The Science Of Discworld by Terry PratchettMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
You can't keep a good wizard down! I loved the chapters with the story line of the wizards of the Unseen University meddling with their "Roundworld" universe. My favorite character, Rincewind, finds himself named Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography--how appropriate! The one thing that mars this otherwise enjoyable book are the non-fiction chapters. They're simply too long-winded for laypersons and detract more than add to the fun of the Discworld story. Really, for atheists these guys preach and preach and preach... Not a turtle in sight. Boring! It's much more fun to read about the wizards in action trying to unravel the mysteries of a planet very much like our own.
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2 comments:
I love the Discworld novels - not so sure about this book though. Like you say, the wizards (or, in Rincewind's case "Wizzard") are wonderful creations. A shame their real-life counterparts aren't as funny and interesting!
The wizards and their antics are always great fun, but the non-fiction chapters seemed overly long to me and their tone was a bit condescending and patronizing. It made the book drag on longer than necessary. You wonder if the science authors had any editorial input, really, since the balance felt off compared to the fiction part. It should have been paced better with a funny wizard story then a short bit about the science the wizards are exploring then back to the funny story all within a few pages. But that's just my take on it and your mileage may vary. ;)
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