Search results for ""author terry pratchett""

From the legendary Terry Pratchett, the author of Discworld, the third instalment in the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy --------------------- THIS TIME . . . IT’S WAR. Johnny Maxwell is just an ordinary boy, walking through an ordinary alley . . . until he stumbles across a shopping trolley that can travel back in time. A trip on this time travelling shopping trolley takes Johnny and his friends back to 1941, in the middle of the Second World War. More specifically, on the day the German bombs will fall on their town. What if Johnny and his friends could stop it? But tampering with history could have disastrous consequences... ‘Enormously entertaining and contains more wry observations than you could shake a Heinkel at’ – Daily Telegraph

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'Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own . . . he is a satirist of enormous talent' The Times The Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . . ___________________'Destiny is important, see, but people go wrong when they think it controls them. It's the other way around.' Three witches - Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick - have gathered on a lonely heath. A king has been cruelly murdered, his throne usurped by his ambitious cousin. An infant heir and the crown of the kingdom, both missing . . . Witches don't have these kind of dynastic problems themselves – in fact, they don’t have leaders. Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders the witches don't have. But even she found that meddling in royal politics was a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe . . . ___________________The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Wyrd Sisters is the second book in the Witches series.

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As the witch of the Chalk, Tiffany Aching performs the distinctly unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone – or something – is inciting fear, generating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Tiffany must find the source of unrest and defeat the evil at its root. Aided by the tiny-but-tough Wee Free Men, Tiffany faces a dire challenge, for if she falls, the whole Chalk falls with her . . .THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE TIFFANY ACHING SEQUENCE

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Terry Pratchett in his own wordsWith a foreword by Neil GaimanTerry Pratchett earned a place in the hearts of readers the world over with his bestselling Discworld series – but in recent years he became equally well-known as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer’s research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together the best of Pratchett’s non fiction writing on his life, on his work, and on the weirdness of the world: from Granny Pratchett to Gandalf’s love life; from banana daiquiris to books that inspired him; from getting started as a writer to the injustices that he fought to end. With his trademark humour, humanity and unforgettable way with words, this collection offers an insight behind the scenes of Discworld into a much loved and much missed figure – man and boy, bibliophile and computer geek, champion of hats, orang-utans and the right to a good death.

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'A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.' From, THE FIFTH ELEPHANT'Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.' From, MOVING PICTURESThe Wit and Wisdom of Discworld is a collection of the wittiest, pithiest and wisest quotations from this extraordinary universe, dealing one-by-one with each book in the canon. Guaranteed to transport you back to your favourite or forgotten Discworld moments it is the perfect book for die-hard Pratchett fans, as well as anyone coming to the Discworld for the first time.

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The Discworld, as everyone knows, is a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the shell of the giant star turtle, the Great A'Tuin, as it slowly swims through space.It is also a global publishing phenomenon with sales of over 70 million books worldwide (but who's counting?). The publication of SNUFF brought the Discworld canon to 39 books - not including the various guides, mapps, diaries and other side-projects. That's a lot of Discworld to keep track of - more than most people can manage with just the one head - but fear not: help is at hand!If you're looking for the ultimate authority on probably the most heavily populated - certainly the most hilarious - setting in fantasy literature...If you need a handy guide to Discworld locales from Ankh-Morpork to Zemphis...If you want help telling Achmed the Mad from Jack Zweiblumen...If your life depends on being able to distinguish the Agatean Empire from the Zoons......look no further than THE COMPLETE DISCWORLD COMPANION - now fully updated and completely up to SNUFF!

