A Slip of the Keyboard: Reflections on Alzheimer's, Inspirations, Orangutans and Hats

by Terry Pratchett

Other authorsNeil Gaiman (Foreword)

Paperback, 2015

Status

Available

Call number

824.914

Genres

Biography & Memoir

Biography

Nonfiction

Publication

Corgi (2015), 432 pages

Description

"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"-- "A collection of essays and other nonfiction spanning Terry Pratchett's entire career, from his early years to the present day. A collection of essays and other nonfiction spanning Terry Pratchett's entire career, from his early years to the present day"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member SueinCyprus

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.

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LibraryThing member SheTreadsSoftly

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.

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LibraryThing member Lukerik

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!”

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LibraryThing member wjohnston

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.

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LibraryThing member bell7

*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.

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LibraryThing member Gwendydd

Not surprisingly, Terry Pratchett's non-fiction is insightful and often quite funny. The themes of these essays include: the craft of writing, education, the community the Discworld Novels have created, living with Alzheimer's, and assisted death.

I enjoyed reading these. However, I wouldn't

recommend reading them all in one go like I did. This is actually perfect bathroom reading - most of the chapters are just a few pages long, they're funny and sometimes thought-provoking, and there are many themes and anecdotes that are repeated in many essays. This book is best digested in small, infrequent portions.

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LibraryThing member shabacus

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.

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LibraryThing member simchaboston

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.

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LibraryThing member cookierooks

Prather always good, but when he gets into his own mortality. Amazing.

LibraryThing member maximnoronha

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!

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LibraryThing member rivkat

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.

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LibraryThing member Lukerik

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LibraryThing member rivkat

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LibraryThing member JonArnold

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.

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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn

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.

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LibraryThing member MikeRhode

Slight, but enjoyable. Only for the completist.

LibraryThing member reading_fox

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.

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LibraryThing member Fence

A week or two before Terry Pratchett died A slip of the keyboard and A blink of the screen arrived for me from amazon. I added them to the bookshelves, thinking I’ll get to them in a bit. And then came the news that Pterry had died. It was strange how surprising that news was. RIP Terry

Pratchett.

So I picked up this, a collection of Pratchett’s non-fiction. It is a collection of various essays and articles and bits’n’bobs that Pratchett has written over the years. Some of his talks at events and cons, a wide variety of subject matter. There is some repetition of ideas, but that is only to be expected, especially with the speeches, but that didn’t lesson my enjoyment of this book.

The first section mainly covers writing and fans and the world of fantasy fiction. Pratchett’s thoughts on a wide range of fantasy-related subjects.

The last section, Days of Rage, cover his thoughts on Alzheimer’s and assisted dying and all that anger.

The introduction by Neil Gaiman is well worth a read if you haven’t already.

If you are a Pratchett fan then this is well worth reading, I think it is a book that you dip in and out of, read an essay here, an essay there. Some are quite short, you’d read them in a few minutes.

I think that it is time to begin a Discworld reread at some point very soon.

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LibraryThing member DLMorrese

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.

LibraryThing member martialalex92

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.

LibraryThing member jennybeast

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.

LibraryThing member LisCarey

Terry Pratchett was a popular, indeed beloved, fantasy writer, with many bestsellers, many of them featuring the Discworld, a flat disc carried on the backs of turtles.

He also wrote quite a few non-fiction essays, speeches, newspaper articles, and pieces for the souvenir books of science fiction

conventions. This collection spans his entire writing career, It reflects the range of his interests, and is roughly divided into three themed sections.

Naturally, he had a good deal to say on the subject of writing, the life of a writer, and his development as a writer. I was particularly fascinated by the fact, not that he began as a journalist writing for a local paper, but the fact that he had an actual, formal apprenticeship as a writer for that newspaper, with apprenticeship papers his father needed to sign. It sounds so alien, to me, probably a combination of the fact that I'm nearly a decade younger, and that I'm an American.

The next section mainly concerns his life, his travels, his great range of interests. Many of those interests developed from his habit of finding refuge from the frustrations of school by hiding out in the library, and discovering all the good books and fascinating, exciting, and sometimes scandalous history that isn't taught in history class. Other interests developed almost by chance. In Discworld's Unseen University, he decided that the Librarian would be an orangutan. He describes it as almost a random choice; on another day, he might have chosen to make the Librarian an aardvark. Picking the orangutan, and then seeing one at zoo, became the first step in a growing interest in animal conservation, animal rights, and protection of animal habitats.

The last section collects his speeches, essays, and articles about his Alzheimer's diagnosis, his experiences, and the frustrations of getting the treatment he needed (to the extent that treatment is available), and the fact that Alzheimer's had replaced cancer as The Disease That Dare Not Speak Its Name. Terry Pratchett, of course, went public. He was not going to hide it, or retreat from writing or from public life before he had to. He made a donation of US$1,000,000 to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, expressing his shock that funding for Alzheimer's research was 3% of funding for cancer research. He became an advocate for both that research, and for what he preferred to call assisted death, rather than assisted suicide.

It's no surprise that this section contains a few rants.

It's a fascinating collection, published in 2014, about six months before his death in 2015, and I think it's a collection that no Pratchett fan should miss.

Highly recommended.

I bought this audiobook.

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LibraryThing member kevn57

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.

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LibraryThing member rynk

A fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels chatted me up on his cheeky approach to science fiction. That led me to the British writer's collected essays. They seem sly as well--covering reporting, computing and increasingly his own health as he deals with an early onset Alzheimer's diagnosis.

LibraryThing member CarltonC

An enjoyable collection of essays from Terry Pratchett’s entire career, including some of his journalism. The book is split into three sections:
• Speeches from Science Fiction and Discworld conventions, magazine and newspaper articles about science fiction, fantasy and the Discworld
• Broadly

humorous autobiographical essays about life prior to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis
• Angry essays, mainly following his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, about the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and the legality of assisted dying, but also the preservation of Orang utans in the wild and school.
There is some repetition of anecdotes, but as you would expect from Pratchett’s fiction, there is much humour and humanity which more than compensates. In some ways I found it a sad read, especially when he comments on perhaps reaching fifty Discworld novels (he wrote forty), as you know that Pratchett died prematurely. But mostly, I enjoyed the humour and anecdotes about Discworld.

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