http://wiki.lspace.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Coreydragon&feedformat=atomDiscworld & Terry Pratchett Wiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T14:33:46ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.40.0http://wiki.lspace.org/index.php?title=Century_of_the_Fruitbat&diff=30026Century of the Fruitbat2019-03-15T18:16:16Z<p>Coreydragon: /* Annotation */</p>
<hr />
<div>'''[[Discworld calendar|Century]] of the Fruitbat''' was one of [[Holy Wood]]'s moving picture companies in the [[Book:Moving Pictures|''Moving Pictures'']] boom following their invention by some [[Alchemists' Guild|Alchemists]]. [[Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler]] conned his way into the business and watched it collapse like all his projects.<br />
<br />
==Annotation==<br />
<br />
The name is a two-pronged play on {{wp|Twentieth_Century_Fox|Twentieth Century Fox}}, originally Twentieth Century Fox and one of the earliest Hollywood studios. The Century of the Fruitbat was the current century in the University calendar at the time of [[Book:Moving Pictures|''Moving Pictures'']], and the Fruitbat is also known as a Flying Fox.<br />
<br />
In later books, the phrase refers to the current period of time, usually with the suggestion that a particular person should "enter" it or, more often, a promise from one of the various rulers of the Disc to 'drag [insert country/state here] kicking and screaming into the Century of the Fruitbat'. By the time of [[Book:The Truth|''The Truth'']], however, Discworld had come into the Century of the Anchovy, which seemed equally happy to have people and places dragged kicking and screaming into it.<br />
<br />
There may well be a hidden ''Monty Python'' shout-out here, viz. the association of ideas inherent in proceeding, century-wise, from Fruitbats to Anchovies (although the Librarian might have firm ideas concerning the consumption of orang-utans).<br />
<br />
King Arthur [holding the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch]: How does it... um... how does it work? <br/><br />
Sir Lancelot: I know not, my liege. <br/><br />
King Arthur: Consult the Book of Armaments. <br/><br />
Brother Maynard: Armaments, chapter two, verses nine through twenty-one. <br/><br />
Cleric [reading]: And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chu... <br/><br />
Brother Maynard: Skip a bit, Brother... <br />
<br />
[[Category:Ankh-Morpork Businesses]]<br />
[[de:Jahrhundert des Flughundes]]<br />
{{Stub}}</div>Coreydragonhttp://wiki.lspace.org/index.php?title=Book:The_Truth&diff=30025Book:The Truth2019-03-15T18:15:12Z<p>Coreydragon: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Book Data<br />
|title=The Truth<br />
|cover=[[File:Cover The Truth.jpg|thumb|240px|Cover art by Josh Kirby]]<br />
|coauthors=<br />
|illustrator=<br />
|date=Nov 2000<br />
|publisher=Doubleday<br />
|isbn=0552147680<br />
|pages=319<br />
|rrp=<br />
|series=Ankh-Morpork Books<br />
|characters=[[William de Worde]], [[Sacharissa Cripslock]], [[Otto Chriek]], [[Mr. Tulip]], [[Mr. Pin]]<br />
|annotations=yes<br />
|notes= Book #25<br />
}}<br />
==Blurb==<br />
William de Worde is the accidental editor of the Discworld's first [[Ankh-Morpork Times|newspaper]]. Now he must cope with the traditional perils of a journalist's life -- people who want him dead, a recovering [[vampires|vampire]] with a suicidal fascination for flash [[iconograph|photography]], some more people who want him dead in a different way and, worst of all, the man who keeps begging him to publish pictures of his humorously shaped potatoes.<br />
<br />
William just wants to get at THE TRUTH. Unfortunately, everyone else wants to get at William. And it's only the third edition...<br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
