#Interesting times

[stupidphototricks]

Rincewind just might be the character of all time. (Part 1, probably)

“You’re all missin’ the point. He survives. You keep on tellin’ me he’s had all these adventures and he’s still alive.” “What do you mean? He’s got scars all over him!” “My point exactly, Dean. Most of ’em on his back, too. He leaves trouble behind. Someone Up There smiles on him.” Rincewind winced. He had always been aware that Someone Up There was doing something on him. He’d never considered it was smiling. -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

Rincewind shook his head. “It’s no good,” he said. “I hate it when people are nice to me. It means something bad is going to happen. Do you mind shouting?” Ridcully had had enough. “Get out of that bed you horrible little man and follow me this minute or it will go very hard for you!” “Ah, that’s better. I feel right at home now. Now we’re cooking with charcoal,” said Rincewind, glumly. -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

Adventure! People talked about the idea as if it was something worthwhile, rather than a mess of bad food, no sleep, and strange people inexplicably trying to stick pointed objects in bits of you. -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

He was no good at anything else. Wizardry was the only refuge. Well, actually he was no good at wizardry either, but at least he was definitively no good at it. He’d always felt he had a right to exist as a wizard in the same way that you couldn’t do proper maths without the number 0, which wasn’t a number at all but, if it went away, would leave a lot of larger numbers looking bloody stupid. -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

And he probably had saved the world a few times, but it had generally happened accidentally, while he was trying to do something else. So you almost certainly didn’t actually get any karmic points for that. It probably only counted if you started out by thinking in a loud way “By criminy, it’s jolly well time to save the world, and no two ways about it!” instead of “Oh, shit, this time I’m really going to die.” -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

“Say something in wizard language!” “Er. Stercus, stercus, stercus, moriturus sum,” said Rincewind, his eye on the knife. “‘O excrement, I am about to die?’” -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

“I saw him, I tell you! A legion of soldiers collapsed with the wind of his passage!” The wind of his passage was beginning to worry Rincewind as well. It always tended to when he was frightened. -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

“That is correct,” said Two Fire Herb. “We will overcome because history is on our side.” “We will overcome because the Great Wizard is on our side,” said Butterfly sharply. “I’ll tell you this!” shouted Rincewind. “I’d rather trust me than history! Oh, shit, did I just say that?” -- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

[ineffectualdemon]

I think some online leftists need to read Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett but believe him about it not being about China because it's not about China

These two sections live in my head rent free:

"‘Look,’ he said, rubbing his forehead. ‘All those people out in the fields, the water buffalo people . . . If you have a revolution it’ll all be better for them, will it?’

‘Of course,’ said Butterfly. ‘They will no longer be subject to the cruel and capricious whims of the Forbidden City.’

‘Oh, that’s good,’ said Rincewind. ‘So they’ll sort of be in charge of themselves, will they?’

‘Indeed,’ said Lotus Blossom.

‘By means of the People’s Committee,’ said Butterfly.

Rincewind pressed both hands to his head.

‘My word,’ he said. ‘I don’t know why, but I had this predictive flash!’

They looked impressed.

‘I had this sudden feeling,’ he went on, ‘that there won’t be all that many water buffalo string holders on the People’s Committee. In fact . . . I get this kind of . . . voice telling me that a lot of the People’s Committee, correct me if I’m wrong, are standing in front of me right now?’

‘Initially, of course,’ said Butterfly. ‘The peasants can’t even read and write.’

‘I expect they don’t even know how to farm properly,’ said Rincewind, gloomily. ‘Not after doing it for only three or four thousand years.’

‘We certainly believe that there are many improvements that could be made, yes,’ said Butterfly. ‘If we act collectively.’

‘I bet they’ll be really glad when you show them,’ said Rincewind."

Pgs 198-199 of the Kindle edition

And

"‘You see those armies over there?’ he said.

The buffalo holder concentrated his gaze.

‘Yes,’ he decided.

‘They’re fighting for you.’ The man did not appear moved by this. The water buffalo burped gently.

‘Some want to see you enslaved and some want you to run the country, or at least to let them run the country while telling you it’s you doing it really,’ said Rincewind. ‘There’s going to be a terrible battle. I can’t help wondering . . . What do you want?’

The buffalo holder absorbed this one for consideration, too. And it seemed to Rincewind that the slowness of the thought process wasn’t due to native stupidity, but more to do with the sheer size of the question. He could feel it spreading out so that it incorporated the soil and the grass and the sun and headed on out into the universe.

Finally the man said:

‘A longer piece of string would be nice.’"

P 227 of the Kindle edition

This this very relevant to a lot of leftist discourse bullshit I see everyday

[pratchettquotes]

"Luck is my middle name," said Rincewind, indistinctly. "Mind you, my first name is Bad."

Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

[kirilka-a-a]

Внезапный долгостройный Рин

[lucdoodle]

After reading Interesting Times and its kirby-lore butterflies, I can never look at this official illustration in a normal way ever again

Also I redrew it in my style for funsies

(The official illustration: )

[cirrus-grey]

My dad's making his way through Discworld and he's just described Pratchett's writing as "Deep, insightful commentaries on the human condition... and dick jokes."

[dungeonflippers]

When the world seems broken and beyond repair, it takes courage to see the future you want to make and to keep moving forward. Do what's in your power to make things better, even if it's only what's within arms reach. You can turn this around!

[maddyjones2]

I'm most looking forward to the resolution of the second coming /hell & heaven vs the humans. I've read loads of fan fic that resolve the issues between Crowley and Aziraphale but few that find a successful end to the conflict (few is not none for anyone wondering). I understand terry's views on gods (they are self centred, silly and a little bit power mad) and I think the auditors (from discworld) are very like angels. There are also specific angels (Thief of time), although they don't seem to have the same role as envisaged in Good Omens. Thinking about the end of Small gods, there may be hints there of an accord. Thief of time looks at the auditors' destructive and anti-life role. Last Hero and Interesting Times both look at how the various gods entertain themselves. Discworld is a multi god environment so there isn't the heaven / hell dichotomy. This means there is not anything directly applicable when it's put in a Judaeo-Christian context. Anyway, I'm happy we get something but I want a lot more than 90min of south downs fluff.

[kindly-whisper-norbury]

It's not that it isn't interesting, but… man, we are just no longer interested in living in interesting times.

[beardedmrbean]

Parents tried to ‘honor kill’ 17-year-old daughter for refusing arranged marriage: cops: NY Post

[lemonsqueazie]

no I dont think he can go 2 seconds without declaring that he’s a wizzard on his hat

commission info

[dimity-lawn]

[pratchettquotes]

The last ninja was upright, but only just; Hamish had run his wheelchair over his foot. Mr. Saveloy patted the taxman's arm. "Excuse me," he said. "I find I often have to intervene at this stage."

He padded over to the surviving man, who was looking around wildly. Six swords had become interlaced around his next as though he'd taken part in a rather energetic folk dance.

"Good morning," said Mr. Saveloy. "I should just point out that the Ghengiz here is, despite appearances, a remarkably honest man. He finds it hard to understand empty bravura. May I venture to suggest therefore that you refrain from phrases like 'I would rather die than betray my emperor' or 'Go ahead and do your worst' unless you really, really mean them. Should you wish for mercy, a simple hand signal will suffice. I strongly advise you not to nod."

Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

[bellnallart]

hot scoomp

[twoflowersdeadwife]

Twoflower remembers their times fondly. Rincewind remembers them often.