ith 26 Discworld novels under his belt, a British Science Fiction Award and innumerable faithful readers worldwide, Terry Pratchett is deservedly known as one of SF's most influential writers. At Terry Pratchett Books, new readers and devoted fans can find out about his upcoming publications and projects.
At first glance, the site looks beautifully designed but dull, a sort of "just the facts" buffet covering all the basic details: newsletter, message boards, a Pratchett interview, book summaries, cover art and news about author appearances and upcoming releases. Tucked in with all this serious information, though, are flashes of whimsy, like the highly detailed Map of Discworld, a listing of "Pearls of Wisdom" from Thief of Time and the "Discworld on $30 a Day" travel guide, which explains the most important things a new visitor to this world should know up front.
As a tie-in with the release of the novel Going Postal, Terry Pratchett Books also offers visitors a look at a series of stamps from the Ankh Morpork Post Office, along with pictures of the author dressed as a Victorian-era postmaster. The artwork on the stamps is superbly rendered and witty (the 50-pence stamp, for example, offers a salute to the cabbage industry of the Sto Plains). These stamps are also featured on e-cards that fans can send to anyone on the Web.
Finally, this Web page has an in-depth list of links, all related to Pratchett and his writing, which allows the insatiably curious fan to surf elsewhere easily and learn even more about the Discworld creator and his other works.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 2, 2005
anity and civilization. The nature of modernism. The legacy of the Enlightenment. The Star Wars universe's fatal flaws. U.S. trade imbalances and the death of mercantilism.
These are just a few of the topics that science-fiction author David Brin delves into on his personal blog, Contrary Brin. The writer of Startide Rising, The Postman and Kiln People uses his blog to ruminate about current events, post rough drafts of his latest essays and keep fans apprised of his current projects.
As the blog's name implies, Brin isn't one to avoid controversy. The man hates Yoda, and drew the ire of millions of Star Wars fans with his 1999 assault on the inherent contradictions, anti-modernist themes and undemocratic nature of Lucas' famous space opera. In his nonfiction book The Transparent Society, Brin acknowledged privacy in the public sphere is declining but advocated that everyone—especially those in power—live equally public lives.
These themes, as well as others from his novels and nonfiction, find a receptive—and thoughtful—audience on the blog. Most entries easily see a dozen to two dozen responses from visitors, which Brin reads and responds to. This back-and-forth is fascinating to watch, and as a fan, it's great to have a chance to interact with an author on a serious, nonsuperficial level.
—Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—April 25, 2005
omepage of the official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Appreciation Society, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha is a clearinghouse of information on Douglas Adams and his infamous SF "trilogy," as well as lesser-known projects like the Meaning of Liff dictionary and the computer game Starship Titanic.
For devoted fans—especially those based in the U.K.—this site is a launch pad for Adams research, offering Web links, an events calendar, an author biography, a bibliography of his work and data on Hitchhiker's spinoff projects.
The Appreciation Society publishes Mostly Harmless, a print fanzine whose back issues include Adams-related media reviews, reports from the set of the upcoming Hitchhiker's movie, feature articles, puzzles and interviews. Current and older issues of this 'zine are available through the site; Society members can also purchase other treasures: two-headed "Beeblebears," T-shirts, DVDs and even jewelry.
The people behind this site clearly prefer to meet in person whenever possible, using the Web page as a point of contact but carrying their activities outside the Internet. Even with that in mind, the site could use a bit more material—its level of detail is far from exhaustive, and unlike similar organizations, it refrains from offering excerpts from Mostly Harmless or other tantalizing goodies that might induce visitors to join up.
That said, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha is an informative and beautifully organized Web page and well worth a visit, especially with the movie's release date looming closer every day.
—A.M. Dellamonica
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