As often happens, it turned out that the mysteries of the Flat Earth are also different. Just riddles. And riddles with double and even triple bottoms, therefore, dear reader, this issue is worth returning to!

…Officially, the earliest surviving maps of the flat world date back to the 8th century AD. They captured a system of geographical ideas that was far from modern. Early medieval Flat Earth maps, according to what we know today, came in two main types.

The first is “zone” cards. They are called so due to the fact that ancient scientists divided the earthly world into five latitudinal zones. The Roman poet Publius Ovid wrote in his poem Metamorphoses:

"...The earth has five stripes. It is impossible to live in the middle of them due to the heat. Two lie deep under the snow, and God gave moderation to the two between them, mixing cold and fire there."

The second type of Flat Earth map is “ecumenical.” The ancient Greeks called the entire known world Oecumene. These maps show Asia, Europe and Africa, surrounded by the ring of the World Ocean. But by the time these maps were created, most of the images on them were hopelessly outdated. It becomes obvious that the imagination of cartographers was greatly excited by the legendary biblical peoples of Gog and Magog. They always have a place on these maps. Even Roger Bacon saw the task of geographical science as finding out where and when Gog and Magog would come to destroy and destroy the world.

On ecumenical maps of the Flat Earth you can find images of strange animals and monsters. Thus, we have before us a geography completely isolated from real practice. Only in the 13th century did the practical experience of travelers and crusaders force Western European geographers to reconsider the old picture of the Flat Earth world.

Here, for example, is a map of the 11th century from the list of “Comments on Scinion’s Dream.” Its author is Ambrose Theodosius Macrobius. This map is currently in Germany, in the State Library of Bamberg and is a classic example of a “Flat Earth zonal map”. On it, the “uninhabited” zone includes most of the Black Sea. On other medieval maps, the border of this cold, uninhabited zone crosses the Tanais (Don) River. Well, as for the Caspian Sea, it is nothing more than one of the bays of the World Ocean!

A curious version of the “zonal” map of the Flat Earth of the 8th century from the list of “Books on the Nature of Things” by Isidore of Seville (Bavarian Library, Munich) is simply bewildering. It, like most medieval maps, has an eastern orientation (in Latin, east is “oriens”)... Isidore presented the zones in the form of circles located on a flat Earth. As a result, in the north of the map, that is, on its left side, both the “Arctic” and “Antarctic” circles were nearby. Described as "cold, uninhabited".

Consider the 11th-century map of the Flat Earth from the list of “Etymology,” also by Isidore of Seville. The body of water - located in the middle of the map - is the Mediterranean Sea - with adjacent seas and rivers. Naturally, the image of the territory of Western Europe is closest to reality. In the north of France, "Normannie" is given. This is one of the earliest maps to show Scandinavia as two peninsulas. Before that, it was considered an island system! Below and to the left of the city of “Kersona” (Chersonese Tauride) there is the inscription “Lower Scythia”. Three squares with the inscription “Altars of Alexander” are drawn above Tanais and the Maeotis swamps (as the Sea of ​​Azov was formerly called). And on the southern bank of the Nile, which, according to the map’s compiler, flows almost parallel to the southern coast of Africa, is “Alexander’s camp”...

The quality of the Flat Earth maps is exceptional.

At present, taking into account various sources, either half or a quarter of the real map of the Flat Earth has been preserved...

However, there is indirect evidence that both Greenland and Alaska were on the map! True, the researcher of this issue, N. Eidelman, found a color copy of another world map in one of the collections of the Turkish Historical Society for 1937. It was created by Piri Reis in 1528. It shows: Greenland, Labrador, Florida, Newfoundland.

And then it began! How could a Turkish admiral, a contemporary of Columbus, draw up such a complete map of the world? How did he know about the existence of Antarctica? Yes, many experts believe that Antarctica is indicated on the admiral’s maps! One can argue a lot about how the Turkish naval commander knew about what would be discovered only 300 years later!

“An infidel named Colombo, a Genoese, discovered these lands. A book fell into the hands of the said Colombo, in which he read that on the edge of the Western Sea, far in the West, there are shores and islands. All kinds of metals and precious stones were found there. The above-named Colombo I studied this book for a long time..."

Judging by “Bahriyya”, there was a copy of this book in the hands of Piri Reis. And he dates it with an inscription on the margins of the map to the times of Alexander the Great (Macedonian). We are talking about none other than America, which was indicated on the mysterious Flat Earth maps of the fourth century BC.

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In 1531, another unique map of the Flat Earth appeared by the French mathematician and geographer Oronzio Finei. On it, the configuration of the Antarctic belt not only corresponds to modern maps. It would still be, as they say, back and forth! But the Antarctica ring is depicted with mountain rivers and ridges! No ice cover!

But while we are on the subject, it will be necessary to mention one more Flat Earth map. In October 1965, the University of Wales (USA) published the Vinland map, published in 1440 in Bern, the unknown author of which indicated the shores of what is now Canada and North America 52 years before Columbus. In doing so, he used some data from medieval Arab cartographers.

In the Hungarian university town of Nagyszombat, in a Jesuit cartographic workshop, any available manuscripts and secret maps of the Flat Earth were copied by order of the Vatican and the Habsburgs. So, the map of 1599 accurately indicates the Viking sea routes through Greenland to the American shores and their settlements, which arose long before Columbus!

Educational video:

...And now let us carefully read the words of Amerigo Vespucci from his small diary book, known as “Mundus novus”:

"...None of our ancestors had the slightest idea about the countries that we saw and what was in them: our knowledge far surpassed the knowledge of our ancestors. Most of them believed that there was no continent south of the equator, but only a boundless ocean, which they called Atlantic..."

This entry, as is easy to see, is in some contradiction with itself. Indeed, on the one hand, the great Vespucci had, frankly speaking, a low opinion of the geographical knowledge of his ancestors. On the other hand, it turns out, judging by his own words, there was a certain minority who believed that there was a continental belt south of the equator!

By the way, a Spanish wine jug, made in the 14th century, was raised from the bottom of the sea near the island of Gabo in 1964, although we were completely UNKNOWN of any voyages of Spanish sailors to the shores of Australia at that time! But isn’t this evidence of the voyage of some mysterious medieval sailors to the shores of Australia long before its official discovery?

