A Blink of the Screen

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Edelweiss and Doubleday for giving me this book to review.

A Blink of the Screen is a wonderfully eclectic collection of short stories from Sir Terry Pratchett.  It shows us some of his earlier writing, even one story written as young as thirteen, and includes the ideas for the Truckers series and the Long Earth series and some set in the Discworld.

I found this collection of stories very easy to read, his earlier work was still very recognisable as coming from the pen of Sir Terry, with all his little quirks and eccentricities, and one of the main Discworld short stories was a very good example of “headology” in all its glory.  It’s not just short stories, its little anecdotes and details often included in appendices, such as common Discworld medical conditions, and the Ankh Morpork  National Anthem (whose second verse actually includes “ner, ner, ner” lyrics – Brilliant!).

My favourite was “The Sea and Little Fishes”, which I love because it is about Granny Weatherwax, one of my favourite characters in the Discworld series, and is a superb example of how she can get under everyone’s skin without even breaking a sweat.

I would recommend A Blink of the Screen to anyone who enjoys Terry Pratchett books, as some of the short stories might confuse people unfamiliar with his other works.