Soul Music (novel): Difference between revisions

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| publication date = 1994
| publication date = 1994
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The 16th ''[[Discworld]]'' novel, and third in the Death theme: much more a sequel to the first Death book, ''[[Discworld/Mort|Mort]]'', than the second, ''[[Discworld/Reaper Man|Reaper Man]]''.
The 16th ''[[Discworld]]'' novel, and third in the Death theme: much more a sequel to the first Death book, ''[[Mort]]'', than the second, ''[[Reaper Man]]''.


There are two interconnected plots: in the first, the deaths of Mort and Ysabell in a car(t) crash cause another case of [[Death Takes a Holiday]] after a [[Heroic BSOD]], leading to his "granddaughter" (Mort and Ysabell's daughter) Susan taking over The Duty, and incidentally becoming one of Disc fandom's favourite characters. She only met her grandfather once or twice as a young child, and afterwards was raised by her parents to take a very cold and rational view of things, which is not much of a survival trait on the Disc.
There are two interconnected plots: in the first, the deaths of Mort and Ysabell in a car(t) crash cause another case of [[Death Takes a Holiday]] after a [[Heroic BSOD]], leading to his "granddaughter" (Mort and Ysabell's daughter) Susan taking over The Duty, and incidentally becoming one of Disc fandom's favourite characters. She only met her grandfather once or twice as a young child, and afterwards was raised by her parents to take a very cold and rational view of things, which is not much of a survival trait on the Disc.
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Unfortunately for the young [[The Rock Star|"Musics With Rocks In" Star]], supernatural forces have conspired that he should live fast...and die young. Can Susan fight fate and save his life?
Unfortunately for the young [[The Rock Star|"Musics With Rocks In" Star]], supernatural forces have conspired that he should live fast...and die young. Can Susan fight fate and save his life?


Was made (along with ''[[Discworld/Wyrd Sisters|Wyrd Sisters]]'') into an [[Animated Adaptation]]. The L-space entry is [http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/soul-music.html here], and explains the numerous sly references to famous bands and songs. A fan-created expanded version is [https://web.archive.org/web/20120507165307/http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Book:Soul_Music/Annotations here] and picks up the slack since the official annotated Pratchett file has not been updated for six years.
Was made (along with ''[[Wyrd Sisters]]'') into an [[Animated Adaptation]]. The L-space entry is [http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/soul-music.html here], and explains the numerous sly references to famous bands and songs. A fan-created expanded version is [https://web.archive.org/web/20120507165307/http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Book:Soul_Music/Annotations here] and picks up the slack since the official annotated Pratchett file has not been updated for six years.


[[Don't Explain the Joke|This novel's title is a pun,]] [[Running Gag|or play on words,]] on (of course) the [[Soul Music|music genre]].
[[Don't Explain the Joke|This novel's title is a pun,]] [[Running Gag|or play on words,]] on (of course) the [[Soul Music|music genre]].
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* [[Bilingual Bonus]]: Imp y Celyn is Welsh for "Bud of the Holly". And if you haven't got it yet, don't translate the middle bit. His first song was called "Sioni Bod Da". "Bod Da" is Welsh again for "be good" (Johnny B. Goode).
* [[Bilingual Bonus]]: Imp y Celyn is Welsh for "Bud of the Holly". And if you haven't got it yet, don't translate the middle bit. His first song was called "Sioni Bod Da". "Bod Da" is Welsh again for "be good" (Johnny B. Goode).
* [[Blinding Bangs]]: Skazz, wizard student.
* [[Blinding Bangs]]: Skazz, wizard student.
* [[Bus Crash]]: The death of Mort and Ysabell, the lead characters of ''[[Discworld/Mort|Mort]]''. It's handled relatively well for the standards of the trope, but still it can feel rather brutal.
* [[Bus Crash]]: The death of Mort and Ysabell, the lead characters of ''[[Mort]]''. It's handled relatively well for the standards of the trope, but still it can feel rather brutal.
** It's actually an incredibly clever way to provide the major emotional underpinning of the story, which is about ''Death actually experiencing bereavement first-hand''.
** It's actually an incredibly clever way to provide the major emotional underpinning of the story, which is about ''Death actually experiencing bereavement first-hand''.
*** It also shows the amazing amount of character development Death has undergone since we first met him in [[Discworld/The Colour of Magic|The Colour of Magic]]. Some of the interplay between him and Susan as they both work their way through their grief is downright heartwrenching.
*** It also shows the amazing amount of character development Death has undergone since we first met him in [[The Colour of Magic]]. Some of the interplay between him and Susan as they both work their way through their grief is downright heartwrenching.
* [[Call Back]]: One of the assassins sent to kill Imp and co. says that a troll can be killed by a strike to 'a little spot at the back of the neck'. This is how Rincewind (accidentally) killed a troll in ''[[Discworld/The Colour of Magic|The Colour of Magic]]''?
