Colour of Magic - My introduction into Discworld

[madd0ct0r]

Terry has spread several stories about the origion of the luggage, but the one I choose to believe is it was a convience item given to his party by the DM when they were roleplaying. An indestructible golem trunk for carrying items, with the catch that it would blindly obey orders. Given the Luggage, I dread to think what those orders became.

[Irbis]

I don't get why you guys are so fixated on Lady.
Spoiler

Didn't she basically appeared in just one book, then had cameo in another, being one of least consequential characters in the whole series? Aren't there over dozen more important to plot gods? Hell, even CMOT was more influential overall than she was, sausage peddling and all...

[Pelranius]

Terry has spread several stories about the origion of the luggage, but the one I choose to believe is it was a convience item given to his party by the DM when they were roleplaying. An indestructible golem trunk for carrying items, with the catch that it would blindly obey orders. Given the Luggage, I dread to think what those orders became.

Another one was that Mr. Pratchett saw a women tugging/struggling with a fabric covered, multi wheeled suitcase at an airport.

[andrewgpaul]

I don't get why you guys are so fixated on Lady.
Spoiler

Didn't she basically appeared in just one book, then had cameo in another, being one of least consequential characters in the whole series? Aren't there over dozen more important to plot gods? Hell, even CMOT was more influential overall than she was, sausage peddling and all...

She's basically responsible for the plots of Spoiler

The Colour of Magic, Interesting Times and The Last Continent

and given her nature I'm sure you could make a convincing argument for her being involved behind the scenes in other stories, too.

[Vendetta]

The Lady only really shows up when Rincewind is involved, she's sort of an accomplice to Fate in making his life hell as between them they are responsible for providing him a neverending supply of entertaining things to run away from. He to provide the actual things, she to ensure that he lives to run another day.

[madd0ct0r]

In later books she is slowly edged out by the idea of narativium - the element that ensures one thing happens after another (first introduced in science òf dícwolrd).

I guess that parallels Pratchett's move from knockabout farce plots to more character driven stories.

[Crossroads Inc.]

I
I guess that parallels Pratchett's move from knockabout farce plots to more character driven stories.

This is actually something you can see in his works from "Sorcery" onwards.. As soon as "Guards Guards" comes out, most books past that begin to get increasingly "sophisticated" in terms of Plot and Character development as opposed to "Wacky and Zanny Hijinx" (not that Wacky and Zanny do not have their place of course!)

But I agree, the early books all had "The Gods" as the forces behind much of the plot, but they slowly fall by the wayside as the power of "The Story" takes over. I want to say I remember an interview with Practhett where he remarked that for Discworld, he didn't want to relay upon gods for Plot device, people were FAR more interesting

[Pelranius]

I
I guess that parallels Pratchett's move from knockabout farce plots to more character driven stories.

This is actually something you can see in his works from "Sorcery" onwards.. As soon as "Guards Guards" comes out, most books past that begin to get increasingly "sophisticated" in terms of Plot and Character development as opposed to "Wacky and Zanny Hijinx" (not that Wacky and Zanny do not have their place of course!)

But I agree, the early books all had "The Gods" as the forces behind much of the plot, but they slowly fall by the wayside as the power of "The Story" takes over. I want to say I remember an interview with Practhett where he remarked that for Discworld, he didn't want to relay upon gods for Plot device, people were FAR more interesting

To be fair, a few of the gods were interesting enough.