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    A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
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    A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
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    A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction

    Written by Terry Pratchett

    Narrated by Michael Fenton Stevens

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A collection of essays and other non fiction from Terry Pratchett, spanning the whole of his writing career from his early years to the present day.
         Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of readers the world over with his bestselling Discworld series -- but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett's non fiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important); from memories of Granny Pratchett to speculation about Gandalf's love life, and passionate defences of the causes dear to him.
         With all the humour and humanity that have made his novels so enduringly popular, this collection brings Pratchett out from behind the scenes of the Discworld to speak for himself -- man and boy, bibliophile and computer geek, champion of hats, orangutans and Dignity in Dying.

       Snuff was the bestselling adult hardcover novel of 2011. A Blink of the Screen, Terry's short fiction collection, was also one of the bestselling hardcovers of 2012.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 23, 2014
    ISBN9780804193634
    Unavailable
    A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
    Author

    Terry Pratchett

    Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.

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    Reviews for A Slip of the Keyboard

    4/5

    177 ratings26 reviews

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    • 3/5
      For more reviews, gifs, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.Collected nonfiction is a phrase that would generally send me running for the hills. Sure there’s good nonfiction. I was a freaking history major even, but nonfiction is pretty close to my last choice when it comes to pop culture. However, I make exceptions for really cool people, like Terry Pratchett. I’m not a Discworld fan to the degree that I attend Discworld cons (in fact, tbh, I didn’t know they existed until I listened to this book), but I own quite a few and will own more as soon as I get time to binge a 40 book series. I will not, however, be purchasing a print copy of this book so I can keep it in my collection.The stories, taken individually, are good. If you enjoy Terry Pratchett’s humor and have the same stance on assisted death, then you’ll enjoy them. Personally, I think he’s hilarious, so that wasn’t the issue. For the casual Discworld fan like myself, there’s some really fascinating stuff about his writing process. Discworld is apparently about 1/3 happenstance, 1/3 random, and 1/3 research into stuff one would not expect.Pratchett has very interesting things to say on fantasy as a whole as well. He maintains, for one, that ALL fiction is fantasy. I actually agree with this, though I do not share his disdain for the term magical realism. It is true, though, that genre distinctions don’t matter as much as people think they do and that people need to start respecting fantasy and other so-called genre fiction.The other significant included topic is on Pratchett’s Alzheimer’s disease. I knew he had it, but didn’t know anything about it really. He talks a lot about the future and how it affects him now. This turns into the discussion of Britain and how it should allow doctor assisted suicide, though he hates that term. This subject is a bit of a clunky fit with the rest, which is all writing-based, but I learned the most here.Taken as a whole, A Slip of the Keyboard is not a good collection. The thing is that Pratchett wrote these speeches and articles over years and for various places. He gets asked to talk about a lot of the same things by different groups. As such, his collected nonfiction is incredibly repetitive. I often feared I’d accidentally rewound my iPod, because I kept hearing the same, slightly modified, stories and arguments over and over again. That’s not fun.To truly enjoy A Slip of the Keyboard, it would need to be much shorter, cleansed of redundancies, or I would need to have gotten the print and skipped a good deal, which I actually don’t really do.
    • 4/5
      I'm glad I read this, but did the Alzheimer's and assisted death-related articles all have to be together at the end? :(
      I guess they did, really. But still, now I am sad.
    • 4/5
      This would have been a 5 star but there were quite a few items that appeared in more than one of the speeches are writings. I still loved it but I wish there had been a little more original writings and a little less repeating.
    • 5/5
      Collected non-fiction of Terry Pratchett. Should I say anything more? His genius and storytelling character shining through everything, let he writing about his former job at a nuclear power plant, the special bits of being a writer or even about some not-so-funny themes as his own illness or death.
    • 4/5
      A collection of nonfiction pieces Terry Pratchett has written over the years - journalism, essays, book introductions, etc. Probably only of interest to a Pratchett fan and completist. There are certainly individual pieces I would recommend to one person or another, but not the whole thing. Pratchett's wit is certainly on display, and he always has something interesting to say. As there is some overlap in the pieces, there is a bit of repetition, but again, it's only something you'd notice reading it straight through.
    • 5/5
      I miss Terry Pratchett. :(
    • 2/5
      For the really hardcore fans it's nice to get more of Sir Terry's humor, however after a while you start noticing repeats in the essays, so it doesn't hold together as well as other kind of memoirs.
    • 5/5
      Funny, sad, an excellent read should be read by everyone who a discworld fan, fantasy fan, or avid reader and anyone facing old age, while they are still young. Pratchett is one of my favorite authors and while I haven't read all of his novels I have read quite a few, just finished Wintersmith a few weeks ago and it's one of his best.
    • 4/5
      A really nice collection that spans Terry Pratchett's life. Sometimes a bit repetitive (because they are mostly speeches and cover the same things), but both humorous and excellent for all that. He was a man of great common sense and great compassion. It's lovely to hear that in his own voice.
    • 5/5
      The late great Sir Terry Pratchett, deity of Discworld, has made me laugh an awful lot over the past few years (OK decades), with his richly imaginative fantasy series. In a departure from his normal output this is a collection of articles, speeches and letters that he has written since the late 1980’s. But over recent years he has become equally well known for being an outspoken campaigner for causes such as orang-utans and of course Alzheimer's and assisted death.. This collection is the very best of those articles, grouped under three headings; A Scribbling intruder, A Twit and a Dreamer and Days of Rage.

