 minutes)
Dragon Quest (an earlier version of Dragons at Crumbling Castle) - read by Hallie Morahan (15 minutes)
The Gnomes From Home - read by Indira Varma (9 minutes)
From the Horse's Mouth - read by Tony Robinson (11 minutes)
Blackbury Weather - read by Nigel Planer (11 minutes)
The Blackbury Jungle - read by Maggie Service (11 minutes)
The Haunted Steamroller - read by Stephen Briggs (13 minutes)
The Money Tree - read by Rhianna Pratchett (9 minutes)
The Blackbury Thing - read by Jason Watkins (10 minutes)
Mr Brown's Holiday Accident - read by Richard Coyle (16 minutes)
Pilgarlic Towers - read by Mathew Baynton (11 minutes)
The Quest for the Keys - read by Rob Wilkins (59 minutes)
Update on Weds, July 16th: We finished listening this evening, with our feet up, leaning back on the couch after a long day of shopping for items for our new home. The stories varied in length and there were several narrators, some whom have read previous books by Terry Pratchett and others who were connected with the author in some way. It was a real treat to hear new stories from such a creative and imaginative person, and read by some of my favorite narrators.
The book is introduced and an explanation provided of how the stories were rediscovered, and then published. Next, Neil Gaiman provides a lovely, yet very honest, ode to Terry Pratchett, which he wrote in May 2023 and reads aloud himself.
Gaiman refers to these stories as "ram raider stories," and adds that Pratchett "has a certain amount of space on the newspaper page, which means he has a certain number of words to fill, no less, and no more, and he's going to start, build, and finish his story to the word count. He's going to hook you as quickly as he can and drag you through to the end. He's not a humorist, not yet, and he's definitely not the blazing satirist he would become."
Then, there is a short introduction by publisher Colin Smythe who explains that Pratchett wrote short stories for the Western Daily Press under the pseudonym Patrick Cairns.
Finally, here are the stories in the order that we heard them:
How it all Began - read by David Tennant (8 minutes)
The Fossil Beach - read by Claire Foy (20 minutes)
The Real Wild West - read by Steffan Rhodri (13 minutes)
How Scrooge Saw the Spectral Light (Ho! Ho! Ho!) and Went Happily Back to Humbug - read by Jon Culshaw (8 minutes)
Wanted_A Fat, Jolly Man With a Red Woolly Hat - read by Derek Jacobi (8 minutes)
A Patridge in a Post Box - read by David Jason (7 minutes)
The New Father Christmas - read by Derek Jacobi (7 minutes)
The Great Blackbury Pie - read by Katherine Parkinson (6 minutes)
How Good King Wenceslas Went Pop for the DJ's Feast of Stephen - read by Paterson Joseph (7 minutes)
Dragon Quest (an earlier version of Dragons at Crumbling Castle) - read by Hallie Morahan (15 minutes)
The Gnomes From Home - read by Indira Varma (9 minutes)
From the Horse's Mouth - read by Tony Robinson (11 minutes)
Blackbury Weather - read by Nigel Planer (11 minutes)
The Blackbury Jungle - read by Maggie Service (11 minutes)
The Haunted Steamroller - read by Stephen Briggs (13 minutes)
The Money Tree - read by Rhianna Pratchett (9 minutes)
The Blackbury Thing - read by Jason Watkins (10 minutes)
Mr Brown's Holiday Accident - read by Richard Coyle (16 minutes)
Pilgarlic Towers - read by Mathew Baynton (11 minutes)
The Quest for the Keys - read by Rob Wilkins (59 minutes)
December 2, 2023
If, like me, you assumed the “Lost Stories” subtitle to be a marketing ploy—actually meaning “previously uncollected”—you’re in for quite a surprise. The tale of how a couple of dedicated fans unearthed these unattributed stories, written under pseudonyms for newspapers during the 1970s and 80s, is as fascinating as the fiction that follows. Not even those closest to Terry knew these existed; what was once lost has now, accidentally and posthumously, been found.