And here is the case N. Nepomnyashchiy talks about: “...At the end of the 70s of our century, Professor Fobes Taylor analyzed commercial reports and customs lists of goods that each ship imported to Bristol and exported from there. And starting from 1479, he noticed some this is absurd... According to the declarations, most of the captains traded with Ireland. However, this was not consistent with the strange nature of the cargo and excessively long voyages. For example, one of the ships allegedly sailed to Ireland and returned back in... 115 days. This is THREE times more than the norm! From here Taylor made a conclusion "that the true route was deliberately hidden. What was it really like?"

Here are a few more examples.

Aristotle, Seneca, Aelian and Diodorus Sicilian mentioned that the Romans had information about the lands lying several weeks' journey beyond Gibraltar!

… Long before Columbus, the “Church Fathers,” especially Greek theologians, put forward the thesis that God did not destroy Paradise after Adam’s fall. He only transferred it to the “opposite land”, to places inaccessible to people. This “opposite land,” according to theological mythology, was supposed to be located overseas. Now there is a lot of material evidence that the shores of America were visited (more than once) by the Vikings, and before them by the Romans, and before them by the Phoenicians...

As for China, for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, Columbus was never a hero. In one Chinese historical magazine he is called very specifically and succinctly - “colonial pirate.” Chinese researchers claim that the path to the shores of America was paved in the 5th century by the Buddhist monk Hong Shen. Sinologists and Sinologists have long known about the monk’s journey to the mysterious country of Fusang, which, judging by the description, is located 20,000 li (11,500 km) east of China. If so, then Fusan is the northwestern part of America. Many researchers believe that the earliest contact between China and America lasted from 700 BC. e. and until about 400 BC. eh..!

And after all this, researchers hold in their hands the most primitive, useless zonal-ecumenical maps of the Flat Earth of the 8th-10th centuries!

What happened to the geographical knowledge of mankind? And where did those documents of the 4th century BC disappear for representatives of the New Time, for example? e., to which Piri Reis referred?..

Thor Heyerdahl's expeditions to the Kon-Tiki and Ra convincingly demonstrated to the whole world that giant metal ships are not at all necessary to cross the Ocean. You can get by with ships made of wood and even reed! Courage, seafaring talent, perseverance and luck will do the rest.

Although, who knows, it is very possible that the sea ships of ancient times were much more advanced than many people think...

Ships of the pre-Columbian era could follow the path of Columbus in a strip of trade winds blowing at a speed of 5–8 meters/sec. The weather is always good here. And the ancients knew about the trade winds. There remained, however, the problem of determining the coordinates of the Flat Earth.

And yet, recent research has brought quite strong evidence that ocean voyages of the 6th–7th millennia BC. e. were not random, but regular! This refers to the remains of a seaport that arose in the fifth millennium BC, found during excavations on the shores of Cambay Bay in India, not far from the town of Lothal! The city had extensive piers, trading warehouses, and later even a dry dock for ship repairs!

And the seals with which the Lothal merchants marked their goods turned out to be absolutely identical to the seals discovered in the settlements of the Bahrain Islands.

This means, in principle, it was not technological progress that was holding back the ocean navigation of the Flat Earth. But then what?

The World of Fantasy travel agency offers you a guide to the world of Disc! This is perhaps the most fun of fantasy worlds - and one of the most paradoxical. It is not surprising, given that some parts of it were not created at all by local gods. By the way, the gods on the Disc are absolutely real and have a habit of breaking glass in the houses of atheists.

We cannot guarantee that traveling around the Disc will be absolutely safe, but it will definitely not let you get bored - because anything can happen. Anomalies of time, space, magic, other worlds - at your service!

On the great A'Tuin

...The star turtle Great A'Tuin, whose shell is covered with a crust of frozen methane, pitted with meteorite craters and polished by asteroid dust. Great A'Tuin, whose eyes are like ancient seas, and whose brain is the size of a continent, along which small sparkling glaciers of thoughts glide. Great A'Tuin, the owner of huge, slow flippers and a shield polished by the stars, slowly, with difficulty, swimming through the galactic night and bearing the entire weight of the Disk. Huge as the worlds. Ancient as Time. Uncomplaining as a brick...

Well, actually, this is where philosophers are mistaken. In fact, Great A'Tuin is having a blast.

The main attraction of the world of Disc is the world of Disc itself.

There are many worlds that revolve alone in the vacuum of space around their suns, or fly no less lonelyly somewhere across the Universe, or are clusters of inhabited planets... But, as a rule, they are all similar in structure - balls of different colors, inhabited by intelligent, not particularly intelligent and completely unreasonable races. Sometimes, for variety, moons or death stars are attached to the balls - but this does not change the overall picture too much.

It's a completely different matter with Disk.

The star turtle Great A'Tuin slowly, whipping space with giant flippers, swims along the interstellar strait along the shores of Infinity, sometimes turning its huge head to snap its beak towards a passing comet. Why is it difficult to say: the comet is unlikely to be afraid, and it has no nutritional value... Perhaps the bearer of peace just wants to have some fun. This doesn't happen very often when most of your thoughts are about the Burden.

It looks something like this (artist Gino d'Achille)

Only occasionally - and for very good reasons - does Great A'Tuin leave the pleasant depths of space and head for the sunny shallows. This reason is clear to every self-respecting turtle, regardless of size. It is there, on the coast of light, where magic dangerously weakens and bends under reality (which becomes a serious threat to the Disc), from the stone spheres that have been circling around the star for a long time, small turtles hatch - slightly larger than an asteroid, still shiny with yolk, but already with with its completely complete Burden. The offspring must be accompanied on the adult voyage - so passengers have to be patient. In the end, new worlds must be created somehow.

Most of the Burden - really heavy, even for a space turtle - is made up of four huge elephants, pretty tanned under the starlight: Berylia, Tubul, Great T'Fon and Jerakin. Which, in turn, work as a stand for the Disc itself, which has a diameter of ten thousand miles and is covered with a celestial dome.

