New books by Mark Burrows
- Thread starter Who's Wee Dug
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Marc also wrote the first biography about Terry (The Magic of Terry Pratchett), a few years before Rob's biography came out. They are both great books, and Marc and Rob are now pretty good friends (I've interviewed/seen interviews with them both).
Marc also turned his biography into a comedy lecture show (also titled "The Magic of Terry Pratchett") which has done extensive touring of the UK over the past several years, with a few international runs including at the Adelaide Fringe in 2025, which is where I managed to see it (and Marc came out to dinner with our local fan club after the show too).
I'm quite excited about these new books - part 1 comes out this year, and part 2 next year, because Marc is actually doing a deep dive into /all/ of Terry's books (not just Discworld), so it's less of a biography and more of a critical analysis bibliography - and given that Marc is not just a comedian and author, but a musician and a newspaper columnist (you'll often see his name on articles relating to Terry), I'm sure his insights will be very good to read - even if you don't agree with every one of his opinions.
If you want to know what the contents of this book will be like, Marc has put a sample chapter (about Strata) up on his website here: https://www.marcburrows.co.uk/terry-pratchett-readers-guide
He also recently published an extract of his "Equal Rites" chapter on various social media platforms.
Marc also turned his biography into a comedy lecture show (also titled "The Magic of Terry Pratchett") which has done extensive touring of the UK over the past several years, with a few international runs including at the Adelaide Fringe in 2025, which is where I managed to see it (and Marc came out to dinner with our local fan club after the show too).
I'm quite excited about these new books - part 1 comes out this year, and part 2 next year, because Marc is actually doing a deep dive into /all/ of Terry's books (not just Discworld), so it's less of a biography and more of a critical analysis bibliography - and given that Marc is not just a comedian and author, but a musician and a newspaper columnist (you'll often see his name on articles relating to Terry), I'm sure his insights will be very good to read - even if you don't agree with every one of his opinions.
If you want to know what the contents of this book will be like, Marc has put a sample chapter (about Strata) up on his website here: https://www.marcburrows.co.uk/terry-pratchett-readers-guide
He also recently published an extract of his "Equal Rites" chapter on various social media platforms.
I still haven't read the non-Discworld books. :-\ I'm sure some people here would be either shocked by this, or ask "What are you waiting for?" or say "HERETIC! BURN HIM!" 
But I came into Discworld almost sideways, I guess. I started with Interesting Times, which was interesting (pardon the pun) but I was a bit lost because I had no idea who Rincewind or Cohen the Barbarian were. :-\ After a bit of a hiatus, I started reading other Discworldy books, got hooked, started scouring 2nd-hand bookshops for the earlier books, and the rest is, etc.
Of course I know Terry wrote books before Discworld, but part of me is afraid that they won't be as good. *shrug* At my local library, Strata and the Johnny books etc. are in the "Children's" section, which forms a little barrier all of its own. (The last time I went to the "Children's" section was to find Asterix comics for my niece, and I was frowned at, as if the parents reading to their kids were like: How dare you?) =P
I also tried to find the pre-Discworld books at bookshops, but they don't seem to exist anywhere. It's as if there's a great conspiracy around them to stop people from buying them, which is strange. (I can't find the Long Earth books in bookshops, either -- does anyone know what's happened? Did they simply not sell as well?)
But I came into Discworld almost sideways, I guess. I started with Interesting Times, which was interesting (pardon the pun) but I was a bit lost because I had no idea who Rincewind or Cohen the Barbarian were. :-\ After a bit of a hiatus, I started reading other Discworldy books, got hooked, started scouring 2nd-hand bookshops for the earlier books, and the rest is, etc.
Of course I know Terry wrote books before Discworld, but part of me is afraid that they won't be as good. *shrug* At my local library, Strata and the Johnny books etc. are in the "Children's" section, which forms a little barrier all of its own. (The last time I went to the "Children's" section was to find Asterix comics for my niece, and I was frowned at, as if the parents reading to their kids were like: How dare you?) =P
I also tried to find the pre-Discworld books at bookshops, but they don't seem to exist anywhere. It's as if there's a great conspiracy around them to stop people from buying them, which is strange. (I can't find the Long Earth books in bookshops, either -- does anyone know what's happened? Did they simply not sell as well?)