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The irreverant, hilarious, touching and philosophical caper about the end of the world.'Still makes me laugh 25 years later' Ben AaronovitchThere is a hint of Armageddon in the air. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the Armies of Good and Evil are massing, the four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witchfinders are getting ready to Fight the Good Fight. Atlantis is rising. Frogs are falling. Tempers are flaring, and everything appears to be going to Divine Plan.Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. They've lived amongst Humanity for millennia, and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle. So if Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the AntiChrist (which is a shame, really, as he's a nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him.Readers can't get enough of Good Omens:'This is actually a profound philosophical and theological treatise, exploring good and evil, nature versus nurture, free will, war, pollution, and organised religion . . . The writing is so like Douglas Adams that it could be mistaken for a missing volume of Hitchhiker's' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Good Omens is a hysterically funny book . . . It is also a love letter to humanity and to the power of free will and choice in a world desperate to wrench it away. You should read it' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'If I were to pick a setting for a comedy, I'm not sure it would be Armageddon. However, in the talented minds of Pratchett and Gaiman, it's the perfect setting . . . just the right mix of clever, deadpan, sarcasm, innuendo, and self-deprecation' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Has got to be one of the funniest satires I've ever read . . . This book is funny, irreverent, and at times surprisingly insightful' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'No getting around it, it IS funny! . . . The book is loaded with great characters, there's even a cute little dog, The Hound from Hell morphed into a cat chasing mongrel' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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*The fifth and final book in the incredible Tiffany Aching series. Now in a brand-new gift edition, part of the Discworld Hardback Library!*'This isn't just a great Discworld book, it's extraordinary . . . A magnificent sign-off.' Daily TelegraphTHE FINAL DISCWORLD NOVELDeep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad. As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land.There will be a reckoning . . .

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Some night-time prowler is turning the (mostly) honest citizens of Ankh-Morpork into something resembling small charcoal biscuits. And that's a real problem for Captain Vimes, who must tramp the mean streets of the naked city looking for a 70-foot-long fire-breathing dragon which, he believes, can help him with his enquiries.But there's more - now we get to see Ankh-Morpork in all its glory; illustrations so vibrant you can practically smell and taste the denizens of this delightful city (although with Corporal Nobbs, you might rather wish you didn't have to). All rendered in painstaking detail by Graham Higgins (who feels he now knows altogether far too much about the murky goings on inside Nobbs' head).

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Enter master story-teller Terry Pratchett’s incredible Discworld in this second book in the Tiffany Aching series . . .Something is coming after Tiffany Aching . . .Tiffany Aching is ready to begin her apprenticeship in magic, but life isn't exactly what she thought it would be. She expects spells and magic – not chores and ill-tempered goats! Surely there must be more to witchcraft than this?But when a sinister creature starts pursuing her, Tiffany realises that she’ll need her magic more than ever to fight it off. And this time, neither Mistress Weatherwax (the greatest witch in the world) nor the fierce, six-inch-high Wee Free Men can protect her. In the end, it will take all of Tiffany's inner strength to save herself.Will she succeed?‘If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you?’ Guardian‘Oodles of dry wit, imagination and shrewdly observed characters’ Independent on Sunday‘Fantastically inventive and humorous’ The Sunday TimesDISCOVER THE FULL TIFFANY ACHING SERIES, THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO DISCWORLD:The Wee Free MenA Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight The Shepherd’s Crown

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A SHIVERING OF WORLDSDeep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad. As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land.There will be a reckoning . . .THE FINAL DISCWORLD NOVEL

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*Includes 'The Abominable Snow Baby' - the animated film featured on Christmas Day on Channel 4, starring Julie Walters and David Harewood!*A collection of wonderful Christmas stories from the fantastically funny Terry Pratchett. With incredible illustrations from Mark Beech, it's the perfect stocking filler! Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different?Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey.How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store or, was even, arrested for burglary!?Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again.'Funny, action-packed . . . a rip-roaring read' The Sun

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2045-2059. After the cataclysmic upheavals of Step Day and the Yellowstone eruption humanity is spreading further into the Long Earth, and society, on a battered Datum Earth and beyond, continues to evolve. Now an elderly and cantankerous AI, Lobsang lives in disguise with Agnes in an exotic, far-distant world. He’s convinced they’re leading a normal life in New Springfield – they even adopt a child – but it seems they have been guided there for a reason. As rumours of strange sightings and hauntings proliferate, it becomes clear that something is very awry with this particular world. Millions of steps away, Joshua is on a personal journey of discovery: learning about the father he never knew and a secret family history. But then he receives a summons from New Springfield. Lobsang now understands the enormity of what’s taking place beneath the surface of his earth – a threat to all the worlds of the Long Earth. To counter this threat will require the combined efforts of humankind, machine and the super-intelligent Next. And some must make the ultimate sacrifice . . .

