Terry Pratchett's Self-Made Meteorite Sword

It's made of magic by alphatel · 2010-09-21 02:16 · Score: 0, Redundant

Pratchett said he had thrown in "several pieces of meteorites — thunderbolt iron, you see — highly magical, you’ve got to chuck that stuff in whether you believe in it or not". Pratchett has stored the sword in a secret location, apparently concerned about the authorities taking an interest in it.

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Re:It's made of magic by Culture20 · 2010-09-21 02:17 · Score: 2, Funny

Pratchett has stored the sword in a secret location, apparently concerned about the authorities taking an interest in it.
Knife Crime.
Re:It's made of magic by xaxa · 2010-09-21 02:35 · Score: 2, Informative

Pratchett has stored the sword in a secret location, apparently concerned about the authorities taking an interest in it.
Owning a sword isn't illegal, though carrying one in public usually is.
Re:It's made of magic by arivanov · 2010-09-21 02:45 · Score: 0

It is a knife or to be more exact oversized dagger, not a sword.
The balance is wrong. With a sword you need to be able to chop which requires the sword to have at least some weight towards the end so you can put a good whack onto your opponent. Otherwise it does not have enough energy to chop through armour or let's say chop a hand off.
That is why roman, greek and other armies who faught with a similar size short blades had leaf-shaped blades with the thin end on the hilt side.

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Re:It's made of magic by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-09-21 02:52 · Score: 2, Informative

With a sword you need to be able to chop
Wrong

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Re:It's made of magic by Thanshin · 2010-09-21 02:55 · Score: 4, Informative

Owning a sword isn't illegal, though carrying one in public usually is.
In Spain, carrying a sword in public is legal if it's not concealed. But you've got to have a reason to be carrying it, like "I just bought it and I'm taking it home", "I'm going to my bastard sword class" or "I'm going to the woods to take pictures of my sword collection".
You can also carry a non concealed hunting knife of any size or form, including two bladed.
What you can't carry is any pocket/concealed weapon over 11cm, two bladed or with an automatic aperture system based on internally stored force (mass, for gravity or inertial automatics is ok).
Re:It's made of magic by Azarael · 2010-09-21 03:00 · Score: 2, Informative

It looks like a gladius to me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladius
Re:It's made of magic by lxs · 2010-09-21 03:03 · Score: 5, Funny

Is "I'm looking for the man who killed my father" a valid reason in Spain?
Re:It's made of magic by balbord · 2010-09-21 03:20 · Score: 5, Funny

That reason is inconceivable.

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Re:It's made of magic by Chrisq · 2010-09-21 03:21 · Score: 1

Is "I'm looking for the man who killed my father" a valid reason in Spain?
You would probably have to add "he was carrying a sword just like this one, so I was bringing it along for comparison".
Re:It's made of magic by Crudely_Indecent · 2010-09-21 03:21 · Score: 2, Informative

So by your way of thinking, the rapier and foil aren't swords either.

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Re:It's made of magic by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 03:29 · Score: 0

That reason is inconceivable.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Re:It's made of magic by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 03:40 · Score: 0

That's because you always think about gladiusses.
Re:It's made of magic by dasherjan · 2010-09-21 03:43 · Score: 1

But rapiers were very specialized for a certain way of fighting/dueling that was in vogue with young noble men. They didn't were armor and in a lot of ways it was more about form and style than it was about killing efficiency. The statement does hold true for swords except for the very specialized ones like the rapier.
Re:It's made of magic by IndustrialComplex · 2010-09-21 03:46 · Score: 1

with an automatic aperture system based on internally stored force (mass, for gravity or inertial automatics is ok).
Not familiar with the terminology, are you referring to something like a switchblade?
It's a shame that a lot of places have banned those, because I find that they are VERY useful. I have one and it became my favorite knife to use while working in places where my hands are occupied. I can get it in my hand, disengage the safety and open it with my thumb, do the work, and then close it again easier than a typical lockback knife.
A typical folding knife can be nice, but I hate how loose the ones with blades you can open with one hand are. The awesome thing about a spring loaded knife is that the spring keeps positive pressure on the blade (even after you release the lock to close it) This positive pressure, combined with a dull 'back' to the blade (not double sided) lets you do the following:
To close the knife:
1. Hold the release to unlock the blade
2. push the back of the blade against a convenient surface
3. It locks in place, re-engage the safety.
With a typical folding knife, once you release the lock on the open blade, the sharp side is free to move and, in my opinion, is slightly harder to manipulate in a safe way, especially with one hand. If you have ever had the chance to use a quality switch blade (Not double edged), they are damned useful tools.
The only other thing I've used that fills this need is a box cutter, which is easy to open and close, but the razor blades aren't that great for the type of work I do and will typically shatter or chip after a few uses. When I'm in a place where a switchblade is illegal, I use box cutters, but I burn through the blades like crazy.

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Re:It's made of magic by Thanshin · 2010-09-21 03:59 · Score: 3, Informative

Not familiar with the terminology, are you referring to something like a switchblade?
Yes.

It's a shame that a lot of places have banned those, because I find that they are VERY useful. I have one and it became my favorite knife to use while working in places where my hands are occupied. I can get it in my hand, disengage the safety and open it with my thumb, do the work, and then close it again easier than a typical lockback knife.
There are other kinds of folding knives that can be opened with one hand, the only difference is whether they'll stab something on the opening movement, which is not justifiable for a tool, thus the internally stored force limit that includes springs and even bullet cartidges (without the bullet).

A typical folding knife can be nice, but I hate how loose the ones with blades you can open with one hand are.
A good knive can have a perfectly firm and locked blade that you can open with one hand. They may be expensive, though.

The awesome thing about a spring loaded knife is that the spring keeps positive pressure on the blade (even after you release the lock to close it) This positive pressure, combined with a dull 'back' to the blade (not double sided) lets you do the following:
To close the knife:
1. Hold the release to unlock the blade
2. push the back of the blade against a convenient surface
3. It locks in place, re-engage the safety.
With a typical folding knife, once you release the lock on the open blade, the sharp side is free to move and, in my opinion, is slightly harder to manipulate in a safe way, especially with one hand. If you have ever had the chance to use a quality switch blade (Not double edged), they are damned useful tools.
I own several Benchmades, Spidercos, etc and I've never had a problem handling them with one hand but I think what you want is a fireman's folding knife, made to be opened with one heavy gloved hand. You may want to lock into CRKT's kind of assisted opening.
Having said that, I'd use a fixed blade if at all possible.
Re:It's made of magic by Spy+der+Mann · 2010-09-21 04:00 · Score: 1

Is "I'm looking for the man who killed my father" a valid reason in Spain?
Only if your name is Iñigo Montoya.
Re:It's made of magic by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 04:00 · Score: 0

The center of gravity of a well made sword is in the hilt - generally next to the crosspiece. Anything else, and you're wrist gets tired too fast.
Re:It's made of magic by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 04:01 · Score: 0

or with an automatic aperture system based on internally stored force (mass, for gravity or inertial automatics is ok).
What is essentially worse in carrying switchblade which has to be cocked to spring, instead of carrying some other sort of quick-drawing edge?
Does stored force switchblade allow for faster attack, or for concealing the fact that incoming "hit" will end as a stab (which, admittedly, would be quite perfidious)?
Re:It's made of magic by thoromyr · 2010-09-21 04:07 · Score: 5, Informative

Some rapiers were *very* stylized (the ridiculous blade lengths that became popular among courtiers, for example). But "deep bellied" or "broad bladed tip" designs are not the only form for effectual swords and chopping is not very efficient for defeating armor, thrusting is. And for thrusting a triangular blade is desired.
One place to start educating yourself about swords and the various types is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakeshott_typology
You will notice that Type X "taper toward the tip" rather than becoming broader. Or the Type XII which is improved for thrusting. Or the Type XIII which, while not especially adapted for thrusting, fails to have the "broad toward the tip" design you aver is the only functional sword type. Note when and how common this sword type was.
In fact, you won't find much in the way of sword blade types meeting those limited criteria.
Re:It's made of magic by VickiM · 2010-09-21 04:08 · Score: 1

A gladius has a dip in it. This one is more triangle-shaped. It looks like a standard fantasy short sword, maybe an arming sword.
Re:It's made of magic by alphatel · 2010-09-21 04:16 · Score: 1

That reason is inconceivable.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

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Re:It's made of magic by IndustrialComplex · 2010-09-21 04:22 · Score: 1

I'll look into the fireman's knife, thanks. I also agree about the point first method of force assisted opening, I wouldn't touch one of those as that would be dangerous to me and of marginal benefit.
I just get tired of tools being demonized because they get featured in movies or become the latest media fear fad.