Throughout these twenty stories, you can watch Terry honing his craft and finding his voice on his way to becoming Terry Pratchett. These were written long before he came up with Discworld, but you can tell that it partly grew from here—many include the first incarnations of characters, ideas, and places that he would later fully develop and incorporate into the series. Particularly the final story, The Quest for the Keys, the only fantasy story included, taking up almost a third of the book, contains a first mention of Morpork (no Ankh yet), as well as precursors of the Unseen University wizards, Cohen the Barbarian, and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler.
The stories that precede it are mostly short, sort of juvenile, and absurdly English; many of them are under-baked or suffer from rushed endings, but they contain sparks of charming originality. Even though none are set on the not-yet-thought-of Discworld, they seem to hint at the magical universe Terry would later go on to create. There’s about half a dozen Christmas stories, some of which play with ideas later revisited in Mort and Hogfather, and another half-dozen is set in or around the Gritshire town of Blackbury, in which weird happenings, such as UFO landings, talking horses, peculiar weather, a hundred-yard meat pie, haunted steamrollers, and defiant evicted ghosts are par for the course. Terry also takes us back to prehistoric times, into the Welsh-English Wild West, behind the scenery in a Truman Show-like story, and into the gardens of people reluctantly hosting an opportunistic gnome or growing a bona fide money tree.
Are any of these stories essential? No, and they can’t hold a candle to what was yet to come from Terry’s pen, but to the Pratchett completist, they are a miraculous treasure: After Terry’s death, his business manager and literary executor Rob Wilkins drove a steamroller over the hard drive containing all of his work in progress, fulfilling Terry’s request for all his unfinished drafts to be destroyed; this is the last “new” Pratchett we’ll ever get.
Throughout these twenty stories, you can watch Terry honing his craft and finding his voice on his way to becoming Terry Pratchett. These were written long before he came up with Discworld, but you can tell that it partly grew from here—many include the first incarnations of characters, ideas, and places that he would later fully develop and incorporate into the series. Particularly the final story, The Quest for the Keys, the only fantasy story included, taking up almost a third of the book, contains a first mention of Morpork (no Ankh yet), as well as precursors of the Unseen University wizards, Cohen the Barbarian, and Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler.
The stories that precede it are mostly short, sort of juvenile, and absurdly English; many of them are under-baked or suffer from rushed endings, but they contain sparks of charming originality. Even though none are set on the not-yet-thought-of Discworld, they seem to hint at the magical universe Terry would later go on to create. There’s about half a dozen Christmas stories, some of which play with ideas later revisited in Mort and Hogfather, and another half-dozen is set in or around the Gritshire town of Blackbury, in which weird happenings, such as UFO landings, talking horses, peculiar weather, a hundred-yard meat pie, haunted steamrollers, and defiant evicted ghosts are par for the course. Terry also takes us back to prehistoric times, into the Welsh-English Wild West, behind the scenery in a Truman Show-like story, and into the gardens of people reluctantly hosting an opportunistic gnome or growing a bona fide money tree.
Are any of these stories essential? No, and they can’t hold a candle to what was yet to come from Terry’s pen, but to the Pratchett completist, they are a miraculous treasure: After Terry’s death, his business manager and literary executor Rob Wilkins drove a steamroller over the hard drive containing all of his work in progress, fulfilling Terry’s request for all his unfinished drafts to be destroyed; this is the last “new” Pratchett we’ll ever get.
June 27, 2024
Antes de publicar Mundodisco, Pratchett trabajaba para un periódico y escribía relatos que publicaba bajo seudónimo porque lo hacía en el periódico de la competencia. No sé muy bien cómo pero esto nunca se supo hasta hace unos años que lo descubrieron. Y gracias a esto tenemos veinte relatos donde podemos ver la semilla de muchas de las ideas que aparecen en Mundodisco.
Los relatos son entretenidos con el sello de humor del autor y la narración de Raul Llorens los eleva un poco más. Tampoco son indispensables y no es necesario leerlos para leer Mundodisco. Pero si este verano no te apetece leer ningún tocho puede ser una buena lectura.