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It's no more than a breath away...Everyone needs a place to relax after a long day, after all. So here is the place where the Grim Reaper can kick back and take the load off his scythe. Here's the golf course that's not so much crazy as insane, and the useless maze, and the dark gardens - all brought (incongruously) to life. And here, for the first time ever, you will find out the reason why Death can't understand rockeries, and what hapens to garden gnomes.As Death rides Binky into the sunset (of other people's lives), you can at last see what he gets up to when he's not at work.

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An exciting classroom playscript based on Terry Pratchett's best-selling novel Dodger. Dodger is a sewer scavenger who spends his days sifting through the murky underbelly of Victorian London. But when he rescues a young girl from a vicious assault, he begins to realise that things overground are even murkier than down in the sewers. As Dodger attempts to unravel the mystery of the attack, he finds himself ducking, weaving and dodging his way through high society with London's most famous literary and political figures. But can he find the attackers before they find him?

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Imagine that all around you, hidden from sight, there are thousands of tiny people.They are four inches tall, brave, stubborn and resourceful.They are the nomes.The nomes in this story live under the floorboards of a large Department Store and have never been Outside. In fact, they don’t even believe in Outside. But new nomes arrive, from – where else? – and they bring with them terrifying news: the Store is closing down and Everything Must Go . . .The fantastically funny first book of the nomes, from the author of the bestselling Discworld series.

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Widely thought of as the best book Terry Pratchett ever wrote, this is a story of a Nation, a story of a friendship, a story of growing up and the truths we must learn. It is epic in every sense . . .Prepare for the world to be turned upside down . . .For Mau, halfway between boy and man, it happens when a great wave destroys his entire village. For Daphne, it’s when the same wave crashes her ship into the island that was once Mau’s home. Everything they once had is now so far away, lost to distance and time.But when Daphne stops trying to shoot Mau (she did apologise for it), and instead uses a salvaged invitation card to invite him to tea, they discover a new home can be theirs.And then people start arriving on the island – some very good, some very bad. And it’s soon clear that Daphne and Mau must fight for their Nation.Then a discovery is made that will change the entire world forever . . .

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Tiffany Aching has finally got her wish.She is a witch (and a respected one, at that). Overworked and underpaid, that’s for certain, but a witch nonetheless. Help is at hand though. In the form of young Geoffrey and his goat. Geoffrey wants to be a witch too, and thinks he can save the world by building sheds. Well, everyone has to start somewhere. But as new friends are made, and old ones return, enemies are stirring. With her beloved chalk in jeopardy, Tiffany will face the toughest challenge of her life. There will be a reckoning . . .‘Brilliant . . . This is a book worth reading twice in quick succession’Daily Mail

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Even wizards produce leftovers.But a wizard’s rubbish is laced with magic, and for the rats that forage this rubbish, the magic has changed them – they can speak and read, and have rather grand ambitions for a comfortable retirement.Which is perfect for a con-cat like Maurice. He has his own magical talents, and wants to get rich quick. Together with the rats, and young (rather simple) Keith, the ‘piper’, they work the towns to create their very own plague of rats - then lure them away for cash.But in the run-down town Bad Blintz, this little con goes wrong, and suddenly these educated rodents aren’t playing to the piper’s tune . . .

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Tiffany Aching is going 'into service': to be a lady, no less, a maid in a big house. At least, this is what she tells her parents.Really, Tiffany is going away to learn magic.But making friends with fellow witches is always difficult when an invisible-being-that-cannot-be-killed takes over your body - stealing money, and threatening violence.Tiffany must use all her witchy cunning to reclaim what's hers. Luckily, she has a bit of help. What's tiny, Scottish and blue all over? A Nac Mac Feegle of course - the rudest type of fairy, and handy to have in a tight spot . . .'Oodles of dry wit, imagination and shrewdly observed characters'Independent on Sunday

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Tiffany Aching is a witch alone.Well, that’s how she feels. Everyone seems so, apart. People respect her, but also fear her. There are loads of secrets she can’t share. And when the Baron dies, and Tiffany is framed for his murder, it’s clearer than ever that she is, well . . . not likedNow Tiffany must journey to Ankh-Morpork, to inform the Baron’s heir, Roland, of his father’s death. But on the way she meets something that likes witches very much . . . a bit too much – an evil ball of spite and malice that has only now woken up.And is out to get witches everywhere . . .‘High peaks of imagination’Sunday Times