An endless Edgefall flows from the Disc - these are the seas of the Disc flowing over the Edge into outer space. And in the foggy air above Edgefall hangs Edgeduga - an eight-color rainbow. But we, natives of the non-magical world, will see it as seven-colored. The eighth color is octarine, and only wizards can see it, whose eyes, in addition to the usual rods and cones, also have octagons. Octarine is formed by the scattering effect of sunlight in an intense magical field and, according to wizards, resembles a glowing greenish-yellow purple.

On the disc it is octarine - and not black at all - that is the opposite of white

However, it is not a fact that seeing Kraeduga is good. Near the Edge, sea currents become stronger and at some point it will no longer be possible to turn the ship back. Be careful!

If you look at the disk sky

...there we will also see something interesting.

The disk has its own moon - it is closer than the sun, and shines not with reflected light, but with its own light. It is motionless relative to the sun, so that half of it is completely scorched and black; on the other half live moon dragons, feeding on silver grass. When the moon is turned to the silvery side, a full moon occurs on the Disc, while a new moon means that the scorched side is looking at the Disc.

The Zodiac of the Disc is made up of sixty-four constellations: Heavenly Parsnip, Heavenly Cow, Flying Elk, Twisted Rope, Two Fat Cousins, Little Boring Group of Faded Stars and others.

Due to the fact that the local tiny sun moves around the Disc, and the Disc itself rotates at a speed of one revolution every eight hundred days, there are not four seasons, but eight. The sun rises and sets not in a fixed “east” and “west”, but constantly shifting and describing a full circle over the course of a year. The average temperature depends on how close the area is to the Edge. Cold weather awaits those who live near the Navel, that is, the center of the Disc; The farther from the Hubland, the warmer it is.

The anomalies do not end there. Light travels at subsonic speeds due to the fact that it travels in a strong magical field. Water - thanks to the same magical field - can be dry: this can be observed in the Dehydrated Ocean. In this state of aggregation, it looks like silver sand, but ships can sail on it. Even fish live in the Dehydrated Ocean - naturally, unique species, not similar to those known to us from the contents of aquariums and plates.

Light can be captured in reservoirs of polished quartz and stored until needed, which is successfully used by the Magi who live near the Great Desert of Nave on the Klatch continent. They say that such reservoirs, after several weeks of good weather, are a truly stunning sight, especially when viewed from above.

Where to go?

You can talk about the world of Disk forever, but the vacation is not endless. So, before buying a ticket, you should choose where exactly you want to go. Four continents (from the point of view of geography, actually two, but Nameless, Klatch and Counterbalance are usually considered separately - like we have Europe and Asia), many islands and countries, a wide variety of peoples inhabiting them - in general, there is a lot to think about think about it.

We will describe the most interesting places, without in any way, of course, claiming to be all-encompassing of the huge and most interesting world of the Disc. And to help you make your choice, we offer a test - in the best traditions of our world, where everyone loves to find out what kind of yogurt you are in Middle-earth.

Land of intelligent pears and obedient people: Agate Empire

The Agate Empire (also called Arientalia in Ankh-Morpork and the countries of the Nameless Continent) is one of the most powerful and wealthy countries in the world of the Disc. Judging by the invention, it is very progressive: iconography, glasses, paper money and insurance were created here.

Historically, the Agate Empire is also a very closed country. But the reason for this is not currents (as, for example, in the case of Krull and the continent of XXXXX), but the policy of the authorities - supported, however, by the majority of the population. Where a ruler - in this case the Emperor - is equated with a god, something like this always happens...

Members of the Red Army gathered for a meeting. The meeting opened with the singing of revolutionary songs. Since disobedience to authorities is not easy for the citizens of the Agate Empire, songs had names like “We Are Organically Moving Forward, While Only Slightly Disobeying And Following The Rules Of Good Tone.”

Terry Pratchett "Interesting Times"

The Great Wall as imagined by Josh Kirby

The Agate Empire occupies the entire Counterweight Continent. It is the largest country in the world of the Disc. At the same time, there is exactly one port along the entire vast coastline - Bes Pelargic. In all other places, the Agate Empire is protected from the rest of the world by the Great Wall - absolutely vertical, twenty feet high. Characteristically, the Great Wall was even built on the cliffs and along the perimeter of the islands that were part of the empire.

For a long time, contacts between foreigners and subjects of the empire were as limited as possible - and in order to reduce the sweetness of the forbidden fruit, rumors were spread that there was nothing at all behind the Wall. And the seas, islands, continents, people that are visible behind the wall are just illusions. And it doesn’t matter that you can catch a fish from the sea, or say hello or fight with a person - you never know what happens in the ghostly world.

In the Agate language, the self-name of the country is a homonym for the word “universe”. Similarly, the words “foreigner” and “ghost” are the same, and they are only slightly - a brush stroke - different from the word “victim”. So the innocent notes of the traveler Twoflower, entitled “How I Spent My Vacation,” became the greatest dissident literature of the Agate Empire, samizdat, which was copied by hand and distributed within the revolutionary underground. Twoflower, who had previously been a modest insurance agent, had to devote part of his biography to prison. But since Cohen the Barbarian seized power, his career has rapidly risen, up to and including the Grand Viziership.

Twoflower, Discworld's first tourist

The rules in the Agate Empire have become more liberal - which is extremely useful, considering how interesting the country is in terms of tourism. Thus, a large amount of octarine on the Counterbalance Continent gave rise to a very peculiar flora. The famous vul walnut vines from the western plantations of the province of Reigrid are return plants that, if planted this year, bear fruit in the previous eight. Vul nut wine allows you to look into the future - because from the point of view of the nut it represents the past.

No less famous are the groves of pear trees, which understand human speech even when cut and processed. Products made from this wood will follow their owner through space and time. It is from the sapiens pear - whose wood is not yet susceptible to magic - that the best staves for wizards are obtained. Most often they are made with an impressive knob, whose uses are very diverse, as folklore says. (We do not provide the text of the song “There is a sickly knob on a magic staff” for censorship reasons - however, you can hear it in any tavern on the Disk).

A chest made from sapiens pear is much more than just luggage! Laundry, bodyguard, watercraft, pet - the uses are endless!

