Product Description

Roundworld is in trouble again, and this time it looks fatal. Having created it in the first place, the wizards of Unseen University feel vaguely responsible for its safety. They know the creatures who lived there escaped the impending Big Freeze by inventing the space elevator - they even intervened to rid the planet of a plague of elves, who attempted to divert humanity onto a different time track. But now it's all gone wrong - Victorian England has stagnated and the pace of progress would embarrass a limping snail. Unless something drastic is done, there won't be time for anyone to invent spaceflight and the human race will be turned into ice-pops. Why, though, did history come adrift? Was it Sir Arthur Nightingale's dismal book about natural selection? Or was it the devastating response by an obscure country vicar called Charles Darwin, whose bestselling "Theology of Species" made it impossible to refute the divine design of living creatures? Either way, it's no easy task to change history, as the wizards discover to their cost. Can the God of Evolution come to humanity's aid and ensure Darwin writes a very different book? And who stopped him writing it in the first place? "The hard science is as gripping as the fiction" - "The Times". "Entertaining and illuminating" - "New Scientist".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195635 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
"'The hard science is as gripping as the fiction' The Times; 'Entertaining and illuminating' New Scientist"

Synopsis
Roundworld is in trouble again, and this time it looks fatal. Having created it in the first place, the wizards of Unseen University feel vaguely responsible for its safety. They know the creatures who lived there escaped the impending Big Freeze by inventing the space elevator - they even intervened to rid the planet of a plague of elves, who attempted to divert humanity onto a different time track. But now it's all gone wrong - Victorian England has stagnated and the pace of progress would embarrass a limping snail. Unless something drastic is done, there won't be time for anyone to invent spaceflight and the human race will be turned into ice-pops. Why, though, did history come adrift? Was it Sir Arthur Nightingale's dismal book about natural selection? Or was it the devastating response by an obscure country vicar called Charles Darwin, whose bestselling "Theology of Species" made it impossible to refute the divine design of living creatures? Either way, it's no easy task to change history, as the wizards discover to their cost. Can the God of Evolution come to humanity's aid and ensure Darwin writes a very different book? And who stopped him writing it in the first place?

"The hard science is as gripping as the fiction" - "The Times". "Entertaining and illuminating" - "New Scientist".

From the Publisher
The latest instalment in the Sunday Times-bestselling Science of Discworld series.

Customer Reviews

Yet another excellent book!
Although a slight detour from the norml type of Discworld book, I found the combination of the story (which was great) and the explanations of the real science behind the story to be absolutely fascinating and I learned stuff I never knew before while still being entertained in the good old Pratchett style!

I have now brought all three of these Science of the Discworld series and have already read them several times over as they were so enjoyable.

third time not quite the charm
The third in a series of discworld books that are half fiction and half fact. The fiction bits are based around the wizards and their misadventures in roundworld [earth] a world they accidentally created. The chapters of this are interdispersed with non fiction ones about science.

The trouble with this one is that the discworld section just feels over familiar and doesn't really grab. And the science chapters are variable. Some that tell the story of charles darwin and his work are engrossing. Others get into different areas that can be heavy going at times.

So not a bad book all in all, just not the strongest entry in the series

Should Darwin's Watch Really Have Three Pairs of Hands?
Even after reading 2½ of these `Science of Discworld' publications I remain ambivalent about them. In some ways I find the alternating chapters reminiscent of current TV styles in which they continually cut from one thread to another, just as you get interested in the current one! Continuity is sacrificed. It is almost tempting to read the alternate chapters as, in effect, separate books: read the odd chapters first, and then go back to the start and read the even!

The educational content is (mostly) approachable and, in itself, entertainingly written by the Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen pairing; and, I suppose, brings some valid knowledge to the younger audience via a vehicle they are likely to accept. That said, I had to read several sections at least twice to get some understanding (and still don't feel sure I've grasped it all - there are some sophisticated ideas covered!)

However, without doing much in the way of research, I question just how much input the various members of the writing trio have into the two aspects of the book. I also wonder how far the concept places limits on Mr. P's creativity and originality of thought. It seems to me that some of the reviewers have tended to forget that there are three authors collaborating here. I think it is a rare thing for such to result in little or no dilution of any one contributor's style.

As a result, I feel that Terry Pratchett's narrative lacks the punch found in his solo efforts. At any rate the snigger quotient has, thus far, been rather low in comparison with other novels from the author. Is it me just getting older and more jaded? I long for the rich cast of characters and the strange lands beyond the Unseen University. The story of the wizards' (mis)adventures in Roundworld lacks the usual flair and freshness - seemingly constrained by the `Science' theme, particularly as it is demonstrably not that of Discworld.

Yet, I keep reading them, finding something worthwhile in each, and wondering just how it will work out in the end; and what quirky path it will trace and which strange cast we will meet along the way.

As to whether the scientists are religion-bashing or not, well that is a debate that is probably best saved for a forum rather than a book review. Suffice it to say that the material covered is well-known as being contentious, with strong views held on both sides. The authors, in my view, try to tread a reasonable path, but are bound to step on a few sensitive toes in doing so!

So, on balance, not a great read. No snorts, sniggers or guffaws on every page. An intriguing publication to continue the series, but almost like writing by numbers (or formula) - somehow lacking in the atmosphere and unfettered fun of the main Discworld novels.

A 3 for effort, but could do better, boys.