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'NOBLE DRAGONS DON'T HAVE FRIENDS. THE NEAREST THEY CAN GET TO THE IDEA IS AN ENEMY WHO IS STILL ALIVE.'The city of Ankh-Morpork is in turmoil, its citizens revolting. Again.A shadowy secret brotherhood has summoned a dragon to spread terror throughout the city, intent on overthrowing the Patrician and ruling in his place. Too bad the dragon has ideas of its own ...It's up to Captain Sam Vimes and the ramshackle Night Watch to stop it. Only problem is, the Watch are more used to dealing with mobs than dragons.And if they can't bring down this fire-breathing tyrant and reinstate their own, slightly less dangerous one, Ankh-Morpork might be lost. For ever...'This is one of Pratchett's best books. Hilarious and highly recommended' The TimeGuards! Guards! is the first book in the City Watch series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

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The ultimate companion for any fan of Sir Terry Pratchett's phenomenal Discworld, mapped in meticulous detail for the very first time. A beautiful gift edition, which folds out into a gloriously expansive artefact, complete with booklet full of essential information. The perfect way to being Discworld to life!'If you are a Discworld fan then this is a must for your collection!' -- ***** Reader review'My man is an absolute Terry Pratchett manic fan and he was over the moon with this, like a kid at Christmas' -- ***** Reader review'With glorious illustrations and stylish comments from the genius himself this really is worth buying' -- ***** Reader review'Funny! Screechingly funny!' -- ***** Reader review'Superb quality, amazing workmanship. They say you can't map a sense of humour, but Terry Pratchett did it again. Wonderful' -- ***** Reader review*********************************************************************************************They said it couldn't be done. Well, it has been done, proving them wrong once again.After years of research, cunningly contrived in as many minutes, the Discworld has its map. It takes full account of the historic and much documented expeditions of the Discworld's fêted (or at least fated) explorers: General Sir Roderick Purdeigh, Lars Larsnephew, Llamedos Jones, Lady Alice Venturi, Ponce da Quirm and, of course, Venter Borass.Now travellers on this circular world can see it all: from Klatch to the Ramtops, from Cori Celesti to the Circle Sea, from Genua to Bhangbhangduc. The great cities of Hunghung, Pseudopolis, Al Khali and, of course, Ankh-Morpork are placed with loving care upon this world which is carried through space by Great A'Tuin.A deluxe and stunning gift edition with pull-out booklet and fold-out map - the ultimate present for every Discworld fan who has ever dreamed of seeing the world of Sir Terry Pratchett come to life...

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Lose yourself in the glorious technicolour of Ankh-Morpork, mapped in meticulous detail for the very first time. A beautiful gift edition, complete with fold-out map and pull-out information booklet, and a fantastic accompaniment to the novels.'Tells you the answers to all the questions you had about Ankh Morpork' -- ***** Reader review'The whole thing is really charming. Every time you look at it, something new is revealed' -- ***** Reader review'A fascinating look into the streets of Terry Pratchett's mind...' -- ***** Reader review**************************************************************************************'THERE'S A SAYING THAT ALL ROADS LEAD TO ANKH-MORPORK. AND IT'S WRONG. ALL ROADS LEAD AWAY FROM ANKH-MORPORK, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST WALK ALONG THE WRONG WAY' from Moving PicturesAnkh-Morpork! City of One Thousand Surprises (according to the famous publication by the Guild of Merchants)! All human life is there! Although, if it walks down the wrong alley, often quite briefly!The city celebrated in the bestselling Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett has been meticulously mapped for the first time. It's all here - from Unseen University to the Shades, from major landmarks like the Patrician's Palace to little-known, er, nooks like Dwarf Bread Museum in Whirligig Alley.See the famous streets beaten by Sam Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, the cobbles along which so many heroes have walked - in some cases quite hurriedly! As leading Ankh-Morpork entrepreneur C.M.O.T. Dibbler would say, a nip at any price - and that's cutting our own throat. Well, close.A deluxe and stunning gift edition with pull-out booklet and fold-out map - the ultimate present for every Discworld fan who has ever dreamed of seeing the world of Sir Terry Pratchett come to life...