Los relatos son entretenidos con el sello de humor del autor y la narración de Raul Llorens los eleva un poco más. Tampoco son indispensables y no es necesario leerlos para leer Mundodisco. Pero si este verano no te apetece leer ningún tocho puede ser una buena lectura.
January 16, 2024
An unexpected treat years after Pratchett's death. Unearthed early short stories from local press where Pratchett started out as a journalist. Brief and charming and hints throughout of the Discworld novels that were to come, along with early touches of the wit and humour that would make Pratchett so popular. Still much missed, a delight to find these little gems.
October 19, 2023
Formerly unpublished found stories by Sir Pratchett written under pseudonym likely at the very beginning of his fantastic career. 8 of 10 stars
January 15, 2025
Oj sir Terry ile Ty radości człowiekowi sprawiasz♥️ Wspaniale odkrywało się stare opowiadania autora, w których dopiero zaczynał swoją przygodę z pisaniem. Nie przestaje mnie zdumiewać jak bardzo był kreatywnym i oryginalnym pisarzem, co jak się okazuje udowadniał jeszcze przed Światem Dysku. Znajdziemy w tym zbiorze niesamowite pomysły (od opętanego walca parowego po zaczarowane drzewa), a co najważniejsze naprawdę dobrze się je czyta i kilka razy śmiałam się na głos, a usmiechalam prawie przez cały czas. Nie wiem co to za magiczne ciepło jest w jego piórze, ale mnie czaruje od lat i zawsze sprawia, że wracam do domu.
October 20, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
This is a collection of stories that were originally published in newspapers under the pseudonyms Patrick Kearns or Uncle Jim before the Discworld was even a mote in Terry Pratchett's marvelously creative brain. These stories are mostly amusing but have a distinct juvenile flavour, so I suspect they were originally written for a younger audience, though grown-ups can enjoy them too. Some stories appealed to me more than others, but it's fascinating to see how Pratchett developed and re-used ideas, and eventually incorporated some of it in his more famous Discworld novels.
This is a collection of stories that were originally published in newspapers under the pseudonyms Patrick Kearns or Uncle Jim before the Discworld was even a mote in Terry Pratchett's marvelously creative brain. These stories are mostly amusing but have a distinct juvenile flavour, so I suspect they were originally written for a younger audience, though grown-ups can enjoy them too. Some stories appealed to me more than others, but it's fascinating to see how Pratchett developed and re-used ideas, and eventually incorporated some of it in his more famous Discworld novels.
November 22, 2024
These are the stories Pratchett wrote under the pen name Patrick Kearns. It was earlier in his career, but one can clearly see his genius blossoming even in these early short stories. These are not just for the Pratchett completionist, they stand up well even if one never read anything by him. A strong recommend.
June 18, 2024
This book is a compilation of magical and hilarious short stories by a young Terry Pratchett. Each one unique, funny, inventive with play on words and a one of a kind study of humankind.
Storytelling at its best, wonderful characters and situations like talking horses, entrepreneurial gnomes, Santa looking for another job and Og the first inventor in the history of the world are some of the weirdest and wonderful characters you will encounter. This crazy place called Blackbury seems to me an ideal place to live. My only pet peeve was some of the endings of the stories, they seemed abrupt and flat, like running a marathon for hours and suddenly coming to a sudden stop.
This is how you tell a story, with wit a little bit of humor and a deep insight into what is called the human race.
Storytelling at its best, wonderful characters and situations like talking horses, entrepreneurial gnomes, Santa looking for another job and Og the first inventor in the history of the world are some of the weirdest and wonderful characters you will encounter. This crazy place called Blackbury seems to me an ideal place to live. My only pet peeve was some of the endings of the stories, they seemed abrupt and flat, like running a marathon for hours and suddenly coming to a sudden stop.
This is how you tell a story, with wit a little bit of humor and a deep insight into what is called the human race.
March 14, 2024
Opowiadania Pratchetta, o których dotąd nie mieliśmy pojęcia? Biorę w ciemno!
Jeju, jak ja się dobrze przy tym bawiłam! To jest książka dla absolutnie każdego - od 5 do 105 roku życia. Mamy tutaj wszystko, bo jest i gadający koń, i Mikołaj szukający pracy, i szalone bananowce, i pub jurajski, i opętany walec drogowy, i gnomy, i nawet spotykamy Scrooge’a!
