betterthanapokeintheeye

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[News - Discworld RPG is Fully Funded]

Congratulations to MODIPHIUS for getting fully funded status on their Kickstarter by smashing their target 25 times* more than their initial target.

They ended their Kickstarter with over £2,250,000 pledged by over 16,000 backers.  That's a whole lot of dice !

If you didn't pledge, you can still do so on Kickstarter right up until they move to their Pledge Manager.  

Don't forget, their retail products will be different to the Kickstarter products.

As Chris Birch of Modiphius told us last month with regards to the retail offering ...

"It will be a starter set designed to play the moment you open the box with everything you need, with a new adventure, expand alone supplements with new content, new dice and a smaller digest size version of the core book. This won't include any content available in the Kickstarter so anything you buy in retail will be new (except rules). This supports stores so they get something unique as well"

Modiphius plans to get Terry Pratchett's Discworld RPG: Adventures in Ankh Morpork out to their backers in August 2025. 

* Not quite but its a nice number to report!

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[Documentary News]Terry Pratchett’s Jungle Quest

This long lost 26 minute documentary, originally shown on channel 4, has been lovingly restored by its creators and is now available on Amazon Prime Video for all to see.

Made in 1995, a full 18 years before the much acclaimed Facing Extinction, Terry embarked on a journey of discovery into the jungles of Borneo with Ian Redmond and Dr Birute Galdikas to find these secretive creatures for himself.

"When Terry Pratchett, best-selling author of the 'Discworld' series of Science Fantasy novels, invented the much loved character of 'The Librarian', he could not have imagined that it would be the beginning of a personal quest that would take him into the jungles of Borneo.

The books began Terry's interest in and concern for orangutans; he even became a trustee of the Orangutan Foundation.  Terry realised that he knew very little about these close cousins of humans and planned a boat trip, up the Sekonyer River from Kumi in Borneo to meet orangutans in the wild.  His travelling companion was Ian Redmond, a primatologist who worked with Diane Fossey and the gorillas of Rwanda, and who now wanted to photograph orangutans for his latest book.  Ian too was visiting Borneo for the first time.

Almost on his arrival, Terry encountered his first orangutan - in a cage!  It was an ex-captive, baby orang, victim of the trade in orangutans as pets, waiting to be returned to the jungle.  Keeping orangs as pets used to be an Indonesian tradition.  Now, with just 300,000 left in the wild, it is illegal - catching the babies often involves killing the mothers.

Terry’s mission had an aim beyond encountering orangutans in their natural habitat.  He also hoped to make contact with the legendary Birute Galdikas, a contemporary of Fossey's who has been working with and studying orangutans in Borneo for over twenty years.  When he tracked her down at her remote base at Camp Leakey he learned that Birute regards orangutans as ‘another kind of us’ - they share 98% of their genetic make-up with human beings, as well as an intense curiosity, a sense of fun, and a liking for human company in small doses.  He also learned that despite her efforts to protect the rainforest from the loggers, Birute fears for the future of the red apes as even the National Park is steadily reduced.

At Camp Leakey Terry discovered for himself the importance of a place where people and apes can share the world with no bars between them. And he achieved his aim of getting ‘close’ to orangutans when a huge male known as Kusasi emerged from the jungle, sat for a few minutes just feet away from Terry and Ian, and then quietly returned to the forest.”

To Rent £3.99 - To Buy £4.99

Amazon Prime Video UK (associate Link)

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NewsLetter News

It’s back !

It’s been quite the year and when I say that, I actually mean it. 

A year ago(ish), we rebranded from Discworld Monthly to Better Than a Poke in the Eye for lots of reasons.  

But in doing so, we realised quite how much it took up all our time to run, so Jason has spent a year making things easier for us to do stuff, like upload articles to our website and finally he made it easier to write the newsletter ! 

We had massive plans for other things such as podcasts, but the universe threw everything in the way, but now, finally, we will have our 1st proper newsletter coming out on Friday 1st November 2024!  Huzzah!

We had to start a brand new mailing list when we rebranded, so to make sure you get your copy of Better Than A Poke in the Eye in your inbox, subscribe today at  https://betterthanapokeintheeye.co.uk/list

Or hit the Sign Up  button on our Facebook page !

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Good Omens fans rejoice ! - Part Two !

Forbidden Planet has a whole range of new merchandise available to purchase or pre-order now! 

Here are more T-shirts with exclusive designs from our favourite geek emporium.