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A man with no eyes. No eyes at all. Two tunnels in his head...It's not easy being a witch, and it's certainly not all whizzing about on broomsticks, but Tiffany Aching - teen witch - is doing her best. Until something evil wakes up, something that stirs up all the old stories about nasty old witches, so that just wearing a pointy hat suddenly seems a very bad idea. Worse still, this evil ghost from the past is hunting down one witch in particular. He's hunting for Tiffany. And he's found her...A fabulous Discworld title filled with witches and magic and told in the inimitable Terry Pratchett style, I Shall Wear Midnight is the fourth Discworld title to feature Tiffany and her tiny, fightin', boozin' pictsie friends, the Nac Mac Feegle (aka The Wee Free Men).

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*The third book in the incredible Tiffany Aching series. Now in a brand-new gift edition, part of the Discworld Hardback Library.*'In every sense fantastic' Independent Saying it with frozen roses and icebergs Tiffany Aching leaps into a dance - and suddenly the spirit of winter is in love with her. He's showering her with snowflakes and offering her a crown of ice. Which is creepy, but also just a little bit . . . cool.Now she's dancing to his tune. She can't change the steps.But unless Tiffany can work out how to deal with the Wintersmith, there will never be another springtime . . .

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This is the first book in the Johnny Maxwell trilogy.Johnny Maxwell is just an ordinary boy – not smart, popular or rich.But he does love video games.And as his parents argue themselves out of a marriage, Johnny plays at becoming humanity’s last hope, shooting invading aliens out of a pixelated sky. Then comes a message from the last remaining alien spaceship: We Wish to Talk.And suddenly Johnny is thrust into the very real world of the video game, and comes face to face with an alien race that needs his help.Only Johnny can save them. And this isn't a game anymore . . .

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From the legendary Terry Pratchett, the author of Discworld, the second instalment in the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy---------------------Sell the cemetery?Over their dead bodies . . . Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site. But the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to take it lying down . . . especially since it's Halloween tomorrow. Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were . . . well . . . alive. Particularly if they break a few rules . . .

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Discover master story-teller Terry Pratchett’s incredible Discworld in this first book in the Tiffany Aching series . . .Tiffany Aching wants to be a witch when she grows up . . .A proper one, with a pointy hat. And flying, Tiffany has always dreamed of flying (though it's cold up there, and you have to wear really thick pants, two layers).And as the twentieth granddaughter of her Granny Aching: shepherdess extraordinaire, and protector of the land, Tiffany knows the most important thing a real witch can do is protect others with their magic. So, when the monsters of Fairyland kidnap her brother, Tiffany decides it’s up to her to defend her home, even if she’s only armed with a frying pan and her common sense.Luckily she has some very unusual help: the local Nac Mac Feegle – a.k.a the Wee Free Men – a clan of fierce, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men. Together they must face headless horsemen, ferocious grimhounds, terrifying dreams come true and ultimately the sinister Queen of the Elves herself . . .This edition includes a special introduction from Rhianna Pratchett.'If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you?' Guardian'Quite, quite brilliant' StarburstDISCOVER THE FULL TIFFANY ACHING SERIES, THE PERFECT INTRODUCTION TO DISCWORLD:The Wee Free MenA Hat Full of Sky Wintersmith I Shall Wear Midnight The Shepherd’s Crown

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GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 COMING 28TH JULY ON AMAZON PRIME.The book behind the Amazon Prime / BBC Series starring David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Jon Hamm and Benedict Cumberbatch.'Ridiculously inventive and gloriously funny' Guardian What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea? It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse.And then there's the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . ._____________________What readers are saying about Good Omens:***** 'A superb recipe for disaster. I didn't stop grinning from beginning to end.'***** 'Both Gaiman and Pratchett are great authors and they complement each other brilliantly.'***** 'Superbly enjoyable read. Seamlessly co-written.'

