The Carpet People: Difference between revisions

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{{quote| ''They called themselves the Munrungs. It meant The People, or The True Human Beings. It's what most people call themselves, to begin with. And then one day the tribe meets some other people and give them a name like The Other People or, if it's not been a good day, The Enemy. If only they'd think up a name like Some More True Human Beings, it'd save a lot of trouble later on.''}}
{{quote|''They called themselves the Munrungs. It meant The People, or The True Human Beings. It's what most people call themselves, to begin with. And then one day the tribe meets some other people and give them a name like The Other People or, if it's not been a good day, The Enemy. If only they'd think up a name like Some More True Human Beings, it'd save a lot of trouble later on.''}}


''"This book had two authors, and they were both the same person"'': A novel by [[Terry Pratchett]] which was originally published in 1971, but was later [[Old Shame|re-written]] by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. ''The Carpet People'' contains much of the humour and some of the concepts which later became a major part of the ''[[Discworld]]'' series, as well as parodies of everyday objects from our world. Before creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, in this novel, and ''Strata''.
''"This book had two authors, and they were both the same person"'': A novel by [[Terry Pratchett]] which was originally published in 1971, but was later [[Old Shame|re-written]] by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. ''[[The Carpet People]]'' contains much of the humour and some of the concepts which later became a major part of the ''[[Discworld]]'' series, as well as parodies of everyday objects from our world. Before creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, in this novel, and ''Strata''.


The story follows the journey of a tribe called the Munrungs, across a world known as the Carpet. Instead of trees, the landscape is a forest of hairs, littered with large grains of dust. Below the surface is the Underlay, riddled with caves, and below that the Floor. The Munrungs cross the carpet to find a new home after their village is destroyed by the powerful and mysterious natural force known as Fray. The origins of Fray are never explained in the book, but it is described in a way to suggest sweeping or vacuuming. (Or possibly a human stepping across the carpet? Pismire does say the incidents all lie in a straight line, and it's described in terms of pressure downwards...)
The story follows the journey of a tribe called the Munrungs, across a world known as the Carpet. Instead of trees, the landscape is a forest of hairs, littered with large grains of dust. Below the surface is the Underlay, riddled with caves, and below that the Floor. The Munrungs cross the carpet to find a new home after their village is destroyed by the powerful and mysterious natural force known as Fray. The origins of Fray are never explained in the book, but it is described in a way to suggest sweeping or vacuuming. (Or possibly a human stepping across the carpet? Pismire does say the incidents all lie in a straight line, and it's described in terms of pressure downwards...)


The tribe is led by [[The Big Guy|Glurk]], who is advised by [[Eccentric Mentor|Pismire]], a philosopher and the tribal Shaman. Glurk's younger brother Snibril, however, is the book's protagonist, and is described by Pismire as having the kind of [[The Smart Guy|enquiring mind]] which is "dangerous". Snibril also has the unique ability to detect Fray a few minutes [[Spider Sense|before it strikes]] - this ability manifests itself as an extremely painful migraine.
The tribe is led by [[The Big Guy|Glurk]], who is advised by [[Eccentric Mentor|Pismire]], a philosopher and the tribal Shaman. Glurk's younger brother Snibril, however, is the book's protagonist, and is described by Pismire as having the kind of [[The Smart Guy|enquiring mind]] which is "dangerous". Snibril also has the unique ability to detect Fray a few minutes [[Spider Sense|before it strikes]] - this ability manifests itself as an extremely painful migraine.