      From the time he announced that he had Posterior Cortical Atrophy, he has moved from the hazy lights of the science fiction and fantasy convention world, into the brighter glare of the modern media world. And in this world he showed his humanity, through humour and eloquence, and that a multi million best selling author could be a regular bloke with a fondness for banana daiquiris’s. He writes on subjects as diverse as hats, past head teachers, why elves are bastards, his beloved grandmother and being a genuinely absentminded professor.

      His writing is brilliant. And poignant. And funny; really funny. And this is nonfiction too. The way that he observed life and people is unparalleled, a talent that he used to highlight injustices and the frequent idiocy of the world that we live in, and explore within the world he created. But what comes through this collection is his wit and humour. The letter he sent to The Times about tax is a classic example of restrained wit, and there are other examples all the way through.

      Really pleased to have read this, it is a great collection. Even though he is seen as purely a fantasy writer, I hope that the wider literary world will come to fully appreciate the genius in his writing in time.
    • 4/5
      I’ve unfortunately read too little of Terry Pratchett in the past years, and the only excuse for it is that I’ve been reading so much of everything else, which isn’t much of an excuse, I’ll admit. Luckily, my fiancé, Andrew, is a fan of his, so I’ve been delving a bit more into his work. (I’m currently reading Good Omens, which is turning out to be fantastic.)I started this book for a few reasons:1. I have a bad habit of reading at work during the dead time in between appointments, and it’s better if I’m reading a collection of short stories or essays, because once I finish a short story, I’ve gotten my fix and I’m back to being productive and doing what I’m getting paid to do.2. It was available on OverDrive at my library.3. Andrew loves non-fiction, so I thought I’d read this to see if I thought he’d be interested in adding this to his to-read list, though I know that being with me has probably added a few too many books to that list. (Even though they are really just so good.)4. I think it’s interesting to know the person behind the writing, either before or after I’ve met that person through their stories. It’s a bit backwards from what traditionally happens in this case, but I think that I’ll be able to better appreciate his work now knowing some of his thoughts behind life, living, and stories.I truly enjoyed this book. I agree with Pratchett on many things and reading the words of someone who loves words and stories so much is deeply gratifying. Some of these stories were sad, as he talks about his struggle with Alzheimer’s and his thoughts about assisted death, but I think he offers useful insights from his experiences. For those of us who have studied writing or write in some way, he puts a humorous viewpoint on how we get our work done and how we feel about it before, during, and afterwards, which I truly enjoy. I think that writing is at once a unique and universal thing — we all, after all, tell stories. Getting someone else’s viewpoint on the process is at once relieving and fascinating, as there are often so many similarities to my own experience with it.Besides the similarities, though, I loved learning fun new facts about Pratchett and his life. Reading about his hat collection, adventures (or non-adventures) on book tours, and getting to know him a little bit better was a wonderful experience that I greatly appreciated.The only complaint I had is that because of the way the book is set up, some of his thoughts and arguments become repetitive. In real life, nobody would have noticed, because he wrote these essays years, even decades apart, but having them collected together, sorted by theme, I felt like some of the essays were almost the same as the others. Not his fault, of course, and I didn’t enjoy the book any less, but if you’re going to read this, I do recommend taking your time through it so that you don’t feel frustrated with the repetition.I recommend this to all writers, readers, and fans of Terry Pratchett. It’s a solid collection, and I can’t imagine there being anyone who wouldn’t enjoy at least two works from this book.*Originally posted on Going on to the Next*
    • 5/5
      This collection of writings is not an autobiography, but it provides many insights to the man known and loved around the world for his wonderful stories. If you're a Pratchett fan, this is a must read.
    • 5/5
      Prather always good, but when he gets into his own mortality. Amazing.
    • 3/5
      An absolute must for all Terry Pratchett fans, and an interesting read for just about anyone.

