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Terry Pratchett Knighted
ackthpt writes "Headlines have been popping up on Google News: 'Terry Pratchett declared himself "flabbergasted" to receive a knighthood as he led a group of writers, actors and performers honoured today.' The Discworld author and stalwart adversary of Alzheimers Disease has been a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Literature since 1998. He will be entering the new year as Knight Commander. Well done and Oook, Sir Terry."
Congratulations Sir Terry, a well deserved honour.
I think we can agree that Terry Pratchett has earned an honour of one kind or another.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Yet it doesn't stop you coming over in large numbers to hang around outside Buckingham Palace taking photos of the Changing of the Guard.
How exactly can one be a "stalwart adversary of Alzheimers Disease"?
I mean, other than the classic "I will die young, thus depriving it of another victim."...
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Congratulations! I'm glad to see that you didn't settle for a new dartboard, even if Detritus does ruin them.
Good, inexpensive web hosting
Just a little FYI. Sorry if we republican (small r) Americans find the whole royalty thing anachronistic, not to mention flying in the face of the concepts of equality and consent of the governed. Who really does care what these inbred people think?
There are many monarchies in Europe, most are stable, democratic countries where individual rights are very well protected... There is nothing anachronistic about keeping traditions...
I've never been a huge fan of the French
What kind of dumb remark is that?
considering what i've seen in the south, who the fuck are you to call any country inbred??
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
Last time I checked, J.K. Rowling had a vagina.
Anonymous Coward
Yes but, she's bestowing honors on people who contribute to society. Say what you need to about the outdated notion of royalty but I wish America had someone official to hand out awards for generating culture. We have halls of fame and parades but they're reserved for athletes and soldiers, the most useless occupations ever invented.
True, but it's called tradition. I do agree that the cult around the British royal family, and other royal families around Europe, still has ludicrous proportions, though many Britons think the Queen's just a boring old bat, stuck in the 1940s. But then again there is a similar cult and a large amount of unnecessary pomp around the US president and military. All that needs to be scaled back.
Beauty is in the beholder of the eye.
You checked her vagina?!
Why should any governing body, or something affiliated with a governing body, decide for people what moral causes are worth awarding shiny medals and titles for, instead of simply popular consensus? Why is that not good enough? Perhaps we should have President Bush award medals to anti-abortion groups, for "fighting for the sanctity of life", or anti-gay groups, "fighting for the sanctity of marriage?" Or for culture, how about giving Mel Gibson a medal for Passion of the Christ? Or, is it only OK when you agree with the cause or media?
And why does ANYONE need to hand out trinkets for these accomplishments? The honor, the REASON behind these awards are given almost always after such reasoning is evident to most people. Trophies and titles do not make peoples actions more or less great.
You know what? You want someone handing out blue ribbons so badly, why not you do it? What? You mean nobody cares about what you think? Well, why should I care about what the government thinks, or the queen, for that matter?
In all honesty, I find the idea of a society where everyone is so equal that they can't even be told "hey, you've written some really good books, well done" an appalling idea. I'll keep my birthright based head of state, or even some guy a moistened bint threw a scimitar at over that.
Actually, the Queen has a whole lot of power in the UK. She has for example the power to say "oi, parliament, fuck off, I'm in charge now". It's only through choice that she delegates power to democracy, not through any lack of power.
Having said that, a large riot would tear her limb from limb if she ever tried that.
Why not, we all know she's a dirty old woman anyway: http://bash.org/?111338
Why is the QUEEN so special that she can give people special titles?
You're correct of course. Another way of looking at it, though, is that this whole thing is not about the queen of England at all; it's about honouring Terry Pratchett.
"Britain" is not a monolithic entity. Many people there also think the royalty should be abolished, and as far as I'm concerned, everyone who doesn't agree with the presence of the royal family is being leeched upon. I don't care about your shallow excuses of democracy, democracy can justify anything so long as the mob agrees to it.
You might as well state that because Bush won the election, that Europeans shouldn't criticize our elections! Sorry, but that's not how it works, I'll criticize my government, I'll criticize your government, and I'll let other people do the same. Governments are not the people, and your flag does not represent you or who you are.