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This book contains examples of the following tropes:
{{tropelist}}
* [[Always Chaotic Evil]]: The Mouls look like this, although the Chief Moul later is treated like [[Worthy Opponent]].
* [[Exclusively Evil]]: The Mouls look like this, although the Chief Moul later is treated like [[Worthy Opponent]].
* [[Arc Words]]: "[[Conservation of Ninjitsu|Always choose a bigger enemy. It makes him easier to hit.]]"
* [[Arc Words]]: "[[Conservation of Ninjitsu|Always choose a bigger enemy. It makes him easier to hit.]]"
** Also "The True Human Beings". See [[Meaningful Name]] and [[Our Wights Are Different]] below for more.
** Also "The True Human Beings". See [[Meaningful Name]] and [[Our Wights Are Different]] below for more.
* [[Backhanded Apology]]: Pismire got sentenced to death for one.
* [[Backhanded Apology]]: Pismire got sentenced to death for one.
* [[Call a Smeerp A Rabbit]]: "Horses".
* [[Call a Smeerp a Rabbit]]: "Horses".
* [[Cargo Cult]]: Kind of, with examples like "the fire-worshipers of Rug", who worship the great fire in the sky, and the Vortgorns: living on a dropped penny, referred to as the High Gate Land because a British penny has a portcullis inscribed on it, and their battle cry is ''On Epen Ny'' (i.e. "ONE PENNY") and they have also found words on the other side reading "...Izabethii" (i.e. "ELIZABETH II").
* [[Cargo Cult]]: Kind of, with examples like "the fire-worshipers of Rug", who worship the great fire in the sky, and the Vortgorns: living on a dropped penny, referred to as the High Gate Land because a British penny has a portcullis inscribed on it, and their battle cry is ''On Epen Ny'' (i.e. "ONE PENNY") and they have also found words on the other side reading "...Izabethii" (i.e. "ELIZABETH II").
* [[The Corrupter]]: Mouls prefer to work this way on enemies too strong for brute force.
* [[The Corrupter]]: Mouls prefer to work this way on enemies too strong for brute force.
* [[The Empire]]: The Dummii Empire, which extends all the way from the Woodwall (a matchstick) to the western outpost of Rug, where the natives worship the fire in the sky.
* [[The Empire]]: The Dummii Empire, which extends all the way from the Woodwall (a matchstick) to the western outpost of Rug, where the natives worship the fire in the sky.
* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Dummii are Carpet Romans.
* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Dummii are Carpet Romans.
* [[Follow the Leader]]: The original book was essentially ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' {{smallcaps|[[Recycled in Space|IN A CARPET!]]}} The rewrite makes it more uniquely Pratchettian.
* [[Follow the Leader]]: The original book was essentially ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' {{small-caps|[[Recycled in Space|IN A CARPET!]]}} The rewrite makes it more uniquely Pratchettian.
* [[Humans Are Cthulhu]]: Whatever Fray is, it seems to be some kind of human activity.
* [[Humans Are Cthulhu]]: Whatever Fray is, it seems to be some kind of human activity.
* [[Load Bearing Hero]]: Glurk.
* [[Load-Bearing Hero]]: Glurk.
* [[Lilliputians]]
* [[Lilliputians]]
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Pismire's name is an antiquated word meaning "ant" (specifically, Myrmicinae, a subfamily of ants of whom some species retain a functional sting; note that the present day Swedish word for said subfamily is pissmyra).
* [[Meaningful Name]]: Pismire's name is an antiquated word meaning "ant" (specifically, Myrmicinae, a subfamily of ants of whom some species retain a functional sting; note that the present day Swedish word for said subfamily is pissmyra).
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* [[Taken for Granite]]: The termagant's victims.
* [[Taken for Granite]]: The termagant's victims.
* [[Throwing Your Sword Always Works]]: Subverted: Before the climactic battle one of the heroes throws a sword to kill a bad guy. It works. Seconds later, enemy forces attack and he asks whether anybody can lend him a spare one...
* [[Throwing Your Sword Always Works]]: Subverted: Before the climactic battle one of the heroes throws a sword to kill a bad guy. It works. Seconds later, enemy forces attack and he asks whether anybody can lend him a spare one...
* [[To Serve Man]]: One of the reasons the Mouls take prisoners. Also implied to be [[Rewarded As a Traitor Deserves|the fate of a traitor who worked for them]].
* [[To Serve Man]]: One of the reasons the Mouls take prisoners. Also implied to be [[Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves|the fate of a traitor who worked for them]].
* [[Trojan Prisoner]]: Attempted.
* [[Trojan Prisoner]]: Attempted.
* [[Warrior Poet]]: General Baneus.
* [[Warrior Poet]]: General Baneus.
* [[I Am a Humanitarian|We Are Humanitarians]]
* [[I'm a Humanitarian|We Are Humanitarians]]


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
⚫
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:British Literature]]
[[Category:Literature of the 1970s]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Literature]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Literature]]
[[Category:The Carpet People]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpet People, The}}
⚫
[[Category:Trope]]

Latest revision as of 17:33, 7 February 2023

They called themselves the Munrungs. It meant The People, or The True Human Beings. It's what most people call themselves, to begin with. And then one day the tribe meets some other people and give them a name like The Other People or, if it's not been a good day, The Enemy. If only they'd think up a name like Some More True Human Beings, it'd save a lot of trouble later on.

"This book had two authors, and they were both the same person": A novel by Terry Pratchett which was originally published in 1971, but was later re-written by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. The Carpet People contains much of the humour and some of the concepts which later became a major part of the Discworld series, as well as parodies of everyday objects from our world. Before creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, in this novel, and Strata.

The story follows the journey of a tribe called the Munrungs, across a world known as the Carpet. Instead of trees, the landscape is a forest of hairs, littered with large grains of dust. Below the surface is the Underlay, riddled with caves, and below that the Floor. The Munrungs cross the carpet to find a new home after their village is destroyed by the powerful and mysterious natural force known as Fray. The origins of Fray are never explained in the book, but it is described in a way to suggest sweeping or vacuuming. (Or possibly a human stepping across the carpet? Pismire does say the incidents all lie in a straight line, and it's described in terms of pressure downwards...)

The tribe is led by Glurk, who is advised by Pismire, a philosopher and the tribal Shaman. Glurk's younger brother Snibril, however, is the book's protagonist, and is described by Pismire as having the kind of enquiring mind which is "dangerous". Snibril also has the unique ability to detect Fray a few minutes before it strikes - this ability manifests itself as an extremely painful migraine.


Tropes used in The Carpet People include:
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