Another feature of the Agate Empire is related to the geology of the Counterbalance Continent: a fair portion of it consists of gold-bearing rocks. So gold is valued very cheaply there; rain pipes and tiles are made from it. This contributes to the decoration of cities, including the capital of the Agate Empire - Gunkung, one of the two largest cities of the Disc (the other is Ankh-Morpork).

In any case, it is beautiful when viewed from above. Because from the height of human growth, Gunkung most of all resembles a huge bazaar, where shops merge with houses, and something dangling on ropes can be goods, laundry to dry, or lunch. However, this only adds color.

The librarian of the invisible university is an orangutan, but he is not from Bangbangduk. He's basically a human - it's just that this doesn't happen with magicians.

The island is also of interest Bangbangduk, the homeland of orangutans (the librarian of the Unseen University of Ankh-Morpork, we think he will agree with us). Just beware of hammerhead - this predatory plant can even attack humans, although it usually prefers small animals. His special feature is a sledgehammer in the middle of the foliage. If you see something like this, just avoid this unfriendly flora.

Residents of China or Japan will feel most comfortable in Arientalia. It will remind the Chinese of the Jade Empire, especially if you visit the Closed City in the capital or walk along the Great Wall. To the Japanese - about the time of the “political miracle” (we hope that the Agate Empire will also move towards the “economic miracle” - there are prerequisites for this). And the concept of tourism itself is very close to the Japanese, and the current Grand Vizier (second man of the state) is the first tourist in the world of Disk.

Wave Over the Edge: Krull

Not everyone knows about the existence of Krull, even on the Disc. This ancient kingdom is located on the island of the same name, which is shaped like a wave, and is literally on the Edge itself - so much so that its highest part, the “crest of the wave,” protrudes slightly beyond the Disk. To miss such a spectacle would be incredible stupidity on the part of the Krullians - and this quality is not characteristic of them. Therefore, where the island hangs over the edge, a huge amphitheater was built for several tens of thousands of people.

Spectators can admire not only cosmic landscapes. In the arena of the amphitheater there is a miracle of engineering - a lifting device that allows you to send research expeditions beyond the Edge (and sometimes even bring them back). In this way, astrozoologists study the vital functions of Great A’Tuin and the elephants standing on it.

This is not the only large-scale project of the Krullians. Even more impressive is the Circular Network that encircles the entire perimeter of the Disk - its length is thirty thousand miles. It catches all large objects that are carried beyond the Edge by the waters of the Circumferential Ocean. And then the sailors of the seven fleets patrolling the Circumnet sort the loot... and here we cannot help but mention, to put it politely, an ethical ambiguity. Not only barrels of wine or bales of material fall into the net, but also ships carrying people (as well as gnomes, trolls and other inhabitants of the Disc) carried away by the currents. And the basis of the prosperity of Krull - a country of satiety and idleness, ruled by wise philosophers who strive to comprehend the secrets of the universe - is also slavery.

Nobody knows where you will end up when you fall off the disk. This is what scares me the most

Sailors in trouble (who, without the Circumnet, would only have to fly beyond the Edge) have few options: either submit and let their tongues be torn out, or almost certainly commit suicide by crossing the Circumnet and jumping from the Edge (and this is really very scary), or try to escape to one of the three hundred and eighty islands around Krull - which, in fact, will only delay the choice between the first and second options.

I will not become a slave! - Rincewind shouted. - Yes, I’ll jump over the Edge sooner!
The wizard himself was amazed at how decisively his voice sounded.

Terry Pratchett "The Color of Magic"

So we recommend that you think everything through carefully before heading to Krull. However, if everything goes well, supporters of extreme tourism will have something to talk about. Krull Island is beautiful in itself (mountains, mostly covered with green forests, picturesque white stone or ship-based houses that rise up, ledge after ledge) - and what unique views open from the Edge! The ruby ​​eyes of giant elephants resemble scarlet stars, their tusks are like gigantic rocks - and all this splendor pales before the power of the Great A’Tuin’s fin alone...

To feel comfortable on Krull, you must either be born there (and in a free family) and accept this way of life for granted, or somehow preserve or cultivate ancient Greek thinking in yourself, and upon arrival on the island manage not to fall into slavery. It seems to us that for a tourist from today’s Earth this is fantastic.

Fools are not shown half the work: continent XXXXX

Continent XXXX (aka Four X, Forex, Terror Incognita or Horror) is one of the most mysterious places on the Disc. The reason for this is that it was created much later than the rest of the world, by a different god (a different “author’s handwriting” is visible), and most importantly, it was not completed. Literally.

Millions of years ago it was created thirty thousand years old. Only, since time there flows as he pleases, he is actually still new. It was not adjusted to the rest of the Disc, not planed, much less sanded, and in the fabric of the universe, continent XXXX most of all resembles a piece of a puzzle, placed in the overall picture on the wrong side. And turning a hefty continent (and even in nine dimensions at once) is quite difficult.

This is reflected directly and in very diverse ways on what is happening in Horror. The past, present and future there intricately flow into each other, giving rise to bizarre twists, paradoxes and other macrame. For those who are on Forex, it is commonplace to see their portrait among the ancient rock paintings. And even a self-portrait.

Rincewind in XXXX as presented by Josh Kirby

Such anomalies could not but affect the climate. Most of the time, the XXXXX continent is absolutely dry: a giant cloudy spiral of an anticyclone spins there, preventing water from spilling onto land. And although there are many rivers in Forex, most often there is no water there. For the Horror Trallians, sudden rain becomes not only a blessing, but also a source of problems. We have to cancel the regatta - if the Zanud River is full of water, how will the camels be able to pull the yachts?

Residents of XXXX have a difficult relationship with water. It is difficult to set off on a long voyage from there: dangerous currents strive to carry the unwary ship to the Edgefall. But you can look at it differently: Horror Trallians are convinced that Terror Incognita is the best place in the world, and there is simply no point in leaving from there. This optimism is worthy of special mention - after all, we are talking about a continent where almost all poisonous snakes were eaten by poisonous spiders...