Where does all this US loathing of the French come from? Perhaps you should send back the statue of liberty to teach them a lesson.
We've always had a reputation for hating the French but I've never seen the foaming at the mouth loathing shown by quite a few Americans, despite the UK having been involved in quite a few wars against the French. Including a little spat that ended in 1776.
Tradition is something that holds us back from progress. Mindless repetition of things done for the sake of doing what was done before. Instead of wasting time and energy avoiding stepping on cracks so we don't break our mother's backs, let's just get on with the show and not waste time, eh?
And yes, I agree with your assessment of the unnecessary "pomp", as you put it, over our president and military. And especially our president-to-be, I'm particularly frightened of his cult status, although he's obviously better than Bush.
titles have an associated meaning to them, typically, you could call yourself MindlessAutomata ruler of the ants! and nobody would give two hoots, to be given a title from the british monarch means something.
Maybe not to you, but it isn't a typically easy thing to get, and most people would agree it takes some level of skill/achievement.
You seem to be under the impression that being a monarch would be an easy job, I propose it would not, to be a horrible monarch may be easy, but being the example of manners and and grace 24/7 while going about your business would not be an easy job.
As for 'pointless traditions' what do you think culture is?, I know the points I have raised to not delve into the more meaningful aspects of it all, but it's 8pm new years eve here, so I'll return and post a more detailed comment later perhaps.
This is pretty much all that is left of her power. These days a monarch is nothing more than a figurehead who dances for the public. Not a job I'd want.
The man is one of the best authors ever to have graced the earth.
-- Lattyware (www.lattyware.co.uk)
The monarchy is sort of like the 2nd amendment; if things just get totally and completely screwed up beyond any hope of repair, The 2nd amendment, and the Monarchy, are the built-in reset switches.
And, just like the 2nd amendment, a bunch of idiots don't realize what a blessing it is that they have that reset switch.
Why, yes, I AM a Pagan Libertarian.
He's a fantasy author who is best known as the author of the Discworld series.
In which case they will make her a Dame eventually. Not that she is as deserving as Terry mind but if she works at it for another 15 - 20 years she might get it.
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
I just read this and a big smile spread across my face. I've been a fan of Pratchett's books for many years now (mid 1980s I think) and it's surprising how well he is known around the world. Isn't he something like he sells the third most books of any British author? His work is fantastic, though sometimes slated by critics - undeservedly IMHO because his books can be so original and funny and still be insightful.
Just as an example, when a very close relative of mine was undergoing major high-risk surgery, the only way I could pass the time other than biting my nails was by reading one of his books.
Congrats Sir Terry! And thank you very much for all your work.
bang goes my karma... again...
The king doesn't have power to abolish his seat. The most you could do was abdicate, after which a successor would be found according to a well-defined modified primogeniture succession order. No approval from you would be needed for the coronation -- in fact, you would be in no position to approve or disapprove, having abdicated.
>needs to think on a much longer scale than election cycles
Which is also a large chunk of the reason we have (had) a House of Lords. Blair and his vile mob did their best to wreck all that though and rip out a perfectly functional line of sanity that allowed him to shove through laws that would never have got passed otherwise. Of course, he used his usual campaign of disinformation and whipping up a frenzy of stupidity in large swathes of the people via the Daily Mail etc.
I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
He's not American.
Or end up suing himself for copyright infringement.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Really? That's knightable? Sir JK Rowling? Sir Alan Dean Foster?
Are you kidding? JK Rowling will get made Queen at least.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
Hmmm.. That should make her a Damsel me thinks, for a Dame is a lady Lord. Now I'm gender confused for what a Lady knight should be termed.
No, a Dame is the female equivalent to knight. The female equivalent to a Lord is Lady.
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
She's the head of state. But she doesn't choose those on the honour roll: there is a lengthy nomination process (which is how so many local councillors wind up with small honours). You can nominate anyone for an honour; the paperwork is extensive and putting together a case is hard work.
Yes. We wouldn't want a high signal to noise ratio on Slashdot.
All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
One does not get knighted for doing the exact same thing as his or her predecessors.
