The Globe
The Science of Discworld II: A Novel
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4.5 • 8 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Roundworld, aka Earth, is under siege. Are three wizards and an orangutan Librarian enough to thwart the Elvish threat?
When the wizards of Unseen University first created Roundworld, they were so concerned with discovering the rules of this new universe that they overlooked its inhabitants entirely. Now, they have noticed humanity. And humanity has company. Arriving in Roundworld, the wizards find the situation is even worse than they’d expected. Under the elves’ influence, humans are superstitious, fearful, and fruitlessly trying to work magic in a world ruled by logic. Ridcully, Rincewind, Ponder Stibbons, and the orangutan Librarian must travel through time to get humanity back on track and out of the dark ages.
The Globe goes beyond science to explore the development of the human mind. Terry Pratchett and his acclaimed co-authors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen combine the tale of the wizards rewriting human history with discussions of the origins and evolution of culture, language, art, and science, offering a fascinating and brilliantly original view of the world we live in.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pratchett and company return with another lively mix of science fact interwoven with wry fantasy world-building in this sequel to The Science of Discworld. When the wizards of Discworld's Unseen University accidentally created Roundworld a version of our own Earth they were so busy arguing about how the new universe worked that they didn't pay much attention to the people living in it. Now they're trying to make sense of these humans who don't have any magic but still believe in it, and somehow never manage to advance enough to keep themselves from getting wiped out by catastrophes such as asteroid impacts. The authors focus on the inner space of the human mind the mental models we create, or "stories" we tell ourselves to explain the world and how these stories shape our understanding of it. The discussion covers a broad array of topics and concepts, including Free Will, religious belief, the Anthropic Principle, entropy, and the necessity of Art in human development. This thoughtful, accessible, and sardonic look at the softer side of human evolution will convince readers of the power of a good story behind any endeavor.