      This is a collection of, it seems, pretty much everything that Pratchett's published that isn't fiction.

      It's divided thematically into three sections. The first focuses on thoughts on writing and the writing process. The second is more autobiographical material. The third has to do with Pratchett's early-onset Alzheimers and his advocacy for the right-to-die cause. (And then, it finishes up with a little bit of humor; I guess the editors didn't want to end on a down note.)

      The first two sections are probably of specific interest to those familiar with Pratchett's work. The third definitely has a more general appeal, and gives an insight into the perspective of someone with an incurable disease who wants the legal right to be able to choose the time and manner of their passing, with dignity.

      The main flaw I found in the book was not with any of the brief pieces included here individually, but rather with the effect of reading them all sequentially. Pratchett is clearly a man with 'pet' ideas and favorite quotes, who uses every given opportunity to air them. While there isn't a problem with this in practice, when all his speeches, introductions, and such are set end-to-end, it begins to feel a bit repetitive. The volume would probably be better enjoyed in small segments - reading an essay every now and again.

      Favorite quote:
      "You want fantasy? here's one... There's this species that lives on a planet a few miles above molten rock and a few miles below a vacuum that'd suck the air right out of them. They live in a brief geological period between ice ages, when giant asteroids have temporarily stopped smacking into the surface. As far as they can tell, there's nowhere else in the universe where they could stay alive for ten seconds.
      And what do they call their fragile little slice of space and time? They call it real life. In a universe where it's known that whole galaxies can explode, they think there's things like "natural justice" and "destiny." Some of them even believe in democracy..."

      And, as a librarian, I am, from here on out, going to take Pratchett's suggestion, and call myself by the title of "Shining Acolyte of the Sacred Flame of Literacy in a Dark and Encroaching Universe."

      Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this book. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
    • 4/5
      A collection of short and very short writings from the late pTerry about his life, taken from newspaper articles, interviews, convention speeches and other such sources, none is original to this publication, but they do vary in time form some of his earliest journalistic pieces through to the latter third of the book mainly being his talks about Alzheimers. Some of them are average and some of them carry the full force of the Discworld anger that Neil Gaiman describes in the foreward as being such a key component of his life. The latter speeches about Alzeimhers, dignified dying and medical care are particularly poignant in light of his recent death. There is only one item about Orang-utans despite their frequent association with him. But it's another of the better entries where his passion clearly shins through.One for the more dedicated fans and collectors of his work, and certainly not the place to introduce the casual reader, but it might be an ideal present for that slightly stuffy person who doens't see what all the fuss is about - many of the items do clearly showcase his personal style that comes through in the novels. The only slight criticism I'd have is that a few ideas are repeated and the same phrases re-used in different speeches which spoils their impact a bit.
    • 3/5
      I'd have sooner read a biography, but I think it isn't out yet or I am not sure if he is working on one. I have only read a few Discworld books up until now, so I haven't been a long-time fan or follower - some articles in this book, I couldn't quite identify with. That said a few others are a five, especially the ones at the end, to do with euthanasia. I will also be sure to check out his BBC documentary - "Choosing to Die" one of these days. So, reading this book catalyzed that for me. Also, when you are reading a book of this sort, a whole entire set of newspaper clippings all at one go, understandably, the flow just isn't there. But, on the other hand, you can read a few at a time, dip in and out randomly, just about from anywhere. There's a few tips in here for wannabe writers and at least I was able to get one recco for a promising read: The Evolution Man, Roy Lewis - which I shall be sure to pick up in days to come. He mentions a few other books as well, but I didn't take those names down. Oh well, I can always look 'em up another time! On to reading the next Discworld book then!
    • 5/5
      Enjoyable assortment of articles from one of my favorite authors. The topics range from discussions of the importance of fantasy, to musings on his education and what he insists on calling an unlikely career, to thoughts about his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's and his desire to be able to have a "assisted death" when he wants. As other reviewers have noted, there's some overlap, though I found far less of it than in Diana Wynne Jones' "Reflections On the Magic of Writing," and in any case Pratchett's writing is so eloquent and funny that I didn't mind the repetitive bits. There are a few really short pieces -- written by request for various anthologies -- that I would've loved to see in expanded form, mostly because I'm sad that the book wasn't longer than it was and know that the world will lose Pratchett's unique voice earlier than we would like to.
    • 3/5
      Slight, but enjoyable. Only for the completist.
    • 3/5
      Found the collection to be a bit disjointed.
    • 5/5
      All of the wit and humor one could ever expect from Terry Pratchett, even (and almost especially) when he reaches more serious territory. The collection is sorted loosely by theme, and each piece is introduced by the author.I took off half a star only because the articles occasionally become repetitive, and there is little effort made (other than listing the year) to put it into the context of his work at the time. The result feels like every possible piece was put in, instead of being selected for maximum effectiveness and power. Still, it is a boon for Pratchett completionists, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
    • 4/5
      *Free e-book ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss/Above the Treeline. No money or goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*Those who have enjoyed the humor and deep thinking of the author of Nation, the Discworld series, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents or (with Neil Gaiman) Good Omens would do well to dip into this collection of essays from one of the - in my opinion - funniest people writing today.The essays - sometimes talks, sometimes introductions to books, on a few occasions journalistic pieces - are grouped into three sections. The first deals mainly with books and reading, and got the most laughs from me. The second bunch covered diverse topics and was somewhat autobiographical, in which I learned that Sir Terry had a background in journalism and once worked as a nuclear press officer. The third - just like those Discworld books that have you laughing one moment and thinking about something serious the next - deals with his diagnosis of a rare form of Alzheimer's and his subsequent campaign to legalize assisted dying. Because they're organized topically and cover quite a few years, there are a few thoughts and phrases that repeat, but that's to be expected in a collection of pieces not originally written to be a part of a collection. Recommended reading for any fan of Terry Pratchett.
    • 4/5
      The book consists of transcripts of speeches, or introductions of books, or other short non-fiction pieces produced over a period of many years. It's divided into three main sections, the first and longest entitled, ‘A Scribbling Intruder’. This is about Terry Pratchett’s life as a writer. It’s not arranged in chronological order, which is a tad confusing, and there's some overlap. The second section is even more random, called ‘A Twit and a Dreamer’. The final section, ‘Days of Rage’ is heavier. Here the author writes about his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, and about his belief in ‘assisted dying’. I found this last part rather morbid, and - again - very repetitive. I skimmed quite a bit towards the end. It’s not surprising that there's repetition: the collection reflects entire pieces Pratchett wrote for different occasions, but it's still a bit annoying. Still, I’m glad I’ve read it; it would be a good book to dip into, rather than to read in one go.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'd thought there might be a bit of barrel scraping, but no, it's a very well edited collection and everything in it is either funny or interesting or thought-provoking – sometimes all three. My favourite piece is the Advice to Booksellers – I had never realised that I was interested to know what it's like to be an author on a signing tour.I met Pratchett once. I was in town and saw a massive queue. I'm not really patriotic but I will join a queue if I see a nice one (I'm English). As it advanced I saw it was going into Waterstone's and when I got to the front there was the man himself, under his hat. He asked if we'd met before. I said “No”, (there was some tittering from his entourage – they must see a lot of people starry eyed and with only a passing acquaintance with the ability to speak) and he signed my copy of Thief of Time with “Deja Fu!”
    • 5/5
      A Slip of the Keyboard by Terry Pratchett is a very highly recommended, consistently entertaining collection of short nonfiction pieces.

      The work presented in A Slip of the Keyboard showcases a wide variety of work that can be both serious and humorous. This is a wonderful collection of nonfiction that should appeal to fans of his writing as well as those who enjoy a well written, insightful essay that can also take a wry look at life.

      After a Foreword by Neil Gaiman, the collection is divided into three parts:
      A Scribbling Intruder (On bookshops, dragons, fan mail, sandwiches, tools of the trade, waxing wroth, and all the business of being a Professional Writer)
      A Twit and a Dreamer (On school days, scabby knees, first jobs, frankincense, Christmas robots, beloved books, and other off-duty thoughts)
      Days of Rage (On Alzheimer's, orangutans, campaigns, controversies, dignified endings, and trying to make a lot of things a little better)

      Neil Gaiman writes in the foreword that: "There is a fury to Terry Pratchett’s writing. It’s the fury that was the engine that powered Discworld, and you will discover it here: it’s the anger at the headmaster who would decide that six-year-old Terry Pratchett would never be smart enough for the eleven-plus, anger at pompous critics, and at those who think that serious is the opposite of funny, anger at his early American publishers who could not bring his books out successfully. The anger is always there, an engine that drives. By the time this book enters its final act, and Terry learns he has a rare, early-onset form of Alzheimer’s, the targets of his fury change: now he is angry with his brain and his genetics and, more than these, furious at a country that will not permit him (or others in a similarly intolerable situation) to choose the manner and the time of their passing.

