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Turntables of the Night
Short Story
9 pages
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Terry Pratchett
511 books43.7k followersSir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 21, 2019
A collector of long playing records (a large type of CD) gets to meet the ultimate collector
Wayne liked all recorded music and would go to any lengths to get a complete series
Wayne was the kind of collector who couldn't bear a hole in his collection It was almost religious, really. He could out-talk John Peel in any case, but the records he really knew about were the ones he hadn't got. He'd wait years to get some practically demo disc from a punk group who probably died of safety-pin tetanus, but by the time he got his hands on it he'd be able to recite everything down to the name of the cleaning lady who scrubbed out the studio afterwards. Like I said, a collector.
Conversation with the complete collector
OH, I'VE GOT THEM ALL, he said, turning back to Wayne, ELVIS PRESLEY, BUDDY HOLLY, JIM MORRISON, JIMI HENDRIX, JOHN LENNON. . .
'Fairly wide spread, musically,' said Wayne. 'Have you got the complete Beatles?'
NOT YET
And I swear they started to talk records. I remember Mr Friend saying he'd got the complete seventeenth-, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century composers. Well, he would, wouldn't he?
You can find out the identity of the collector by reading this short story
Enjoy!
Wayne liked all recorded music and would go to any lengths to get a complete series
Wayne was the kind of collector who couldn't bear a hole in his collection It was almost religious, really. He could out-talk John Peel in any case, but the records he really knew about were the ones he hadn't got. He'd wait years to get some practically demo disc from a punk group who probably died of safety-pin tetanus, but by the time he got his hands on it he'd be able to recite everything down to the name of the cleaning lady who scrubbed out the studio afterwards. Like I said, a collector.
Conversation with the complete collector
OH, I'VE GOT THEM ALL, he said, turning back to Wayne, ELVIS PRESLEY, BUDDY HOLLY, JIM MORRISON, JIMI HENDRIX, JOHN LENNON. . .
'Fairly wide spread, musically,' said Wayne. 'Have you got the complete Beatles?'
NOT YET
And I swear they started to talk records. I remember Mr Friend saying he'd got the complete seventeenth-, eighteenth- and nineteenth-century composers. Well, he would, wouldn't he?
You can find out the identity of the collector by reading this short story
Enjoy!
August 25, 2012
"Have you got the complete Beatles?"
"NOT YET"
"NOT YET"
October 30, 2021
My favorite Discworld character in a non Discworld short story, it's great and perfect for a Halloween weekend read.
October 5, 2022
Hilarious short story of DEATH visiting two friends. Death's a collector, but not of the same things as music freak Wayne.. though he appreciates the collecting and really wants to meet Wayne. This cracked me up, Death's one of my favourite Discworld characters.
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February 3, 2017
Featured in A Blink of the Screen.
Terry is not brilliant at short stories but I admire him for attempting and sharing. This is a non-Discworld short story, though you'd be forgiven for thinking it was, as it features Death in ALL HIS CAPITALISED GLORY. It is a wonderful tale, though lacking slightly in great humour. Coherent but a bit lack-lustre.
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Terry is not brilliant at short stories but I admire him for attempting and sharing. This is a non-Discworld short story, though you'd be forgiven for thinking it was, as it features Death in ALL HIS CAPITALISED GLORY. It is a wonderful tale, though lacking slightly in great humour. Coherent but a bit lack-lustre.
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December 27, 2017
Terry Pratchett was so great in parody because he was great in observing and describing his subjects to the last detail. In this short story he gives -through a brilliantly written eyewitness testimony to the police- one of the best descriptions of the Collector -the vinyl record collector in particular. While I was reading about Wayne's obsession I was visualizing in my mind people I know who are exactly like him. And when the Greatest Collector (he has all the great composers of the 17th, 18th and 19th century, but not all the Beatles -yet) also enters the scene, things become hilarious. If you haven't -yet- read anything by Terry, try this; it's short, but characteristic.
January 18, 2013
A quick, humorous read that should be instantly familiar to anyone who has read any of the Death novels from the Discworld series. I finished this on a single bus ride, and chuckled enough at the music jokes/gallows humor to have my fellow passengers eyeballing me. :-)
February 5, 2024
An amusing retrospective of the seventies as DEATH visits to pick up a new member of his collection. The first person statement of the departed's friend is humorously scathing of both nostalgia, local community smallness and celebrity.
February 27, 2022
Wonderful short story involving Death and music.
December 27, 2012
Not that you haven't come across this scene before, in a dozen or more other Pratchetts, but it's still pretty damn funny. Especially around not having the entire Beatles collection - yet - and driving safely.
March 14, 2015
When an ultimate collector meets THE ultimate collector. Great to know that a certain anthropomorphized character from the Discworld is collecting The Beatles, though he hasn't yet gotten a complete set.
February 7, 2013
I wouldn't mind a little more developing. Despite that, it is a good short story, well written and funny. My first Pratchett story and one that has made me curious about his other works.
March 29, 2013
didn't realise it was a short story, very funny anyway if you are a fan on Death in the Discworld series
June 6, 2014
For a 9 page long short story - this was excellent. Sort of creepy, quirky, told a dark tale by implications.
January 30, 2015
A little known Pratchett story, with death visiting a record collector.
May 8, 2015
From this excellent short story I learned:
"Nothing serious has bits of apple in it."
"Nothing serious has bits of apple in it."
February 12, 2018
A delightful early example of Pratchett's "DEATH" character. Fans of Terry Pratchett's work should find time to read this short story.
March 26, 2017
40 of so books, different collections, some audio, it's pratchett, read and heard some as well, all. Dates wrong.
October 13, 2017
Death in the disco !!
January 27, 2018
Death is my second favourite Discworld character. Damn I miss Terry Pratchett
April 28, 2021
Do you ever read a short story and just...get it? I felt like I was hearing this story being read out loud to me. It made me smile and left me feeling strangely comforted.
October 10, 2012
Short and intriguing.
April 2, 2013
A collector meets a collector, a dance is ruined, not all of the Beatles are collected yet.
March 20, 2015
A single short story rather than a collection of sort stories, which i didn't know. Cute, quick read.
January 27, 2021
I finally found copy of this anthology!
Siiiiiiiigh, I miss STP!!!!!
Siiiiiiiigh, I miss STP!!!!!
January 4, 2013
Excellent.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews