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Terry Pratchett was a fertile fantasy writer whose forty-one Discworld novels contain several fascinating philosophical ideas about the body. Although the magic, unnatural character of the represented world may ignite generic or allegorical interpretations, in this paper I interpret some subtexts and subplots as thought experiments. Focusing on the body, I will discuss the golems as an experimentation with perfect labor, labor rights, and ownership of the body, while an ongoing golem subplot in Making Money experiments with engendering. Igors are a kind of species in the Discworld, through which Pratchett can investigate the questions of bodily identity in the age of advanced transplantation technology. In Unseen Academicals, a personalized myth of the orcs gives him the opportunity to reason about genetic design and its interaction with socialization and education policy, and to do so while also considering the moral and social risks.

Many scholars have written about how Terry Pratchett has represented the witches in his novel, Wyrd Sisters (1989), that were originally used in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth (1623). However, in their studies of the two works, many of these scholars illustrate how both Shakespeare and Pratchett present the witches’ personalities and outward appearances. Additionally, there has also been some literature on the representation of Pratchett’s witches and some compared them with Macbeth’s three weird witches in relation to their appearance, personalities and external characteristics in general. At the same time, there is shortage in the studies that focus on the intention of the witches and the way they use their authority in both works. The study depicts the good and moral intentions of Pratchett’s three witches in Wyrd Sisters. This can be seen in the way they use their authority and influence to give back the throne to King Verence’s son and save the kingdom. It could also be seen in the way the three Wyrd Witches deal with Felmet and his Lady, despite what they do to them. There has not been much literature written about Pratchett’s representation of the witches’ intentions and influence in their plot to help King Verence, who represents Shakespeare’s King Duncan, regain his throne rather than fight against his reign as the three witches did in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth (1623).

Long description: The doctorial thesis argues that the term Subcreation with its revised and broadened definition, in part differing from J.R.R. Tolkien's original term sub-creation, may be used for the discussion of the making of fictional worlds in literary discourse. The successful conception of a fictional world depends on the reader's willing suspension of disbelief. This depends both on the author and his skilled composition of the world and all its aspects, as well as on the reader's acceptance of this invented fictional world. The author needs to create a narrative with an inner consistency, which is crucial to achieving the effect of the reader's immersion in the fictional world. The fundamental aspects that an author needs to realize to achieve successful Subcreation have been structured into and analysed in four categories: Language and Linguistic Variation, Physiopoeia, Anthropoeia and Mythopoeia. Furthermore, this thesis shows that, as contemporary examples of fantastic literature, both Tad Williams's and Terry Pratchett's fictional worlds are successfully created through the realization of these aspects of Subcreation. Apart from commenting on the success of the subcreative process, this thesis also remarks upon the cultural influences both authors include in their writings. While both may be considered Anglophone in a general categorization, Pratchett's Discworld retains a feeling of 'Britishness' that is not to be found in Williams's Otherland. The thesis proposes several approaches to Subcreation that may be studied subsequently. So, for example, it may be possible to determine the success of an author's Subcreation by collecting empirical data. Apart from literary works this field of studies may also include other media.

Empirical studies have found that young people do not conceptualize adulthood as something achieved by reaching various traditional milestones, but rather as the result of more intangible psychological processes. They overwhelmingly agree on the importance of two aspects: taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions, and developing personal beliefs and values independently of one's parents or other influences. This paper explores the role that responsibility and critical thinking (as prerequisite to developing personal beliefs) play in the coming of age of the protagonists of two young adult fantasy series: Tiffany Aching in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels and Nathaniel in Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy. While Pratchett and Stroud approach these issues from opposite directions-with one protagonist willing to take on responsibility and think independently, and the other long refusing to do so-they both essentially advocate the same values, suggesting that responsibility and critical thinking are not only markers of adulthood, but markers of being a good person. Both promise young readers that accepting responsibility and questioning the things they are told may not always come easy, but that doing so is inherently empowering. Additional Keywords Mythlore; Responsibility and Critical Thinking as Markers of Adulthood in Two Coming-of-Age Fantasy Series: Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching Novels and Jonathan Stroud's Bartimeus Trilogy; Anna Kohler

In her book Folklore of the Disc Jacqueline Simpson argues persuasively that \"Whatever is folklore on Earth finds its mirror in the reality of the disc\" (14). Following her, I propose that a study of recurring images, motifs and allusions in the Tiffany books suggests that Tiffany might be considered the Discworld's reflection of Earth's Celtic Sovereignty Goddess. For anyone who has read the Witches books, even a superficial consideration of this statement rings true, given that the Celtic Sovereignty Goddesses were bound to the land and were responsible for everything in their territories, from birth and death and the welfare of livestock to guarding the boundaries against intruders and endorsing the rule of the mortal king. Just so, Pratchett's witches are bound to the land of their steadings and care for everything that lives there. They are midwives and they tend to the dying. They also guard the borders of their homes and have the authority to ratify or rescind the legitimacy of those who rule. In this article, I therefore propose that as a young Tiffany Aching feels out the shape of her power, learning from the older witches and stepping into her responsibilities, Pratchett takes this opportunity to reflect on the mythical and folkloric force that shapes her and, arguably all his witches, and I contend that this force is the Celtic Sovereignty Goddess.

Revolutionary trains, encountering pervert-priests, dwarf hermaphrodites and pondering the homicidal tendencies of fairy tales, this book is an illuminating account bringing intellectual and ethical concerns to bear on the popular Fantasy form.

In Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, children largely refuse to conform to the ideas that adults form about them as a class. While the adults of the Discworld seem to regard childhood as a time of innocence and wonder, the children who inhabit Pratchett's universe show themselves to be violent, cynical, manipulative, and naturally skeptical of any phenomena which they cannot directly sense. As such, when the beloved seasonal figure of the Hogfather, a former Winter Solstice deity transformed over time into a gift-giving fat man with a taste for sherry and pork-pies, is assaulted by entities who want to make human beings less fanciful, the Discworld's anthropomorphic representation of Death takes it upon himself to keep up the pretense that the Hogfather is alive, well, and making his usual rounds. This is necessary because, as the novel argues, belief in fantasies is necessary for children to grow into functional adults the child must start by believing in something relatively concrete, like a jolly fat man who delivers toys to children who behave themselves all year, in order to believe in abstract concepts like 'justice' and 'mercy.' Belief in figures like the Hogfather tempers the natural cruelty of children, teaching them how to live in harmony with one another as adults, but this belief must be encouraged through empirical evidence, since the children's natural skepticism leads them to see through the pleasant illusions conjured for them by adults.

At a dinner party in 2010 he mentioned a science fiction project he'd set aside long ago, and we'd long outstayed our welcome by the time we'd decided to collaborate. Working with him was fast and fun - frequent phone calls (pre-internet), a lot of laughs - we shared a common background in humour-the Pythons, Princess Bride, Time Bandits - at book signings we'd often drift into Life of Brian ('Crucifixion? Some readers become defensive on Pratchett's behalf and the Unofficial Companion suffered from comparison to Stephen Briggs' indispensable work - but this was meantto cover both major characters and themes within the Discworld, butalso influences on Pratchettand real world facts. When I criticize popular culture, it's because I love it so much and want it to be better.