Details and affiliate links are below

Good Omens: T-Shirt: Cheers (Above) - Price £15.99, available Print  On  Demand. Sizes S - 4XL

Good Omens: Women's Fit T-Shirt: Cheers - Price £15.99, available Print On Demand. Sizes S - 2XL

Good Omens: T-Shirt: Crowley Icon - Price £19.99, available Print on  Demand. Sizes S - 4XL

Good Omens: Women's Fit T-Shirt: Crowley Icon - Price £19.99, available Print On Demand. Sizes S - 2XL

Good Omens: T-Shirt: Aziraphale Icon - Price £19.99, available Print on  Demand. Sizes S - 4XL

Good Omens: Women's Fit T-Shirt: Aziraphale Icon - Price £19.99, available Print On Demand. Sizes S - 2XL

Using our affiliate links helps to keep the baying wolf from our door by paying for the associated costs in running a fandom social channel including the amount of caffeine we have to consume to keep our brains on the ball. We thank you in advance for using them as we appreciate that it costs you nothing to use them, but the pennies it generates for us buys coffee and biscuits. YOU are AWESOME! 

[betterthanapokeintheeye]

Good Omens fans rejoice ! - PART ONE !

Forbidden Planet has a whole range of new merchandise available to purchase or pre-order now! 

Prints, Pins, Coasters and T-shirts with exclusive designs are now available as pre-orders from our favourite geek emporium.

Details and affiliate links are below

Good Omens Coaster "To the World" (above) - Price online £3.49,  available from 30th April 2024

Good Omens Art Print: The End Was Just The Start - Price online £7.99, available from 30th April 2024

Good Omens: Enamel Pin Badge: Aziraphale - Price £7.99, available from 5th June 2024

Good Omens:  Enamel Pin Badge: Crowley - Price £7.99, available from 5th June 2024

Good Omens: Women's Fit T-Shirt: The End Was Just The Start - Price £15.99, available Print On Demand. Sizes S - 2XL

Good Omens: T-Shirt: The End Was Just The Start - Price £15.99, available Print  On  Demand. Sizes S - 4XL

More in the next post from @betterthanapokeintheeye

Using our affiliate links helps to keep the baying wolf from our door by paying for the associated costs in running fandom social channels including the amount of caffeine we have to consume to keep our brains on the ball. We thank you in advance for using them as we appreciate that it costs you nothing to use them, but the pennies it generates for us buys coffee and biscuits. YOU are AWESOME!   

[betterthanapokeintheeye]

Happy Terry Pratchett Day!

Today we celebrate the life and works of Terry Pratchett who would have been 76 years old today

Having spent many times in his company over the years, we would like to hear your stories of "Time with Terry", be it at conventions, book signings or elsewhere !

Let us know your Time with Terry moment in the comments.

#terrypratchettday

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[Remembering Terry]

This is something I wrote four years ago, but its still resonates with me, now. Four years on and having recently returned from another successful Llamedos Holiday Camp where we all spoke Terry's name, with gusto, love and joy there is still sadness but not tears. Another anniversary, but still his name is spoken, and for that I am filled with joy. GNU Terry, mind how you go.

Five years ago today...

Great A'Tuin stopped swimming, the clacks were silenced, the rimfall froze as the inhabitants of the Disc became adjusted to the realization that something in the fabric of the universe had fundamentally changed.

I like to think that, after that briefest of moments, the people of the Disc shook themselves down and got on with their daily tasks with a strange but undefinable sense of loss.

For me I never got to grieve. The phone calls and the emails came in and TV and radio interviews happened, we dealt with a fandom in mourning and never stopped to process our own grief.

And then, five years on, just coming down from an amazing weekend at the first Llamedos Holiday Camp with 150+ friends both new and old the tears have come. I'm sure it's a combination of post event blues and complete exhaustion but I cant stop right now.

I miss you Terry and all the amazing characters you created. I hope that somewhere in a second hand set of dimensions all the denizens of the Disc are once again pausing to reflect on what you gave them.

You'll never know how much you gave me, at one point this last weekend, standing on that stage looking out over all the mad loonies that I call friends I realised how rich my life is. And I thought how many of my friends did I know before Discworld and I realised that for the last quarter of a century you allowed me find my tribe.

Bless you Terry, #mindhowyougo, #speakhisname

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Good Omens is up for an Award and YOU can vote for it!

The Comedy.co.uk Awards are an annual poll of tens of thousands of British comedy fans in which the best TV and radio comedy programmes of the last year are named.

Running since 2006, the awards provide an accurate gauge of the most loved modern British TV and radio comedies as every single programme is included in the nominations list (for our 2022 vote it was 379 different shows!), and the results are 100% based on the public vote. There is no biased jury or naive judging panel involved here - just comedy fans.

Good Omens is up for a TV Comedy Drama 2023 Award in the Comedy.co.uk Awards !