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Re:It's made of magic by mcvos · 2010-09-21 04:44 · Score: 1

-1 is a bit harsh, but he's more wrong than informative.
Re:It's made of magic by Oligonicella · 2010-09-21 04:47 · Score: 3, Informative

You do not know what you're talking about. A good sword balances an inch or so forward of the quillons. What you're referring to were early swords, based on the designs of Bronze Age swords, which had thickened blades to sustain damage, not for hacking needs. Furthermore, the favored tactic of Romans was to block upwards with the shield and jab into the enemies unprotected midsection. Even before Rome fell, those designs had disappeared.
Re:It's made of magic by Oligonicella · 2010-09-21 04:53 · Score: 1

Read my previous post. The vast bulk of steel swords balance close to the quillons. That's the entire point of the pommel.

"They didn't were armor and in a lot of ways it was more about form and style than it was about killing efficiency."

After the word armor, that sentence is quite uninformed.
Re:It's made of magic by mcvos · 2010-09-21 04:55 · Score: 3, Informative

How do you want the balance to be? For a well-balanced sword, the center of gravity is near the cross guard. It has to be, if you want to swing it around easily. And swords are just not intended for chopping through armour. When people started wearing more and more armour, knights started using axes, maces and warhammers, and foot soldiers started using halberds and various other polearms.
Personally I don't see what's wrong with the balance of Sir Terry's sword (as if you could tell what the balance is like just from looking at it). It's certainly a bit of an odd design, and probably not the most effective sword ever, but it definitely counts as sword. It even looks properly double edged (which is what used to distinguish swords from long knives and sabres in medieval Europe, though not in other parts of the world).
Re:It's made of magic by NeutronCowboy · 2010-09-21 05:03 · Score: 1

That's why modern fencing has different categories for foil and sword.

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Re:It's made of magic by dasherjan · 2010-09-21 05:06 · Score: 1

Very interesting. Thank you for the information!
Re:It's made of magic by Maxo-Texas · 2010-09-21 05:29 · Score: 2, Informative

Actually, it varies.
Swords don't just "randomly look different ways to look cool"
The cross section and the shape of the blade reflect the intended usage.
Some swords are piercing, some are slashing, some are stabbing, some are chopping.
It depends on your size, what kind of armor you are going to be wearing (plate guy with a rapier won't be very effective) and the type of armor your opponent will be wearing, and your likely fighting environment (are you surrounded by trees and bushes or out in the grass or in tight streets? Look... I'm on a wall!
The cross section varies from a wedge + rectangle backing, to a football, to a rounded wedge, etc.
Terry's sword (wonder what he will name it?), looks like a foot soldier's sword and looks like a stabbing weapon tho I'm sure it has a cutting edge, it lacks weight along the entire back and/or near the tip to give the blade inertia to chop through something. It's not long enough to use from horseback effectively.

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Re:It's made of magic by Z1NG · 2010-09-21 06:07 · Score: 1

I can say that the CRKT m16 13sf is excellent. Easy one hand opening via the carson flipper, and with dual safety locks they refer to it as a virtual fixed blade. The carson flippers even act as a hilt. I love this knife.
Re:It's made of magic by phantomfive · 2010-09-21 06:09 · Score: 4, Funny

Best quote from the article:

"It annoys me that knights aren't allowed to carry their swords. That would be knife crime."
Indeed, if knight-authors were allowed to carry swords, the world would be a much better place.

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Qxe4
Re:It's made of magic by Muros · 2010-09-21 08:25 · Score: 2, Informative

Most weapons are specialised for a certain way of fighting, or as a response to the fighting styles of others. Plate armour can be seen largely as a response to the greatswords used by the Celts, Picts and Saxons, which could cut right through a man from shoulder to opposite hip. When Knights began wearing plate, people didn't bother trying to hit them with swords; you used a crossbow to punch straight through or used a hooked polearm to get them on the ground and bash their head in with a hammer.

You could go on for hours about the tactics for use of different weapons in different situations, but all weapons still fit one or more of 5 descriptions; sharp things, pointy things, heavy things, fast things, or things that go boom.
Re:It's made of magic by Gilmoure · 2010-09-21 10:51 · Score: 1

Despite how cool long swords look, I settled on a modern gladius like short sword (made from car spring). Has a nice mix of sturdy blade (diamond shaped) for thrusting and a decent edge for cutting. While no replacement for a .1911, it's a bit quieter.

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Re:It's made of magic by Gilmoure · 2010-09-21 11:04 · Score: 1

But, but, which is greater?

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Re:It's made of magic by Gilmoure · 2010-09-21 11:09 · Score: 1

Is why I have a Gerber Mk II and a Gerber Evo Jr.

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I drank what? -- Socrates
Re:It's made of magic by stonewallred · 2010-09-21 12:10 · Score: 1

They have been making those forever (or at least since I was 9 or 10 years old). I still have my old Mark I, my Frisco Shiv. Too bad they are all considered "weapons"
Re:It's made of magic by Saint+Fnordius · 2010-09-21 20:13 · Score: 1

You haven't tried mediaeval fencing or studied actual swordmaking, I can tell. :)
Seriously, though, you want the weight of the blade to be centered near the cross, so that the blade is easier to control. Leaf shaped blades are actually more susceptible to break, as the inertia of the tip combined with the weight of the pommel and hilt would centre the stress before the hilt at the blade's weakest point. Leaf shaped blades are also less suited for thrusting attacks, which for a short sword is more common—short swords were meant for close quarters combat, where you don't have the room to freely swing. Thrusts also are better at penetrating chain mail or attacking exposed areas near the cuirass.
Re:It's made of magic by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 21:11 · Score: 0

"Inconceivable." You keep using that word. I do no't think it means what you think it means.
Re:It's made of magic by mcvos · 2010-09-21 21:56 · Score: 1

Some rapiers were *very* stylized (the ridiculous blade lengths that became popular among courtiers, for example).
While it's true that the popularity of rapiers was more a matter of fashion than effectiveness, the ridiculous length did have a practical reason. The rapier was a completely offensive weapon, which meant it's all about being the first to make an effective attack. A long sword meant more reach, giving you an advantage.
Later, the rapier got replaced by the much shorter and much more defensive smallsword.
Re:It's made of magic by mcvos · 2010-09-21 21:58 · Score: 1

Has anyone ever invented a polearm that goes boom? Then you'd have all 5 functions in a single weapon.
Re:It's made of magic by Muros · 2010-09-21 22:29 · Score: 1

Explosive whaling harpoons might come close.
Re:It's made of magic by thoromyr · 2010-09-22 04:37 · Score: 1

You are apparently unaware of the ridiculous lengths involved.
Are you perhaps aware that there is a physical limitation to blade length of a weapon sheathed at the hip which will be drawn from there? It is a function of arm length. Some scabbards are made to extend this by effectively having a slit from the opening down along the bottom edge, but I'm not aware of any rapier scabbards made this way. A little experimentation will determine the maximum blade length you can draw.
Then consider the fact that the longer the blade the farther out the balance point will move. Yes, you can compensate by embellishing the hilt and using a larger pommel, but doing so increases the overall weight of the blade. A "normal" ~34" blade rapier weighs about three pounds. A "normal" ~33" blade sword weighs about three pounds.
You make the rapier a foot longer and you necessarily increase the weight, or to retain the balance point, increase the weight even more. Either way you are increasing the effort required to wield the blade. Arm-chair "weapon masters" rarely realize how tiring it is to wield a 3 pounds sword, and how much more tiring it is to wield one that weighs four pounds. Many RPGs vastly overstate the weight of weapons which compounds the problem.
The length of a rapier became a point of status and was not an issue of defense (or offense -- reach is actually more important for offense) leading to sumptuary laws in England.
A quick way to find *real* weights and lengths for various historical weapons without leaving your chair is to peruse catalogs of replicas, such as http://www.museumreplicas.com/
Re:It's made of magic by Thansal · 2010-09-22 07:42 · Score: 1

stick a bang stick on to the reverse of one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_stick

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Of all the author's out there by Pojut · 2010-09-21 02:20 · Score: 2, Insightful

I'm the least surprised that it was Terry Pratchett that made himself a sword.

