Pratchat
  • Home
  • Episodes
  • The Books
  • Support Us
  • About

sci-fi

Episode 18 – Sundog Gazillionaire

08/04/2019 by Pratchat Imps 2 Comments

For episode eighteen we go back to Pratchett’s science fiction beginnings as – in the evening between the two days of the 2019 Speculate festival – author Will Kostakis joins us to talk about the 1976 standalone novel, The Dark Side of the Sun!

Dom Sabalos is about to become Chairman of the planet Widdershins when he is messily assassinated. Well…mostly. When he survives against all odds, he discovers his death had been predicted using probability math. The same science also predicts he will discover Joker’s World, the mysterious home of the vanished ancient species thought to have laid the foundation for all intelligent life. Dom sets out to fulfil his destiny with his alien mentor Hrsh-Hgn, his new robot, Isaac, and a strange, lucky creature from his homeworld’s swamp.

Filled with references and homages to prominent science fiction authors like Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov and Frank Herbert, The Dark Side of the Sun is the first of Pratchett’s two early science fiction novels. It features the first appearance of many names and concepts he would later come to reuse in various forms in the Discworld. It’s a short, fast-paced book with big ideas – not least Pratchett’s own take on the classic sci-fi trope of a vanished, ancient precursor species known only through mysterious artefacts. But does it work? Is this an early sign of genius, or a run-up for someone who needed more time to come into his own? We’d love to hear from you! Use the hashtag #Pratchat18 on social media to join the conversation.

https://media.blubrry.com/pratchat/p/pratchatpodcast.com/episodes/Pratchat_episode_18.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38:37 — 45.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS | More

Don’t forget that you can see Liz and Ben at Nullus Anxietas 7, the Australian Discworld Convention, on April 13 and 14! Watch out for our bonus live episode, recorded at the convention, in an upcoming special episode.

Next month it’s back to the Discworld as we crank up the volume and rock out with Death! Yes, we’ll be reading Soul Music, so get your questions in via social media by mid-April using the hashtag #Pratchat19.

Posted in: Podcast Tagged: Ben McKenzie, Elizabeth Flux, sci-fi, standalone, Will Kostakis

Subscribe to Pratchat

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAndroidStitcherRSSMore Subscribe Options

Next time…

Hogfather (#Pratchat26)08/12/2019
Listen to our episode discussing Hogfather and join the discussion using the hashtag #Pratchat26!

Get Social

  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Email

Twitter feed

My Tweets

We’re on Facebook!

We’re on Facebook!

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2019 Pratchat.

Pratchat WordPress Theme by Ben McKenzie