Strata

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The Discworld

Strata

End Nuclear Testing Now

Kin Arad, a human planetary engineer, Marco, a kung, and Silver, a shand - are led to a flat Earth, apparently artificially created and modelled after medieval views of the universe. After their ship is hit by an orbiting "planet", they are forced to land on the flat Earth. A return from the flat Earth seems impossible, unless they are able to find its mysterious builders. The 'Earth' on which Kin was born was slightly different to ours, some differences being that North America is named Valhalla, and was colonised by the Vikings, led by Leif Ericson; The Roman Empire was known as Reme instead, after the other twin in the story of Romulus and Remus; The Venus Kin knew was also orbited by a moon very similar to Earth's Luna. It turns out that the flat world that they are stranded on is modelled closely on the medieval Eastern hemisphere of Earth - with the exception of its absurd cosmology and the fact that "magical" creatures and objects actually exist on it. Although the flat Earth seems remarkably similar to the Earth Kin Arad knows, there are a number of eerie differences. Looking at the (fake) planets and stars seen from the flat Earth Kin sees that Venus does not have a moon. Kin speculates how the lack of such an example might haved slowed the development of astronomy. Moreover on this flat Earth, what Kin knew as Reme is indeed called Rome. All of this is supported by highly advanced and sophisticated technological systems; but as they lack maintenance, they are beginning to fail and the flat Earth threatens to fall apart...

My Review:

An interesting book by Terry P, mainly because its sci-fi but genre aside there are a number of things mentioned in Strata that will turn up again in the Discworld series. The Discworld, obviously, there's even a mention of the myth that the later Discworld will be based upon, but in this book it's an artificial creation left by the builders of the universe. The Broken Drum, an alehouse of some disrepute. Mrs. Widgery's Lodger, in Strata it's a traditional dance performed by robots, but it has darker overtures in the Discworld range. Death appears too but in this book he's just an illusion. Overall Strata is a good quick read, it's fairly fast moving and there's always something new just around the next page. There are illusions to famous heroes and legends, plus demons and magic carpets turn up too. It's obvious that TP was honing his satire skills in this book because he takes everything to a whole new level in the Discworld novels. I liked the idea of the past being a created product, it expounds and mocks the fact that history is almost always never a true account of what actually happened but a fictional account that favours the victors of great battles, after all anyone criticising the conquering heroes can't expect to have a long lifespan. The three central characters are all interesting, you have the poet cannibal Silver, the bovver boy Marco and the neurotic social worker Kin, their weird dynamic is one of the most dysfunctional that side of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and it works because despite their differences they care enough about each other to realise they're not really enemies and they can trust each other enough to not get betrayed which is all you can ask of people really.

.....the number between 7 and 9.....