Tales from the Drum

The most up-do-date info available on the big scoring controversy between the wizards and the witches. As of this writing, the books which have been adudged as featuring one or more witches in a major role are:

Witches: Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum, Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight and The Shepherd's Crown.

Initially, the Wizards were given credit for The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Moving Pictures, Eric, Interesting Times, Hogfather, The Last Continent, The Last Hero and Unseen Academicals. 

The wizards appealed because they hadn't been credited with a point for Equal Rites. They also discovered that the scorer, who has since been sacked, counted The Color of Magic as one book. 

With these changes, The contest resulted in an eleven-all tie. The witches appeared to accede to this, although there is some disagreement about that. The wizards, however, immediately expressed their displeasure and appealed to Lord Vetinari, claiming that Soul Music, Going Postal and Raising Steam all feature at least one wizard in a major role. There is some disagreement about this, to put it mildly. But Lord Vetinari will have to sort it all out. It is rumored that he has tasked Commander Vimes with investigating this whole situation, but from our perspective it is very difficult to see a reason for calling in the Watch. 

Stay tuned to The Discworld Portal for more on all this. If you want to get involved in the discussion, or if you would like to see the full story as it will undoubtedly appear in The Ankh Morpork News (Motto: We're not the Times. Street version: Our iconographer doesn't suck) please go to the Portal's Patreon page to find out how. 
You can go to Patreon.com and search for The Discworld Portal. Or you can use the direct link provided below. 

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21210045

Not that we're keeping score. This week we begin to explore the vast and often tumbled landscape of the topic of the Disc's witches and wizards. The wizards' level-based heirarchical approach to magic atrophies over time. By the later books wizards are best known for the magic they do not do; the tradition of Dead Men's Shoes is firmly in the past; and political bickering and jockeying for position have long since taken the place of magical duels. 

Witches' magic, on the other hand, becomes clearer and clearer of apprehension, and is more and more in evidence, over the course of the books. This couldn't be a commentary on the relative usefulness of the two groups, could it? Nah. I thought not. 

This week I roll out the Discworld Portal's Patreon page. You can use the url given, or just go to Patreon.Com and search for The Discworld Portal. There are three tiers of subscription available, with stacking swag for those tiers. (The more you pledge the more goodies you get.) Donation levels are set at $5, $10 and $15 US per month. I think if you do choose to get a subscription you will enjoy the goodies, and you will definitely have my profound gratitude.

One-time Paypal donations may also be sent to [email protected], which is also where you'll find me mucking about and waiting to answer your email. 

This week we take another look at Jingo, to explore Fred and Nobby's (and especially Nobby's) experiences in their second undercover operation of the book. We also learn about quantum, technology, and the Trousers of Time in looking at Mr. Vimes' curious experience with his dis-organizer. With a few other morsels to bring Season 3 of the Discworld Portal to a close.

We learned that Tony and Jessica were co-champions of this season's trivia contest, and that Tony has gallantly ceded the championship, and the book that is its prize to Jessica. We also heard that karma can be a good thing. The Gnome's weekly reminder to you about committing a random act of kindness has blossomed into a listener's kindness in sending a few of his (or her) hard-earned dollars. Or pesos or kopecs or Euros or Klatchian silver pieces. Whatever the currency, the kindness of sending some financial support to the show is one that I deeply appreciate and which I find as further motivation to make Season 3 worthy of the consideration.

The Portal will take a week off before Season 3 begins, so there will be no show aired on Friday September 6th. We'll be back with a new, and, one would hope, improved season 3 on Friday September 13th. That will also be the date for the roll-out of a proper Discworld Portal website.  In the meanwhile, as always, you can send me a clacks* to/at randy@mindkindlenet. And as always, I promise to answer. And I've had a 100% success rate in responding so far.

The Turtle Moves 

*clacks, or c-mail. The Disc's version of e-mail. 

Belief and metaphor, the life force, and narrative causality are the three driving elements of the Discworld's "physics," all under the umbrella of magic, made possible by the fact the Discworld should not exist. We've been taking a look at all three of these elements this season. Today, using the book Jingo as an example, we look at plot, character and theme, the three driving elements of great fiction-- as any professor of literature or literary critic will tell you.

Specifically, we examine how these three elements work in Jingo, and see by that examination that Sir Terry's work was indeed that of a literary genius. The same examination might be made of any of the Discworld books, with similar results.

All this is by way of reminding us that the man was an extremely prolific, as well as talented author, who loved to write, and who found inspiration in innumerable sources. This was Sir Terry's magic, and the elements of it-- plot, character, and theme developed and interwoven with consummate skill in the context of a brilliant story who absolutely loved writing and showed it, among other ways, by the production of over 60 books, short stories, and other works in the course of just over 30 years. Magic indeed. And genius, by Jingo! 

This week's trivia question: Who is Ankh-Morpork's most celebrated chef? (Hint: it's not Sham Harga.) The championship for this season is down to a two-person race (and gods help me, I just know I'm going to have to come up with a tie-breaker) but don't despair. All listeners who get at least one question right this season will have their names entered in a drawing for a mystery prize-- not the Complete Ankh-Morpork, which either Tony or Jessica will win, but a cool prize nevertheless. 