The other nominees are :

Boat Story

Brassic

Inside No 9

Sex Education  (which is excellent and also deserves to win) 

There She Goes

Good Omens won this category back in 2019, it also won the Comedy of the Year for 2019 too!

You can cast your vote to help ensure that your favourite duo has an angelic shot at winning by casting your vote !

To cast your vote for this and other categories (Our favourite Ghosts are up for a couple  of Awards too) 

Vote here https://www.comedy.co.uk/awards/2023/

Voting closes on Sunday 21st January 2024 at 23:59 GMT.

[betterthanapokeintheeye]

Happy Yuletide greetings!

We hope you all have a fabulous break, we will be enjoying our time away from the keyboards!

But if you miss us, you can read about upcoming events, news, articles and reviews and every bit of our extensive Discworld Monthly archive over at https://betterthanapokeintheeye.co.uk/

2024 will bring our first Better Than newsletter to your inboxes (subscribe via https://betterthanapokeintheeye.co.uk/list/dada/mail.cgi/subscribe_landing/PokeInTheEye/ ) and much more is on our To Do lists !!!

See you all in the New Year !

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We're really excited for Jasper FForde's long awaited sequel to Shades of Grey named Red Side Story due for release in February 2024.

See if Jasper will be signing copies near you on his signing tour.

Better Than a Poke in the Eye will be at the Swansea Waterstones signing.

[betterthanapokeintheeye]

30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 30.

This is the last of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is: The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

This 42nd anniversary edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy features all five parts of the Hitchhiker’s trilogy.  Follow Arthur Dent, a rather boring middle aged human male, as he is involuntarily dragged through many adventures by his friend Ford Prefect who, it turns out, is an alien.  Originally written as a weekly radio drama, Adams famously writing right up until time to record the episode, would often write himself into an impossible situation.  He would leave sorting out the issue to later Douglas and thus the need for very inventive writing next time to get our adventurers out of that particular fire and into the next proverbial frying pan.

The importance of the number 42 is so ingrained into society that you're unlikely to find a fantasy fan that couldn’t tell you about the meaning of life, the universe and everything even if they haven’t read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a must have in your collection.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams R.R.P £25.00

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

To purchase any Douglas Adams book and many of his audio series including his Doctor Who books head over to our bookshop

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 29

This is the twenty ninth of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw .

Rachel fell in love with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and recommended a novelisation of it earlier in this list.  Long Live the Pumpkin Queen is a sequel book continuing the story and Rachel is hoping it appears in her stocking this christmas.

Jack and Sally are truly meant to be... or are they? Newly crowned, Sally is thrown into the role of Queen of Halloween Town. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with royal duties, Sally can't help but wonder if all she's done is swap her captivity under Dr. Finkelstein for a new cage.

When Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a long-hidden doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town, she unknowingly sets a chain of sinister events in motion, putting herself, and the future of Halloween Town, in jeopardy. Can Sally discover how to be true to herself and save Halloween Town, or will her future turn into her worst nightmare?

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen - Shea Ernshaw R.R.P. £7.99

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

Forbidden Planet

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 28

This is the twenty eighth of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is a novella: Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch.

Jason has been a fan of Ben’s books ever since he picked up a copy of the Rivers of London in 2014.  The Rivers of London books tell of a special police branch that deals with supernatural events and a young policeman named Peter Grant who, at the start, shows some magical ability.  The stories are a wonderful mix of supernatural, mixed with grit, fantastical creatures and an orange Ford Focus ST known as the ASBO.

The novellas allow Ben to write about different characters but in the same universe.  Jason’s not read Winter’s Gifts yet but he suspects he may be getting it for Christmas!

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch R.R.P. £14.99

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

Forbidden Planet

To purchase any of Ben’s books, we have a dedicated section on our Bookshop. 

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 27

This is the twenty seventh of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle is the first in the Land of Ingary Trilogy, the other two books are Castle in the Air, and, House of Many Ways. 

The story has the reader follow Sophie Hatter who has caught the attention of the WItch of the Waste and ends up being put under a curse by the witch. 

Sophie decides that her only course of action is to make her way to the moving castle of the Wizard Howl, but there are rumours that the Wizard Howl likes to devour the souls of young girls.   

Sophie meets Howl’s apprentice Michael and Calcifer the Fire Demon with whom she agrees a pact, but it turns out that Sophie isn’t the only one under a curse…

Her quest to break her curse and her interactions with Michael, Howl and Calcifer are hilarious and captivating. 

Rachel came to the book after watching the most excellent animated feature by the infamous Studio Ghibli. The book explores so much more of Howl's world and is well worth seeking out. 

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones R.R.P. £7.99

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

To purchase the whole trilogy and many of Diana Wynne Jones other books, we have a dedicated section on our Bookshop. 