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Living With a Nerd

Re:Of all the author's out there by Bonker · 2010-09-21 06:26 · Score: 1

As his time with his books has grown, Sir Terry is somewhat known for spending time with weapons in order to describe his characters using them better.
(I'm trying to find an official source, but haven't seen one more authoritative than TVtropes yet, so take this with a grain of salt.)
In particular, the various City Watchmen of Ankh Morpork are all shown to use crowsbows at one point or another. Mister Pratchett learned to use a crossbow himself.
This sword sounds somewhat like Carrot Ironfoundersson's very sharp, well-used, and above all highly unmagical sword. However, another part of the standard issue for AMCW cops is a short sword, so we may get to see some more details on sword care and swordmanship in the next Discworld Book.

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Re:Of all the author's out there by julesh · 2010-09-21 06:28 · Score: 1

I'm the least surprised that it was Terry Pratchett that made himself a sword.
Oh, I dunno. If you'd asked me without me seeing the story, I'd probably have gone for John Scalzi.
Re:Of all the author's out there by Gilmoure · 2010-09-21 11:11 · Score: 1

David Brin woulda' made his own dolphin.

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I drank what? -- Socrates

Original Article by bjorniac · 2010-09-21 02:21 · Score: 5, Informative

The article on which this news story seems to be based, complete with picture of Sir pTerry and his sword is at
http://www.paulkidby.com/news/apr2010.html

Re:Original Article by fast+turtle · 2010-09-21 02:39 · Score: 4, Informative

It appears to be in the Gladius Style (Roman Legion) and is a Short Sword. Keep in mind, this isn't the size of Excalibur or what Conan would use. Instead it's based on a practical design developed by the roman legions for use by Centurions in their shield wall formation. Practical and short enough not to interfere with your neigbors sword.

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Re:Original Article by somersault · 2010-09-21 02:52 · Score: 2, Interesting

You mean that article dated "April 1st"? :s Though he's a very smart guy, I'm sure he would be perfectly capable of making his own sword were he so inclined :)

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Re:Original Article by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-09-21 03:01 · Score: 4, Informative

Partly correct. The Gladius was favoured by the Legions because it was short enough for the scabbard to be hung on the same side as the wielding hand. This prevents the act of drawing the sword from taking any more room than one man standing upright, maintaining their tight shield wall formation.

Clever buggers, they were.

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Re:Original Article by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 03:04 · Score: 2, Insightful

Somehow, I don't think he wrote an article largely about the death of his mother and his thoughts on assisted suicide as a prank.
Re:Original Article by somersault · 2010-09-21 03:08 · Score: 1

Haven't time to read the article since I'm at work, but you have to admit he does have a warped sense of humour at times ;)

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Re:Original Article by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 03:08 · Score: 0

Clever buggers, they were.
They had less other distractions, and dieing was honourable. If you see people die often and notice a pattern of inefficiency, you upgrade your technology in order to live a bit longer and accumulate more honour and wealth in war.
Re:Original Article by Saint+Fnordius · 2010-09-21 03:09 · Score: 2, Interesting

See also the "Katzbalger" sword carried by the Landsknecht mercenaries in the German provinces of the Holy Roman Empire (16th century). It also served the same purpose - a short blade for close combat when there no longer was room to swing pikes or the big two-handed jobbers. The hilt reminds me of some Frankish swords, though, so to me it looks like a modern version of an 11th century blade.
But yeah, it's an infantry blade, not a cavalry one. Also looks like it has just the right centre of gravity for actual fencing.
Re:Original Article by HungryHobo · 2010-09-21 03:35 · Score: 2, Informative

Well he was talking about this at the last DWcon so I'd say it's true.
Re:Original Article by Rogerborg · 2010-09-21 03:59 · Score: 4, Insightful

You might want to try that before spouting it as fact.
First, if you don't have room to draw a sword, how are you throwing the pilum that proceeds drawing it?
Second, you can draw a sword from the left hip, point down, raise your hand overhead, then either stab straight from there or rotate it point up without changing your grip. You can do this in the tightest close order shieldwall, with a sword in excess of the length of a gladius. Been there, reenacted that, many times.
Third, try drawing from your right hip. Go on, stand up and try it. If you draw in the natural orientation (thumb down), where does your elbow go? <Morbo>JOINTS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY</Morbo>. Alternatively, you can draw with your thumb up and then have to juggle the sword to flip it over. It's always a more awkward draw, under any circumstances, and never takes less room than drawing across your body.
Where this myth came from, I have no idea, but I've yet to see any real world evidence that it's anything other than a myth, and that includes demonstrations from Roman reenactors trying desperately (and often hilariously) to justify it.

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Re:Original Article by precariousgray · 2010-09-21 04:04 · Score: 1

If the sword was short enough, couldn't the scabbard still be placed on the opposite side? Or were Roman warriors all like certain family members, whose arms bow out like they're attempting to take flight when they try putting on a seatbelt?

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Re:Original Article by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 04:12 · Score: 1, Funny

>>short enough not to interfere with your neigbors sword.
I try to avoid those types of parties
Re:Original Article by Colonel+Korn · 2010-09-21 04:21 · Score: 4, Informative

Where this myth came from, I have no idea, but I've yet to see any real world evidence that it's anything other than a myth, and that includes demonstrations from Roman reenactors trying desperately (and often hilariously) to justify it.
Ignoring the argument of why the Romans wore their scabbards on the right, there's plenty of conclusive evidence that they in fact did so.
Roman art is, as usual, our best source of information on Roman culture.
Look at this, for instance: http://www.romanarmy.net/images/Pages/articles/artweapons/artwep2.jpg.

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Re:Original Article by tibit · 2010-09-21 04:25 · Score: 1

Have you seen his monitor setup? I'm jealous, and I'm supposed to call myself a geek.

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Re:Original Article by Swarley · 2010-09-21 05:05 · Score: 3, Interesting

Not that I'm any expert, but it was alway my understanding that the Roman Legion favored short swords because they spent so much time fighting the Gauls and other barbarian tribes around Europe who favored long and heavy weapons that needed to be swung for momentum or brought down from overhead, which left them extremely vulnerable to someone who closed in fast with a short blade. I thought the Gauls also favored chain mail armor, which is easier to punch through with a small blade than to chop through with a heavy one. But the main reason was the first one, that it's almost impossible to actually use something like a claymore against someone who's less than two arm's lengths from you despite what it looked like in Braveheart.
Re:Original Article by Swarley · 2010-09-21 05:07 · Score: 1

Also, I'm pretty sure that phalanx formation was used almost exclusively with spears as weapon, not swords. So being able to draw a sword while in phalanx formation would be irrelevant. Though again, I'm not any kind of expert.
Re:Original Article by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 05:53 · Score: 0

Err... Doesn't your third point assume the sword is drawn with the grip forward of the hip?
Assuming it's tilted the other way, grip and pommel back, and blade forward, you could grip it normally and draw up and back, then proceed to stab forward immediately...
Re:Original Article by SpasticWeasel · 2010-09-21 06:09 · Score: 1

Everyone is an expert on the internet. However, the gladius was drawn by pivoting the blade and scabbard upright and down and backwards until it cleared the scabbard.

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Re:Original Article by Caerdwyn · 2010-09-21 06:10 · Score: 4, Informative

It's as much metallurgy as anything else. Until pattern-welding became widespread around 800AD, blades much longer than 24" just didn't have the strength needed in combat, particularly for swords intended for slashing motions.
There are some excellent websites for smiths doing reproduction historical swords with well-researched historical techniques which make for a fascinating read (to nerds like myself anyway). Start with Patrick Barta at www.templ.net and Jim Hrisoulas at www.atar.com, then move on to www.myarmoury.com for hands-on reviews and photos.