In Strata you can spot the inkling of Discworld, I found it funny it's about terraforming worlds mostly by future students and the japes they try to get away with, you are missing out not reading them.
Dark Side of the Sun is also good in mop. but Stata is my favourite between the two more laughs.
So go to the library and check them out. Click on the link in Molokov's post for a deeper review
Dark Side of the Sun is also good in mop.
but Stata is my favourite between the two more laughs.So go to the library and check them out. Click on the link in Molokov's post for a deeper review
Thanks, Dug! I checked out the link in Molokov's post, and Strata sounds good. I'll see if I can find a copy all of my own.
By the way, any ideas if Turtles All the Way Down will be up for sale again? Or should I contact Marc about it?
I checked out the link in Molokov's post, and Strata sounds good. I'll see if I can find a copy all of my own. By the way, any ideas if Turtles All the Way Down will be up for sale again? Or should I contact Marc about it?
Thanks, Dug! I checked out the link in Molokov's post, and Strata sounds good. I'll see if I can find a copy all of my own.
By the way, any ideas if Turtles All the Way Down will be up for sale again? Or should I contact Marc about it?
I checked out the link in Molokov's post, and Strata sounds good. I'll see if I can find a copy all of my own. By the way, any ideas if Turtles All the Way Down will be up for sale again? Or should I contact Marc about it?
Or, https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/strata-9780552133258#availcop
https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/books-strata-by-terry-pratchett#9783214539025 - not sure if the free postage applies to Australia.
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Thanks, Dug ... but no, nobody does free postage to Australia anymore. (As far as I know). :-\ The days of Book Depository and free postage to anywhere are, sadly, long gone.
I found Strata on Abe Books, for a reasonable price ... but postage is 3 times the price of the actual book. (It's still fairly reasonable, all in all, so that's OK).
***WARNING, LONG RANT ... SORRY***
On the other hand, someone on Abe Books is also selling Strata -- and calling it "Signed, First Edition, Hardcover" -- which is ridiculous, because the First Edition of any book is always hardcover, isn't it? Unless the author is skint, or indie, or doesn't want to spend money on hardcovers -- anyway -- and the guy is selling it for ... *drumroll* ... $1,100 US. (Plus postage of $45.00 ... US). Dust jacket, near fine condition, autographed, minor bumps and wrinkles and so on ...
... and I know it's hard to find, I know all that ... BUT. $1,100 US. Can anyone afford to pay that for a book, even a Terry Pratchett signed 1st-edition? Especially now, with the so-called "Cost of Living Crisis", that's a bogus crisis anyway, because it's been manufactured by our own Dear Leaders -- 'cos you know that it's not only North Korea who has a Dear Leader, right? -- who thought they'd start a war to drive up the cost of petrol and thereby make everything more expensive, so they can line their own pockets with private deals while also impoverishing the country that voted them in, in the first pl.......... oh shit, I'd better keep politics out of it. *back-pedals furiously like Lance Armstrong going in reverse*
Anyway. So, I also found Marc Burrows' "The Magic of Terry Pratchett" on Abe Books, for $22.68 US ... plus $1.50 US for postage. Which, let's face it, is not bad for a second-hand book. But when I looked up the "Lowest Price" on the same book, I found another store selling it for the low, low price of $1.69 ... which someone might think, "Gee, what a bargain!" ... but the postage is $75.00.
Pardon me for swearing, but that sounds utterly f***ed up. I mean, $75 for postage from the US to Australia? And both books are described as new and in mint condition, so the only difference is, the first store is in Illinois and the second one is in Pennsylvania.
Um. Now, I don't want to indulge in conspiracy theories, but ... what's going on? I mean, what the hell happened? Has the Pennsylvania Governor delivered budget cuts to his own state's postal service to the point that it's totally collapsed, so he can take the money and give himself a holiday (oh shit better keep politics out of it again), so now Pennsylvania has to rely on a system of glingleglingleglingle little post-delivering pixies?? Or maybe this bookstore is employing the Feegle Hamish to fly on the back of Morag the buzzard all the way from Pennsylvania to Fourecks, just to deliver my book?
