Comments on: Everybody has a blog… http://www.iain.com/2006/11/04/everybody-has-a-blog/ Iain's pointless writing place Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:55:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: For want of a better title… » Blog Archive » Love enough to break a heart http://www.iain.com/2006/11/04/everybody-has-a-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-4 For want of a better title… » Blog Archive » Love enough to break a heart Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:20:53 +0000 http://www.iain.com/?p=3#comment-4 [...] I think one of the reasons his books work so well is that you have to suspend so much disbelief that it leaves you open for unexpectedly touching moments or drama that, if you’d consider it outside of the Discworld context, would be clumsy. “Reaper Man” and “Soul Music“, for instance, are surprisingly moving stoies. The third Tiffany Aching book, Wintersmith, is probably the best I’ve ever seen him write. Even if it is in the teen section. While it might be being marketed as young adult, that seems due to its thirteen-year-old heroine rather than any attempt to write down to a junior market. There’s still plenty of boozing, innuendo (”is this about sex?” Tiffany asks Nanny Ogg) and musings on what the Nac Mac Feegle wear under their kilts. (Nanny doesn’t add any verses to “The hedgehog can never be buggered”, but she hasn’t done that in a while.) What do you need to make a man? [...] [...] I think one of the reasons his books work so well is that you have to suspend so much disbelief that it leaves you open for unexpectedly touching moments or drama that, if you’d consider it outside of the Discworld context, would be clumsy. “Reaper Man” and “Soul Music“, for instance, are surprisingly moving stoies. The third Tiffany Aching book, Wintersmith, is probably the best I’ve ever seen him write. Even if it is in the teen section. While it might be being marketed as young adult, that seems due to its thirteen-year-old heroine rather than any attempt to write down to a junior market. There’s still plenty of boozing, innuendo (”is this about sex?” Tiffany asks Nanny Ogg) and musings on what the Nac Mac Feegle wear under their kilts. (Nanny doesn’t add any verses to “The hedgehog can never be buggered”, but she hasn’t done that in a while.) What do you need to make a man? [...]

]]> By: iain http://www.iain.com/2006/11/04/everybody-has-a-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-3 iain Sun, 05 Nov 2006 04:49:51 +0000 http://www.iain.com/?p=3#comment-3 I've definitely mentioned him in class - "24 views" is the story that begins "Kit is alive, though he is buried not far from here, and I am dead..." which I know we've talked about. It's a long sentence, and I can't do it justice without the story (and I just loaned it out yet again last week). My favorite opening line of any book ever, though, is also Zelazny. It's from "Trumps of Doom", the first of the second Amber series: "It's a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you." As for the site - I kinda cheated. I spent days looking around for a theme for a different WordPress site, and found this one. Since I liked it so much, I used it again :). For the other, it has a convenient feature called "asides" which I hacked into "don't display this article at all." Which just happens to be perfect for posting stories as blog entries but not having them show up on the front page... I’ve definitely mentioned him in class – “24 views” is the story that begins “Kit is alive, though he is buried not far from here, and I am dead…” which I know we’ve talked about. It’s a long sentence, and I can’t do it justice without the story (and I just loaned it out yet again last week).

My favorite opening line of any book ever, though, is also Zelazny. It’s from “Trumps of Doom”, the first of the second Amber series:

“It’s a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you.”

As for the site – I kinda cheated. I spent days looking around for a theme for a different WordPress site, and found this one. Since I liked it so much, I used it again :) . For the other, it has a convenient feature called “asides” which I hacked into “don’t display this article at all.” Which just happens to be perfect for posting stories as blog entries but not having them show up on the front page…

]]> By: pooks http://www.iain.com/2006/11/04/everybody-has-a-blog/comment-page-1/#comment-2 pooks Sun, 05 Nov 2006 04:31:04 +0000 http://www.iain.com/?p=3#comment-2 First of all, stunningly beautiful design. I like it very much. Second of all, I have only recently (since 2004, I think) discovered Terry Pratchett and I'm not rushing through his oeuvre but dipping into it with great pleasure from time to time. I plan to make this last. But I will have to find Zelazny's work. Thanks for the heads up (which I'm pretty sure you've given before). You think you don't have anything to say? See, already you're saying helpful things. Yay! First of all, stunningly beautiful design. I like it very much.

Second of all, I have only recently (since 2004, I think) discovered Terry Pratchett and I’m not rushing through his oeuvre but dipping into it with great pleasure from time to time. I plan to make this last.

But I will have to find Zelazny’s work. Thanks for the heads up (which I’m pretty sure you’ve given before).

You think you don’t have anything to say? See, already you’re saying helpful things. Yay!

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