Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett
book, review, discworld
This review was originally posted at Goodreads and imported here later with next to no spell/grammar checking.
4/5 stars
The alchemists discover a new kind of magic: a material which allows them to capture images and project them on a large flat area. A city called Holy Wood is hastily erected and a brand new business starts blooming.
Moving Pictures will probably be super funny film buffs, but it’s awesome even to someone who’s not versed in that particular endeavour. It explores the personalities and attitudes that surround the creation of movies and there’s a lot to draw from there.
However, being familiar with some of the classics does not hurt. There is one scene in particular — inspired by King Kong — that is absolutely hilarious.
The book has a slow start, but it does pick up speed and gets really good towards the end. I did not expect the Lovecraftian aspect and it worked really well in the context.
Plus it gives the first appearance to Gaspode the Wonder Dog who gets a more prominent role later on in the Watch books (and who is absolutely wonderful).
Although a part of the Industrial Revolution subseries of Discworld, it feels like a standalone book and might be a good entry to someone who doesn’t want to commit to the larger sets.