Tradition can be great for some things, and not-so-great for others.
Most Brits are very happy with the current arrangement, where the royal family play a strong role in the cultural development of the nation, while having a relatively minor role in the government.
"Tradition is bad, progress is good" is a terrible philosophy to live by. Don't fix what isn't broken!
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
Because being knighted by some alcoholic bum on the corner named Steve means fuck all, you amazing twit.
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
By throwing money at Alzheimers reserach and on a more personal level by doing all he can to remain as mentally active as possible.
It is worth noting that many believe the cause is now identified and that large pharma companies are working on getting treatments through trials.
I seem to recall a headline on /. linking high blood sugar to the memory loss effect. Hopefully this shows that more research is shedding more light on the condition.
A sad day when a bigoted comment like this is modded up. The American south is home to most of America's black population, and a slur against them is merely a reflection of your [and moderators] tiny-minded ignorance and fear.
When they shoot at light entertainment TV personalities I think that they can be called inbred. Though I note that note of the (self proclaimed) "hicks" in that episode were black.
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
it was actually a reference to witches abroad
"'Der flabberghast,' muttered Nanny. 'What's that?' said Magrat. 'It's foreign for bat.'"
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
What 'depriving it of a victim'? Terry *has* Alzheimer's. It's a tremendous loss to the literary world, and to the world at large, that his mental faculties are slipping. I've also met him, he's sharper than Harlan Ellison and a lot more fun to chat with
He's pouring his resources into fighting it out of enlightened self-interest, but he's doing a pretty good job of it, much like Chris Reeve did for spinal injuries after breaking his neck. I'm sure it's why a lot of his most recent work has been collaborative, rather than personally authored from start to finish.
The UK doesn't have a written constitution, but it does nonetheless have a means of administration prescribed by parliament - a constitution.
Some laws are held to be 'constitutional'. The Bill of Rights 1688 for example (on which the American Constitution was partially based if I recall correctly), which limits the power of the monarchy. The Human Rights Act 1998 is another example.
It is of course possible for parliament to abolish any one of these laws - and I believe the same is the case in America, although a special majority of some sort is required to ammend the constitution. Beyond that somewhat technical difference, it's a similar system.
By convention, the Queen is said to have the right to be consulted, the right to advise, and the right to warn. Technically she has a right to veto legislation, but this last occurred in 1709 and if she attempted it today, I suspect there would be a constitutional crisis leading either to a general election or a referendum on the monarchy.
As it happens, the current monarch is noted for having been reasonably good at her job. She has experience of eleven Prime Ministers and the events of half a century - whether or not you agree with her constitutional position, she is currently an extremely useful resource to the government.
Tomorrow, I may eat another house plant
Objectively, he's also very good. His handling of multiple cultures is excellent, his political satire is brilliant, his ability to link human themes such as sexism, aging, outrage at injustice, poverty, fondness of pets, bureaucracy, and courage into plots that are fun for both children and sophisticated adults who appreciate more of the subtlety is amazing. His characters are very human, often very warm, and he successfully captures the attitudes of both heroes and villains.
'Jingo' should have been required reading for the Bush Administration before the recent mid-easter mess, just as 'Making Money' should have been required reading for the loan officers of the USA before the housing credit crunch. The man captures important themes about all sorts of aspects of life.
Service to the Arts has always been a valid category for honours to be awarded. Note that it's not enough to write a lot of books yourself (or songs, or paint a bunch of pictures, etc); it's also necessary to actively inspire and help others.
It also reflects a solid career in doing so, not merely a flash-in-the-pan fad star.
"Software is too expensive to build cheaply"
And why is the POTUS so special that he can award the various Presidential Medals, or Congress so special that it can award the various congerssional medals?
Almost every country has some kind of honours system, the British system just has rather more levels to it than most.
Paul
Paul Leader
Genetics is the area of biological study concerned with heredity and with the variations between organisms that result from it.
A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
There's a difference between "being broken" and "being an unnecessary usage of time and resources." Much like how organisms lose organs or features that, over time, become more and more useless, so too I think people are best served by removing the cruft from their lives.