Taking one book at random, Death read the text on the cover:
- “DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES AND LICHENS TERROR INCOGNITA.” - His gaze ran over the spine. “VOLUME 29,” he added. - SUB VOLUME V. EXCELLENT.
He glanced around at the silent shelves.
- MAYBE IT WOULD BE EASIER IF I ASKED FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE HARMFUL CREATURES OF THE ABOVE-NAMED CONTINENT?
...Death was picked up by a lonely leaf. Having carefully read its contents, he turned the piece of paper over for a second, just in case there was something written on the back.
- Can I take a look? - asked Albert. Death handed him a piece of paper.
“Individual sheep,” Albert read aloud.

Terry Pratchett "The Last Continent"

We hope this hasn't discouraged you from visiting Horrorland. After all, this area is very interesting for an inquisitive tourist. Extreme lovers will have plenty of time to admire the beauty of the desert - there you can get to the huge Red Rock, where the source of time is located, meet a talking kangaroo and find cheese and puddings under the stones.

And for those thirsty for cultural leisure, we can safely recommend the capital of Forex - Pugalow. It has an Opera House that looks like both an open box of tissue and a ship ready to sail, its own magical Invisible University (whose tower is no more than twenty feet high on the outside, but rises half a mile above the city on the inside), and numerous ballad writers, always ready sing about the exploits of yet another thief sentenced to death.

Never try to steal a sheep! Moreover, do not give the slightest reason to suspect yourself of this. Don't be surprised by the unusual appearance of the Horror Trallians: in addition to representatives of the usual races on the Disc like humans, gnomes or trolls, you may meet a crocodile innkeeper or a sheep in overalls talking about Chardonnay from Rust Valley. Accept it as a fact: you are fine, you don’t need the help of a psychiatrist. And just in case, don’t talk to the natives about the weather.

And further. Uzhastralia has surprisingly good beer! We think that the residents of Australia and New Zealand will feel almost at home on the continent of XXXXX. By the way, many Forex places are extremely cinematic...

Time in the Pyramids: Jaylibaby

Jayleebaby through the eyes of Josh Kirby

If you are tired of the constantly changing world, if you are stressed from the need to constantly react to something new, Jaylibaby will have a truly healing effect on you. This small country - only two miles wide and one hundred and fifty miles long - deals with time in a very peculiar way: in fact, here it flows in a circle. And although people in Jeilibaybi, like everywhere else, are born and die, by and large nothing changes around them. The Jel River, which gave its name to the state, still flows with life-giving muddy water, the peasants still grow melons and garlic, the pharaohs, in whom the Jellibeybians believe, as well as in their (not known anywhere else on the Disc) gods, still acquire superpowers...

True, the economy doesn’t matter here. The construction of numerous pyramids, thanks to which such things can be done over time, is an extremely wasteful undertaking. And if you do not move along the path of progress, you will eventually find yourself bankrupt. What our earthly Egypt could somehow afford in ancient times ultimately led Jeylibaby to a logical conclusion: how could it be otherwise if our neighbors around the world are already in full swing with modern and modern times, and here it is becoming decrepit and decrepit? ..

Paradise of Slaves and Philosophers: Ephebe

Krull is not the only country on the Disc that allows slavery. True, in the city-state of Ephebe the situation is completely different. Oddly enough, Ephebe is called the “cradle of democracy,” and this is largely true: the country has had elected power for several millennia. Once every five years, a tyrant is elected there, who must have an impeccable reputation and provide evidence of the purity of thoughts and deeds (and after election, he, as a rule, turns out to be a maniac and a criminal).

During these five years, the tyrant has practically unlimited power... but there are still some things he cannot do. For example, abolishing slavery - there are too many protests against this. From the side of the slaves.

The fact is that, according to Ephebian laws, the owner must feed his slaves three times a day (and once with quality meat), take care of their housing, give them a day off once a week, and once a year - a paid two-week escape... Beating a slave or mistreating him is out of the question - this is a serious crime. A slave is, you know, property, and respect for property is one of the foundations of the state. And although slaves have the right to free themselves after twenty years of slavery, there are no people willing to take advantage of this.

Once upon a time there was a great Library in Ephebe, but then it was burned so that it would not go to the conquerors

Our travel agency recommends a trip to Ephebe, unlike Krull. You can admire the wonderful landscapes of the Klatchian coast of the Round Sea, picturesque ruins and white marble palaces, meet philosophers living in barrels with saunas (don’t be scared of wet naked old men running down the street shouting “Eureka!” - they are usually harmless)…

Those who wish can tickle their nerves by trying to walk through the Labyrinth (we do not recommend doing this without guides! And remember: each guide knows only his own part of the Labyrinth). And for literature lovers, we remind you: it is in Ephebe that the largest non-magical library on the Disc is located!

Fat Land: Uberwald

It appears to be the largest country on the Nameless Continent, stretching all the way to the Umbilical Peak of Mount Cori Celesti. But anything can be said about the geography of Uberwald only with reservations. And that's why.

To begin with, although Uberwald is an area completely developed by intelligent inhabitants, there are no accurate maps of it. Overgrown with dense ancient forests, dissected by mountain ranges and fast rivers that abound with waterfalls, and also having, in fact, two weather options - “terrible cold” and “scorching heat”, it does not favor visiting cartographers. Anyone who does not know this area leaves the known paths at their own peril and risk - even if no one is interested in them from a gastronomic point of view, you can wander in the local thickets for a long time. But local residents don’t need maps.

In addition, Uberwald, strictly speaking, is not exactly a country - it is a set of separate cities and castles, with no borders between them. In addition, clans of trolls live in the Sheep Mountains, and many dwarves live underground in their kingdom - but this still does not add internal unity to Uberwald. It's a pity, sometimes it wouldn't hurt. Because there may be some problems in Uberwald...

Problem number one is werewolves. Although many of their families are rich and trace their ancestry back for many centuries, living with such a trait as werewolfism is not easy - the social adaptation of werewolves leaves much to be desired. Which can take different forms - from hunting people to killing their relatives, if they do not correspond to the ideas of proper werewolves.

Delphine Angua von Uberwald is a guard from the Ankh-Morpork police. Oh, if only all werewolves were so civilized...

