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Strata [Mass Market Paperback]

Terry Pratchett (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 22 April 1988

THE COMPANY BUILDS PLANETS.

Kin Arad is a high-ranking official of the Company. After twenty-one decades of living, and with the help of memory surgery, she is at the top of her profession. Discovering two of her employees have placed a fossilized plesiosaur in the wrong stratum, not to mention the fact it is holding a placard which reads, 'End Nuclear Testing Now', doesn't dismay the woman who built a mountain range in the shape of her initials during her own high-spirited youth.

But then came discovery of something which did intrigue Kin Arad. A flat earth was something new...

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Strata + The Dark Side Of The Sun + The Carpet People
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Product details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Corgi; New Ed edition (22 April 1988)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0552133256
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552133258
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 1.7 x 17.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 112,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Pratchett's writing is a constant delight. (Daily Mail )

Book Description

A comic fantasy novel that was an early exploration of the idea that was to become the bestselling Discworld series.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Theme but a Rushed Ending 18 Nov 2003
By "amberzed"
Format:Hardcover
Strata, by Terry Pratchett (published before the Discworld books), holds the basis of the creation of the original Discworld idea. It reads more like a serious sci-fi novel (albeit with some gags) and is far more thematic than the Discworld series.

The plot is as follows: Kin Arad (a 210-year-old woman) works for the “Company”, a planet building corporation. With in the first few pages she is approached by the stranger Jalo, who tells her that he has discovered a Spindle world (the Spindles were an ancient race of very talented world builders). She is intrigued and later agrees to join him in located the planet (which is flat) again.

This is a very enjoyable book; some times hilarious, other times deadly serious and profound. The plot is not very original, being very similar to Larry Niven’s “Ringworld”, but captures and holds the reader’s attention (well mime anyway). The characters each have individual and very likeable personalities, while the description of the Discworld are fantastic and vivid.

Surprisingly, this novel has a fairly solid theme that builds up towards the end. Highly recommended, especially to Discworld fans.

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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars The real 1st Discworld novel? 19 July 2004
By Jane Aland VINE™ VOICE
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The second of two pre-Discworld science fiction novels, Strata is unfortunately a less enjoyable novel than The Dark Side of the Sun. Its most notable feature is that the novel revolves around a proto-Discworld, and while it isn't quite THE Discworld introduced in The Colour of Magic it's certainly a recognisable first draft.

The novel starts well, with a good build up as the three lead characters are drawn into a trip to the recently discovered Discworld, and the final revelation of what the Discworld is and who built it is satisfying, but there is a definite sag in the middle of the story, as the few Discworld inhabitants the exploration meet are decidedly dull. Thematically this is a sound novel, but the execution is sometimes a little flat.

A reasonably interesting but not wholly successful novel, Strata is best recommended as a curio for those Discworld fans who wish to see how Pratchett developed his ideas.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars A genius struggling to emerge 25 Nov 2010
By Prof Robert J. Pooley
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Terry Pratchett is now so well established as a brilliant mind and great writer that it is odd to go back to a time when he was struggling to find his voice and master his craft. This book is plot light and idea rich. It is fighting to break away from derivative genre notions, from both Science Fiction and Fantasy. Bits of almost Discworld are glimpsed. But no great moral purpose underlies the rapidly changing contexts and no gripping storyline can be discerned. An oddity, but not really engaging.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Patchy but interesting 9 Jan 2007
By R. N. Stell
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Readers who criticise this book as disappointing because it isn't of the same calibre as Pratchetts later works are, I think, missing the point. This was Terry Pratchett's first novel, and the reader can trace within it the seeds from which the Discworld grew. I enjoyed it and re-read it from time to time. I would agree that the middle part of the book, when Kin Arad and friends are searching for the answer to their problems, sometimes seems to lack direction - it fragments into a series of vignettes which although entertaining do not always seem to move the plot onwards particularly well. However if such a novel were to be published today by an unknown author, as Pratchett was at that time, I suspect that it would get reasonably good reviews, possibly including some of the comments I have made but almost certainly ending with '...this author has promise and will probably prodice some excellent stuff in the future', and who would say that Terry Pratchett has not done just that?

Criticising this book because it is the product of an unformed talent is the equivalent of rubbishing Equal Rites because the Granny Weatherwax in that book is not at all the same towering character we meet in later books like Witches Abroad, so; read and enjoy, remember it is an early work, and forgive it its imperfections.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book - read it! 4 Aug 2001
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Having read all the discworld books, it was interesting to read this book which originally started the idea off... as well as being a great storyline, the characters were intruiging, as they were so different, and, as was pointed out many times, not at all human, yet you were still caught up with their feelings and the way their relations to each other as 'aliens' progressed. i found it interesting to read a book that wasn't discworld and was very different to the style which pterry uses in those books, and despite this difference, i really enjoyed it. it also adds the intruiging possibility that our universe really was made by aliens as part of a great big construction project....
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A cleverly written book which illustrates human values. 10 Oct 2000
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The cover is great. That's what made me pick it up in the first place and as I got further into the book I kept turning back to the cover to see what the charecters look like. It generally helps the story along. I have read a lot of Pratchett, and although this isn't his funniest, it is one of the most clever. The story starts with a letter of complaint that modern artifacts have been found in fossils. This is intruiging and makes you want to read the book. I also like the fact that the main charecter is payed in "days" of life that she can exchange for longevity. This gives some indication that the book is set in an advanced civilisation, in fact you find out later that the book is set in the past. The "alien" charecters are interesting in that they do not have human values and you find this difficult to understand, as the writer says often. This book almost introduces the discworld,- featured in his later series and as an avid reader of his books, this interests me. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes a sharp sence of humor and realistic conversations in Sci-Fi books.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Can tell this is his early work!
While you can still feel the elements Terry Pratchett brings to the table, they are definitely disguised in a silly but less amusing version of his works. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Jessica
3.0 out of 5 stars Terry Pratchett , but not at his best
Rather geekie and far too technical for me. Miss the Discworld characters and the humour. Never liked any of the characters very much.
Published 1 month ago by R. Field
5.0 out of 5 stars Good one
A good book with terry at. His best his stand alone books are far better than when he writeswith others
Published 2 months ago by Rob taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars erry Pratchett - Strata
I bought this because I am an avid Terry Pratchett fan and whilst I own all of the Discworld novels I have now bought all of his other books.
Published 3 months ago by Ned Ludgate
5.0 out of 5 stars Different!
Have only just bought it, finished in one session! I can't begin to say what I think about Sir Terry's imagination.............. Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. Hothersall
3.0 out of 5 stars Strata
As Terry Practhet fan having read most of the dicsworld books and others I didn't like this story and found it didn't back up the Turtle and four elehpants, who we all know hold... Read more
Published 4 months ago by a customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Terry
I have met the man and spoken to him - he is a fabulous man with a great mind and thank you so so much for the book x My daughter will love it for Christmas xxxxxxxxxxx
Published 6 months ago by CINDY
3.0 out of 5 stars Strata
This is an early Pratchett (about how 'Disc world' was created) and Terry is just warming-up as an author, in my opinion. Read more
Published 7 months ago by jennyhen
2.0 out of 5 stars Not Great
This book starts well, introducing interesting characters and an intriguing plot; and it ends well, with an interesting take on the Ultimate Question (you know: Life, The Universe... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Andy
1.0 out of 5 stars Of historical interest for die-hard fans only.
I bought this book in paperback at the same time I bought The Dark Side of the Sun. They are both dreadful disappointments. Really not worth more than 70p in a Kindle version. Read more
Published on 30 Mar 2011 by banana_the_poet
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