Maybe we could instead have a Senate, and sell seats in it. Imagine the revenue it would bring in.
a +1 Funny/Sad mod. I've never seen a better place to put it.
Have you been touched by his noodly appendage?
You can be sure it's genuine, and not at all based on whim. Like another guy in another branch of this thread already said: The Queen hands out the knighthoods, but the guys/girls picked out for the knighthoods are chosen by the government, not the Queen.
Saying "she does it" and "it's sad to be praised by the status quo/those in power" is little more than being petty. The Queen (really the government) only praises those who made "substantial contributions to the country('s cultural or whatever) life".
Anyway, the "better" the literature you write is, the smaller the (contemporary) audience will be, (even though it will have a much longer history than more popular titles) so why do you feel that "writers should depend on praise given by (living) readers only"?
Not to harp too strongly on this, but reading Rowling, or Tolkien, actually doesn't do much. Reading Pratchett exposes people to all kinds of religious, philosophical, psychological and sociological ideas. He actually manages, not only to make political correctness and liberal tolerance funny, but also attractive. Just compare his ueber-policeman, Vimes, to Jack Bauer, and you see what I mean. Although they're both cardboard, Vimes has depth. He is a middle aged man who has accidentally married into high society and learns to adapt to it, even as marriage to a woman who understands powerful men opens opportunities to him he would otherwise not have had.
Another thing about Pratchett which may reflect his collaborationism: he can view his characters from outside. For instance, Vimes appears in books in which he is not the central character, and then we see him quite differently. Even minor characters do this: we see Cheery Littlebottom as a dwarf coming out as a woman in a gender-averse society, with all the conflicts that causes, but in another book we see her from outside the police force just as another faceless instance of authority. It's depth like this that justifies a knighthood.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Bah. Speak for yourself, peon. I'm a direct descendant of William I, King of England in 1066. :-P
You do realise that being a direct descendant of the Normans makes you French... ;p
PS. Unlike one of the posts above I'm British, and therefore have earned the right to make fun of them.
Wars lasting more than a century with a nation grants that type of right.
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
Second, he has made his attitude quite clear as regards honours in his books. They're fine so long as they are earned. His Prince Charles character goes from jester to king. Vimes goes from the gutter to a dukedom - but you have to earn the right to call him "mister". Witches get paid in the "solid coin of respect"; Magrat goes from witch to Queen but the witches think she has settled for second best. Obviously you should not read too much into what a writer says in his books, but Pratchett's take is very consistent.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
You mean, that Iraq war which was started to find weapons of mass destruction that never existed, and were known by the US government not to exist?
Got to point out that the French supported the invasion of Afghanistan, which was a legitimate response to 9/11. Invading Iraq was merely Bush and Cheney's way of beating their chest.
I personally think that the French only tried to claim the moral middle ground; it just looked high from where the US was looking.
As for 600,000 people: I call bullshit. The US lost 416,800 total in WWII, of which 183,588 were in the European theatre. By contrast the Soviet Union - who were responsible for the fall of the Third Reich - lost over 10 million, nearly all in Europe. The US/British invasion was timed to take advantage of weakened defences due to the fighting in the Eastern front, and had the goal, not of freeing Europe, but of stopping Russia. Without the US, the French would be speaking, well, French (the USSR never forced their satellite nations to adopt Russian), but would have been aligned with the USSR. Wait, that's how they spent the 70s anyway!
Want to bring World War I into the picture as well? Then add another 116,708 - more than half of which died from the flu due to poor sanitation in US training camps (both in the US and in Europe). Total number of US deaths that could be attributed to "saving France": 300,296 - about half the figure you named. I'm sorry about your grandfather and all; my own grandfather flew with the Australian volunteers in the RAF. But get your figures straight. By contrast, the Commonwealth nations (Great Britain and related countries) lost over 1.7 million between WWI and WWI, most in the European conflict.
Excluding the US civil war, the US military has claimed 447,137 combat deaths since the start of the War of Independence - well short of your 600,000 total.
