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amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Edelweiss and Doubleday for giving me this book to review.
A Blink of the Screen is a wonderfully eclectic collection of short stories from Sir Terry Pratchett. It shows us some of his earlier writing, even one story written as young as thirteen, and includes the ideas for the Truckers series and the Long Earth series and some set in the Discworld.
I found this collection of stories very easy to read, his earlier work was still very recognisable as coming from the pen of Sir Terry, with all his little quirks and eccentricities, and one of the main Discworld short stories was a very good example of “headology” in all its glory. It’s not just short stories, its little anecdotes and details often included in appendices, such as common Discworld medical conditions, and the Ankh Morpork National Anthem (whose second verse actually includes “ner, ner, ner” lyrics – Brilliant!).
My favourite was “The Sea and Little Fishes”, which I love because it is about Granny Weatherwax, one of my favourite characters in the Discworld series, and is a superb example of how she can get under everyone’s skin without even breaking a sweat.
I would recommend A Blink of the Screen to anyone who enjoys Terry Pratchett books, as some of the short stories might confuse people unfamiliar with his other works.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
A Blink of the Screen is a wonderfully eclectic collection of short stories from Sir Terry Pratchett. It shows us some of his earlier writing, even one story written as young as thirteen, and includes the ideas for the Truckers series and the Long Earth series and some set in the Discworld.
I found this collection of stories very easy to read, his earlier work was still very recognisable as coming from the pen of Sir Terry, with all his little quirks and eccentricities, and one of the main Discworld short stories was a very good example of “headology” in all its glory. It’s not just short stories, its little anecdotes and details often included in appendices, such as common Discworld medical conditions, and the Ankh Morpork National Anthem (whose second verse actually includes “ner, ner, ner” lyrics – Brilliant!).
My favourite was “The Sea and Little Fishes”, which I love because it is about Granny Weatherwax, one of my favourite characters in the Discworld series, and is a superb example of how she can get under everyone’s skin without even breaking a sweat.
I would recommend A Blink of the Screen to anyone who enjoys Terry Pratchett books, as some of the short stories might confuse people unfamiliar with his other works.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
faranyon's review against another edition
4.0
I can tell that short stories were never his strong suit as he acknowledged too. It was still very much worth reading, especially the short stories from Discworld. Esme Weatherwax fan club forever!
I wish there were more of "Once and Future", it could've been something spectacular. As he wrote about it on a footnote: "But I still really like the idea of the person who pulled Excalibur from the stone happening to be female."
I wish there were more of "Once and Future", it could've been something spectacular. As he wrote about it on a footnote: "But I still really like the idea of the person who pulled Excalibur from the stone happening to be female."
shanth's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
tandemjon's review against another edition
4.0
wow! The first story in this book was written by Terry when he was at school and is better than some books I've read by adults! I liked these stories, some were excellent, some added to the Disc world story and others weren't as food, but a good mix and what a talented man.
aimeesbookishlife's review against another edition
4.0
Arranged in chronological order, this collection is a great way to see how Pratchett's style has evolved over the years. It even includes a short story written when he was a teenager and published in a local paper (and of course it's far better than anything I could write now, let alone when I was that age).
I'd read some of the Discworld stories before, including [b:The Sea and Little Fishes|17082640|The Sea and Little Fishes (Discworld, #22.5; Witches #5.5)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419292166s/17082640.jpg|40912257], which is available free online, but the collection also includes a deleted scene from that story so it was worth reading again. (Plus you can never have too much Granny Weatherwax).
I'd read some of the Discworld stories before, including [b:The Sea and Little Fishes|17082640|The Sea and Little Fishes (Discworld, #22.5; Witches #5.5)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1419292166s/17082640.jpg|40912257], which is available free online, but the collection also includes a deleted scene from that story so it was worth reading again. (Plus you can never have too much Granny Weatherwax).
cortjstr's review against another edition
3.0
I've never been big into short stories. I love short chapters in a novel but can't get into short stories. Of course the Discworld stories grabbed me more because I was already familiar with the characters.
chitownbookworm's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
calisnenath's review against another edition
4.0
some were better than others but overall a great read.
benlundns's review against another edition
4.0
Not his best work, but a compendium of his smaller writings from different times in his career. I found it interesting. You can see in some of his stories how they were fleshed out and morphed into full length novels that he released later on in his life. A lot of the stories were created specifically for an event, or a convention, or an article, and can be enjoyed just as a fun one-off.
Some of the stories are not the best example of his work, but it serves as a nice Pratchett sampler, if you are new to his work, or a quick revisit of his characteristic dry humour if you are already a life long fan.
Some of the stories are not the best example of his work, but it serves as a nice Pratchett sampler, if you are new to his work, or a quick revisit of his characteristic dry humour if you are already a life long fan.
spindleshanks22's review against another edition
4.0
If you want to understand an enemy, you gotta walk a mile in his shoes. Then, if he's still your enemy, at least you're a mile away and he's got no shoes.