Answers to the trivia question, as well as comments, suggestions, or just general conversation will reach me at [email protected]. I promise to answer your message, too. Scout's honor. 

Here's your bonus episode for season 2. By popular request, the Gnome shares some more of his checkered past, talks about cats (including Holly, the show's producer, and Ivy, the engineer. No really.) and identifies when, if not how, he became acquainted with Sir Terry and the Discworld. 

This is not an episode about the Discworld, so if you're looking for that, and not interested in hearing me talk about myself some more, skip this episode and go to season 2 episode 9 (Genius, by Jingo!) instead.

Questions and comments, as well as answers to trivia questions may all be sent to [email protected]. Complaints or criticisms may be sent to the same address, with the subject line: Attention: Rocky the troll. Rocky will then be sent round to discuss your issue with you personally, usually within one Discworld day. Be advised though, that as with all trolls, Rocky construes "discussion" as a very physical activity.

This week we explore narrative causality, which, like the life force and belief & metaphor on the Disc is stronger because of the rather tenuous nature of reality there. We also briefly consider the beliefs of Sir Samuel Vimes, Lord Havelock Vetinari, the Nac Mac Feegle, trolls, and Ponder Stibbons. Now that strains the nature of reality. It helps if you remember that it's probably all down to bloody quantum in the end.

This week's trivia question: Which Discworld novel with a one-word title was published first. Easy peazy, right? Which reminds me, there is one character in all the Discworld novels, as far as I can remember, who ever utterz the phraze easy peazy. And who has that strong Uberwaldian accent, I hear you ask. Think the Ankh-Morpork Times and you'll probably guess that it's Otto Chriek. Ooops gave that one away didn't I. Incidentally if you pronounce Otto's full name a few times you'll hear the pun there. What should you do when you meet a vampire. Well, you Otto Chriek. Ba dump bump. Please send correspondence, including complaints about this bout of egregious pun-referencing, to [email protected]. That's where you can send your answer to this week's trivia question as well. Just be aware that all complaints are referred to the Ankh-Morpork Times' complaint department, Rocky the troll. 

This week provides a classic example of the tendency of some teachers, your host included, to stray off the topic of a lesson. Even though I'm a acting as a podcast host and not a teacher, and my shows are meant to entertain an audience and not educate a class of students, old habits die hard. Some of my students didn't appreciate the birdwalks; I used to tell them that I wasn't getting off-topic, it was just that the topic was bigger than they thought it was. 

In any case this week's journey begins with some Roundworld numerical symmetry, and delves into the nature of goblins and of authorial and personal growth. We also consider the intricacy of some trivia questions and the possibilities for season three's theme, before taking a brief initial look at narrative causality. All this in 19 minutes and 58 seconds!

If you would like to vote for next season's theme, here are the two possiblities:
Witches and Wizards
The Discworld's Races and Places.  

To vote simply send an email with your choice to me at [email protected]. You can use the same email address to answer this week's trivia question, which is:

What is the name of the Lancre witch who can sing in harmony with herself, and who goes to Ankh-Morpork in hopes of becoming a singer, instead of staying in Lancre and becoming a witch? 

On the Discworld, doorknobs can come to life, Death can be put out to pasture and belief precedes the object of that belief. This is all due to the interplay of the life force with the phenomena of belief and metaphor (and of course narrative causality.) Or maybe it's all, as Mustrum Ridcully might insist, because of quantum.

This week's trivia question: What is Rincewind's first name? Send you answer to me at [email protected], for a bit of Discworld Portal fame, and more importantly, a chance to win that copy of The Compleat Ankh Morpork. 

Or not. Nuggan is the god of the Borogravians, and as we learn this week, about all he is good for is abominating things. His is another example of Discworld belief transferred from one object, institution or person to another. In this case the other is the Duchess Anagovia, who bears a passing resemblance to Queen Victoria. 

We also begin to find out about the power of metaphor on the Disc (which is of course closely tied to belief.) We learn some about the anthropomorphic personifications of the Discworld, especially Death and the Hogfather (which by the way was the working title of this podcast once upon a time.) We see how Discworld belief brings these personae into physical manifestation, if not life, and how an excess of belief, caused by the ebbing of belief in one anthropomorphic personification can result in the creation of new personae, since all that extra belief sloshing around has to have somewhere to go.

You also get to hear your host try to say "anthropomorphic personification" at least half a dozen times. 

This week's trivia question: Identify the speaker of either of the two quotes used as show titles in season 1. Easy peasy. As always you can reach me with your answers, as well as questions or comments, at [email protected]. 

We continue exploring the role of belief in the Discworld, specifically as it applies to the gods of the Disc and their religions. We learn about the relationship of Brutha the Prophet, Om his God, and Omnianism their religion. Turns out there's more to both this godding business and this propheting business than meets the eye. 

This week's trivia question: On what European nation is the Discworld city state of Quirm based? 

If you know the answer email it to me at [email protected]. We had two correct answers to last week's question. We ought to be able to at least double that this week.