Jak ogromną wyobraźnię trzeba mieć i jak mocno rozwinięty zmysł obserwacji, żeby napisać coś takiego? Uważam, że autor był po prostu geniuszem i nikt mnie nie przekona, że było inaczej.
Wszystkie te opowiadania pochodzą z młodzieńczych lat autora. Z książki dowiadujemy się również, dlaczego dopiero teraz możemy je przeczytać. I to też jest ciekawa historia!
Chyba nikt nie potrafił i nie potrafi tak dobrze w absurd, jak Pratchett. Nikt też nie potrafi tak rozśmieszyć. Więc jeśli nie ma konkurencji, to pozostaje mi powiedzieć tylko tyle: MUSICIE TO PRZECZYTAĆ!
Jeju, jak ja się dobrze przy tym bawiłam! To jest książka dla absolutnie każdego - od 5 do 105 roku życia. Mamy tutaj wszystko, bo jest i gadający koń, i Mikołaj szukający pracy, i szalone bananowce, i pub jurajski, i opętany walec drogowy, i gnomy, i nawet spotykamy Scrooge’a!
Jak ogromną wyobraźnię trzeba mieć i jak mocno rozwinięty zmysł obserwacji, żeby napisać coś takiego? Uważam, że autor był po prostu geniuszem i nikt mnie nie przekona, że było inaczej.
Wszystkie te opowiadania pochodzą z młodzieńczych lat autora. Z książki dowiadujemy się również, dlaczego dopiero teraz możemy je przeczytać. I to też jest ciekawa historia!
Chyba nikt nie potrafił i nie potrafi tak dobrze w absurd, jak Pratchett. Nikt też nie potrafi tak rozśmieszyć. Więc jeśli nie ma konkurencji, to pozostaje mi powiedzieć tylko tyle: MUSICIE TO PRZECZYTAĆ!
October 27, 2023
Not really my cup of tea 😅
June 1, 2024
Zbiór krótkich opowiadań, które wleją miód w serce każdego miłośnika twórczości Pratchetta.
October 5, 2024
Dragons,wizards,cavemen and accountants.
Haunted steamrollers and castles, gnomes selling guided garden tours, time travel.
Good King Wenceslas, unemployed Santa and Kron the Barbarian.
Bring your inner child, snacks and your favorite beverage.
This is early Terry Pratchett . No disappointments, though. No rough edges. Just ,
well, just Terry(for all ages)Pratchett.
Haunted steamrollers and castles, gnomes selling guided garden tours, time travel.
Good King Wenceslas, unemployed Santa and Kron the Barbarian.
Bring your inner child, snacks and your favorite beverage.
This is early Terry Pratchett . No disappointments, though. No rough edges. Just ,
well, just Terry(for all ages)Pratchett.
April 16, 2024
Deeply subjective 5 stars, but if you know, you know.
If you don't know where there was, you weren't there.
If you don't know where there was, you weren't there.
April 18, 2024
Z podejrzliwością podchodzę do tekstów magicznie odnalezionych i wydanych po śmierci autorów, bo zazwyczaj to nie przypadek sprawił, że owe rękopisy leżały zapomniane w szafie pod stertą bielizny, na dysku twardym komputera, czy za kanapą. Dwa najczęstsze powody takiej sytuacji to: teksty są za słabe, lub zbyt intymne, by ujrzały światło dzienne i tylko niepowstrzymana niczym przypływ dolarów, pazerność wydawców wypycha je do czytelników.
Dlatego bardzo ucieszyło mnie, że "Pociągnięcie pióra" to jeden z tych chlubnych wyjątków potwierdzających regułę i jednoznacznie pokazał, że spadkobiercy twórczości Pratchetta poważnie podchodzą do ostatniej woli pisarza, nie próbując wydawać postawionych przez niego niedokończonych powieści i nie reanimują jego porzuconych pomysłów*. Skąd zatem wzięły się teksty opublikowane w tym zbiorze? Pratchett, jeszcze gdy był dziennikarzem, pisywał te "zaginione opowiadania" na potrzeby gazet pod pseudonimem Patrick Kearns i nie magia, a ciężka praca fanów sir Terry'ego, przeczesując w narodowej bibliotece roczniki starych gazet w poszukiwaniu śladów tajemniczego Patricka Kearnesa, pozwoliła im ponownie trafić do ludzi. Czy ich praca się opłaciła?
