Discworld and the Disciplines: Critical Approaches to the Terry Pratchett Works

Front Cover
Anne Hiebert Alton, William C. Spruiell, Donald E. Palumbo
McFarland, May 2, 2014 - Literary Criticism - 244 pages

This collection of new essays applies a wide range of critical frameworks to the analysis of prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. Essays focus on topics such as Pratchett's treatment of noise and silence and their political implications; art as an anodyne for racial conflict; humor and cognitive debugging; visual semiotics; linguistic stylistics and readers' perspectives of word choice; and Derrida and the "monstrous Regiment of Women." The volume also includes an annotated bibliography of critical sources. The essays provide fresh perspectives on Pratchett's work, which has stealthily redefined both fantasy and humor for modern audiences.

 

Selected pages

Contents

Introduction Anne Hiebert Alton and William C Spruiell
1
A Note on the Text
11
Politics and the Art of Noise Roderick McGillis
15
Visual Semiotics and Discworld Anne Hiebert Alton
26
Of Gods Philosophy and Politics in Terry Pratchetts Discworld Gray KochharLindgren
81
Art Play and Otherness in Thud Caroline Webb
92
Pratchett Style and the Utility of Premodified Bits William C Spruiell
108
The Rhetoric of Humor and the Poetics of Fantasy Gideon Haberkorn
160
Primary Bibliography of Terry Pratchetts Works Published in English
189
Annotated Critical Bibliography
194
About the Contributors
221
Index
223
Copyright

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Discworld and the Disciplines: Critical Approaches to the Terry Pratchett Works
Anne Hiebert Alton,William C. Spruiell,Donald E. Palumbo
Limited preview - 2014

Common terms and phrases

Ankh-Morpork appears argues artist artwork characters children’s books COCA color Colour ofMagic Corgi cover created Death discussion Discworld books Discworld Companion Discworld Emporium Discworld novels Doubleday dragon dwarfs English essay ett’s example Farah Mendlesohn Fiction and Fantasy Folklore frequency genre Gollancz Granny Weatherwax Hogfather human humor Illus Illus.Josh Kirby illustrations images Josh Kirby kind Kirby’s language Linguistics literary literature London looked modern fantasy Nac Mac Feegle Nanny Ogg narrative Night Watch noise notes noun ofFantasy ofits original italics painting pattern Paul Kidby picture book political Pratch Pratchett and Stephen provides readers reading Rincewind Science Fiction sense sequence sort Stephen Briggs Stephen Player story Streets ofAnkh-Morpork style Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett’s Discworld theory things Thud Tiffany Aching tion tradition troll verbs Vimes Vimes’s Wee Free Wee Free Men Where’s My Cow witches words Wyrd Sisters

About the author (2014)

Anne Hiebert Alton is a professor of English at Central Michigan University, where she teaches literature of all sorts. She lives in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. William C. Spruiell is an associate professor of English at Central Michigan University, where he teaches English linguistics, Old English, and science-fiction and fantasy literature. He lives in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

Bibliographic information

TitleDiscworld and the Disciplines: Critical Approaches to the Terry Pratchett Works
Volume 45 of Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy
EditorsAnne Hiebert Alton, William C. Spruiell, Donald E. Palumbo
Editionillustrated
PublisherMcFarland, 2014
ISBN0786474645, 9780786474646
Length244 pages
Subjects › 

Literary Criticism / General
Literary Criticism / Science Fiction & Fantasy
  
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