Problem number two - vampires. To the credit of the Uberwald ghouls, many of them “gave up” and switched to animal blood - although this replacement is similar to replacing whiskey with lemonade. They solemnly wear a black ribbon with the inscription “Not a drop!” and belong to the Temperance League. But “many” does not mean “all”. In addition, even the most strong-willed and law-abiding vampire can sometimes lose his temper - although later he will be very ashamed. Maybe.

Problem number three could be gnomes - but this is unlikely to affect tourists. You are not going to engage in large trade transactions and enter into contracts for the supply of minerals, are you? Although in their part Uberwald is unique. Iron ore, coal, gold, silver are, of course, important components of the welfare of the Uberwaldians, but one fossil has no analogues not only in our world, but also on the Disc. This is the fat of the earth.

Of course Vimes knew the legend. Once upon a time there were five, not four, elephants standing on the shell of the Great A'Tuin, but one either stumbled or was shaken off as a result of some cataclysm. The boulders that fell into the deep hole buried the elephant's carcass deep underground. Then millennia dragged on, and there, in the depths, something was boiling and melting. This is the story of the origin of the fat of the earth.

Terry Pratchett "The Fifth Elephant"

The most powerful deposits of rendered fat, white solid fat, light interior fat... Lighting, detergents and even food! Even if you get lost in the endless forests of Uberwald, you will almost certainly not die of starvation. Fat sources and fat geysers are at your service. True, sometimes you come across GCTs (burnt crunchy things) - usually these are giant prehistoric animals... but, in any case, they are well cooked! And firewood, if you first dip it in an oil fountain, will burn much better.

The fifth elephant, captured by Josh Kirby moments before impact

So we recommend it. Amazingly beautiful landscapes, hiking routes of varying difficulty, delicious mountain air and a lot of gloomy romance. An unforgettable vacation is guaranteed! Romanians, Hungarians, Austrians and, of course, Russians will find a certain similarity with their homeland (although not always with the modern one) in Uberwald. Just take a closer look at the two-headed bat - the coat of arms of Uberwald, at his famous wooden dolls that nest in each other, at his economy...

Miracles on the Cornice: Lancre

But even in the small countries of the Disc there are extremely interesting places. Such, for example, is Lancre - a kingdom with a population of only six hundred inhabitants (including dwarves and trolls who do not recognize the Lancre Crown). Its most populated part is located on a narrow cornice above the Sto plains, and the rest is a small piece of the huge massif of the Ovtsepik Mountains.

The entire area of ​​Lancre is approximately 400 square miles. However, this number is quite approximate, and not only because of the difficulties of measurement in inhospitable rocky areas. The point is also that the Sheep Mountains - especially the part where Lancre is located - are located in the channel of a powerful flow of magical streams. And this affects literally everything - including distances and room sizes.

Because of this, Lancre is famous on the Disc as the place of origin of most wizards and witches. The most famous witches of the present time - Esmeralda Weatherwax (respectfully called Mother Weatherwax) and Gita Ogg (who is usually addressed as Nanny Ogg) - are also Lancreans.

Gita Ogg is known not only for her magical achievements, but also for her literary ones. She is the author of “Mother Ogg's Tales for Little Ones (with Pictures),” “Nanny Ogg's Cookbook,” and “Delicious Joy” (the latter was banned from publication for censorship reasons). Her most famous poetic work is “Song about a Hedgehog.” (The text is not given for censorship reasons - but you can hear it in any tavern on the Disk). However, there is an opinion that the song was originally folk, and Nanny Ogg simply added to the text.

Prophetic Sisters, aerial photography by Paul Kidby

Lancre is famous for its master blacksmiths. The development of this craft was facilitated by both iron ore deposits and the threat from elves from a parallel world - due to the paradoxes of the magical field, there were at least two passages to another dimension. Both are now sealed with meteorite iron seals and the area is considered safe. The products of local skilled blacksmiths will undoubtedly decorate your home.

For lovers of caving tourism, we can recommend the vast and picturesque Lancre Caves, which extend under the entire kingdom. True, moving in them requires caution due to chronoparadoxes: do not be surprised if you see yourself (and especially do not harm yourself!). And connoisseurs of landscapes will certainly appreciate the clear glacial lakes and emerald mountain meadows where flocks of sheep graze - this is also a well-deserved pride of Lancre. The English living in rural areas like Lancashire and the Swiss will find a touching similarity between Lancre and their homeland.

Abode of the Gods: Navel

Gods of the Discworld as imagined by Paul Kidby

In the Navelland, between Mount Ulskanrahod (whose name means "Who is the idiot who doesn't know what a mountain is?") and the Whirlpool Plains, lies the highest part of the Disc, the Navel. Its peak is Mount Cori Celesti. Its height is 10 miles, and at the very top is the Dunmanifestin Palace - which translated from the divine language means “It’s enough to manifest itself.” It is there that the most powerful gods of the Disc live. As you might guess, they come down to their admirers with great reluctance and extremely rarely.

This is not surprising. On the Disc, a god remains a god only as long as enough people believe in him. As soon as faith weakens, the loser becomes a minor god, forced to live where crumbs of worship can still be collected, that is, below. In particularly advanced cases, God simply disappears. However, new gods often appear - in a world saturated with magic, faith works miracles.

Because of such instability, it cannot be said that the gods are in the most privileged position on the Disc. For true immortality - regardless of whether they believe in them or not - is possessed not by them, but by Supernatural creatures like Death or Time.

Ankh-Morpork

Ankh-Morpork, view from above. The artist especially succeeded in creating the unique texture of the Ankh River.

There are larger cities in the world. There are richer cities in the world. There are certainly more beautiful cities in the world. But no city in the multiverse can compete with Ankh-Morpork in terms of smell.

The Great and Ancient Ones, who knew everything about the universes and inhaled the smells of Calcutta, !Ksrk-!a and central Marsport, unanimously agreed that even these magnificent examples of nasal poetry are nothing more than ditties in comparison with the odes of the smell of Ankh-Morpork.

We can talk about goats. We can talk about garlic. We can talk about France. Go ahead. But if you haven't smelled Ankh-Morpork in hot weather, you haven't smelled anything.