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Everybody gets what the majority deserves.
Re:Original Article by wanax · 2010-09-21 07:43 · Score: 4, Informative

It depends on your definition of phalanx.. is the key factor the overlapping shields, many ranks deep with close order, fighting in a single line or using spears? In the classical hoplite phalanx met all four criteria, with everybody fully armored in bronze, each soldier had a spear (~10ft) and short thrusting sword, and were typically arranged between 6 and 24 men deep with the most experienced soldiers in the front and the back rows (to prevent less experienced soldiers from fleeing). Battles were typically decided by whose front rank broke first, which was more a function of pushing from behind than individual skill up front. It was not uncommon for bodies to be wedged upright from the pressure until one side broke. The spears were essentially double tipped, which would give you two shots if you're spear broke, which was fairly common. The hoplite was named for his shield, the hoplon, which was large, and and designed to overlap with his neighbors, making a shield wall. As the Greek empires expanded into Thrace and Asia minor, where most of the soldiers were likely to be professional rather than land-owning citizens, the amount of armor was decreased while the spear grew in length. This made the formation cheaper and more maneuverable, but these phalanxes had to be supported by sling and javelin equipped auxiliary troops since there armor wasn't sufficient to protect against ranged attack.
That eventually evolved into the Macedonian phalanx (by way of Thebes), where professional, drilled soldiers wearing breastplates and chain skirts, who carried ~18ft pikes and short swords in an 8-deep formation. They were drilled to not let opposing infantry close under their pikes, and as long as they could do this, they were extremely effective. However, due to the size of their spears, they used much smaller shields, which did not fully overlap (so fit 3 of the 4 possible criteria). Back rank soldiers holding their pikes upright or at an angle also served to break up incoming missile fire. The problem with these formations was they were not very maneuverable, and their cohesion could be broken up by rough terrain. This was fine for the Macedonians, who used phalanxes to hold enemy infantry in place while their cavalry flanked it, but ran into problems when they were used by Greek armies without excellent cavalry or skirmisher support.
The early roman legions were essentially an evolution against phalanx and shield wall formations employed by the Italian tribes. Originally legions were arranged into three cohorts: hastati (poorest, youngest and least experienced, with usually without full armor), principes (prime troops, usually equipped with chain mail) and triarii (veteran solders, all excellently equipped). Prior to the Polybian reforms, all these troops fought with hastae (short spears, ~7ft) and the gladius short swords. The main difference was the organization: instead of having one line of phalanx, the Roman formation was organized into three lines (hastati, principes, triarii) in which each line was further subdivided into 60 or 120 man units who fought as shallow (6 ranks) phalanxes, with large overlapping 'scuta' shields (this also fits 3 of the 4 criteria). The enemy would first have to fight through the hastati, who retired behind the principes, and then if necessary the triarii. The main advantage of this formation was that the front-line of troops didn't have to fight throughout the battle, and it was easier to keep small units together while maneuvering. These formations turned out to be ineffective against Macedonian and Carthaginian phalanxes, so Polybius reformed them so that the hastati and principes carried several pilums (throwing javelins) rather than thrusting spears, which could break up the Macedonian phalanxes from beyond the range of their pikes and allow the shallow Roman formations to close quickly, or flank as required. The Triarii still fought as a traditional phalanx. This essentially replaced the pike with a longer ranged weapon, without changing the essence of the close order form
Re:Original Article by leadfoot · 2010-09-21 08:03 · Score: 1

Perhaps the Romans were all left-handed?

--
"We're gonna need a bigger boat"
Re:Original Article by aug24 · 2010-09-21 23:22 · Score: 1

Stuff I have read suggests that the sword was sheathed on the right side because their shields were quite heavy.
Personally I think I could draw a short sword perfectly comfortably, thumb down.
Your elbow joints may vary.
Just.

--
You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.
Re:Original Article by left00coaster · 2010-09-22 05:10 · Score: 1

Even more than drawing the sword in close formation, it was the Roman fighting tactics that dictated the design. Used in tight quarters, a long sword is more likely to cut friend as well as foe.
Re:Original Article by anguirus.x · 2010-09-25 10:52 · Score: 1

It seems like the obvious implication is that they wielded their swords left-handed. Maybe because it was easier for them to maintain their shield formation if they used their 'strong' arm as shield-arm.

It's made of Octiron! by tpstigers · 2010-09-21 02:21 · Score: 1

I hear it's a sort of greenish-purple.

Re:Of all the authors out there by Pojut · 2010-09-21 02:22 · Score: 1

GAH. Stupid apostrophe...authors*

--
Living With a Nerd

Presumably by Finallyjoined!!! · 2010-09-21 02:26 · Score: 2, Funny

As he

the author dug up 81kg of ore and smelted it

He'll need at least one old lady, dressed in black, to carry it for him...

--
If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.

Re:Presumably by nospam007 · 2010-09-21 03:42 · Score: 2, Funny

I wouldn't care about gender, age and dress color, as long as I don't have to haul the stuff.

Advance Australia Fair by Kupfernigk · 2010-09-21 02:27 · Score: 3, Informative

From TFA: " Wiltshire, west of London..." I know we are a very small country and Australia is a very big one, but not everything in this country has to be defined by reference to London. Wiltshire, from where I am posting this, is in the South of England. London is East of Wiltshire, and nothing whatever to do with this story, which is about a (very) English author who lives (sensibly) in Wiltshire.

For the benefit of the rest of the world, Wiltshire is East of Redmond and West of Moscow...rant over.

--
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."

Re:Advance Australia Fair by somersault · 2010-09-21 02:58 · Score: 1

"The South of England" is a pretty broad brush to use, I think "West of London" is useful.
I live in Aberdeen (North of London).

--
which is totally what she said
Re:Advance Australia Fair by Pop69 · 2010-09-21 03:08 · Score: 0, Offtopic

I live in Aberdeen (North of London).

So does my ex wife, I wish you condolonces
Re:Advance Australia Fair by xaxa · 2010-09-21 03:49 · Score: 1

In my experience, most people in London would say they live in South East England -- at least if they're aware of anything outside the M25.
Officially, there's only a South West and South East, no South. Unofficially, when someone says "South" to me I tend to think of not-especially-west and not-especially-east, e.g. Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Reading.
Re:Advance Australia Fair by jd · 2010-09-21 03:52 · Score: 1

South is anything past the Watford Gap.

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:Advance Australia Fair by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 04:14 · Score: 0

Wait... Wait.. Wait...
You mean there's something outside of the US?
Re:Advance Australia Fair by JasterBobaMereel · 2010-09-21 04:25 · Score: 1

Including oddly Watford which is 60 miles south of Watford gap ....!
Watford Gap is a service station near the Village of Watford in Northamptonshire ....

--
Puteulanus fenestra mortis
Re:Advance Australia Fair by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 05:20 · Score: 0

Actually, Aberdeen is also to the west of London...
In fact, nearly any location in the UK could be described as north of London or west of London, what with it being near the southeast corner. Thus, its a pretty pointless descriptor.
Re:Advance Australia Fair by somersault · 2010-09-21 05:41 · Score: 1

There are also at least 3 Aberdeens in the world.

--
which is totally what she said
Re:Advance Australia Fair by nuckfuts · 2010-09-21 05:46 · Score: 1

... not everything in this country has to be defined by reference to London.
In Canada, we define everything in your country by reference to Reading.
e.g. "I was in London, which is about 36 miles east of Reading".
True fact.
Re:Advance Australia Fair by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 06:11 · Score: 1

South is anything past the Watford Gap.
I used to have family North of the Watford Gap, for years I believed my Dad after he told me that you needed to take your passport go past - we actually took them once to show me. Thankfully they've now moved South.

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
Re:Advance Australia Fair by jgrahn · 2010-09-21 06:33 · Score: 1

From TFA: " Wiltshire, west of London..." I know we are a very small country and Australia is a very big one, but not everything in this country has to be defined by reference to London. Wiltshire, from where I am posting this, is in the South of England.
London is the only place we foreigners can place on a map. The rest of England (and the UK) is just places where bands we like were formed, surrounded by Emmerdale Farm. Sorry!
(If it makes you feel better, I met a guy in the forest the day before yesterday who wore a hooded jacket with that chalkhill horse carving on the back -- the one that also appeared on XTC's 1982 double-album "English Settlement". I believe the original is in Wiltshire?)
Re:Advance Australia Fair by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 06:46 · Score: 0

As and outsider, I don't care. "West of London" perfectly described to me where that little town mentioned in the article is located. "West of London", describes location, proximity, and relative size in three words. Could you describe to me where Strathroy, Canada is?
Re:Advance Australia Fair by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 07:21 · Score: 0

You're quite correct. If it's any consolation, the CBC news show "As It Happens" often calibrates locations from Reading, UK -- even for places that aren't in the UK. Perhaps you can convince them to switch to Wiltshire instead :-)

Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by zrbyte · 2010-09-21 02:31 · Score: 3, Funny

If I'm not mistaken coal is used in blacksmiths kilns to melt iron, at about 1500 Celsius. I'm wondering how he got those kind of temperatures with sheep manure. Maybe the manure had an octarine glow to it ;)

Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by confused+one · 2010-09-21 02:49 · Score: 4, Informative

Coal is a convenience. Long before coal was widely available, they used to use wood, charcoal, and peat. In a pinch you could use anything that will burn. The trick is to add oxygen (air) with a bellows, without which it's hard to melt iron even with anthracite coal.
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by WolfWithoutAClause · 2010-09-21 03:04 · Score: 1

I think it almost certainly got garbled by the media.
If I remember correctly one procedure is that manure is used to add carbon to the blade to form steel rather than to actually heat the sword up: you put the blade in a air-tight box with a handful of manure and then heat the whole lot up to high temperature, and when you open the box after some time, the manure is apparently gone, but the carbon from it has soaked into the blade.

