After reading Mort, there were some things we just had to find out. So, we called up Mr. Terry Pratchett, the author of Mort and the entire Discworld series. Fortunately, Mr. Pratchett was able to take a short break from his busy schedule of answering fan mail and going on book tours (oh, yes, and doing a bit of writing when he can find the time) to answer a few of our questions.
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Literature Yesterday: Mr. Pratchett, Death is a prominent character in many of your books, and is famed for appearing in all of the Discworld novels. Why do you seem to be so fascinated with Death?
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Terry Pratchett: Well, for one thing, he's a major crowd pleasures. Polls and surveys have proven that Death is by far the readers' favorite character. But other then that, Death is fun to write about. I enjoy making Death a confused but compassionate person, trying to understand humanity. It's the exact opposite of what you'd expect from a seven-foot skeleton, and I like my characters to be surpassing not just boring clich�s. One of the parts that I really like in Mort is when Albert tells Mort that Death's horse is named Binky, it's absurd, it's unexpected, and it's funny.
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LY: Ysabell also appeared in an earlier book, The Light Fantastic. There she seemed half crazy, in short, not at all like the romantic teenager we see in Mort. What caused this inconsistency?
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TP: In a long series like the Discworld, it's very hard to remain true to minor things that were mentioned in earlier books when I have new and different ideas. So, on the Discworld, there are no inconsistencies, there are only alternate pasts.
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LY: Are any of your characters based on any people in particular?
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TP: Not really. I just come up with the concept of a character that I like
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LY: Is there any truth to the rumors we've heard about a movie based on Mort?
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TP: Well, there was supposed to be a Mort movie, but it didn't work out. A production company was put together and there was US and Scandinavian and European involvement, and I wrote a couple of script drafts which went down well and everything was looking fine and then the US people said "Hey, we've been doing market research in Power Cable, Nebraska, and other centers of culture, and the Death/skeleton bit doesn't work for us, it's a bit of a downer, we have a problem with it, so lose the skeleton". The rest of the consortium said, "did you read the book?" The Americans said: "sure, we LOVE it, it's GREAT, it's HIGH CONCEPT. Just lose the Death angle, guys". Whereupon, I'm happy to say, they were told to keep on with the medication and come back in a hundred years.
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LY: So, what are you working on now?
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TP: I'm trying to find enough spare time to actually write books. As a famous author, I'm always being dragged away from my computer on book signings and tours not to speak of the mountain of fan mail I have to answer. But now I'm working on a book called The Fifth Elephant. It should be out in hardcover in a couple of months.
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LY: Thank you very much, Mr. Pratchett. Good luck, and keep up the good work!
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Not everyone, however, was as pleased with Mort as we were. We spoke with critic Leonold Spalder. Here's what he said.
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Literature Yesterday: Mr. Spalder, you said that Mort was a horrible book. Please expand on that statement.
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Leonold Spalder: Mr. Pratchett's style is very confusing. He switches between different events far too often, leaving us skipping between practically unrelated paragraphs. His ideas are far too wild, frivolous and unrealistic, and many of his plot elements make no sense whatsoever. Furthermore, he does not write in chapters, thus making his books extremely inconvenient to read.
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LY: That is criticism of Mr. Pratchett's general writing style. Do you have any comments about Mort in particular?
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LS: Of course I do. I am extremely upset by the blatant and disrespectful way that Mr. Pratchett turns Death into a caring, soppy, juvenile character. Death is certainly not Mr. Pratchett's own character, and he has no right to alter him for his own commercial purposes.
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LY: I believe that Mr. Pratchett intends his character as the Death of the Discworld only, and not of other worlds.
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LS: That is entirely immaterial. Now everyone who's read one of those books will go around picturing an ageless entity as a quick-quipping, soppy character. And there's another thing: the whole concept of the Discworld. Mr. Pratchett continuously uses great works of literature as springboards to his own stories. He never does anything creative. The very idea of the world being flat and sitting on the back of a turtle is an ancient Indian myth.
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LY: So how do you suggest Mr. Pratchett should improve his writing?
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LS: For one thing, he should stop writing things that are so clever. It can be entertaining the first couple of times, but eventually one tires of joke after joke after joke, with what may be laughingly called a plot being the only thing holding them together. Also, he must make his books a bit more firmly grounded in reality, and stop writing about such nonsensical subjects as the forces of History and other such rubbish.
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LY: Thank you for that edifying explanation, Mr. Spalder. I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion.
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And finally, risking life and limb, we managed to hitch a ride to the Discworld and talk to Mort, the hero himself!
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Literature Yesterday: Mort, you are now world famous. Maybe not your own world, but world-famous, nonetheless. How does it feel?
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Mort Sto-Helit: It doesn't feel like anything special. I'm not really looking for fame. Don't forget, I nearly became Death, and everyone, everywhere, knows who he is.
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LY: Why did you agree to become Death's apprentice? After all, it doesn't seem like there would be much room for advancement
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MS: Well, at the time, I was so depressed about not being chosen I would've agreed to be a beggar's apprentice. But also, I really wanted to know how everything works. What everything's all about.
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LY: And did you find an answer?
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MS: Well, kind of. I've learned a lot. For instance, people make themselves see whatever they expect to see. Only wizards and witches can see what's really there, otherwise, people would go mad. But as to the meaning of life, the universe and everything Things just happen. What the hell.
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LY: What was the worst part of your adventure?
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MS: The time when I started becoming Death. My eyes started turning blue, and I was walking like him and talking in capital letters just liKE HIM. IT WAS REALLY SCARY AND I NEVER WANT TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN. Just my little joke! But it was really terrifying. I can remember it now: the coldness, the lack of feeling and emotion. Luckily, Albert, gods, I'd like to get my hands on that scrawny little wizard!, had some wizards perform the Rite of Ashke Ente, which sucked the Death in me right out in order to bring Death there.
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LY: And what was the best part?
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MS: If I say anything other then "marrying Ysabell", I'm afraid that my wife may kill me.
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LY: So what are your plans now?
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MS: Well, I have a lot of stuff to do as Duke of Sto-Helit. I have to unite the nearby kingdoms, like the Duke would've, or else History will go crazy again. And I've told Death that if he'd ever like a day off, I'd be happy to fill in for him occasionally.
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LY: Thank you very much, Mort. Good luck with those kingdoms, and lets hope that you won't see your father-in-law for business matters for a long time.
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