A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction

Terry Pratchett has won the hearts and mindsof readers around the globe with his bestselling Discworld series of novels. But what his many fans may not realize is that he has been writing nonfiction throughout his career. Some of it relates to Discworld, of course, but much of itespecially in recent yearsis part of his outspoken campaigns for causes such asAlzheimers research and animal rights.


A Slip of the Keyboard is the first collection of Pratchetts nonfiction work, and it brings together the finest examples of his extraordinary wit and his persuasive prose. Whether in short opinion pieces (on death and taxes), or in long essays, speeches, and interviews (covering a range of topics from mushrooms to orangutans), this collection is a fascinating look inside an extraordinary writers mind. It includes his remarks at science-fiction and fantasy conventions, his thoughts on the importance of banana daiquiris on book tours, his observations on fan mail, and his belief that an author is obligated to sign anything a fan puts in front of him (especially if it is very sharp). He also writes about the books that shaped his love of language and legends, not to mention his entrance into science-fiction fandom when he attended his first sci-fi convention as a teenager.
Filled with all the humor and humanity that have made his novels so enduringly popular, this collection brings Pratchett out from behind the scenes of Discworld to speak for himselfman and boy, bibliophile and computer geek; a champion of hats, orangutans, and Dignity in Dying.
With a foreword by Pratchetts close friend and Good Omens coauthor Neil Gaiman to lead off, A Slip of the Keyboard is a must-have for any Pratchett fan.