--
-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by operagost · 2010-09-21 03:16 · Score: 1

So what you're saying is that the sword sucks shit?

--

Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by WolfWithoutAClause · 2010-09-21 03:41 · Score: 2, Funny

Oh no. I'm saying that the sword can easily fuck your shit up, too.

--
-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by dwye · 2010-09-21 03:57 · Score: 1

> If I'm not mistaken coal is used in blacksmiths kilns to melt iron, at about 1500 Celsius. You are mistaken, however, as blacksmiths do not melt iron, which makes cast iron, but merely heat it up until it is very soft. The contaminants usually do not soften, though, and are easily (if you are as strong as a blacksmith or mechanical hammer) beaten out. Before the use of coal, a major part of a blacksmith's skill set was in picking wood to use, and in converting the wood into charcoal, which burned hot enough to use to heat the iron ore properly.
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by jd · 2010-09-21 04:25 · Score: 2, Informative

Small-enough wood chippings and a decent pair of bellows can make a brilliant Iron-Age blast furnace. Indeed, this is how early metalwork and baked ceramic work was done. It is highly plausible that Sir Pratchett has refined the basic approach or obtained information from the excellent living history and archaeological communities that showed how to make such refinements. I am much impressed. Now, whether the iron was truly meteoric - that's a tougher question. Mind you, one could argue that it hardly matters. A home-made sword is a home-made sword. That is no mean feat in itself and would take a lot out of a healthy blacksmith in the olden days, if done right. (Even for Viking-era swords, when the skill was better-understood, there is a major variation between them and some have suggested that particularly good sword-makers would use brand-names.)
My guess on the manure is that it follows the same logic as the wood chippings - the greater the surface area of the burning material, the faster you can burn it and therefore the hotter the immediate temperature. The total quantity of heat produced doesn't change, but you squish the timeframe down to make the heat produced per unit time much greater. You could potentially use almost anything flammable as fuel with this approach, provided the granularity is fine enough, the oxygen flow is sufficient, and you can replace the used fuel fast enough. (NB: Whilst some Slashdot posts are indeed flammable, they are not useful as fuel.)

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by Some+Bitch · 2010-09-21 05:12 · Score: 1

anthracite coal.
Max Boyce wrote possibly the only song in existence with "anthracite coal" in the lyrics...
THE BALLAD OF MORGAN THE MOON
Old Mog* the mechanic, I remember him well.
He once built a rocket, or so they will tell.
From an old winding-engine he found on the dole –
Built in the Rhondda and powered by coal.
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
And when it was finished he painted it red,
And he called it 'Bethania', or so it is said.
And he took it up a mountain on a night late in June
'To get that bit closer,' said Morgan the Moon.
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
Sleepy Treorchy was bathed in white light
When the shuddering hulk took off in the night.
A deafening scream an then a great roar,
And up past the houses old Morgan did go.
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
His heat-shield was glowing like anthracite coal
And we prayed down in Cardiff, in mission control.
The barrow wheels dropped as was previously planned
And old Morgan prepared for Bethania to land.
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
He landed like linen on a crusty old crater:
Dai said he'd get there lunar or later!
So off Morgan went in the moon's swirling dust,
To collect some rock samples from a crater's hard crust.
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
A strange piece of rock soon old Morgan found,
Just lying there shining on the dust-covered ground.
He picked it up closely and he let out a call
'Cos written right through it in Welsh was 'Porthcawl'!
Sing fal-da-ral, dal-da-ral-day!
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by Remus+Shepherd · 2010-09-21 06:17 · Score: 1

I am much impressed. Now, whether the iron was truly meteoric - that's a tougher question. Mind you, one could argue that it hardly matters. A home-made sword is a home-made sword.

He didn't make the sword himself. According to the root news article (which appears to be here) he smelted iron ore from near his house into bars. Then he purchased a meteorite -- hopefully one with a certificate of authenticity or something -- added the meteorite to the pile of iron and gave it to a skilled blacksmith. That means the sword was made with some skill, which means it should be a fine weapon.
This sword is destined to become a legend, whether or not the meteoric iron in it gives it any mystical properties. I've already been seeing it referenced as the Sword of Sir Pterry and as the Pratchettblade. The coolness factor is off the charts.

--
Genocide Man -- Life is funny. Death is funnier. Mass murder can be hilarious.
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by fishbowl · 2010-09-21 07:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

I had a very talented blacksmith living in my house for a year. He never had enough money to pay rent, but I happily allowed him to pay in trade. From a forge that he setup in my backyard with little besides found objects and salvaged material, he built kitchen pot racks, stair railings, many artistic objects, and two very well crafted swords (one blued!) that are not only highly prized possessions to this day, but are made in such a way that they could be used for live steel swordfighting. (Personally I was happy for him to take the edges off and mount them as display pieces, but they do have a full tang, are quite well balanced, and when sharpened, were the real deal.)
If he'd actually paid rent, the money would have been wasted on booze.

--
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
Re:Energy density of 'damp sheep manure' by jd · 2010-09-21 09:01 · Score: 1

The meteorite is unlikely to add mystic powers, but iron-nickel-carbon swords are apparently stronger than iron-carbon swords. (I've wondered what a Katana would be like if it used iron-nickel-carbon. It would be heavier, but it should hold an edge better and should be less likely to break.)

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)

Wow by iONiUM · 2010-09-21 02:31 · Score: 2, Interesting

Sounds like he just made a real life Thunderfury.

Re:Wow by Drakkenmensch · 2010-09-21 02:37 · Score: 1

I was personally reminded of Sokka's meterioc iron sword from Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2.
Re:Wow by mehemiah · 2010-09-21 04:02 · Score: 1

I was hoping someone would mention this.

Re:Alzheimer by Amarantine · 2010-09-21 02:33 · Score: 5, Informative

Actually, the man himself told us during the recent Discworld convention that he did this. As for the alzheimer: he seemed remarkably strong and clear, and fortunately in much better (mental) shape than i expected him to be.

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 02:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

This story is a complete fantasy. Pratchett has advanced Alzheimer

No, he's got a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's; it's still in it's relatively early stages so he's still quite in control of all his faculties & capable of making a sword - as evidenced by the fact that he had not one, but two books published this very year. However as Alzheimer's is degenerative how long he will remain free of dementia is not something that's been made public knowledge (if his doctors have even been able to give him a reliable estimate).

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

Authors love forging swords and knives by Sedated2000 · 2010-09-21 02:37 · Score: 2, Insightful

I've read countless interviews from authors (especially fantasy authors) who make a habit of forging swords, knives and making bows and arrows. I suppose it goes along with the territory. Even Paolini who wrote the Eragon books has tried his hand at making weapons.

Re:Authors love forging swords and knives by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 02:59 · Score: 0

Making things is fun. That's why we're all here, right? Well if you're a programmer anyway.

Made his own sword... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 02:40 · Score: 0

...and then sharpened it with the light of the morning sun

Re:Made his own sword... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 02:58 · Score: 0

...and then sharpened it with the light of the morning sun
Did he have to tie it to the end of a stick to pretend it was a scythe?

Re:Of all the authors out there by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 02:41 · Score: 0

Even apostrophes can kill when wielded improperly.

Re:Alzheimer by TerranFury · 2010-09-21 02:43 · Score: 1

I thought he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, but that it had not yet advanced very far yet. I had the impression of a man aware of the impending gradual loss of his cognition who was trying to make the best of what he had left.

Perhaps I'm mistaken.

I can't wait by CAIMLAS · 2010-09-21 02:45 · Score: 1

I can't wait for RMS to get knighted.

Of course I believe he'd have to become a subject of the Queen to do so, and given his predisposition, I doubt he'd be particularly inclined to do so.