Opowiadania są różne, jedne błyskotliwe inne pomysłowe, prawie wszystkie urocze w stylu dawnego SF, trochę czuć, że Pratchetta (Kearansa) ograniczała przestrzeń gazetowych kolumn i odcinkowa forma opowiadań, i że nie jest to jeszcze ten Pratchett od Świata Dysku - tym niemniej - fani sir Terrego powinni być zadowoleni mogąc zobaczyć jak kształtował się jego styl i rozwijał warsztat. Również fani humorystycznego SF z lat 60' i 70' powinni być zadowoleni, ale ten zbiór to raczej miła, przyjemna ciekawostka. Wiele opowiadań była dla mnie nieczytelna, nie rozumiałem kontekstu historii mocno osadzonych w czasie i miejscu pytania, lub w brytyjskim folklorze (tutaj z pomocą przyszedł tłumacz - niezrównany Piotr W. Cholewa). Całościowo jednak zbiór jest niezły i powinien zadowolić fanów Pratchetta.
*Jeśli wierzyć Robowi Wilkinsowi, wieloletniemu sekretarzowi Pratchetta i opiekunowi jego literackiej spuścizny, wszystko co pisarz pozostawił po sobie zostało całkowicie i nieodwracalnie zniszczone.
Dlatego bardzo ucieszyło mnie, że "Pociągnięcie pióra" to jeden z tych chlubnych wyjątków potwierdzających regułę i jednoznacznie pokazał, że spadkobiercy twórczości Pratchetta poważnie podchodzą do ostatniej woli pisarza, nie próbując wydawać postawionych przez niego niedokończonych powieści i nie reanimują jego porzuconych pomysłów*. Skąd zatem wzięły się teksty opublikowane w tym zbiorze? Pratchett, jeszcze gdy był dziennikarzem, pisywał te "zaginione opowiadania" na potrzeby gazet pod pseudonimem Patrick Kearns i nie magia, a ciężka praca fanów sir Terry'ego, przeczesując w narodowej bibliotece roczniki starych gazet w poszukiwaniu śladów tajemniczego Patricka Kearnesa, pozwoliła im ponownie trafić do ludzi. Czy ich praca się opłaciła?
Opowiadania są różne, jedne błyskotliwe inne pomysłowe, prawie wszystkie urocze w stylu dawnego SF, trochę czuć, że Pratchetta (Kearansa) ograniczała przestrzeń gazetowych kolumn i odcinkowa forma opowiadań, i że nie jest to jeszcze ten Pratchett od Świata Dysku - tym niemniej - fani sir Terrego powinni być zadowoleni mogąc zobaczyć jak kształtował się jego styl i rozwijał warsztat. Również fani humorystycznego SF z lat 60' i 70' powinni być zadowoleni, ale ten zbiór to raczej miła, przyjemna ciekawostka. Wiele opowiadań była dla mnie nieczytelna, nie rozumiałem kontekstu historii mocno osadzonych w czasie i miejscu pytania, lub w brytyjskim folklorze (tutaj z pomocą przyszedł tłumacz - niezrównany Piotr W. Cholewa). Całościowo jednak zbiór jest niezły i powinien zadowolić fanów Pratchetta.
*Jeśli wierzyć Robowi Wilkinsowi, wieloletniemu sekretarzowi Pratchetta i opiekunowi jego literackiej spuścizny, wszystko co pisarz pozostawił po sobie zostało całkowicie i nieodwracalnie zniszczone.
May 21, 2024
Sadly, I was not as enamored with this book as a lot of reviewers were. Pratchett had this way of transporting you into his world. His snippets of humor were always sprinkled through his writing. Yet, these stories did not hold a candle to any of his other works. There were some good stories and some mediocre ones. There wasn't any horrible ones but there also wasn't any fantastic ones either. Really was hoping for more.
