On the 1st of May 2008, Alzheimer’s Trust Research will be hosting a dinner with Terry Pratchett attending as a special guest. Terry Pratchett and Dr Raj Persaud will spend time talking to the guests and in particular about Alzheimer’s, its effects and there involvement in the Trust. Places at the dinner are be auctioned to the highest bidder and pledges can be made by email to terrypratchettdinner@alzheimers-research.org.uk or by letter to The Alzheimer’s Research Trust, ... read more
Posted: April 18th, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
Arthur C Clarke recently died at the fine old age of 90. Clarke was the man behind 2001: A Space Odyssey and although better known in the science fiction world he also made significant contributions to the fantasy genre. Pratchett in particular talks about the effect of 2001 on changing the way that the general public perceived science fiction and fantasy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7300000/newsid_7304800/7304802.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1 ... read more
Posted: March 27th, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
George RR Martin has joined a growing band of science fiction and fantasy writers who are coming together in support of Terry Pratchett and Alzheimer’s Research. Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with the disease at the end of 2007 and has since donated almost half a million pounds to the cause. George RR Martin has donated many rare and signed books for auction with all proceeds going to the campaign. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Research Trust here - ... read more
Posted: March 25th, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under George RR Martin, Terry Pratchett
On the 6th March 2008 a man called Gary Gygax died. It is a name that probably does not mean a great deal to many but he was one of the creators of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The fantasy genre is possibly the oldest form of story telling and the invention of Dungeons & Dragons breathed new life and created new interest in the fantasy works of JRR Tolkien. Some believed that the role-playing game was basically The Lord of the Rings in a game format. D&D’s ... read more
Posted: March 21st, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under JRR Tolkien, Terry Pratchett
Fantasy author Terry Pratchett announced at the annual conference of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust that he will be donating £494,000 to their trust. Pratchett, famous for the Discworld series, discovered that he had an early-onset form of the disease in December 2007. ... read more
Posted: March 17th, 2008 by Lee | 3 Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett is the second book in the extremely successful Discworld series. The story continues with Rincewind and Twoflower falling of the edge of the world. This is a highly entertaining read, full of good humour and we are introduced to some memorable new characters. A better read than The Colour of Magic, Pratchett’s writing appears to get better with each book. FantasyBookReview.co.uk awarded The Light Fantastic 8.6 out of 10 and this placed the work at ... read more
Posted: March 17th, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic is coming to the small screen this Easter with Sky One featuring an all-star adaption. The cast is excellent with Sir David Jason playing Rincewind the Wizard and major stars such as Sean Astin, Christopher Lee and Tim Curry making up the star-studded ensemble. The YouTube video below shows the commercial currently running on UK TV. If you can’t see the video Download Flash ... read more
Posted: March 8th, 2008 by Lee | No Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
The Carnagie Medal is awarded by librarians to an author who has written a truly exceptional book for either children or young adults. Last year (2007) saw the 50th anniversary of the Carnegie Medal, which is awarded annually by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. 2001 - The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett 1995 - Northern Lights by Philip Pullman 1956 - The Last Battle by CS Lewis For more information on the Carnegie Medal and the ... read more
Posted: January 1st, 2008 by admin | No Comments Filed under CS Lewis, Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett
I have already mentioned in an earlier post the great fantasy books that were in the top 10 ten books of the BBC’s Big Read poll. I thought I would revisit the list and see what other fantasy classics appeared. The Harry Potter series is in the top 100 in its entirity and The Hobbit has a high placing too. Artemis Fowl appears after the 50 mark as does Terry Pratchett’s Mort ( my favourite Pratchett novel ). Raymond E Feist’s wonderful Magician can also be found in ... read more
Posted: December 18th, 2007 by admin | No Comments Filed under General Interest, JRR Tolkien, Raymond E Feist, Robin Hobb, Terry Pratchett, Ursula Le Guin
The review of Terry Pratchett’s first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic has been updated and an excerpt from the book added. It is “A fantastic book that stops you from taking life to seriously.” http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Terry-Pratchett/The-Colour-Of-Magic.html ... read more
Posted: December 15th, 2007 by admin | No Comments Filed under Terry Pratchett