* [[Call Back]]: One of the assassins sent to kill Imp and co. says that a troll can be killed by a strike to 'a little spot at the back of the neck'. This is how Rincewind (accidentally) killed a troll in ''[[The Colour of Magic]]''?
** When talking about the times a pocket full of decent spells and a well-charged staff got him out of trouble, the Archchancellor mentions "that dragon, you remember" which may refer to the dragon in ''[[Discworld/Guards! Guards!|Guards! Guards!]]''
** When talking about the times a pocket full of decent spells and a well-charged staff got him out of trouble, the Archchancellor mentions "that dragon, you remember" which may refer to the dragon in ''[[Guards! Guards!]]''
*** That seems to be the reference intended, but Ridcully hadn't actually come back to the University and become Archchancellor at the time of that book, so it may be a continuity error.
*** That seems to be the reference intended, but Ridcully hadn't actually come back to the University and become Archchancellor at the time of that book, so it may be a continuity error.
* [[Canis Latinicus]]: The [[Animated Adaptation]] shows Ridcully performing the Rite of Ashkente on camera and invents ritual words of this type for it.
* [[Canis Latinicus]]: The [[Animated Adaptation]] shows Ridcully performing the Rite of Ashkente on camera and invents ritual words of this type for it.
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* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: Buddy's behaviour when the Music takes him over is ''a lot'' like a musician on drugs.
* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: Buddy's behaviour when the Music takes him over is ''a lot'' like a musician on drugs.
* [[Dreadful Musician]]: Crash, Noddy, Jimbo and Scum and their everchanging band names.
* [[Dreadful Musician]]: Crash, Noddy, Jimbo and Scum and their everchanging band names.
* [[Early-Bird Cameo]]: We see Ponder and Adrian working on the early prototype of what will become the [[Magical Computer]] Hex in the next book, ''[[Discworld/Interesting Times|Interesting Times]]''. It uses a small version of the stone circle computers seen in ''[[Discworld/The Light Fantastic|The Light Fantastic]]'' and also ants, as seen in later books ("it may work, if we can get all the bugs into it").
* [[Early-Bird Cameo]]: We see Ponder and Adrian working on the early prototype of what will become the [[Magical Computer]] Hex in the next book, ''[[Interesting Times]]''. It uses a small version of the stone circle computers seen in ''[[The Light Fantastic]]'' and also ants, as seen in later books ("it may work, if we can get all the bugs into it").
** Cliff and Glod make a brief mention of a Golem called [[Discworld/Feet of Clay|Dorfl]]. With an early [[Title Drop]], too!
** Cliff and Glod make a brief mention of a Golem called [[Feet of Clay (novel)|Dorfl]]. With an early [[Title Drop]], too!
* [[Ear Worm]]: The Music With Rock In isn't just addictive, it's ''contagious''.
* [[Ear Worm]]: The Music With Rock In isn't just addictive, it's ''contagious''.
* [[Elvish Presley]]: A recurring gag for Buddy.
* [[Elvish Presley]]: A recurring gag for Buddy.
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* [[It Tastes Like Feet]]: Ridcully says that an electric guitar sounds ''exactly'' like a cat taking a crap with a sewn-up bum, to Ponder's much alarm.
* [[It Tastes Like Feet]]: Ridcully says that an electric guitar sounds ''exactly'' like a cat taking a crap with a sewn-up bum, to Ponder's much alarm.
* [[Literal-Minded]]: The Archchancellor doesn't understand the phrase "to kick some righteous ass" and wonders where he can find a donkey.
* [[Literal-Minded]]: The Archchancellor doesn't understand the phrase "to kick some righteous ass" and wonders where he can find a donkey.
* [[The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday]]: A musical-themed version of the same type seen in ''[[Discworld/The Light Fantastic|The Light Fantastic]]''.
* [[The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday]]: A musical-themed version of the same type seen in ''[[The Light Fantastic]]''.
* [[Legion of Lost Souls]]: The Klatchian Foreign Legion.
* [[Legion of Lost Souls]]: The Klatchian Foreign Legion.
* [[Magical Computer]] and [[Magitek]]: We get our first glimpse of what will, in later books, become Hex.
* [[Magical Computer]] and [[Magitek]]: We get our first glimpse of what will, in later books, become Hex.
* [[Medieval Stasis]]: This is the last book to really use the plot that an alien element threatens to break the Disc's stasis but is then subject to [[Reset Button]]. Notably the Patrician mentions it in ''[[Discworld/The Truth|The Truth]]'' in a rare case of being [[Wrong Genre Savvy]].
* [[Medieval Stasis]]: This is the last book to really use the plot that an alien element threatens to break the Disc's stasis but is then subject to [[Reset Button]]. Notably the Patrician mentions it in ''[[The Truth]]'' in a rare case of being [[Wrong Genre Savvy]].
