Terry Pratchett: The BBC Radio Drama Collection (Mort / Wyrd Sisters / Guards! Guards! / Eric / Small Gods / Night Watch / Johnny Maxwell - Only You Can Save Mankind)

by Terry Pratchett

Other authorsMartin Jarvis (Narrator), Anton Lesser (Narrator), Sheila Hancock (Narrator), Alex Jennings (Narrator), Philip Jackson (Narrator), Full Cast (Narrator), Mark Heap (Narrator), Bbc Audio (Publisher)
Digital audiobook, 2018

Publication

BBC Audio (2018)

Original publication date

2018-11-01

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Thriller. HTML: A collection of the full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of novels by Terry Pratchett Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different... Published for the very first time are seven full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of Terry Pratchett's novels, with star-studded casts including Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, Philip Jackson, Alex Jennings and Mark Heap. Mort Hopeless young peasant Mort is hired as an apprentice to Death. He'll have free board, use of the company horse, and being dead isn't even compulsory. In fact, it's a dream job - until he discovers that it can be killer for his love life... Wyrd SistersThree witches meet on a blasted heath. A king is cruelly murdered. A child heir and the kingdom's crown are both missing. But Granny Weatherwax finds that meddling in royal politics is a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe... Guards! Guards!In Ankh-Morpork, the Haves and the Have-Nots are about fall out. Again. The Night Watch's Captain Vimes is used to this but when the Have-Nots find the key to a lethal, dormant weapon that even they don't understand, he knows it's time so sober up. EricWhen precocious young Eric Thursley summons a demon from the loathsome pit to fulfil his every wish, he wants what everyone wants - immortality, to rule the world, and have the most beautiful woman love him. Instead he gets Rincewind, the Disc's most incompetent wizard. Small GodsOn the Discworld, Gods are as numerous as herring roe, all elbowing for space at the top. In such a competitive environment, you need an acolyte, and fast. For the Great God Om, Brutha is the Chosen One, or at least the only One available... Night WatchLiving in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy, especially when there is a serial killer on the loose who targets coppers. Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch is back in his own rough, tough past, and he has a job to do. ***Bonus Story*** In addition to these Discworld novels, this collection also includes a full-cast dramatisation of Only You Can Save Mankind, from the Johnny Maxwell series. As an alien fleet crosses his computer screen, Johnny prepares to blow the ScreeWee into a million pieces... 'The voice cast is fantastic' - Starburst ©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member martialalex92
Not as great as reading the books and I forgot how bad "Only You Can Save Mankind" was, but it was a nice sweep back through them.
LibraryThing member Othemts
I've been meaning to read more Terry Pratchett, so what better way to start than with seven of his novels dramatized by actors at the BBC. Most of these novels are set in Pratchett's Discworld, a flat planet on the back of four elephants on the back of a giant turtle. The setting is similar to the
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medieval fantasy and fairy tale stories with comedic and satirical factors.

Mort (****)
Death, a recurring character in the Discworld stories, decides to take on the teenage Mort as an apprentice. But when Mort prevents the assassination of Princess Keli he creates an alternate universe that threatens reality. This is a really funny and clever novel.
Wyrd Sisters (**1/2)
One of the issues I had with these radio dramas is that the audio quality wasn't always good and it was particularly hard to understand the Shakespearean stage whispers in this production. That may have marred my enjoyment of this story about three witches and an acting troupe. The play within a play parodies elements of Macbeth, Hamlet, and other works of Shakespeare.
Guards! Guards! (***1/2)
This book introduces the City Watch, generally considered incompetent, but put to the test when a group of miscreants summon a dragon as part of a plot to put a new king on the throne. Lead by Samuel Vines, and inspired by earnest newcomer Carrot, the Watch rises to the occasion.
Eric (***)
A parody of Faust, thirteen-year-old demonologist, Eric Thursley accidentally rescues the wizard Rincewind from Dungeon Dimensions (a Discworld version of hell). Eric is granted three wishes but they are fulfilled with "monkey's paw" style consequences.
Small Gods (****)
The Great God Om manifests himself in the form of a tortoise to a simple religious novitiate named Brutha, who turns out to be the only human who truly believes in Om. This book somehow works both as a skewering of religion but also shows the positive side of religious practice.
Night Watch (****)
Commander of the City Watch Samuel Vines is pursuing a dangerous criminal, Carcer, when they are both transported back in time. Vimes must take on the identity of John Keel and mentor his younger self through the conflict that ensues.
Only You Can Save Mankind (**1/2)
The only story not set in Discworld, but instead in England during the time of the Gulf War in 1991. 12-year-old Johnny Maxwell is playing a video game about an alien attack, when the alien ScreeWee surrender to him. In a reality-bending adventure Johnny is responsible for helping seemingly real-life aliens get back home. This story seems to anticipate massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
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Language

Original language

English

Library's rating

Rating

½ (12 ratings; 3.9)
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