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Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.Henceforth, Death is no longer going to be the end, merely the means to an end. It’s an offer Mort can't refuse. As Death's apprentice he'll have free board, use of the company horse - and being dead isn't compulsory. It's a dream job - until he discovers that it can be a killer on his love life...

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2070-71. Nearly six decades after Step Day and in the Long Earth, the new Next post-human society continues to evolve. For Joshua Valienté, now in his late sixties, it is time to take one last solo journey into the High Meggers: an adventure that turns into a disaster. Alone and facing death, his only hope of salvation lies with a group of trolls. But as Joshua confronts his mortality, the Long Earth receives a signal from the stars. A signal that is picked up by radio astronomers but also in more abstract ways – by the trolls and by the Great Traversers. Its message is simple but its implications are enormous:JOIN US.The super-smart Next realise that the Message contains instructions on how to develop an immense artificial intelligence but to build it they have to seek help from throughout the industrious worlds of mankind. Bit by bit, byte by byte, they assemble a computer the size of a continent – a device that will alter the Long Earth’s place within the cosmos and reveal the ultimate, life-affirming goal of those who sent the Message. Its impact will be felt by and resonate with all – mankind and other species, young and old, communities and individuals – who inhabit the Long Earths…

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A generation after the events of The Long Earth, mankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by Stepping. Where Joshua and Lobsang once pioneered, now fleets of airships link the stepwise Americas with trade and culture. Mankind is shaping the Long Earth – but in turn the Long Earth is shaping mankind ... A new ‘America’, called Valhalla, is emerging more than a million steps from Datum Earth, with core American values restated in the plentiful environment of the Long Earth – and Valhalla is growing restless under the control of the Datum government... Meanwhile the Long Earth is suffused by the song of the trolls, graceful hive-mind humanoids. But the trolls are beginning to react to humanity’s thoughtless exploitation ... Joshua, now a married man, is summoned by Lobsang to deal with a gathering multiple crisis that threatens to plunge the Long Earth into a war unlike any mankind has waged before.

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1916: the Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong, and the wind in the leaves in the trees. Where has the mud, blood and blasted landscape of No Man's Land gone? 2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Cop Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive (some said mad, others dangerous) scientist when she finds a curious gadget - a box containing some wiring, a three-way switch and a...potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way Mankind views his world for ever. And that is an understatement if ever there was one...

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Terry Pratchett takes Shakespeare's Macbeth and then turns it up 'till the knob comes off. It's all there - a wicked duke and duchess, the ghost of the murdered king, dim soldiers, strolling players, a land in peril. And who stands between the Kingdom and destruction? Three witches. Granny Weatherwax (intolerant, self-opinionated, powerful), Nanny Ogg (down-to-earth, vulgar) and Magrat Garlick (naïve, fond of occult jewellery and bunnies).Stephen Briggs has been involved in amateur dramatics for over 25 years and he assures us that the play can be staged without needing the budget of Industrial Light and Magic. Not only that, but the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10 o'clock!Oh, and a world of advice omitted from the play text:LEARN THE WORDSHavelock, Lord Vetinari

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Terry Pratchett's infamous city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60-foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen.Defending Ank-Morpork against this threat is the entire, underpaid, undervalued City Night Watch - a drunken and world-weary Captain, a cowardly and overweight Sergeant, a small opportunistic Corporal of dubious parentage...and their newest recruit, Lance Constable Carrot, who is upright, literal, law-abiding and keen. Aiding them in their fight for truth, justice and the Ankh-Morporkian way are a small swamp dragon and the Librarian of Unseen University (who just happens to be an orang-utan).

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At six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, Sam Vimes must go home to read Where's My Cow?, with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are some things you have to do.It is the most loved and chewed book in the world. But his father wonders why it is full of moo-cows and baa-lambs when Young Sam will only ever see them cooked on a plate. He can think of a more useful book for a boy who lives in a city.So Sam Vimes starts adapting the story. A story with streets, not fields. A book with rogues and villains. A book about the place where he'll grow up.

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Based loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Shakespeare Codex is a new Discworld stage adaptation written to commemorate Terry Pratchett's life and works. Discworld’s motley band of characters team up and stop the elves taking over our world, make Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I (and the Earl of Oxford), this is an unmissable new adventure for Discworld fans.

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