October 13, 2023
A gorgeous collection of rediscovered short stories my Sir Terry from when he was a journalist in the 70’s and 80’s. Written under a couple of pseudonyms these show the trademark humour of Terry, his ability to conjure with words and twist meanings. The first mention of Morpork long before the Discworld, his razor sharp wit, it’s all here and it was an utter joy to read!
The story of how they were found is part of the wonder of this collection and the smile on my face throughout reading this book made me so happy and then so sad that there is no more! Loved The Quest for the Keys, early rumblings of wizards and barbarians rampaging through mad scenarios, perfection. The stories in the very strange town of Blackbury were hysterical but my favourites of the short stories were A Partridge in a Post-box, The Haunted Steamroller and Mr Brown’s Holiday Accident.
A must read for any Pratchett fan, we miss you Sir Terry!
The story of how they were found is part of the wonder of this collection and the smile on my face throughout reading this book made me so happy and then so sad that there is no more! Loved The Quest for the Keys, early rumblings of wizards and barbarians rampaging through mad scenarios, perfection. The stories in the very strange town of Blackbury were hysterical but my favourites of the short stories were A Partridge in a Post-box, The Haunted Steamroller and Mr Brown’s Holiday Accident.
A must read for any Pratchett fan, we miss you Sir Terry!
March 1, 2024
Inteligentne pomysły i humor z jakiego Pratchett słynie to połączenie jakie radzi sobie w mocno ograniczonej formie. Ciekawe spotkanie, choć bez fajerwerków.
September 3, 2024
Recopilatorio con 20 relatos inèditos de Terry Pratchett que publicó bajo pseudónimo durante los años 70 y los 80.
Esta recopilación de relatos es una delicia para todes aquelles fans del autor. Una buena manera de redescubrirlo en sus inicios, en los que se pueden apreciar atisbos de lo que vendría despues con su Mundodisco.
Todos los relatos desbordan imaginación y se mueven entre la fantasía y la ciencia ficción. Llenos humor y satira, aunque no tan afinada como en sus obras posteriores.
Como ya he dicho, una auténtica delicatessen para fans del autor, aunque también un posible acercamiento al autor y a su estilo tan característico.
Esta recopilación de relatos es una delicia para todes aquelles fans del autor. Una buena manera de redescubrirlo en sus inicios, en los que se pueden apreciar atisbos de lo que vendría despues con su Mundodisco.
Todos los relatos desbordan imaginación y se mueven entre la fantasía y la ciencia ficción. Llenos humor y satira, aunque no tan afinada como en sus obras posteriores.
Como ya he dicho, una auténtica delicatessen para fans del autor, aunque también un posible acercamiento al autor y a su estilo tan característico.
November 20, 2023
Patrick Kearns was the author of 99% of these stories, Uncle Jim and finally Terry. All the same person. Lot of people did lot of work to find these interesting stories.
Kearns was Terry's mother ' s maiden name. This very funny collection, lot of Christmas stories and stories set in Blackbury.
The last story is the best.
Kearns was Terry's mother ' s maiden name. This very funny collection, lot of Christmas stories and stories set in Blackbury.
The last story is the best.
July 26, 2023
These are bloody hilarious - highly recommend.
May 5, 2024
A stroke of the pen is a collection of short stories of Terry Pratchett early work. Before disc world.
I don’t usually read short stories. I have made an exception because I missed reading work by him.
They were okay. Not great. Getting to great take times and effort. For those who dream of being perfect by the age of 17. It does work that way. There might be exceptions but as a rule, it take time to perfect one skills.
Some are funny. It is a special take of a common stories. I like that.
4 stars read.
I don’t usually read short stories. I have made an exception because I missed reading work by him.
They were okay. Not great. Getting to great take times and effort. For those who dream of being perfect by the age of 17. It does work that way. There might be exceptions but as a rule, it take time to perfect one skills.
Some are funny. It is a special take of a common stories. I like that.