(figures sourced from wikipedia)
"Software is too expensive to build cheaply"
Sir Pterry isn't a Knight Commander (which is a title within various British Orders), but a Knight Bachelor (which is a title outside the Order system). Formally, there are no initials he can add to his name as a Knight Bachelor, but many add Kt. So he could be styled "Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE" (Officer of the Order of the British Empire), but not "Sir Terry Pratchet, KBE" (Knight Commander...).
And a couple of hundred years before that, England had a revolution as well. Having put in a ruthless military dictator and El-Presidente-For-Life, they waited for him to die, put the monarchy back in, and dug Cromwell up from his grave so that they could execute him posthumously! (Well, points for effort, guys, but as the assignment was handed in late...)
"Software is too expensive to build cheaply"
Changing of the guard is more ordered and civilized than just about any government function in the USA. If we take enough pictures, we might learn eventually.
Every mans' island needs an ocean; choose your ocean carefully.
Please turn in your geek card before you leave. Thank you for visiting! Enjoy your Harry Potter!!
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
I like the British.
Their dry wit and accented English have given me many days of enjoyment.
Not to ridicule them, but to laugh with them and enjoy their culture. (Hobnobs and Pubs mate)
Having lived there for 4 years, I can safely say they are for the most part friendly and kind,
but some can be a stuffy bunch.
Pretending to know about American people because today we honor and express our joy for a beloved writer.
Anoraknid the Sartor - Come to my apartment North of Dallas, I'll gladly show you what we value in the US. We'll sit down, enjoy a Margarita and have wonderful discussions about politics and culture.
But don't rain on this parade, we're just sharing our appreciation among the community for an author many of us grew up engrossed in his books.
Posting with out proof reading since 2001.
I fairness, most people's reaction to Jeremy Clarkson is to reach for a gun.
Someone above has written about a world of literature out there. I've read (more than once) Trollope, Powell, Proust, along with all the usual stuff including the Russians in translation and the easier French and German classics, and I find it possible to appreciate them all. On the other hand, I couldn't get into Rowling.
DNA, there I agree with you. I read the books with pleasure but they are comparatively froth. Good froth, but not arise sir Douglas froth even had he not died young.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
The UK doesn't have a written constitution, but it does nonetheless have a means of administration prescribed by parliament - a constitution.
I think this is an oft-repeated misconception. The UK's constitution is written. It's just not all written in one convenient place.
OK, maybe I'm missing something - how does writing funny books actively inspire and help others?
You'd be amazed. A friend of mine has two kids (teenage boys) who had no interest in books before I introduced them to Pratchett. Now they read much more, and have whole worlds available to them that they didn't before.
I like Pratchett's work a lot, but my real appreciation for it comes from seeing how it works as a gateway drug for people who might otherwise never walk through the doors of the imagination. That's worth alittle acknowledgement, isn't it?
Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
Having seen that episode, the presenters on Top Gear (a show I love to watch) did everything in their power to antagonize the people in Alabama. Even so, it would not surprise me if the incidents listed were actually done at the request of someone from Top Gear rather than as an angry reaction. The overall behavior more closely fits that of British stereotypes of people from Alabama than that of anyone from Alabama I have ever met.
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
He will be on the Western side of the pond in Tempe, Arizona at the first North American Discworld Convention, September 4-7, 2009. Get in line now!
Sadly, due to his condition, this will probably be the last American convention that he attends.
http://www.nadwcon.org/
When you sympathize with stupidity, you start thinking like an idiot.
I think the parent was probably referring to the odd use of "adversary" in regard to an inanimate object. As in "opponent" or "enemy". It frequently implies that the relationship is two-way. I have to think that Alzheimer's isn't fighting back against him. In fact, I'm betting it isn't even aware of his existence...
Apparently they meant to say "an ardent supporter of Alzheimer's research" or something along those lines.
I doubt that the collaboration has anything to do with the Alzheimer's. He's been doing that for a long time, Good Omens is a fine example of it.
What's more, collaborative writing is very enjoyable. I've started alot of writing projects, and all I've started by myself died within 20 pages, whereas the collaborative projects have all either reached completion or are still being worked on. I find I write better collaboratively, if for no other reason than to impress the girls I'm working with.
This sig is false.