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The same page with a funny moment involving Glod and the band's '''<big>FIVE THOUSAND D</big>'''--''mmfmmf'' leads into {{spoiler|the spirit of Music making the final parallel between Buddy and real rockstars: Live Fast, Die Young.}}
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The same page with a funny moment involving Glod and the band's '''<big>FIVE THOUSAND D</big>'''--''mmfmmf'' leads into {{spoiler|the spirit of Music making the final parallel between Buddy and real rockstars: Live Fast, Die Young.}}
* [[Noodle Implements]]: "If you blow that, you'd better have a sacrificial virgin and a big cauldron of breadfruit and turtle meat standing by."
* [[Noodle Implements]]: "If you blow that, you'd better have a sacrificial virgin and a big cauldron of breadfruit and turtle meat standing by."
* [[Noodle Incident]]: "The Unfortunate Incident At Dinner" that resulted in the Bursar of UU being provided wooden eating utensils instead of metal ones.
* [[Noodle Incident]]: "The Unfortunate Incident At Dinner" that resulted in the Bursar of UU being provided wooden eating utensils instead of metal ones.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: Ridcully and Ponder are the only ones of the wizards not affected by the Music. He is happy to find Susan.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: Ridcully and Ponder are the only ones of the wizards not affected by the Music. Ridcully is happy to find Susan.
* [[The Pete Best]]: Some of the characters say that this will be the fate of the Librarian, who plays the piano with the Band for one gig before quitting.
* [[The Pete Best]]: Some of the characters say that this will be the fate of the Librarian, who plays the piano with the Band for one gig before quitting.
* [[Picked Last]]: Susan is always picked last despite her very patiently telling everyone what a great player she is and how much sense it would make for them to pick her (and actually being ''right'') and how ''stupid'' they're being. She can't quite figure out [[Insufferable Genius|why they don't catch on]].
* [[Picked Last]]: Susan is always picked last despite her very patiently telling everyone what a great player she is and how much sense it would make for them to pick her (and actually being ''right'') and how ''stupid'' they're being. She can't quite figure out [[Insufferable Genius|why they don't catch on]].
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* [[Shaped Like Itself]]: "You can't see the infinite. 'Cos it's infinite."
* [[Shaped Like Itself]]: "You can't see the infinite. 'Cos it's infinite."
* [[Shout-Out]] / [[Hurricane of Puns]]:
* [[Shout-Out]] / [[Hurricane of Puns]]:
** As with ''[[Discworld/Moving Pictures|Moving Pictures]]'', an enormous number, particularly band names We're Certainly Dwarfs for [[They Might Be Giants (band)|They Might Be Giants]], Insanity for Madness, Surreptitious Fabric for the [[Velvet Underground]], The Whom for [[The Who]], Suck for [[Kiss]], Lead Balloon for [[Led Zeppelin]], &U for [[U2]], and so on. One band in particular goes through about a half dozen of these, and on one occasion a member buys for the group a [[Def Leppard|leopard with hearing problems]]. They also miss one of the greatest potential band names of all time, when a member mentions that [[Rolling Stones|"a rolling stone gathers no moss"]]... then ''immediately'' miss another one when one of the band members gives a coin to [[The Grateful Dead|the grateful Death]].
** As with ''[[Moving Pictures]]'', an enormous number, particularly band names We're Certainly Dwarfs for [[They Might Be Giants (band)|They Might Be Giants]], Insanity for Madness, Surreptitious Fabric for the [[Velvet Underground]], The Whom for [[The Who]], Suck for [[Kiss]], Lead Balloon for [[Led Zeppelin]], &U for [[U2]], and so on. One band in particular goes through about a half dozen of these, and on one occasion a member buys for the group a [[Def Leppard|leopard with hearing problems]]. They also miss one of the greatest potential band names of all time, when a member mentions that [[Rolling Stones|"a rolling stone gathers no moss"]]... then ''immediately'' miss another one when one of the band members gives a coin to [[The Grateful Dead|the grateful Death]].
** [[The Blues Brothers|"He can't stop us. We're on a mission from Glod."]]
** [[The Blues Brothers|"He can't stop us. We're on a mission from Glod."]]
*** Another Blues Brothers reference is mixed with an ''[[A Night at the Opera]]'' [[Shout-Out]] at the diner scene: Glod continually orders "four fried rats," and Cliff is insisting that he would like some Coke. Imp, however, likes his "Two hard-boillled eggs."
*** Another Blues Brothers reference is mixed with an ''[[A Night at the Opera]]'' [[Shout-Out]] at the diner scene: Glod continually orders "four fried rats," and Cliff is insisting that he would like some Coke. Imp, however, likes his "Two hard-boillled eggs."
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{{The Big Read}}
{{The Big Read}}
[[Category:Music Stories]]
[[Category:Music Stories]]
[[Category:{{ROOTPAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Discworld]]
[[Category:{{SUBPAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Soul Music]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Soul_Music_(novel)"