      While there may be anger, especially in some of the later works included in the collection, this anger presented itself as passion for me. In many of the pieces, I found myself reading along, agreeing with him, and then he'd throw out a couple lines that had me snorting aloud or chortling guiltily. How could you not at something like the following concerning others that might be at a book signing, "If you have got a TV personality promoting something with a title like The Whoops-Where-Did-That-One-Go? Christmas Fun Book, don’t pass comment if they spend a lot of time reading their book while they’re in the shop. It may be the first time they’ve seen it. Do not offer to help them with the longer words."

      There are, quite naturally, a lot of pieces that concern fantasy writing or what others perceive as fantasy. There is a lot of advice to be gleaned from this collection if you are an aspiring writer, like this gem from" Elves Were Bastards" (1992):"I get depressed with these fluffy dragons and noble elves. Elves were never noble. They were cruel bastards. And I dislike heroes. You can’t trust the buggers. They always let you down." Pratchet continues, discussing escapism "But the point about escaping is that you should escape to, as well as from. You should go somewhere worthwhile, and come back the better for the experience. Too much alleged “fantasy” is just empty sugar, life with the crusts cut off."

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday for review purposes.
    • 4/5
      Did the world need a collection of Terry Pratchett’s non-fiction? A cursory read of much of his back catalogue will tell you it probably didn’t; one of the great strengths of Pratchett’s writing was his ability to articulate real world issues through the prism of fantasy. All non-fiction would be doing would be tearing away the fantasy veil. And the sources here, ranging from convention booklets to national newspapers, suggest that perhaps he wasn’t prolific enough to justify a book in the way the likes of Alan Coren, a master of the short form, might do.There really aren’t many surprises here – Pratchett’s worldview is familiar from his fiction and there’s much railing at the writing of modern fantasy. He remained an acute observer of the genre throughout his career, pointing out that all fantasy if either directly Tolkien influenced or reacting against him and that SF is essentially merely a twentieth century form of fantasy). And this being Pratchett there are, of course, many beautifully worked turns of phrases and good jokes. But the traces of the former journalist show, aside from the occasional longeur from printed speeches this is always concise, witty and readable.The book’s at its best in the final section, which deals almost exclusively with the well-known circumstance of Pratchett’s ‘embuggerance’. It’s filled with a quiet, English rage at the failings of society in relation to people with incurable illnesses which will eventually incapacitate them. And it uses that quiet fury to raise issues and pose awkward questions (as the best of Pratchett’s fiction often does). And also to point out, correctly, that Nation is probably the best book he’s written. It’s only in this section that the book feels absolutely vital; providing a sense that a court jester who’s lived by pointing out the absurdities of everyone has found that jesting won’t quite cover the ultimate absurdity confronting him and therefore presents it naked, stripped of jokes. And there’s an awkward silence where no-one knows whether they should be laughing at him or not. For much of its length this is a companion piece for his fiction bibliography, complementing it rather than adding to it greatly, but the last seventy pages or so are vital. Maybe we did need the unfiltered Pratchett after all.
    • 3/5
      Collected nonfiction writings; really more of a tribute than a book. I’m sad that I read Pratchett saying that he didn’t think the difference between the standard treatment of witches (Hansel & Gretel) v. wizards (Gandalf) had to do with sex/sexism, but was rather about the “ideal of magic”—the wizard is “everything we hope we would be, if we had the power,” while the witch “with her often malevolent interest in the small beer of human affairs[] is everything we fear only too well that we would in fact become.” Even if that’s true, which I doubt (I think lots of people believe, not just hope, they’d be the wizard; it’s everyone else they distrust—but Pratchett tended to see the best sides of people), that binary mapping on to witch/wizard is precisely about sexism and gender roles. However, I was made very happy by Pratchett’s anecdote of writing a crossover between Pride and Prejudice and Tolkien when he was thirteen. The last third of the book is about his advocacy for a right of terminally ill patients to choose the time of their dying with dignity; unfortunately, he doesn’t really do much to address the concerns about how “voluntary” can become “involuntary” under various forms of social and economic pressure, preferring instead to trust in the sensible British people. I do support a right to die, but anyone interested in a rigorous discussion of the risks and benefits should look elsewhere.