Terry Pratchett.
Either you've read the complete works of Charles Hamilton and get all the jokes but have read it all before, or you haven't, you don't, and it's therefore unsatisfying and dull.

The Discworld is an idiot.
( Angry Boss Bee I love horses, death to other animals, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:09, 9 replies)

have never read anything by charles hamilton
but i love the discworld books. you don't need an in-depth knowledge of hamlton's work to enjoy terry pratchett, just an I.Q above that of the average gerbil.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:43, closed)

I was generalizing. I'm all typed-out.
There's a load of stupidly obscure Hamilton references in Pyramids. I've read the whole Discworld canon, I just don't get why it's so popular. 's just recycled pop-culture. I mean, the Witches trilogy is just Shakespeare with more spite.
( Angry Boss Bee I love horses, death to other animals, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:48, closed)

I've recently been rereading them from the start
and kind of find what you are saying to be true. The later books are much much better though, with less of the pop culture references.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 13:57, closed)

Pratchett
has written some of the funniest novels I have read, I have the lot on my bookshelf & will re-re-read them all sometime soon.
(Mister_E_Meat was caught sniffing bike saddles at, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 14:12, closed)

"... the Witches trilogy is just Shakespeare with more spite."
You say that like it's a bad thing.
(phyphor, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 14:53, closed)

the whole point of most of his books
is to put a new spin on things we're familiar with, such as shakespeare, rock music and cinema. he's created a world where everyday ideas are introduced to people who have no idea how to handle them. this is what makes them so funny.
i especially loved thud
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 15:00, closed)

I don't know anything about the Hamilton references, don't even know who Hamilton is tbh
but, as someone with at least a passing interest in Ancient Egyptian mythology and culture, I found Pyramids a really good read.
( chenobble rocking his explorer beard on, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 17:14, closed)

I sometimes wish
there was an 'I don't like this' button, whereby you get 'I like this' points taken off.
But oh well.
( Peapod Has returned to the fold on, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 18:49, closed)

I wasn't suprised to learn of Pratchett's alzheimer's...
...because it explains why he's written the same book two dozen times.
(Horns, Fri 16 Oct 2009, 23:20, closed)