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I remember reading somewhere (think it was one of the non fiction pieces in a slip of the keyboard) that STP said that he read so many different things that he had plenty of material to "steal" to use in his books (he was making a joke). He probably came across this in some random place and thought it was a good idea to use - turns out he was correct and Jingo is one of my favourites!
I haven't read Discworld in 10 years in the hopes of rereading them without remembering all the jokes, but the one that always got an audible laugh from me was Vimes riding the camel at full speed while trying to slow down.
Also, one of my favorite books that sadly is relevant way to often.
Just a suggestion. I found when I listened to the books on audio it for some reason didn't trigger the memories of the books. Almost like enjoying them for the first times.
Yeah, I tried a few books, but it just does not add up with the speech patterns I have in my head. In my head, the wizards are bickering at a pace like Gilmore Girls or something like that, not like disinterested old farts.
There was also the [Island of Bermeja](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermeja), which may not have ever existed in the first place. It was claimed by Mexico since the 16th century. But when they went to survey it in 1997, it wasn't there. They went back in 2009 for a more extensive and in-depth study, but couldn't find it. They were right where maps said it should be, but there was no island.
Just some trollish bucanero that exclaimed their personal claimant to an island that doesn't even exist, with the intent to piss off a rivalry of his. Apparently it worked. I'm not sure if this is true, but it probably is.
Old maps are a lot of fun. I have seen several that showed California as an island. Somebody made a mistake and others copied it. I would love to add one to my collection one day
Might have been a copywright/mapright created island. A lot of old timey mapmakers wpuld put small imaginary islands in, so that when they saw another map with that island on it, they wpuld know someone had copied their work.
There were a lot of these islands that got mistaken for real ones due to copy error over time.
Given the course of humanity and all the creative/cruel/interesting things we’ve managed to do to each other, combined with the sheer weirdness of our world, I would assume anything that happened in the books short of turning a city leader into a lizard is probably a reference to something that actually happened.
"The marble plaque, weighing 150 kg (330 lb), was inscribed "This piece of land, once Ferdinandea, belonged and shall always belong to the Sicilian people."[10] Within six months, it had fractured into twelve pieces.[6]"
That seems the most apt.
Look, you’re old enough now, it’s time your mother and I came clean:
EVERYTHING in Terry Pratchett’s books is based on something else. He looked at the world and saw stories.
Hell, watch the movie Labyrinth and then read Wee Free Men. It’s very similar in plot, while managing to be its own story. It came out a year or two after the movie.
Welcome to /r/Discworld! Please [read the rules/flair information before posting](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukhk21/subreddit_rules_flair_information/?). --- Our current megathreads are as follows: [API Protest Poll](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/1491izw/continuing_the_api_protest_a_community_poll) - a poll regarding the future action of the sub in protest at Reddit's API changes. [GNU Terry Pratchett](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/ukigit/gnu_terry_pratchett/) - for all GNU requests, to keep their names going. [AI Generated Content](https://new.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/10mhx9y/ai_generated_content_megathread/) - for all AI Content, including images, stories, questions, training etc. --- [ GNU Terry Pratchett ] *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/discworld) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I remember reading somewhere (think it was one of the non fiction pieces in a slip of the keyboard) that STP said that he read so many different things that he had plenty of material to "steal" to use in his books (he was making a joke). He probably came across this in some random place and thought it was a good idea to use - turns out he was correct and Jingo is one of my favourites!
I haven't read Discworld in 10 years in the hopes of rereading them without remembering all the jokes, but the one that always got an audible laugh from me was Vimes riding the camel at full speed while trying to slow down. Also, one of my favorite books that sadly is relevant way to often.
Just a suggestion. I found when I listened to the books on audio it for some reason didn't trigger the memories of the books. Almost like enjoying them for the first times.
Yeah, I tried a few books, but it just does not add up with the speech patterns I have in my head. In my head, the wizards are bickering at a pace like Gilmore Girls or something like that, not like disinterested old farts.
Fair enough.
I don't know why, but that simile is just utterly hilarious to me.
There was also the [Island of Bermeja](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermeja), which may not have ever existed in the first place. It was claimed by Mexico since the 16th century. But when they went to survey it in 1997, it wasn't there. They went back in 2009 for a more extensive and in-depth study, but couldn't find it. They were right where maps said it should be, but there was no island.
Just some trollish bucanero that exclaimed their personal claimant to an island that doesn't even exist, with the intent to piss off a rivalry of his. Apparently it worked. I'm not sure if this is true, but it probably is.
Thing is, people believed it. For centuries. Map after map, over hundreds of years, showed this fake island.
Old maps are a lot of fun. I have seen several that showed California as an island. Somebody made a mistake and others copied it. I would love to add one to my collection one day
This just means someone actually paid for it at some point. Guess it does well to survey the things you buy.
Perhaps the island on the map was nothing but a melted chocolate stain or a dead fly.
Sounds like something that'd happen on the Disc. Somebody splashes coffee on a map or whatever and quickly pretends it's an island.
Might have been a copywright/mapright created island. A lot of old timey mapmakers wpuld put small imaginary islands in, so that when they saw another map with that island on it, they wpuld know someone had copied their work. There were a lot of these islands that got mistaken for real ones due to copy error over time.
Okay, now THAT is a fascinating technique.
Given the course of humanity and all the creative/cruel/interesting things we’ve managed to do to each other, combined with the sheer weirdness of our world, I would assume anything that happened in the books short of turning a city leader into a lizard is probably a reference to something that actually happened.
Pretty much how I approach it too...
"The marble plaque, weighing 150 kg (330 lb), was inscribed "This piece of land, once Ferdinandea, belonged and shall always belong to the Sicilian people."[10] Within six months, it had fractured into twelve pieces.[6]" That seems the most apt.
Look, you’re old enough now, it’s time your mother and I came clean: EVERYTHING in Terry Pratchett’s books is based on something else. He looked at the world and saw stories. Hell, watch the movie Labyrinth and then read Wee Free Men. It’s very similar in plot, while managing to be its own story. It came out a year or two after the movie.
I’m currently reading Jingo so this really tickled me.
Wasn't it based off of the Falkland Islands War, and was a critique in particular of Thatcher's administration?