Yet in Guards, Guards, a reign of terror begins with attacks on small businesses driven by envy and resentment whipped up by a cynical politician. In later books, a conman redeemed through entrepreneurship becomes the hero who saves the day. It is the rich, human mess of the marketplace, under the rule of law, that his heroes strive to protect. Through Pratchett’s generous gaze we see not only the absurdities of a commercial civilisation, but also its abiding value.
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The echo-gnomics of Terry PratchettMarch 14th, 2015 |
 8 comments to The echo-gnomics of Terry Pratchett |
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Pratchett won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Prometheus Award for best libertarian science fiction novel of 2002, and gave a very nice acceptance speech at the Worldcon.
I’m not so sure how Libertarian Ankh-Morpork was so much as being beautifully cynical, which often leads to the same thing.
Merchant-Adventurer Claude Maximillian Overton Transpire Dibbler aka “Cut-my-own-throat” Dibbler was not just a vendor of pies of dubious origin, but also a delightful caricature of real-world commercialism.
Despite apparently successful ventures in movies, music and multi-level marketing CMOT Dibbler never seemed to make anything last and by the beginning of the next book would have reverted to flogging ‘meat’ pies off a tray to the drunken or unwary.
Not sure if this is good or bad, but it was at least funny.
Missing you already Sir pTerry. 🙁
Indeed, “CMOT Dibbler” reminds us of another Pratchett strength: character names that would make Dickens or Wodehouse slink away in shame. Esmeralda Weatherwax, Gytha Ogg, Havelock Vetinari, Mustrum Ridcully, Cheery Littlebottom, Gaspode the Wonderdog… wonderful stuff.
Twelve years ago it came as a surprise to me to read an eloquent anti-gun control argument coming from Sam Vimes in Night Watch. As the years went by it no longer seemed surprising. Here’s what I thought in 2003:
Samuel Vimes and the Libertarian Subtext, Correction Make That Straight Down The Line Anti-Gun Control Propaganda.
From Natalie’s earlier post:
Good post, good comments.
Natalie, just read that little link, wonderful.
Needs to be tattooed on the genitals (well they do wank out some awful laws) of every politician in most nations.
I used to think that Hogwarts was derived from hogwash, but maybe HogsWatch night was an inspiration as well. Who would do better in a duel, Harry Potter or Rincewind? And which would be a better place to go, Hogwarts or Unseen University?