Moving Pictures (novel)

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Moving Pictures
ISBN
0-575-04763-1
Preceded byEric 
Followed byReaper Man 

Moving Pictures is a

fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, published in 1990, the tenth book in his Discworld series.[1] The book takes place in Discworld's most famous city, Ankh-Morpork
and a hill called "Holy Wood".

Plot

The

Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler
, who introduces commerce to the equation and becomes a successful producer. The business of making movies grows rapidly, and eventually Victor and Ginger become real stars, thanks to the help of Gaspode the sentient dog (who also develops a manager-client relationship with Laddie, who everybody considers to be the real Wonder Dog, although in fact is very simple-minded). Holy Wood for a while becomes an effervescent place full of humans, dwarfs, alchemists, demons (which essentially constitute the main technological device to make movies), and trolls (among whom is Detritus) all living in harmony.

Meanwhile, it gradually becomes clear that the production of movies is having a deleterious effect on the structure of reality. Ginger is possessed by an unspecified entity and she and Victor find an ancient, hidden cinema, complete with portal to the Dungeon Dimensions. Back in Ankh-Morpork, during the first screening of Blown Away (a parody of

Oscar
) come to life and travel through the screen to defeat the creatures.

In the end most things return to normal (also because the Patrician and the wizards make it clear that they will not allow any more movies to be produced ever again), although dwarfs find themselves inexplicably singing "Hihohiho" while mining. Victor and Ginger have a last dialogue over the meaning of Holy Wood and being famous, and Gaspode and the other animals under the influence of Holy Wood lose their ability to reason and speak. The ending lines depict a poetic scene about the fragility of Holy Wood dreams.

Characters

  • Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler
  • Thomas Silverfish
  • Victor Tugelbend aka Victor Maraschino
  • Detritus
  • Ruby
  • Gaspode
  • Theda Withel aka Ginger aka Delores de Syn
  • Oswald, a parody of the
    Academy Award of Merit
    , also referenced as Osric and Osbert

See also

References

  1. ^ Fantastic Fiction Moving Pictures (Discworld, book 10) Terry Pratchett Retrieved 2009-05-9

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Moving Pictures.
Reading order guide
Preceded by 10th Discworld Novel Succeeded by
Preceded by 2nd
Individual Story

Published in 1990 		Succeeded by
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