Apologies for the rant. But when one shop can do P&H for $1.50, and another takes $75, it's a bit ... odd. Any ideas what's going on? Or is this normal, and I just haven't been paying attention?
I found Strata on Abe Books, for a reasonable price ... but postage is 3 times the price of the actual book. (It's still fairly reasonable, all in all, so that's OK).
***WARNING, LONG RANT ... SORRY***
On the other hand, someone on Abe Books is also selling Strata -- and calling it "Signed, First Edition, Hardcover" -- which is ridiculous, because the First Edition of any book is always hardcover, isn't it? Unless the author is skint, or indie, or doesn't want to spend money on hardcovers -- anyway -- and the guy is selling it for ... *drumroll* ... $1,100 US.
(Plus postage of $45.00 ... US). Dust jacket, near fine condition, autographed, minor bumps and wrinkles and so on ...... and I know it's hard to find, I know all that ... BUT. $1,100 US.
Can anyone afford to pay that for a book, even a Terry Pratchett signed 1st-edition? Especially now, with the so-called "Cost of Living Crisis", that's a bogus crisis anyway, because it's been manufactured by our own Dear Leaders -- 'cos you know that it's not only North Korea who has a Dear Leader, right? -- who thought they'd start a war to drive up the cost of petrol and thereby make everything more expensive, so they can line their own pockets with private deals while also impoverishing the country that voted them in, in the first pl.......... oh shit, I'd better keep politics out of it. *back-pedals furiously like Lance Armstrong going in reverse* Anyway. So, I also found Marc Burrows' "The Magic of Terry Pratchett" on Abe Books, for $22.68 US ... plus $1.50 US for postage. Which, let's face it, is not bad for a second-hand book. But when I looked up the "Lowest Price" on the same book, I found another store selling it for the low, low price of $1.69 ... which someone might think, "Gee, what a bargain!" ... but the postage is $75.00.
Pardon me for swearing, but that sounds utterly f***ed up. I mean, $75 for postage from the US to Australia? And both books are described as new and in mint condition, so the only difference is, the first store is in Illinois and the second one is in Pennsylvania.
Um. Now, I don't want to indulge in conspiracy theories, but ... what's going on? I mean, what the hell happened? Has the Pennsylvania Governor delivered budget cuts to his own state's postal service to the point that it's totally collapsed, so he can take the money and give himself a holiday (oh shit better keep politics out of it again), so now Pennsylvania has to rely on a system of glingleglingleglingle little post-delivering pixies?? Or maybe this bookstore is employing the Feegle Hamish to fly on the back of Morag the buzzard all the way from Pennsylvania to Fourecks, just to deliver my book?
Apologies for the rant.
But when one shop can do P&H for $1.50, and another takes $75, it's a bit ... odd. Any ideas what's going on? Or is this normal, and I just haven't been paying attention?
Rath some books I have in 1st editions are paperback but they are American issues and quite old.
The American edition of Strata will probably be a book club ed. St. Martins Press.
Before you buy one . Check out this link it will give you a lot of info.
https://colinsmythe.co.uk/strata/
The American edition of Strata will probably be a book club ed. St. Martins Press.
Before you buy one . Check out this link it will give you a lot of info.
https://colinsmythe.co.uk/strata/
Attachments
I'd also check https://booko.com.au which can search for books across multiple sites (both new and second hand); postage is usually also shown as part of the price.
e.g. The Magic of Terry Pratchett paperback:
https://booko.com.au/9781399000499/the-magic-of-terry-pratchett
Note that despite this, some of the sites are well dodgy when it comes to actually sending you the merchandise - they say it's "in stock" from an Australian based webstore, but what that can mean is that when you place your order they then go and get it from an overseas supplier so it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. (Fishpond, Booktopia, The Nile are notorious for this - it's not so bad if you don't mind waiting, but annoying if you preorder something and expect it to be shipped to you on release date, rather than a month later.)