--
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers

Re:I can't wait by Tekfactory · 2010-09-21 02:52 · Score: 1

Americans can be knighted, Ronald Reagan was knighted.
Besides RMS might not want one after Bill Gates got his
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/29/uk_knighthoods_for_foreigners_what/
Though it was in recognition of Gates charity work, not computers.
Re:I can't wait by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 02:57 · Score: 1

I can't wait for RMS to get knighted.
Of course I believe he'd have to become a subject of the Queen to do so, and given his predisposition, I doubt he'd be particularly inclined to do so.
He just needs citizenship of one of the Commonwealth realms - these include Canada & Australia; I don't think he'd mind being subject to the Queen's jurisdiction in that sense, but I doubt he'd accept a knighthood even then. He wouldn't be the first

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
Re:I can't wait by milkmage · 2010-09-21 03:14 · Score: 1

but it's not full knighthood
Regan cannot be "Sir Ronald Regan" - he's not a citizen of the commonwealth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire
"Honorary knighthoods, given to individuals who are not nationals of a realm where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is Head of State, permit usage of the honour as a post-nominal but not as a title before their name. These recipients are classified as honorary members of the Order they receive, and do not contribute to the numbers restricted to that Order as full members do."
Re:I can't wait by omnichad · 2010-09-21 03:57 · Score: 1

And he'd have to move. Americans can't have dual citizenship.
Re:I can't wait by tibit · 2010-09-21 04:35 · Score: 1

LOL. In theory, yes. In practice -- have you ever asked some naturalized U.S. citizens if they renounced their other citizenship(s)? I don't know of any who did the latter, even though I do know many of the former.

--
A successful API design takes a mixture of software design and pedagogy.
Re:I can't wait by h4rr4r · 2010-09-21 05:11 · Score: 1

Yes, they can.
The USA just will not recognize it, but you can have both American and $other_nation passport.
Re:I can't wait by omnichad · 2010-09-21 05:16 · Score: 1

I should have specified "From the perspective of the U.S."
Re:I can't wait by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 06:03 · Score: 0

I can't wait for RMS to get knighted.
Of course I believe he'd have to become a subject of the Queen to do so, and given his predisposition, I doubt he'd be particularly inclined to do so.
Perhaps if they were to call the knighthood by the proper name...
GNU/KBE
Re:I can't wait by MichaelSmith · 2010-09-21 22:22 · Score: 1

I can't wait for RMS to get knighted.
Of course I believe he'd have to become a subject of the Queen to do so, and given his predisposition, I doubt he'd be particularly inclined to do so.
He just needs citizenship of one of the Commonwealth realms - these include Canada & Australia; I don't think he'd mind being subject to the Queen's jurisdiction in that sense, but I doubt he'd accept a knighthood even then. He wouldn't be the first
Australians don't get knighthoods any more. Instead we have our own system of honours. Now if only we could get rid of the monarchy entirely...

--
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Re:I can't wait by MichaelSmith · 2010-09-21 22:24 · Score: 1

Geez xkcd was great in the 200s.

--
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Re:I can't wait by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 22:36 · Score: 1

Australians don't get knighthoods any more. Instead we have our own system of honours. Now if only we could get rid of the monarchy entirely...
You're still eligible for them if you wanted them though, as for the Monarchy issue; I've never understood why you guys don't just directly elect the Governor General and side step the problem so both sides can claim victory.

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
Re:I can't wait by MichaelSmith · 2010-09-21 22:52 · Score: 1

Australians don't get knighthoods any more. Instead we have our own system of honours. Now if only we could get rid of the monarchy entirely...
You're still eligible for them if you wanted them though, as for the Monarchy issue; I've never understood why you guys don't just directly elect the Governor General and side step the problem so both sides can claim victory.
The problem with having a revolution is that the people in charge of the revolution inevitably wind up in charge. If that person is a notable dickhead then his cause is going to suffer and the public will decide to stay with the devil they know.

--
http://michaelsmith.id.au

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 02:46 · Score: 2, Informative

in much better (mental) shape than i expected him to be.

Alzheimer's is degenerative & he's only been relatively recently diagnosed; he's had Unseen Academicals and I shall wear midnight both published this year - if you can have two books published you're bound to still be in good mental shape - it's when he stops publishing that we'll know his Alzheimer's has got his mind.

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

fire is cool by digitalsushi · 2010-09-21 02:46 · Score: 5, Funny

This past weekend I put a huge steel ninja sword I got for 12 bucks into a campfire we were having, and it glowed red after a short few minutes. I easily bent it into a full U shape.

This simple, moronic drunken act made me feel connected to countless other drunken, moronic ancestors before me, all equally intruigued by how fire is able to temporarily confuse physics. I suppose this is why alchemy makes sense, since some form of math has to work inside of a fire. Still, I felt very enlightened to hold one of the four elements so close to my will and desires.

--
slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue

Re:fire is cool by i621148 · 2010-09-24 02:05 · Score: 1

Good thing for your friends bellies you didn't rediscover the act of tempering a sword... :)

He's keeping its location secret... by dominique_cimafranca · 2010-09-21 02:48 · Score: 1

...but it's more likely he'll forget where he hid it.

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 02:49 · Score: 1

I thought he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, but that it had not yet advanced very far yet. I had the impression of a man aware of the impending gradual loss of his cognition who was trying to make the best of what he had left.

Perhaps I'm mistaken.

No, you're quite right, the GP is wrong

--
If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

Re:Alzheimer by dnahelicase · 2010-09-21 02:50 · Score: 2, Interesting

My Organic Chemistry professor had a similar diagnosis when I was in college. He was still fully able to function to the point of lecturing and running a lab, he simply could not answer any questions. As long as he had a day to prepare his notes, look off his notes, and not get interrupted he was normal. When people asked questions mid-lecture (or any time) he would get off-track and get confused. He lasted for two years like this before he had to stop teaching.

It was particularly sad, because he knew what was going on - he still knew his chemistry and left to himself could still function, research, etc. It was mostly bad in any social setting where long lengths of time aren't given to wrap your head around a particular thought or go through a problem several times before giving an answer. He could still cook quite well on his own, but if you asked him what the ingredients were or what he was doing while he was cooking, it would throw him off course and he would be confused for a while until he could retrace his steps to figure out what he was doing.

somewhat appropriate by jDeepbeep · 2010-09-21 02:52 · Score: 1

- "I thought swords had to be straight."
- "Perhaps they start out straight and go bendy with use. A lot of things do."

(Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures)

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Reply to That ||

Re:Alzheimer by somersault · 2010-09-21 02:55 · Score: 4, Funny

I don't think he'll need to stop publishing, he can just start writing some books from the point of view of the Bursar* :)

*no offence meant, I'm as sad about the situation as anyone else here..

--
which is totally what she said

Re:Alzheimer by dkf · 2010-09-21 02:58 · Score: 3, Informative

Alzheimer's is degenerative & he's only been relatively recently diagnosed; he's had Unseen Academicals and I shall wear midnight both published this year - if you can have two books published you're bound to still be in good mental shape - it's when he stops publishing that we'll know his Alzheimer's has got his mind.

Not just that, but it seems to be mainly progressing in parts of his brain that aren't needed for producing stories. (Before watching a TV programme about TP's Alzheimers, I didn't know that it could differentially affect different areas of the brain. Just goes to show that TV can be educational after all.)

--
"Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"

I see a novel in this by rlauzon · 2010-09-21 02:59 · Score: 1

Far future. Civilization has collapsed. A small band of likable people are fending off bad people.
One of the good people stumbles upon Sir Terry's home and discovers a magic sword allowing him to fend off the bad people, get the girl, live happily ever after.

Re:I see a novel in this by jDeepbeep · 2010-09-21 03:12 · Score: 1

As long as it isn't Rincewind who finds the magic sword, it sounds feasible.

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Reply to That ||
Re:I see a novel in this by Jedi+Alec · 2010-09-21 05:22 · Score: 1

Why not Rincewind? Not like he hasn't saved the world before, or used a magic sword for that matter. (First or second book, don't recall which one)

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People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.

Re:Of all the authors out there by tophermeyer · 2010-09-21 03:00 · Score: 5, Funny

Apostrophes.

Elegant weapons for a more civilized time.

Re:Alzheimer by L4t3r4lu5 · 2010-09-21 03:03 · Score: 2, Interesting

He didn't make the sword; He contacted a swordsmith. He did smelt the unrefined ore into bars himself, though, using techniques from a friend with an interest in ancient smithing arts.