4 stars read.
February 6, 2024
I love Terry Pratchett so I had to read this, but I’m just not big on short story collections unfortunately.
January 6, 2024
5* for Sir Terry and 5* for the wonderful dedication of Pat, Jan, Rob, Colin and Chris who saved the stories for us.
And thanks to Caitlin and Julie for buying it for me for Christmas 🤶
And thanks to Caitlin and Julie for buying it for me for Christmas 🤶
October 23, 2023
Over the years there have been several collections of stories written by Terry Pratchett when he was a journalist. In all likelihood this will be the last as they truly were lost and unearthed by a couple who live near Boston Spa. Seriously, the story of how they came upon these tales is as fascinating as the fictional ones told. If you thought "The Lost Stories" was just a clever marketing slogan, then think again.
The presentation for the book is wonderful. The cover is gorgeous, the end pages lovely, and because I bought the Waterstones exclusive edition I have a stunning embossed design as well. There is a foreword from Neil Gaiman that is both moving and humourous and an introduction from Terry's long time agent, Colin Smythe, who also praises the incredible effort by Pat and Jan Harkin, without whom the book wouldn't exist.
If you've read any previous collections you know what to expect. The stories aren't especially long, quite a few are set in Blackbury, and they're all humourous.
Are they all masterpieces? No.
Are they all great? No, I can think of 3 that didn't do anything for me.
Does any of this matter? Not in the slightest. These were written before Pratchett really honed his craft. Quite a lot ended with something akin to, "He thought to himself it would be a great day. And it was". BUT... They're fun to read, will more than likely have you chuckling or outright laughing, and most importantly, IT'S NEW TO US PRATCHETT!!! The fact that even those closest to him didn't know these had existed is mind blowing to me. I breezed through them in such a short time and had a huge smile on my face the entire time.
There are 20 stories within this collection. All the above sums up the first 19. But then we come to The Quest for the Keys. The story that made the discovery of all the others possible...
The Quest for the Keys is special. It's the longest story and the one where you can see the beginnings of the amazing author Pratchett would become. All the stories are fantastical but this is the one that is truly fantasy. Add the elements that would go on to appear in Discworld and it's easy to see why it was left for last. All are worth reading (did I mention it's new to us Pratchett?) but this one is incredible.
Thank you to all who made this book possible. It will now take its rightful place on my Terry Pratchett shelf among the rest of his work that continues to brighten my day and has brought me so much joy since I was a teenager.
The presentation for the book is wonderful. The cover is gorgeous, the end pages lovely, and because I bought the Waterstones exclusive edition I have a stunning embossed design as well. There is a foreword from Neil Gaiman that is both moving and humourous and an introduction from Terry's long time agent, Colin Smythe, who also praises the incredible effort by Pat and Jan Harkin, without whom the book wouldn't exist.
If you've read any previous collections you know what to expect. The stories aren't especially long, quite a few are set in Blackbury, and they're all humourous.
Are they all masterpieces? No.
Are they all great? No, I can think of 3 that didn't do anything for me.
Does any of this matter? Not in the slightest. These were written before Pratchett really honed his craft. Quite a lot ended with something akin to, "He thought to himself it would be a great day. And it was". BUT... They're fun to read, will more than likely have you chuckling or outright laughing, and most importantly, IT'S NEW TO US PRATCHETT!!! The fact that even those closest to him didn't know these had existed is mind blowing to me. I breezed through them in such a short time and had a huge smile on my face the entire time.
There are 20 stories within this collection. All the above sums up the first 19. But then we come to The Quest for the Keys. The story that made the discovery of all the others possible...
The Quest for the Keys is special. It's the longest story and the one where you can see the beginnings of the amazing author Pratchett would become. All the stories are fantastical but this is the one that is truly fantasy. Add the elements that would go on to appear in Discworld and it's easy to see why it was left for last. All are worth reading (did I mention it's new to us Pratchett?) but this one is incredible.
Thank you to all who made this book possible. It will now take its rightful place on my Terry Pratchett shelf among the rest of his work that continues to brighten my day and has brought me so much joy since I was a teenager.
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