Strata (Paperback)

by Terry Pratchett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The Company builds planets.

Kin Arad is a high-ranking official of the Company. After twenty-one decades of living, and with the help of memory surgery, she is at the top of her profession. Discovering two of her employees have placed a fossilized plesiosaur in the wrong stratum, not to mention the fact it is holding a placard which reads 'End Nuclear Testing Now', doesn't dismay the woman who built a mountain range in the shape of her initials during her own high-spirited youth.

But then come a discovery of something which did intrigue Kin Arad. A flat earth was something new... --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Publisher
First published in 1981, Strata is an early exploration of the idea that was to become the best-selling Discworld series. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Roc (March 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451451112
• ISBN-13: 978-0451451118
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #750,433 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different Pratchett than you may be used to, February 3, 2005

By	Matthieu Hausig (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A scifi/fantasy blend about a jaded planetary designer who gets embroiled in a mission with two very alien aliens to a disc shaped world where magic appears to work, this early work by Terry Pratchett also deftly parodies Larry Niven's Ringworld as well as several fantasy tropes.

This is the first book outside of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett that I have read and it will not be the last. The humor here is more subdued than with the Discworld books but it still is present more or less throughout the story. There is a sense in reading that Pratchett is finding his wings as the book progresses. The begining is a bit rigid, however by the end the author relaxes and the style becomes more playful. It was a pleasure reading this book and I strongly recommend anyone who likes Pratchett's work to give it a try.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Good Read..., December 1, 2000

By	Bevan R (Chi, Southern England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strata (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was one of the first few T.Prattchet books that I read and is probably my favourite. It is more science-fiction than fantasy, looking at a fantasy world with scientific tools. This is not only a good solid read. It parodys Larry Niven's Ringworld, it introduces new and origional ideas, and has a delightful twist (I read that bit twice before I understood it). You read it again and again and see more each time.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Discworld series, April 1, 2001

By	guy richardson (Reno, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strata (Mass Market Paperback)

Those of you who are familiar with Pratchett from his Discworld series will be puzzled by this book -- it seems to be about Discworld but it has none of the magic or wild humor of that series. It was written before Pratchett created the "real" Discworld with its Unseen University, wizards and wild parodies of our world. That said, those of you who are Discworld fanatics might find this interesting as it's a hard-science (sort of) explanation of the flat Discworld planet. It's not a bad story -- just don't expect the usual Pratchett funny fireworks.