Terry Pratchett "Mad Star"

The true pearl of the Disc is Ankh-Morpork, the largest port, trade and scientific-magical capital of this entire highly non-flat world. Many inhabitants of the Earth - Tallinn and New Yorkers, Prague and Londoners - may see in it similarities with their hometowns, but in fact Ankh-Morpork is extremely original. Sometimes even too much. But what could be too much for a true exotic lover?

The Ankh-Morporkians affectionately call their homeland "Big Koichren" - after the famous strange-earth vegetable (which reaches twenty feet in height, is covered with hefty spines the color of earwax, and smells like an anteater having dined on a particularly fragrant anthill).

Ankh-Morpork was conveniently located at the mouth of the Ankh River - which had previously flowed through all the plains of the Sto and collected a fair amount of clay suspension from there. However, at the place where it flows into the city - at the Water Gate - it is still impossible to walk along it, but where it flows out of the city, at the River Gate, it is already quite possible.

Detailed map of Ankh-Morpork

By the way, one of the mottos of Ankh-Morpork says: “Merus in pectum et in aquam”, which in the old Latatine dialect means “Pure in soul and water”. The two hippopotamuses on the coat of arms are a tribute to the history of the city and the heroic hippopotamus that fed two twin brothers. According to legend, they later became the founders of Ankh-Morpork. Today, the Copper Bridge is decorated with eight statues of hippopotamuses looking out to the sea. If the city is threatened, they will behave like true patriots of Ankh-Morpork. That is, they will run away as fast as they can.

The river divides the city into two roughly equal parts: the wealthier Ankh and the less wealthy Morpork (including a slum area called the Shadows). It's worth keeping an eye on your wallet everywhere, but in Morpork we recommend at least doubling your vigilance. To Ankh-Morpork's credit, we will say that when the city guard was headed by Commander Samuel Vimes, much less crime began to be committed in the city.

The Night Guard of Ankh-Morpork, captured by Paul Kidby

Ankh-Morpork has many of the features of a metropolis. It is multinational - the largest gnomish diaspora on the Disk lives here, a lot of trolls, a few less werewolves and vampires... It would take too long to list all the intelligent inhabitants of Ankh-Morpork - so we will get to the talking mongrel named Gaspode.

It is a large industrial center, and thanks to its proximity to the Round Sea and the presence of a very popular port, it is also a shipbuilding center. The city has many shops, markets (especially the famous Livestock Market) and other establishments where you can buy, sell and dine. You can’t help but try the famous sausage rolls at Myself-Cut-Without-a-Knife-Dostable. But stock up on activated charcoal or other stomach tablets. And there is no need to squeak, bark or meow at his counter - such transparent hints are considered bad manners.

Click towers in the vicinity of Ankh-Morpork. But it's better to use the post office, it was recently revived (as shown in the TV movie "Post Office")

You can find out about news both in Ankh-Morpork and in much of the Disc from numerous newspapers. Thanks to the fact that the network of click towers - the local analogue of the telegraph - now stretches across the entire plain of Sto, a large part of the Ovtsepik region and Uberwald and has reached all the way to Orlais, information isolation does not threaten you. True, you will have to do without Wi-Fi for now.

The administrative structure of the city is complex: all spheres of life are in the hands of representatives of more than three hundred Guilds. How many of them there are, perhaps only the patrician Havelock Vetinari, the best ruler of the Disc (and maybe not only the Disc), knows. One gets the impression that Vetinari knows everything about the city - at least everything he needs. He himself graduated with honors from the school of assassins in the guild of the same name and now holds the position of vice-rector at this school. By the way, this is the most prestigious educational institution in AnkhMorpork, providing excellent education - especially in the field of humanities.

Patrician Vetinari: cunning and absolutely irreplaceable. He also held a good position in Game of Thrones!

The largest center of scientific and magical life on the Disc is the Invisible University of Ankh-Morpork. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to view this outstanding architectural monument: it bears its name not in vain. It would be more accurate to call it “The University, which is visible only when it itself wants it or when it can no longer get away.”

However, if you are lucky, you will be able to admire it - but only from the outside. Turrets, high lancet windows, picturesque arches, flower beds and flower beds, graceful transitions between buildings (there are eleven in total) - it’s worth spending some time and watching for the right moment.

However, it’s hard not to see the main tower of the University

There are two sayings in the city: “All roads lead to Ankh-Morpork” and “All roads lead from Ankh-Morpork.” It’s pointless to argue which one is more truthful - it’s better to just be there. Perhaps, if somewhere you can recognize the very soul of this beautiful world, it is in Ankh-Morpork. And you'll just have to get used to the smell.

Just a fairy tale: Orlais

Those who pay tribute to cooking when traveling should visit Orlais - the city of chefs and carnivals. As we know, gourmet cooking flourishes where ordinary, simple products are in short supply - and in Orlais, located on the coast of the Marsh Sea in the Vieux River delta, where most of the land is occupied by tropical swamps, there are not many potatoes or wheat. Therefore, the Orlais chef is said to be able to prepare an unforgettable gastronomic masterpiece even from dirt, dry leaves and seasonings.

The Prophetic Sisters had a good time in Orlais in Witches Abroad (drawing by Sandy Nightingale)

No, you are not in a fairy tale. Fortunately. The fairy tale ended some time ago, so Orlais became a practically safe place. Yes, crocodiles live in the swamps, but this, you see, is such trifles compared to the Good Fairy! A fairy-tale ruler is monstrous... Fortunately, Baron Saturday's daughter is now in power, which is much better, believe me!

You don't need to go there!

We sincerely hope that you will not end up in any way from the world of the Disc into other dimensions (and will not encounter those who live in them). Why? Well, for example, because it seems that none of the mere mortals was able to return from there alive and without changing their essence. Even for those gifted with the ability to perform magic, it is much easier to perish there than to survive... So let’s talk about precautions in the world of the Disc.

Ladies and gentlemen through the eyes of Josh Kirby

Unfortunately, due to the fact that elves can charm and hypnotize people, it is difficult to resist them - and impossible for an unprepared person. So it's better not to meet with them. And carry something iron with you, something larger - this will at least somehow confuse the enemy.

Secondly, try to avoid attention Auditors- inhabitants of another dimension in contact with the Disk. These are extremely unpleasant entities (however, they think no better of us). The danger of Auditors is not so much that they like to understand everything (more precisely, disassemble it into components, down to atoms inclusive), but that they consider life itself to be a dirty spot on the sheet of the Universe. Well, to the best of their ability - and they have some - they try to clean this sheet.