I will recommend Blackwell's, which, despite being in the UK does the "free postage" thing (which, as per Book Depository, just folds the postage into the cost). I've often got books from them with no problems whatsoever.
e.g. The Magic of Terry Pratchett paperback:
https://booko.com.au/9781399000499/the-magic-of-terry-pratchett
Note that despite this, some of the sites are well dodgy when it comes to actually sending you the merchandise - they say it's "in stock" from an Australian based webstore, but what that can mean is that when you place your order they then go and get it from an overseas supplier so it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. (Fishpond, Booktopia, The Nile are notorious for this - it's not so bad if you don't mind waiting, but annoying if you preorder something and expect it to be shipped to you on release date, rather than a month later.)
I will recommend Blackwell's, which, despite being in the UK does the "free postage" thing (which, as per Book Depository, just folds the postage into the cost). I've often got books from them with no problems whatsoever.
Likes:
RathDarkblade and Penfold
Thanks, Dug! The link gave me plenty to think about.
Thank you, Molokov.
Thank you! After a few minutes of looking around and thinking, I can see what you mean about booko. It looks like Abe Books, except that it also includes new copies, not just second-hand.
Booko seems to separate results between new and used, and then sorts them by total price (from cheapest to most expensive). Is that right?
Hmm, I only ever ordered one or two books from Booktopia and received them within 2 weeks. But I'm sure you've ordered more from it than I have? I've only used Abe Books, and Book Depository before that. Never got into Amazon or eBay.
Can you please expand on how/why Fishpond, Booktopia, and/or The Nile are dodgy?
I'll add Abe Books to your list of "dodgy". I'm being a bit unfair: it's not Abe Books itself that's dodgy, but some of the booksellers themselves.
For example, I ordered a book once from a store called "World of Books", I think ... it eventually arrived after 7 weeks, and the pages absolutely reeked of old tobacco. It was horrendous, especially as I'm a lifetime non-smoker. I contacted them right away, and they immediately refunded the cost of the book ... but I was peeved that neither they nor Abe Books warned me in advance - that kind of thing ought to be mentioned, surely?
I also ordered three books once from another bookseller - I forget which - in March of one year. After waiting and waiting between 2 and 3 months, I contacted the bookseller, who were kind enough to refund me (especially as it was a large order). I promptly forgot about it ... until I finally received the order in October, i.e. 7 months later. I've no idea what happened.
Thank you very much. Blackwell's seems to be more expensive than others, but they do sound more dependable. Are they more expensive because they only sell new books? Just wondering.
Thank you, Molokov.
Thank you! After a few minutes of looking around and thinking, I can see what you mean about booko. It looks like Abe Books, except that it also includes new copies, not just second-hand.
Booko seems to separate results between new and used, and then sorts them by total price (from cheapest to most expensive). Is that right?
Hmm, I only ever ordered one or two books from Booktopia and received them within 2 weeks. But I'm sure you've ordered more from it than I have?
I've only used Abe Books, and Book Depository before that. Never got into Amazon or eBay.Can you please expand on how/why Fishpond, Booktopia, and/or The Nile are dodgy?
I'll add Abe Books to your list of "dodgy". I'm being a bit unfair: it's not Abe Books itself that's dodgy, but some of the booksellers themselves.
For example, I ordered a book once from a store called "World of Books", I think ... it eventually arrived after 7 weeks, and the pages absolutely reeked of old tobacco. It was horrendous, especially as I'm a lifetime non-smoker. I contacted them right away, and they immediately refunded the cost of the book ... but I was peeved that neither they nor Abe Books warned me in advance - that kind of thing ought to be mentioned, surely?
I also ordered three books once from another bookseller - I forget which - in March of one year. After waiting and waiting between 2 and 3 months, I contacted the bookseller, who were kind enough to refund me (especially as it was a large order). I promptly forgot about it ... until I finally received the order in October, i.e. 7 months later.
I've no idea what happened.Thank you very much.
Blackwell's seems to be more expensive than others, but they do sound more dependable. Are they more expensive because they only sell new books? Just wondering.
