Kitten Night Farts

"Many people could say things in a cutting way, Nanny knew. But Granny Weatherwax could listen in a cutting way. She could make something sound stupid just by hearing it."

- Terry Pratchett, The Sea and Little Fishes

Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg may make fun of Magrat for her whole “finding herself, power of believing in herself, wishing, being her own woman” phase, but to be fair Magrat’s imagination and power of belief and need for a strong female role model was so strong that she took a completely ordinary suit of armour made because a monarch wanted to superimpose a romanticism into Lancre’s history and she magiced it into a magical set of armour that gives the wearer complete self confidence, strength and fighting ability. We know Ynci wasn’t real so the only conclusion to the events in Lords and Ladies is that it was Magrat’s own magic that caused it. 

ALSO, did anyone ever notice that all of the Witches whose point of view we’ve read have some sort of “other mind” who talks to them. 

Tiffany, who thinks a LOT invented two versions of herself to explain those thoughts - she named them, and we see in Wintersmith even a name like “third thoughts” was strong enough to give them a kind of life. 

Agnus, who’s always been made to feel guilty about her desires and wants, who wanted to be thinner and attractive and more interesting and was then guilted for wanting that as well, she gave all those feelings the name Perdita. 

Magrat, who’s always wanted to be better, stronger, more confident, able to fight her own battles finds a portrait of one of her supposed predecessors and turns the woman in the portrait into the epitome of everything she wants to be, she believes in Ynci so hard she makes her real and she puts the spirit of Ynci in the armour. 

Granny, who’s always worried about her power and worried that she’d go to the dark, who sees her sister Lillith and her ancestor Black Alice as examples of what she might become develops a dark version of herself - we see her in Carpe Jugulem when she’s kneeling by the anvil trying not to be a vampire and a voice tells her “because of you some died who may have lived, I know every dark thought you’ve ever had” and Granny says “I know who you are now Esmerelda Weatherwax”. Because Granny is the only one who didn’t give that other part of her a name, who accepted that it was a part of her, she’s the only one who can have full control over it. 

I just think it says a lot about Witches, because I don’t think that we see that kind of thing with any of the other characters, like Vimes has the summoning dark but there’s a reason for that. Because it shows just how much thinking and introspection the witches really do and how most of the magic they do is on themselves - they always watch themselves, think about what they are on the inside and outside and how they fit into the world and how they affect it.

Things Terry Pratchett Did

Made fun of the “unnecessarily naked/scantily clad woman,” “sacrificial virgin,” and “sexy heroine” tropes in his first two novels.  The first was described as being the most powerful of her clan of dragon-riders and the nakedness was properly treated as unnecessary in a clear parody.  The second turned out to be one of the more level-headed (while not well-educated) members of the party after her initial introduction, and also had a spine and knew (and got) what she wanted.  The third was described as wearing sensible clothes, was pretty but not sexualized at all, and was practical and smart.

Wrote an entire novel to critique the unequal treatment of “men’s magic” versus “women’s magic” in the fantasy genre.  Portrayed witches as just as if not more capable than wizards (when it comes to actually helping people, in particular), and also generally having more common sense than them.  Nevertheless created a little girl character with wizard powers, and had her decide neither wizard nor witch magic was sufficient and develop a new kind of magic all her own.

Included sex workers in his worldbuilding.  Made jokes about them the same way he did every other kind of person of any profession, but was also highly respectful and never critical of these jobs.  Described the head of the ‘Seamstresses’ Guild as one of the most influential people in the biggest city in the world.  Never showed or described in detail any sexual violence, including against these workers.  In fact, made sure to say that anyone in the city who harmed a sex worker would be dealt with painfully, embarrassingly, and/or lethally by two fearsome elderly ladies.  Even his more ditzy stripper character quickly smartened up and learned some true self-respect–not by quitting her job but by realizing she didn’t have to take any shit from men.

Included strong female friendships aplenty.  Included female enemies who were enemies over things other than men.  In general constantly passed the Bechdel Test and not only that, left it in the dust and had way more meaningful and realistic representation.

Five words: Dwarf Women Are All Trans.  More words: And there’s no way to know if some of them were trans in the way we Earth humans would understand it, too, and he clearly didn’t think that sort of genitalia-based gender labeling mattered.  Did not turn his trans dwarfs into a joke, but treated them simply as people–including a scientist/forensics officer in a police department, a prominent fashion designer, and the literal King of all dwarfs (who subsequently came out as Queen).  Portrayed transmisogynists as unequivocally wrong, and had protagonist characters stand up for and protect their trans colleagues and friends.  See also: had genderfluid characters in two of his books and at least one trans man, as well as confirming canonically that there are gay wizards, one of whom is really good at football.

One of his mainest of main characters was a blunt, bad-tempered, prideful old woman who is also good to her core.  Didn’t gloss over her unfriendliness or excuse it, but made her complex and interesting and overall likeable despite all that.  Also had a very amiable old lady character who also had a temper and would throw hands with anyone who’d mess with her family or best friend.  In general, steel-souled old ladies, wow.  Also steel-souled young girls.  

Said he was incapable of writing a weak, wilting female character, and honestly I can’t think of a single one in any of his books.

Please feel free to add to this list with other Things Terry Pratchett Did because I definitely didn’t say them all!

The first thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote a mockery of the tropes.

The second thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote the wizards and witches.

The third thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote sex workers in a respectful and nuanced way. 

The fourth thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote the dwarves and was respectful.

The fifth thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote Susan.

The sixth thing that Terry Pratchett did, he wrote the Monstrous Regiment, and all its varied characters, and pulled absolutely zero punches in that whole book.

And he was not perfect, but he learned and he grew better, and his characters grew with him. Real and flawed and wonderful. 

These are the things that Terry Pratchett wrote!

THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT TERRY PRATTCHETT WROTE!

And so the world was written.

Marc Simonetti’s Discworld Art: Part 3

[x]

I had to get this out of my system today. Me and the brother were talking about birthdays today and how mine is coming up. And every time, I think of this scene in Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. Esp the audiobook. I love this scene, first off because its just too funny, with its nod in LOTR’s direction and secondly because, on my birthday, it plays in my head all day long. I’d think to myself, today is my birthdays but it just comes out in the voice of the slimy little bugger XD

Discworld’s finest by PeterKlijn

- Nanny Ogg, Carpe Jugulum [Terry Pratchett]

I really love Nanny Ogg though. (via bornofajackalope)

Stephen Player’s 2015 Discworld calendar

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett, Maskerade (via gottaquoteit)

Terry Pratchett, Maskerade (via gottaquoteit)

Lords and Ladies - Terry Pratchett (via kitsunati)

- Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies (via sonic-oswin)

some fanart based on Terry Pratchett’s   “Going postal” , “Witches abroad” and  ”Lords and Ladies”

love his books

Discworld witches by valpos