Strata

Rating:
Summary: A different Pratchett than you may be used to
Review: A scifi/fantasy blend about a jaded planetary designer who gets embroiled in a mission with two very alien aliens to a disc shaped world where magic appears to work, this early work by Terry Pratchett also deftly parodies Larry Niven's Ringworld as well as several fantasy tropes.

This is the first book outside of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett that I have read and it will not be the last. The humor here is more subdued than with the Discworld books but it still is present more or less throughout the story. There is a sense in reading that Pratchett is finding his wings as the book progresses. The begining is a bit rigid, however by the end the author relaxes and the style becomes more playful. It was a pleasure reading this book and I strongly recommend anyone who likes Pratchett's work to give it a try.

Rating:
Summary: Sharp and slyly insightful with humourous twists
Review: I first read this book years ago. It's still fun, and I enjoy remembering the geological jokes mentioned -- obviously not from a sedimentary mind. The jump from science fiction to speculative fiction to just fantasy satisfied my quest for tri-dimensional entertainment, with just enough humour to keep me guessing. His subsequent DiscWorld series has entertained me for years.

Rating:
Summary: Sparkling, though
Review: I'd just like to mention that this book has an enormous debt to Larry Niven's Ringworld series.

Rating:
Summary: A Good "Starter" Pratchett Book
Review: It started off kinda slow , and at times was kind of confusing, but was really, very good. i recommend it highly.

Rating:
Summary: A science fiction precursor to the enormous Discworld series
Review: Kin Arad was a shaper of worlds. A terraformer. Also immortal, for as long as she could keep up an interest in life. So when an invisible man entices her with a flat world, she joins an alien crew and takes off for the (sci-fi) Discworld, where technology is so advanced it is taken for magic. A wonderful twist on the fantasy series, and certainly a strong influence for the series as well. Also, check out The Colour of Magic, the first Discworld book

Rating:
Summary: Really good speculative fiction
Review: Strata is fun rather than rolling-about-laughing funny - it is similar in style to Alan Dean Foster's SF comedy. In this book T.P. created an interesting and thought provoking universe in which he makes fun of human (and alien) nature, and an odd plot twist explains some of the more bizarre things that people used to believe in our history.

Rating:
Summary: Early Pratchett
Review: The word "quirky" gets used a lot in descriptions of "Strata". Gee, d'ya think so? Here we start with Kin Arad explaining to a couple amateurs why burying a dinosaur skeleton holding a sign that says "End nuclear testing" in a fake cretacious bog for future generations of paleontologists to finds is a bad idea. Later Kin will join a human transformed into a Kung, which is a really really violent species, and a cannibalistic Shand on a voyage to a huge artificial disc where they get stalked by a raven, employed by Leif Ericson, and almost betrayed by a teleporting demon. Quirky? A little.

The principle problem with "Strata" is that Pratchett seems like he never quite decided what he wanted to do with it. There are moments that are laugh out loud (a bitter and repressed genie comes to mind), but not nearly as many as you would expect in a real Discworld novel. And there's a big slab of far-out science fiction adventure, which as others have remarked is much in the vein of Larry Niven. And there's an ending, which sort of ties together most of what has happened throughout the book, but it's not exactly a knockout. "Strata" shows us a young author finding his legs early in his career, with hints of the greatness to come. Hints, yes, but not that many hints.

Rating:
Summary: Science fiction the creation of worlds
Review: This book covers the topic of what if someone was going around creating worlds, and putting fossils in, i.e., a fake history. it s not of the discworld series, and unlike dark side of the sun very few in any similarities can be drwan. Here, it stars Kin arad, the main character in the film, who is supervising the building of a world, and taking out the different tricks being done by the workers. This is mentoined in the first part of the book with a british museum analogy. Terry is big on analogies, to get a litterary point accross. The film also shows interspecied cooperation with the other characters. If only people here could cooperate so well. The book also tackles the subject of creation as they find a world much muc older than theirs, found by a frozen pilot, sent ou by earth. Thsi brings in the question who created this, which gives a good gap and allows the reader to make up their own mind. Overall written well, some issues are tackled, but if you want a different read away from the discworld this is good. But if you are a diehard discworld only fan read it for the book itslef, and dont expect it to be discworld.

Rating:
Summary: One Good Read...
Review: This book was one of the first few T.Prattchet books that I read and is probably my favourite. It is more science-fiction than fantasy, looking at a fantasy world with scientific tools. This is not only a good solid read. It parodys Larry Niven's Ringworld, it introduces new and origional ideas, and has a delightful twist (I read that bit twice before I understood it). You read it again and again and see more each time.

Rating:
Summary: One Good Read...
Review: This book was one of the first few T.Prattchet books that I read and is probably my favourite. It is more science-fiction than fantasy, looking at a fantasy world with scientific tools. This is not only a good solid read. It parodys Larry Niven's Ringworld, it introduces new and origional ideas, and has a delightful twist (I read that bit twice before I understood it). You read it again and again and see more each time.