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Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/

Re:Alzheimer by MozeeToby · 2010-09-21 03:08 · Score: 3, Interesting

Careful reading of his more recent works, not just the two you mentioned but going back 5-10 years, you do notice some things in his works degrading; not enough to hurt the overall quality of the book, but enough that you can tell something is happening. The largest change is a reduction in vocabulary, but there is also the fact that tend to be more straightforward, with less metaphors and colorful language.

Like I said, the ideas are all still sound, the humor is fun and entertaining, there are no gaping plot holes left unfilled, but I suspect that you could make a pretty interesting study on the effects of Alzheimer's on language by studying his books. And you'd certainly have a good sample of his writing (what is he up to now, 30 books? 40?

Modifiers? by plopez · 2010-09-21 03:12 · Score: 1

What are the to hit and damage modifiers? Since its magical I assume it would be more than +1 in both categories.

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putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+

Re:Modifiers? by JasterBobaMereel · 2010-09-21 04:28 · Score: 1

+1 to Krisma ....?

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Puteulanus fenestra mortis

Re:Alzheimer by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 03:14 · Score: 0

No, he's got a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's; it's still in it's relatively early stages so he's still quite in control of all his faculties & capable of making a sword - as evidenced by the fact that he had not one, but two books published this very year.

I apologize in advance if this comes across as trolling (honestly, it's not intended to be), but... have you read those books? I'm really quite a fan of pTerry, and I've got more than 8 feet on my bookshelf dedicated to his novels and secondary Discworld literature alone, but in all honesty, the last couple of books he wrote (pretty much everything since "The Truth") stank, to varying extents. If he were a new author, it'd be enough to make me stop buying his stuff, but, well, he IS pTerry, so I'm still hoping that there'll be a better one again some time.

Of course this is only tangentially related to his Alzheimer's at best; the books aren't bad *because* he's suffering from that. But they aren't exactly shining examples of how he's still a capable author, either.

I want to see pictures! by erroneus · 2010-09-21 03:20 · Score: 1

I should hope it's a really nice sword. I recall watching a national geographic or discovery channel thing that described how iron was extracted from pete moss. Fascinating stuff... okay almost completely unrelated, but using ancient techniques to make ancient weapons interests me.

Re:I want to see pictures! by omnichad · 2010-09-21 04:04 · Score: 1

I don't know who this Pete Moss guy is. He seems to be either a DJ or a rock musician depending on which guy you're referring to. He doesn't seem to be into heavy metals. I'd say it would be far easier to use peat moss

Meteorite? by AnotherAnonymousUser · 2010-09-21 03:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

Looking through the article, I'm seeing that he dug up iron ore; was the deposit meteoric in nature, or was there just nothing meteoric about it at all? Where do the meteorites come into play here? 81kg of meteorite is a hefty chunk of material...

Re:Meteorite? by WolfWithoutAClause · 2010-09-21 04:09 · Score: 1

One of the articles on this said that it mostly was just ordinary ore, but he tossed in some bonafide meteorite iron as well.

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-WolfWithoutAClause
"Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
Re:Meteorite? by JasterBobaMereel · 2010-09-21 04:34 · Score: 2, Informative

His website says ...
"made from iron ore he collected on Salisbury Plain (with the addition of a little bit of ‘thunderbolt iron’ from the Sikhote Alin meteorite to give it that special extra-terrestrial ‘something’),"

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Puteulanus fenestra mortis

Re:Alzheimer by Attila+Dimedici · 2010-09-21 03:26 · Score: 1

Additionally, there have been several breakthroughs in treating Alzheimer's in the last year or so that make it likely that medical science will allow him to delay the onset of dementia (and possibly avoid it altogether).

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The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison

Meteorite by Tablizer · 2010-09-21 03:40 · Score: 1, Funny

It came from Uranus and will now end up there also.

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Table-ized A.I.

Re:Alzheimer by HungryHobo · 2010-09-21 03:43 · Score: 1

Were you at the con in ireland last year by any chance?
(He talked about it then as well, this isn't very up to date news)

lame by Charliemopps · 2010-09-21 03:45 · Score: 1, Flamebait

Real swordsmiths have been doing this for years. You can easily order Damascus steel forged from the iron of meteorites at dozens of websites. Just do a google search. Just like his books he's taking the great works of others, copying them and pretending he's created something new. It's the one ring! I mean sword!

Re:lame by canajin56 · 2010-09-21 04:04 · Score: 1

Yeah, he could have ordered a sword online. But he didn't, he mined the ore, smelted the ore, and forged the bars into a sword (with help from a blacksmith). And, are you thinking of Terry Brooks, author of the highly derrivative Sword of Shanara series, which is basically LotR but with a sword? Seems like you are. Even if it was about Terry Brooks, greater curmudgeons than yourself have spent all day on Slashdot shitting on the work of others, work they could never ever do themselves. Try to be original.

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ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI
Re:lame by Charliemopps · 2010-09-21 13:59 · Score: 1

How do you think I know where to buy the steel dumbass? And I wasn't talking about ordering a sword, I was talking about ordering steel to put in my god damned forge. Also, yea, I mixed up Pratchett and Brooks... you got me there. :-p

Re:Alzheimer by kaiidth · 2010-09-21 03:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

Yeah, he looked good. Says that the condition is progressing very slowly -- slower than expected, or words to that effect. Aside from the fact that he no longer reads out the bedtime story (part of an unreleased book) at the Discworld Convention himself (Rob, his PA, did that), he seemed, if anything, much more cheerful than he was in 2008. Which is awesome.

MozeeToby's comment later in the thread, suggesting that someone make "a pretty interesting study on the effects of Alzheimer's on language by studying his books," reminds me of Pratchett's comment that he throws away drafts for fear of what English Literature researchers might theorise in future. Although I am now strongly inclined to test the hypothesis by comparing actual vocabulary used over time, because it does not seem to me that there has been a marked reduction in the complexity of language used. That said, there may very well be changes in structure due to using dictation software and so forth, as well as in punctuation and in the use of concrete poetry/structural games, footnotes, etc.

My, look at the time! by Codename+Dutchess · 2010-09-21 03:58 · Score: 0

Its April 2010 already? Christ, my alzheimers is going crazy lately!

The Black Sword of Nargothrond rises again!!! by SengirV · 2010-09-21 03:59 · Score: 2, Funny

Three cheers for Anglachel!!!

Sorry about your sister though, was she good?

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Prof. Farnsworth - "Oh a lesson in not changing history from Mr I'm-My-Own-Grandpa!"

So... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 04:21 · Score: 0

fueled with damp sheep manure

So... the sword stinks?

I have much respect for this man by karlandtanya · 2010-09-21 04:23 · Score: 1

I always liked him as a comically kitschy author--I like really bad fantasy and skiffie.
He went out and did it.
Doesn't matter what "it" is (OK, maybe not infantaphagia or similar...)--kudos to anyone these days who gets off their butt and goes out and does it.

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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick

Re:Alzheimer by YourExperiment · 2010-09-21 04:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

Actually, I've noticed a similar kind of degradation over the careers of many authors, without (as far as I am aware) any degenerative mental disease. Which is not to say that you're wrong about Pratchett's work; I'm not familiar enough with it to say, having only read a handful of his books.

I certainly don't disagree that this would be an interesting area to study, I'm just not convinced that you can necessarily attribute such changes in his work to the disease.

NO, NO AND NO by SmallFurryCreature · 2010-09-21 04:42 · Score: 2, Funny

NO absolutely NOT under NO circumstance,

Signed, the man who killed your father.

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MMO Quests are like orgasms:

You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

Re:NO, NO AND NO by bsDaemon · 2010-09-21 04:58 · Score: 1

Is it hard to type with 6 fingers on your right hand?

Short swords in the Shield Wall by Tetsujin · 2010-09-21 05:00 · Score: 2, Funny

Partly correct. The Gladius was favoured by the Legions because it was short enough for the scabbard to be hung on the same side as the wielding hand. This prevents the act of drawing the sword from taking any more room than one man standing upright, maintaining their tight shield wall formation.

Clever buggers, they were.

It's not that they were clever, so much, as the fact that they'd learned from their mistakes.

Prior to adopting the shorter swords, there was a fair chance that each man drawing his sword in the shield wall formation would kill the man to his left... And so the entire formation could be reduced to one man in the space of seconds. This only happened eight or nine times before they decided to rethink their approach.

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Bow-ties are cool.