Thanks, Dug! The link gave me plenty to think about.
Thank you, Molokov.
Thank you! After a few minutes of looking around and thinking, I can see what you mean about booko. It looks like Abe Books, except that it also includes new copies, not just second-hand.
Booko seems to separate results between new and used, and then sorts them by total price (from cheapest to most expensive). Is that right?
Hmm, I only ever ordered one or two books from Booktopia and received them within 2 weeks. But I'm sure you've ordered more from it than I have? I've only used Abe Books, and Book Depository before that. Never got into Amazon or eBay.
Can you please expand on how/why Fishpond, Booktopia, and/or The Nile are dodgy?
I'll add Abe Books to your list of "dodgy". I'm being a bit unfair: it's not Abe Books itself that's dodgy, but some of the booksellers themselves.
For example, I ordered a book once from a store called "World of Books", I think ... it eventually arrived after 7 weeks, and the pages absolutely reeked of old tobacco. It was horrendous, especially as I'm a lifetime non-smoker. I contacted them right away, and they immediately refunded the cost of the book ... but I was peeved that neither they nor Abe Books warned me in advance - that kind of thing ought to be mentioned, surely?
I also ordered three books once from another bookseller - I forget which - in March of one year. After waiting and waiting between 2 and 3 months, I contacted the bookseller, who were kind enough to refund me (especially as it was a large order). I promptly forgot about it ... until I finally received the order in October, i.e. 7 months later. I've no idea what happened.
Thank you very much. Blackwell's seems to be more expensive than others, but they do sound more dependable. Are they more expensive because they only sell new books? Just wondering.
Thank you, Molokov.
Thank you! After a few minutes of looking around and thinking, I can see what you mean about booko. It looks like Abe Books, except that it also includes new copies, not just second-hand.
Booko seems to separate results between new and used, and then sorts them by total price (from cheapest to most expensive). Is that right?
Hmm, I only ever ordered one or two books from Booktopia and received them within 2 weeks. But I'm sure you've ordered more from it than I have?
I've only used Abe Books, and Book Depository before that. Never got into Amazon or eBay.Can you please expand on how/why Fishpond, Booktopia, and/or The Nile are dodgy?
I'll add Abe Books to your list of "dodgy". I'm being a bit unfair: it's not Abe Books itself that's dodgy, but some of the booksellers themselves.
For example, I ordered a book once from a store called "World of Books", I think ... it eventually arrived after 7 weeks, and the pages absolutely reeked of old tobacco. It was horrendous, especially as I'm a lifetime non-smoker. I contacted them right away, and they immediately refunded the cost of the book ... but I was peeved that neither they nor Abe Books warned me in advance - that kind of thing ought to be mentioned, surely?
I also ordered three books once from another bookseller - I forget which - in March of one year. After waiting and waiting between 2 and 3 months, I contacted the bookseller, who were kind enough to refund me (especially as it was a large order). I promptly forgot about it ... until I finally received the order in October, i.e. 7 months later.
I've no idea what happened.Thank you very much.
Blackwell's seems to be more expensive than others, but they do sound more dependable. Are they more expensive because they only sell new books? Just wondering.
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Blackwell's is the leading academic bookseller in the UK and has 61 outlets across England, Scotland and Wales. Blackwell's has a number of specialist stores including several medical outlets, a Blackwell's specialising in the oil industry in Aberdeen and a science fiction and fantasy store in Reading.
You probably passed one in Tottenham Court Rd, London just down from Foyles,
the online shop/depot is in Oxford which is the headquarters.
I have used them in the past to buy an American published book which they are not allowed to sell in their shops that have the UK ones due to publisher rights.
Blackwell's are now owned by Waterstones they acquired the chain in February 2022.
You probably passed one in Tottenham Court Rd, London just down from Foyles,
the online shop/depot is in Oxford which is the headquarters.
I have used them in the past to buy an American published book which they are not allowed to sell in their shops that have the UK ones due to publisher rights.
Blackwell's are now owned by Waterstones they acquired the chain in February 2022.