At the start of the story, [[William de Worde]] has been estranged from his wealthy father and makes a living writing an [[Ankh-Morpork]] newsletter which is sent out to other cities. The story begins when a group of dwarfs led by [[Gunilla Goodmountain]] arrive in the city with a new invention: a printing press with movable type. With the press set up in a hut behind [[The Bucket]] in Gleam Street, De Worde and the dwarfs begin to create Ankh-Morpork's first newspaper, the [[Ankh-Morpork Times]], with some encouragement by [[Lord Vetinari]].<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the New Firm ([[Mr. Pin]] and [[Mr. Tulip]], a duo of criminals) arrive in the city. They have kidnapped a Vetinari lookalike named [[Charlie (The Truth)|Charlie]], and are charged by the 'Committee to Unelect the Patrician' to frame Vetinari for a murder. They plan to use Charlie to frame the Patrician for attempting to run away with stolen gold, but this nearly fails due to the Patrician's Assassin skills. They improvise by stabbing [[Drumknott]] and pushing Charlie into the hallway to 'confess'.<br />
<br />
Aided by his new reporter [[Sacharissa Cripslock]] and [[vampire]] iconographer [[Otto Chriek]], De Worde investigates the embezzlement against the Patrician, annoying the [[City Watch]] in the process. As it turns out, the criminals made the mistake of letting Vetinari's dog escape, and their assisting lawyer [[Mr. Slant]] warns them that the Watch will be able to extract information from it, so the New Firm are forced to search for the dog. Meanwhile, on his way back to the press, De Worde discovers that the Guild of Engravers, now the [[Engravers' Guild|Guild of Engravers and Prínters]] have set up a cheap tabloid paper called the ''Ankh-Morpork Inquirer'', full of totally unbelievable (even by [[Discworld]] standards) stories that a large part of the population seem to take seriously.<br />
<br />
In the third edition of the Times, De Worde offers $25 for finding Wuffles. This causes a huge crowd of people to arrive offering a variety of animals, while the New Firm arrive in disguise. They are just about to attack De Worde when Otto takes a picture using "Dark Light", which as a side effect causes fear and panic among the crowd and a stampede of animals. Mr Pin demands that Slant increase their fee; he and Tulip head back to their base at the De Worde house, where they find Sacharissa Crisplock and take her back with them to the Press.<br />
<br />
While they wait for De Worde to arrive, a fight breaks out and the machinery catches fire. Mr Pin and Mr Tulip take refuge in the basement, but boiling lead starts to pour through the ceiling. Pin shoots Tulip with a crossbow, and when he escapes, he attacks De Worde in a fit of rage and gets stabbed with a paper spike. De Worde discovers a [[Dis-organiser]], and by listening through the imp's memory discovers that his father is behind the conspiracy.<br />
<br />
De Worde confronts his father at his mansion, only to almost be captured and transported away. He is saved by Otto Chriek, who threatens Lord De Worde with vampiric revenge but ultimately lets him go. Using the New Firm's payment, De Worde buys a new press and unites with the Guild. Vetinari is reinstated as Patrician and informs De Worde that Charlie has decided to take up acting. The book ends after William and Sacharissa report on [[Captain Carrot]] saving an old lady from a runaway beer cart. Meanwhile, Mr Tulip repents before [[Death]] and is reincarnated as a woodworm, while Mr Pin is reincarnated as one of the humorously shaped potatoes mentioned in the blurb.<br />
<br />
==Literature==<br />
One of the themes explored in this book is the role of media in society. The toughest criticism of this is offered by Vetinari at the end of the book: "How come there is always the same amount of news?"<br />
<br />
The two newspapers competing show mainstream journalism, with its heroic abilities, that are sometimes beyond those of the police, and yellow journalism (also known as "red-top" in Great Britain), with its potential to do damage.<br />
<br />
*"Red-top papers: such as The ''Sun'', the ''News of the World'', the ''Sport'', the ''Daily Star'', et c, whose mast-heads are a splash of red behind the paper's name. The ''Daily Mirror'' used to be a black-top until it was bought by Robert Maxwell, who turned the masthead red and drove the paper down-market and de-intellectualised it. What had formerly been a respectable middle-market newspaper of centre-left opinion has never recovered and is still a pale ghost of what it once was.<br />
<br />
The [[wiki:Watergate Scandal|Watergate Scandal]] is also referenced at several points:<br />
*The New Firm enter the city through the Water Gate<br />
*The Committee to Un-elect the Patrician is a clear parody of the [[wiki:Committee to Re-Elect the President|Committee to Re-Elect the President]], although Vetinari is not elected<br />
*Gaspode's alias, "Deep Bone" comes from [[wiki:Deep Throat|Deep Throat]], the anonymous informer who leaked information to the Press.<br />
*Gaspode meets De Worde by the multi-storey stable block, the Discworld equivalent of a multi-storey car park where Deep Throat met reporters in secret<br />
*The Disorganiser which reveals Lord De Worde. Nixon originally denied the allegations he faced but was exposed after taped conversations were discovered, revealing him to be in charge. And of course the myriad ''"expletive deleted"'' euphemism of the Nixon transcripts finds its Discworld home in the frequent recourse to "[[-ing]]"....<br />
<br />
==Characters==<br />
===Main characters===<br />
*[[Otto Chriek]]<br />
*[[Sacharissa Cripslock]]<br />
*[[Gunilla Goodmountain]]<br />
*[[Mr. Pin]]<br />
*[[Mr. Tulip]]<br />
*[[Havelock Vetinari]]<br />
*[[William de Worde]]<br />
*[[de Worde|Lord de Worde]]<br />
*[[Slant|Mr Slant]]<br />
<br />
===Minor characters===<br />
*[[Eucrasia Arcanum]]<br />
*[[Mr Bendy]]<br />
*[[Boddony]]<br />
*[[Canting Crew|The Canting Crew]]<br />
**[[Foul Ole Ron]]<br />
**[[Gaspode]]<br />
**[[Coffin Henry]]<br />
**[[The Duck Man]]<br />
**[[Altogether Andrews]]<br />
**[[Arnold Sideways]]<br />
*[[Ronald Carney]]<br />
*[[Charlie (The Truth)|Charlie]]<br />
*[[Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler]]<br />
*[[Rufus Drumknott]]<br />
*[[Gaspode]]<br />
*[[Harry King]]<br />
*[[Nobby Nobbs]]<br />
*[[Rocky]]<br />
*[[Samuel Vimes]]<br />
*[[Angua von Überwald]]<br />
*[[Josia Wintler]]<br />
*[[Wuffles]]<br />
<br />
===Cameos and mentions===<br />
*Mr. Ronnie "Trust Me" Begholder, debtor of Chrysoprase (mentioned)<br />
*[[O'Biscuit]]<br />
*Brezock the Babarian<br />
*[[Bursar|The Bursar]]<br />
*[[Catastrophe Carter]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Caslong]]<br />
*[[Chrysoprase]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Clancy]], butcher<br />
*[[Fred Colon]]<br />
*[[Death of Rats]]<br />
*[[Detritus]]<br />
*[[Fettle Dodgast|Dr Fettle Dodgast]]<br />
*[[Downey|Lord Downey]]<br />
*[[Dozy]]<br />
*Constable [[Fiddyment]]<br />
*Slicer Gadley (mentioned)<br />
*[[Gowdie]]<br />
*Heidehollen, philosopher (mentioned)<br />
*[[Igor|Watch Igor]]<br />
*[[Igor|Igor the barman at the Biers (not an actual Igor)]]<br />
*[[Carrot Ironfoundersson]]<br />
*[[Keenside|Constable Keenside]]<br />
*[[Effie King]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Cheery Littlebottom]]<br />
*Moltin the Snatcher (mentioned)<br />
*Mr. [[Passmore]]<br />
*[[Hughnon Ridcully]]<br />
*[[Mustrum Ridcully]]<br />
*[[Selachii|Lady Selachii]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Thunderaxe]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Tilly|Miss Tilly]]<br />
*[[Verence II]], King of [[Lancre]]<br />
*[[De Worde|Rupert de Worde]] (mentioned)<br />
<br />
==Locations==<br />
*[[Ankh-Morpork]]<br />