Knife Crime by WED+Fan · 2010-09-21 05:01 · Score: 2, Informative

Yeah, in Seattle, if you're a homeless woodcarving man of the First Nations, hard of hearing, and you have a PERFECTLY LEGAL folding knife if your hand, some cop will shoot you to death within 40 SECONDS of stopping his car. Nevermind you weren't using the knife for anything other than carving and there were no citizens who were being threatened. You are sitting on the curb, some jackbooted thug with a badge pulls up, and you are dead and talking with your ancestors.

Knife Crime.

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.

Re:Knife Crime by Culture20 · 2010-09-21 06:18 · Score: 1

I'm sure this made the news in Seattle, but do you have a linky?
Re:Knife Crime by treeves · 2010-09-21 08:04 · Score: 1

Using the search terms seattle+knife+native+police, Google turned up this: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/09/john_williams_native_american.php as its first result.

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...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
Re:Knife Crime by phantomfive · 2010-09-21 18:40 · Score: 2, Informative

Uh, according to some witnesses the story went like this:

The man allegedly got up, walked towards the officer, ignored multiple commands to drop the weapon and then lunged, at which point witnesses say they heard up to four gun shots.
If you are approaching police with a weapon, you're going to be shot, and honestly, if the choice is between a cop dying and a wannabe cop-killer dying, the cop-killer is the one who should die.

Now, another witness said something different happened, and if that is the case, that cop should be brought to justice.

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Qxe4

Re:Alzheimer by Tetsujin · 2010-09-21 05:04 · Score: 1

This story is a complete fantasy. Pratchett has advanced Alzheimer

No, he's got a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's; it's still in it's relatively early stages so he's still quite in control of all his faculties & capable of making a sword - as evidenced by the fact that he had not one, but two books published this very year.

Interesting. I wouldn't have thought that publishing a book was an adequate demonstration of sword-making skill...

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Bow-ties are cool.

Oblig Slashdot Reference by bradorsomething · 2010-09-21 05:04 · Score: 1

Imagine a cluster of Beowolfs with those swords.

Re:Alzheimer by Tetsujin · 2010-09-21 05:05 · Score: 2, Funny

He didn't make the sword; He contacted a swordsmith. He did smelt the unrefined ore into bars himself, though

He who smelt it, dealt it...

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Bow-ties are cool.

Ugh. Back to Trade chat, you bast... by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 05:05 · Score: 0

Obvious Troll is way too obvious. :P

Re:Of all the authors out there by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 05:24 · Score: 0

But no replacement for a good pair of parens at your side.

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 05:45 · Score: 3, Informative

Careful reading of his more recent works, not just the two you mentioned but going back 5-10 years, you do notice some things in his works degrading; not enough to hurt the overall quality of the book, but enough that you can tell something is happening. The largest change is a reduction in vocabulary, but there is also the fact that tend to be more straightforward, with less metaphors and colorful language.

Like I said, the ideas are all still sound, the humor is fun and entertaining, there are no gaping plot holes left unfilled, but I suspect that you could make a pretty interesting study on the effects of Alzheimer's on language by studying his books. And you'd certainly have a good sample of his writing (what is he up to now, 30 books? 40?

38 Discworld Novels alone, multiple Discworld spin-offs (I can recommend the three "Science of Discworld" books as fun pop-sci books, they're hard science mixed with a story about the Wizards "roundworld" project in alternate chapters, they're not like the "Science of star-trek" type books), he's done quite a bit of non-Discworld stuff as well IMO the best being Good Omens with Neil Gaiman.

Has his work gone down hill? I'm not so sure, his style has defiantly changed, but I think a lot of it was him maturing as a writer. Both Thud! and Night Watch are far better pieces of writing than The colour of magic ever will be. having said that my favourite is actually one of the older books - Guards! Guards!

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If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

Re:Alzheimer by Flipao · 2010-09-21 05:53 · Score: 3, Funny

This story is a complete fantasy. Pratchett has advanced Alzheimer and is not capable of making anything.

I'm not sure if this story is generated by his publisher to get a last moment of fame and sell more books, or that someone is playing a cruel joke on Terry.

Leave the man be, he has enough worries.

Aw I'll bite!

I just saw him in an interview on the BBC and he seemed pretty clear headed to me. Plus of course there's the fact that he is still publishing bestsellers while all you can do is post anonymously in Slashdot.

Pratchett with Alzheimers > You.

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 06:04 · Score: 1

I apologize in advance if this comes across as trolling (honestly, it's not intended to be), but... have you read those books? I'm really quite a fan of pTerry, and I've got more than 8 feet on my bookshelf dedicated to his novels and secondary Discworld literature alone, but in all honesty, the last couple of books he wrote (pretty much everything since "The Truth") stank, to varying extents.

Yes I also have all 38 Discworld Novels and quite a bit of the spin-off stuff as well. However I disagree with you; two of the best books in the series are Thud! and Night Watch; both were published after The Truth, and IMO they (and other recent books) are far better pieces of writing than The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic were because he's developed as an author and the Discworld along with him, just compare the characterisation of the wizards now to when we first saw Rincewind to see what I mean. Having said all that, my favourite remains Guards! Guards!

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If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

Re:Alzheimer by VJ42 · 2010-09-21 06:06 · Score: 1

Perhaps I'm mistaken.

In this context you are - both tasks need a functioning brain.

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If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me

Tewwy Pwatchett by Dexter+Herbivore · 2010-09-21 06:25 · Score: 1

I've met Terry, at Swancon 18... I have to say that he is a very cool man. Even though I don't like his books, he's proven his geek-cred.

Re:Of all the authors out there by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 06:56 · Score: 0

INDEED.

Re:Alzheimer by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 07:58 · Score: 0

I've noticed that he tends to harp on a bit on something, essentially repeating the same point at multiple times in the story. Not sure whether that's to be taken as a sub theme or he just forgets he already made the point, or just poor style or whatever. Anyway, it's unnecessarily repetitive.

Re:Alzheimer by john83 · 2010-09-21 08:45 · Score: 1

That's right. Sadly, it's already severely limited his ability to type, so he now prefers to dictate. However, he remains lucid for the moment. Long may that last.

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Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

Not credible by rkinch · 2010-09-21 17:42 · Score: 1

You need a carbon fuel like wood charcoal to smelt iron ore into iron. Not sheep manure, much less damp. It must be done in a furnace, not just a kiln. This story smells of a hoax.

Re:Not credible by ozbird · 2010-09-21 18:27 · Score: 1

"We want ... a bloomery!"

Re:Alzheimer by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 20:03 · Score: 0

Careful reading of his more recent works, not just the two you mentioned but going back 5-10 years, you do notice some things in his works degrading; not enough to hurt the overall quality of the book, but enough that you can tell something is happening. The largest change is a reduction in vocabulary, but there is also the fact that tend to be more straightforward, with less metaphors and colorful language.

I've personally felt his writing style changed with "Monstrous Regiment", possibly as far back as "The Truth."

However, I feel that it's likely a stylistic change he enacted because it suited the story.

Following "Thief of Time" (and even a bit in there), his stories have become a bit less fantastical and more grounded in (sort of) realistic scenarios. "Thief of Time" began his fleshing out of Ankh Morpork to more than a middle ages city with anachronistic attitudes. The reduction in metaphors and colorful language highly reflects the plots and stories he's been constructing.

I felt "Unseen Academicals" was his attempt to foray back into the realm of the fantastical while still keeping in line with his recent books. It didn't come out all that well in my opinion, but had its own charm. As it is, his style's been influenced by having written Vimes and Moist von Lipwig stories for the previous years, and it no longer has the same voice as in the stories involving Granny Weatherwax, the various wizards, Death, and the assorted stand alone novels he's written.

This isn't a negative. I'd like another well written Weatherwax story, or possibly a short involving Susan Death, but Vimes and Moist are both quite interesting characters. Ankh Morpork is also really fun setting to play around with. The wizards are well usable in the backdrop of other Ankh Morpork stories (as in "Thud!" and "Going Postal") so they don't really *need* a story of their own. And Rincewind would enjoy not being thrust into another adventure anyhow.

Re:Alzheimer by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-21 23:51 · Score: 0

> he's still quite in control of all his faculties & capable of making a sword - as evidenced by the fact that he had not one, but two books published this very year

And the fact that he, you know, made a sword.

Re:Of all the authors out there by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-22 03:17 · Score: 0

Apostrophes.

Elegant weapons for a more civilized time.

Smart arse.

Slashdot Mirror

Terry Pratchett's Self-Made Meteorite Sword

188 comments