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 26

This is the twenty sixth of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is : The Worst Witch Colour Gift Edition by Jill Murphy

Whilst these are children's books, even now adults who loved this series as a child still read them, and that is why we have included them in this list.

The Worst Witch was one of Rachel’s favourite book series whilst growing up, so much so that when we recently cleared out her father’s possessions after he died, we found a whole box of Rachel’s childhood books that he had kept for her, and The Worst Witch books were amongst them and obviously very well read.

The Worst Witch tells the story of Mildred Hubble and her new best friend Maud trying their very best to get through their first term at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Mildred’s clumsiness at being a witch and the trouble it gets her into is the source of much hilarity in these books.

Jill Murphy finished writing The Worst Witch when she was just 18 years old, having started it when she was 15 and in a convent school, but it didn’t find a publisher until 6 years later as most publishers deemed the story about witches too scary for the children's market.

There are eight books in the series, the first, The Worst Witch, was published in 1974 with the latest book First Prize for the Worst Witch getting published in 2018.

Each book covers one term at the school. There are two terms each year: the Winter term, from September to January, and the Summer term, from March to July. In First Prize for the Worst Witch, the most recent book, Mildred is in the Summer term of her fourth year.

Jill Murphy illustrated all the books herself, with black and white drawings which are divine and invoke some very special memories for Rachel (and some of her friends too).

This particular edition is special as Jill has revisited these drawings and produced full colour versions for this anniversary edition of The Worst Witch.

Some readers may remember some of the live action films, tv series and the stage adaptation of the books. The television film, made by ITV in 1986 starred a cavalcade of well known actors such as Tim Curry, Diana Rigg and Fairuza Balk. It's worth seeking this out and having a watch. Tim Curry is especially creepy as the Grand Wizard

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

The Worst Witch Colour Gift Edition by Jill Murphy - R.R.P. £10.99

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

You can also purchase the rest of The Worst Witch series of books via our bookshop.

https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-worst-witch-series-by-jill-murphy

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 25

This is the twenty fifth of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is a pair of books: Shades of Grey and Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde.

The original Shades of Grey (not to be confused with Fifty Shades) tells of a world where some past, unspecified, event has led to most people only being able to see one shade of colour.  The social hierarchy is based on individuals ability to see colours. With Greys being the lowest because they cannot perceive colour at all.  Eddie Russett, a Red (he can see shades of red) is sent out to do a survey in East Carmine where he meets a Grey called Jane.  Soon Eddie realises that not everything he has been told is true.

Red Side Story is the long awaited (12 years +) sequel to Shades of Grey.  We can’t wait to find out what Jasper has in store for us.  In a recent talk, Jason asked Jasper about this chromatic universe and Jasper hinted there may be more boots to come.

You can purchase both books through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

RED SIDE STORY by Jasper Fforde  R.R.P. £20 Due for release in Feb 2024

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

Forbidden Planet

SHADES OF GREY by Jasper Fforde - R.R.P. £9.99

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

You can purchase any of Jasper Fforde’s books at our online Bookshop ! https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/jasper-fforde-books

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30 gifts for 30 days of November - Day 24

This is the twenty-fourth of thirty Better Than a Poke in the Eye recommended gifts for the book lover in your life, even if that book lover is YOU!

Today’s recommendation is: Asterix: Asterix Omnibus 1

Asterix has been one of Rachel’s heroes since she could hold a book in her own two hands. 

Presented as a comic book, Asterix has so far generated 41 books in the series which includes the illustrated story of How Obelix Fell into the Magic Potion. 

The plucky Gaul has been fighting off the Roman invaders who want to take over his village and his way of life for over 64 years. He does this with the help of his friend Obelix, the druid Getafix, his fellow villagers and the magic potion which Getafix brews to give the villagers superhuman strength. 

The magic potion however, does wear off (Obelix isn’t allowed any after he fell in the cauldron as a child) and the Roman army tries to take advantage of that moment every time, which always ends in failure as our plucky heroes Asterix and Obelix always have a plan. 

This omnibus contains the first three books in the series, Asterix the Gaul, Asterix and the Golden Sickle and Asterix and the Goths. 

Asterix was created by the winning team of Udezo and Goscinney, and has generated a handful of animated and live action movies, stamps, merchandise, some beautiful exhibitions and a huge theme park Parc Asterix in France, 

You can purchase it through our online bookshop or through any of our affiliate links.  

Asterix: Asterix Omnibus 1 - R.R.P. £14.99

Better Than a Poke in the Eye Bookshop .org

Amazon UK

Foyles

Waterstones

WHSmith

Blackwells

We also have all the Asterix books available in our bookshop. https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/asterix-books