**[[Ankh-Morpork League of Temperance|Abattoirs Lane]]<br />
**[[Biers]]<br />
**[[Brass Bridge]]<br />
**[[Broadway]]<br />
**[[Dolly Sisters]]<br />
**[[Eucrasia Arcanum|Mrs Eucrasia Arcanum's Lodging House for Respectable Working Men]]<br />
**[[Filigree Street]]<br />
**[[Five-and-Seven Yard]] (mentioned)<br />
**[[Gleam Street]]<br />
***[[The Bucket]]<br />
***[[Ankh-Morpork Times|Offices of the Ankh-Morpork Times, Gleam Street]]<br />
***[[Ankh-Morpork Inquirer|Offices of the Ankh-Morpork Inquirer, Gleam Street]]<br />
**[[Guild of Conjurors]]<br />
**[[Harry King|Harry King's Waste Reclamation Yard]]<br />
**[[Harga's House Of Ribs]] (mentioned)<br />
**[[Hobson's Livery Stable]] in [[Creek Alley]]<br />
**[[Lobbin Clout|Lobbins Clout]]<br />
**[[Long Hogmeat]] (mentioned)<br />
**[[Mended Drum]]<br />
**[[Misbegot Bridge]]<br />
**[[Nonesuch Street]]<br />
***[[De Worde|De Worde Town House]]<br />
**[[Patrician's Palace]]<br />
***[[Oblong Office]]<br />
**[[Phedre Road]]<br />
**[[Le Poil du Chien]]<br />
**[[Ankh-Morpork City Watch|Ankh-Morpork City Watch HQ, Psuedopolis Yard]]<br />
**[[Street of Small Gods]]<br />
**[[Street of Cunning Artificers]]<br />
***[[Ankh-Morpork Temple of Om]]<br />
**Temple of Offler (mentioned)<br />
**[[Thieves Guild]] (mentioned)<br />
**[[Unreal Estate]]<br />
***[[Thaumatological Park]]<br />
**[[Unseen University]]<br />
**[[Water Gate]]<br />
**[[Welcome Soap]]<br />
*[[Hugglestones]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Mouldavia]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[The Desert|The Dark Desert]]<br />
<br />
==Sentient species==<br />
*[[Dwarfs]]<br />
*[[Elves]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Gargoyles]]<br />
*[[Golems]]<br />
*[[Gnolls]]<br />
*[[Humans]]<br />
*[[Nobby Nobbs|Nobbs]]<br />
*[[Trolls]]<br />
*[[Undead]]<br />
<br />
==Supernatural entities==<br />
*[[Death]]<br />
*[[The gods|Gods]] (mentioned)<br />
<br />
==Creatures==<br />
*[[Dragon of Unhappiness]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Imps]]<br />
*[[Salamander]]<br />
*[[Überwaldean land eels]]<br />
<br />
== Concepts, devices, ideas, ''et cetera'' ==<br />
*[[Ankh-Morpork League of Temperance]]<br />
*[[Bodrozvachski zhaltziet!]]<br />
*[[Clacks]]<br />
*[[Überwaldean land eels|Dark Light]]<br />
*[[Dis-organiser|Dis-organiser Mark II]]<br />
*[[Dried Frog Pills]]<br />
*[[Eau-de-Nil]]<br />
*[[Fung Shooey]]<br />
*[[Engravers' Guild|Guild of Engravers and Prínters]]<br />
*Guild of Towncriers (mentioned)<br />
*[[Iconograph]]<br />
*[[Moving Pictures]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Music With Rocks In]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Oil of Scallatine]]<br />
*[[Photographer]]<br />
*[[Potato|Orthodox Potato Cult]]<br />
*[[Three Jolly Luck|The Three Jolly Luck Takeaway Fish Bar on Dagon Street & the fate of Mr Hong]] (mentioned)<br />
*[[Tosheroon]]<br />
*[[Unseen University Press]]<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
{|<br />
|-<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:Cover The Truth.jpg|thumb|120px|First Edition Cover by [[Josh Kirby]]]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT Proof.jpg|thumb|90px|Book Proof]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT Black.jpg|thumb|110px|Paperback 2004]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT Tape.jpg|thumb|120px|Audio Cassette]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT CD.jpg|thumb|140px|Audio CD]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT CK.jpg|thumb|110px|Cover by Chip Kidd]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT US.jpg|thumb|110px|US Cover]]<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT Zoom.jpg|thumb|110px|Paperback 2012]]<br />
|}<br />
{|<br />
|-<br />
| valign="top" | [[File:TT CL.jpg|thumb|110px|Collectors Library Edition]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
[http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/the-truth.html ''The Truth'' Annotations - The Annotated Pratchett File]<br />
<br />
{{series|before=The Fifth Elephant|series=Discworld|after=Thief of Time}}<br />
{{series|series=Ankh-Morpork|before=|after=Going Postal}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Discworld Series|Truth, The]]<br />
[[Category:Ankh-Morpork Series|Truth, The]]<br />
[[de:Buch:Die volle Wahrheit]]</div>Coreydragon