Publishers Weekly
★ 10/16/2023
The late, great Sir Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) famously had his hard drive crushed by a steamroller after his death to prevent the posthumous publication of any unfinished work. Now, however, “uber-fans” Pat and Jan Harkin have unearthed a treasure trove of Pratchett’s early writing published in the 1970s under the pseudonym Patrick Kearns. The result: a collection of 20 excellent, often laugh-out-loud early works. Pratchett’s fans will be particularly delighted with “The Quest for the Keys,” which contains the first mention of the Discworld series’ Morpork, as well as the set of short stories focusing on Father Christmas leaving a job vacancy—“Wanted: A Fat, Jolly Man with a Red Woolly Hat” and “The New Father Christmas”—which will remind readers of Pratchett’s Hogfather. The collection also includes a touching foreword from Pratchett’s good friend and Good Omens collaborator Neil Gaiman, and a concludng essay from the Harkins explaining their methodology and their discoveries. Pratchett devotees will be moved and gratified by this unexpected gift and even casual readers will be utterly charmed. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
"Terry Pratchett’s A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories contains the last pieces of fiction we are likely to see from the comic genius who created Discworld. . . . We could certainly use more of Pratchett’s humor and wisdom just now. How apropos that, due to a typographical error, the motto of the major Discworld newspaper is 'The Truth Will Make You Fret.' Of course, it’s another universally acknowledged truth that if you read just one of Pratchett’s books, you’ll want to read everything he wrote. That now includes A Stroke of the Pen.” — Michael Dirda, Washington Post
“A collection of 20 excellent, often laugh-out-loud early works. . . . Pratchett devotees will be moved and gratified by this unexpected gift and even casual readers will be utterly charmed. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“These early stories show Pratchett’s remarkable ability to poke fun at the absurdity of the real world through fantasy full of irreverent wordplay, silly authority figures, and subverted endings. . . . Pratchett’s legion of fans will relish the view through this almost-overlooked window into the author’s evolution, finding much to love in these clever, funny, and tightly written tales.” — Booklist (starred review)
"Comic fantastical fragments riffing on everything from cave people to Father Christmas." — Guardian
“A short and slightly bittersweet portrait of Pratchett as a young writer, as seen through this collection of long-lost and forgotten short stories. . . . They reflect an author in search of his craft, but there are hints of the Discworld to come. . . particularly in the standout story in the collection, ‘The Quest for the Keys’ . . . . The earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style.” — Library Journal
"A collection of lost stories from early in Pratchett’s career. . . . Several stories set in the fictional town of Blackbury have a genial, tall-tale feel, and the “proto-Discworld” in 'The Quest for the Keys' is a true treat." — Kirkus Reviews
"Delightful. . . . The comedic fantasies that shape this book make for a fun read. The wit, wisdom and intelligence are interspersed with a lively dose of naivete, with entertaining results." — Independent (London)
"You always feel the push of the inimitable Pratchett behind them — funny, sharp, warm, wise and always so, so readable." — Daily Mail (UK)
“The inventiveness and whimsicality that made the author’s Discworld books and other offerings so popular are present here . . . . Pratchett aficionados will find A Stroke of the Pen a treasure trove glittering with lost gems." — Financial Times
"There’s much here to delight the open-minded, the fantasy aficionado and the Pratchett completist—including hints of the Hogfather and an early glimpse of Morpork. The long legacy of fantasy short fiction is well-served." — Observer (London)
"An unexpected, heartfelt gift to Terry Pratchett fans. . . . His voice here is unmistakable. . . . And hearing it again is something I expect most of us had assumed we’d never get the chance to do." — Paste Magazine
"There are so many little quips and turns of phrase that foreshadow the author that Pratchett will become. These moments make A Stroke of the Pen a fascinating and satisfying read. . . . If you have a Pratchett fan in your life, you’re absolutely going to want to pick this book up for them. The festive nature of the lot of the stories means it’s the perfect gift for the Holiday season." — GeekDad.com
"The perfect read for the holiday season." — Paste Magazine
Library Journal
09/22/2023
This book is a short and slightly bittersweet portrait of Pratchett (1948–2015) as a young writer, as seen through this collection of long-lost and forgotten short stories, originally published in the Western Daily Press newspaper in the 1970s and '80s under a pseudonym. They reflect an author in search of his craft, but there are hints of the Discworld to come in the Blackbury stories, which revolve around a precursor of Unseen University, and particularly in the standout story in the collection, "The Quest for the Keys," about a proto-Rincewind facing a younger but still savvy version of Cohen the Barbarian set in a Morpork that has not yet annexed its Ankh. The stories are very short indeed and don't quite reflect the writer Pratchett became during the magnificently long run of the "Discworld" series, but the development of his authorial voice and the earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style. VERDICT Fans of Pratchett (The Shepherd's Crown) will love questing through these stories for bits of Ankh-Morpork.—Marlene Harris
Kirkus Reviews
2023-09-09
A collection of lost stories from early in Pratchett’s career.
Commissioned to find episodes of a serial story called “The Quest for the Keys,” enterprising Pratchett scholars Pat and Jan Harkin unearthed this cache of early stories, written for newspapers under the pseudonym Patrick Kearns. “How It All Began…” shows a young caveman inventing fire and troubling the older cavemen with his newfangled ways. Father Christmas quits in “Wanted: A Fat, Jolly Man With a Red Woolly Hat” and can’t seem to find another job where his talents are appreciated. “The New Father Christmas” decides to “ ‘modernize and streamline’ the toyshop,” which means sacking almost all his employees, including the reindeer. In “Mr. Brown's Holiday Accident,” a man drives through what turns out to be the scenery of his life and discovers the scriptwriters and props managers who make things work behind the scenes. As Neil Gaiman writes in his foreword to the volume, these stories are briskly written: “He has a certain amount of space on the newspaper page…and he’s going to start, build and finish his story to the word-count.” There’s not much space for character development or worldbuilding; these short fictions are essentially jokes, setups, and punchlines delivered efficiently, but with glimmers of the Pratchett charm. Several stories set in the fictional town of Blackbury have a genial, tall-tale feel, and the “proto-Discworld” in “The Quest for the Keys” is a true treat.
Like any collection of juvenilia, for committed fans only, but there’s plenty here for them to enjoy.
