The Science of Discworld II

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The Science of Discworld II: The Globe by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen

Pub: Ebury Press. 368 page hardback. Price: Ł16.99(UK). ISBN: 0 091 88273 7.

Take the wizards of the Discworld's Unseen University, Shakespeare, a few elves, the eternal struggle between good and evil for man's existence and add in a mathematician and a biologist and you get this hard-hitting continuation of ‘The Science Of Discworld’.

The Science of Discworld II: The Globe by Terry Pratchett Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen attempt to fill in gaps and expand on the historical journey began in their first book. Whereas ‘The Science Of Discworld’ was an exploration of the history of science including the creation of the universe, stars, the solar system and life on Earth, its sequel discusses that small part of the Earth's history since Homo sapiens evolved.

Moving away from physics, chemistry and cosmology, Pratchett, et al here look at science in general and how it interacts with religion and society.

The impact of narrative imperative, our own version of the Discworld's 'narrativium' and the way that people tend to use stories to explain their world, is also considered. In ‘The Science Of Discworld’, Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen denied the existence of 'narrativium' on Earth or Roundworld as the wizard's called it.

Here, however, they modify that belief. On Discworld, things happen because they are supposed to. They follow a narrative structure used by Pratchett when he first created the Discworld. Stories are made real, concepts are given solid existence and events follow logic to move the story to a conclusion.

There is always a hero, a seventh son of a seventh son will always be a wizard and elves, witches and gods are real. This doesn't, obviously, happen on Earth and the wizards of the UU can't understand how a world seems to exist on illogical 'rules'. But humanity does use narrative structure to explain themselves, their world and their culture.

It is the way that society grows, children get taught and culture evolves. It’s what allows humans to think outside the box, develop imagination, picture (and so overcome) their fears and develop both intelligence and extelligence (what Pratchett et al call a culture's consciousness and overall intelligence, outside the individual rather than inside it).

It is what makes us more than apes, more than Neanderthal Man and what the Discworld wizards must fight to preserve. As in its prequel, ‘The Science Of Discworld II’: The Globe is an attempt to combine a typical Discworld tale with an exploration of our own world.

Again, chapters are alternatively a fictional adventure and the authors' non-fiction explanations of theory, events and history, using Discworld for fictional examples and making for an original teaching basis.

After their creation of Roundworld in ‘The Science Of Discworld’, the wizards suddenly find themselves on the surface of their creation (at some point during the Renaissance period) with no way back. As we are reminded, there is no magic on Roundworld.

Despite a sometimes strong belief in it. It transpires that elves have been interfering with Roundworld and its inhabitants and in order to return home the wizards have to get humanity's development back on track and defeat the elves.

Elves are mischievous and like people to be frightened and superstitious. However, when the wizards stop a meeting between cave people and the elves they find the Renaissance has been replaced by a Neanderthal village.

Something has gone horribly wrong. According to the wizards' computer, humanity needed the spark of imagination that the elves gave them in order to develop extelligence and evolve into modern Homo sapiens.

There follows a race against time to use the elves' interference for good and to ensure that Shakespeare gets born and a certain play gets written. This will destroy man's belief in elves, fairies and other such creatures for good.

After all, there can't really be beings called mustardseed, can there? It's all good fun as well as thought-provoking reading and anyone who enjoyed the first ‘Science Of Discworld’ book should certainly look into its well-researched sequel.

Another fine addition to Pratchett's Discworld library.

Laura Kane

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