And thirdly, take care of yourself. Death, of course, is a thoughtful and polite interlocutor (although he speaks EXCLUSIVELY IN CAPS), and visiting his house, also located in a space separated from the Disk, may be interesting (have you ever seen a bathroom with pipes without holes and towels made of stone? and a luminous one) a horse? and an hourglass-life-meter? and in general a place where time does not flow and where it is impossible to grow old?) But still, it’s better not to rush to meet him.

Death on Holiday, captured by Paul Kidby

* * *

By the way, these cards are from discworldemporium.com

We, of course, described (and then very briefly) only a few interesting places in the world that Great A’Tuin carries on its back. Unfortunately, the volume of the booklet does not allow us to talk about all the attractions of the Disc. We had to bypass Szczebotan, the birthplace of the greatest inventor Leonard of Szczebotan, and the tropics of Govandoland, where the lost temple of Offler, the god of crocodiles, and the imaginary dragons of Chervberg, and the city of the plain of Sto...

But, as you know, it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. Our travel agency guarantees: after your first trip to Disk, you will want to return there again and again. Discover the world of Disc! Have a nice trip!

Continuing the conversation about the reading preferences of librarians of the Central Library. A. S. Pushkin, we present another facet (or sector) of the author’s circle of readings about the foreign ironic detective Elena.

Today we will talk about English literature. Or rather, about the work of one of the most popular writers in Great Britain today, the creator of a very interesting and unusual world.

“In a distant and far from new set of measurements, in that wing of the Cosmos that was never intended for flight, the swirling star mists tremble, part and...
Look...
Then the Great A'Tuin approaches, a turtle slowly swimming through the interstellar strait. In Her brain, larger than the size of a city, thoughts turn with geological slowness, and all of them are about the Burden.
The bulk of the Burden consists of four gigantic elephants, on whose broad backs, tanned under the light of the stars, rests the disk of the Discworld, bordered by the foamy garland of a grandiose waterfall and covered with the soft blue dome of Heaven.

Astropsychology has not been able to determine what elephants are thinking about.”

So, get acquainted: Diskworld, or Disk World, or Flat World, as it is called in some Russian translations.

And here is its creator - sirTerrence David John Pratchett

that is, no - here is its creator - sir Terrence David John Pratchettbetter known to the reading public as Terry Pratchett, one of the brightest authors of ironic fantasy.

It is very difficult in a short review time to talk about a writer who has created many interesting and very different books, about a world to which more than forty novels are dedicated, but I will try...

There is such a wise phrase: “The world survived because it laughed.” Good humor is necessary, like a breath of air, because being able to laugh at yourself and at circumstances is not the way to exist in our crazy world? And here a witty book will come in very handy, easily and inventively telling about serious things, unobtrusively making you think about the eternal problems of our existence...

These are the books that make up "Flat world" is the most popular ironic fantasy cycle ever written by anyone, and has long since acquired cult status throughout the reading world. Pratchett's books are certainly intelligent reading, but perhaps never before have intelligent books been written in such a fun and entertaining way.

The mirror of all other worlds is the true essence of Pratchett’s creation. Universe Discworld, its inhabitants and the events that happen to them can be absolutely fantastic. But familiar features peek through them, and behind the author’s sly smile, the reader is confronted with the very real problems of our world. And most importantly - bright and recognizable characters. If realist authors adhere to the truth of fact, then Pratchett’s books adhere to the truth of life. And the fantastic assumption does not in the least interfere with its perception; on the contrary, it allows us to see something new in a familiar situation, not hidden by the husk of everyday life.

But let's return for a moment to the author of the Discworld himself.
Terry Pratchett was born on April 28, 1948. he is 62 years old.While still studying at Wycombe Technical High School, he published his first story in a student magazine. Immediately after graduation, he became a crime journalist, then worked as a press attache for three nuclear power plants at once. IN 1971 . His first novel, "People of the Carpet", was published. Real success came in 1983 . with the publication of the novel “The Color of Magic”, from which the grandiose Discworld cycle began.

Nowadays, Pratchett is one of the most widely read British writers; for his contribution to literature, he was awarded the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1998.and in February 2009 he was knighted.

All novels in the series are regularly among the national British bestsellers, which is rare for science fiction. There are 14 books by Pratchett in the widely known BBC list of “The 200 Best Books of All Time.” A number of books have been filmed (the author himself appeared in cameo roles in three film adaptations) .

On our television they showed “The Color of Magic” and “Santa Hryakus”. Several computer games were also released. Pratchett's novels have been translated into almost every major language and have been published many times around the world.The total circulation of his books has already exceeded 50 million copies.

Based on Pratchett’s books, fans hold festivals, role-playing games, and stage costume performances, so-called cosplays. Here, by the way, is Pratchett himself at one of these events.

In addition to the main series, Pratchett wrote several more “discworld” books for children, there are also illustrated books, pseudoscientific works co-authored with Stephen Briggs, and gorgeous guidebooks: “Streets of Ankh-Morpork” and “Map of the Discworld”, “Science of the Discworld” Mira" and "Nanny Ogg's Cookbook" and much, much more, alas, still not published in Russian, but partially available on the Internet in amateur translations.

Pratchett was also very lucky with illustrators, whose works we will get acquainted with later.

The writer currently lives in Somersetshire with his wife Lynn and daughter Rihanna, who followed in her father's footsteps and also became a journalist and writer.Sir Terry is interested in astronomy, mountaineering and computer technology.

But let's take a closer look at the world of the Disc and its inhabitants.

The themes of the Discworld books are very varied and quite serious. Here are reflections on real and imaginary heroism, and the problem of freedom of thought and speech, and research into the essence of power... Religion and journalism, law and order, fairy tales and equality, the magical power of art and thoughts about death, Shakespeare and the Phantom of the Opera, vampires and dragons, xenophobia and patriotism, Death and faith...

In general, the Discworld is a place where you can immerse yourself seriously and for a long time.

As you remember, the PM is a disk standing on the backs of four elephants, which in turn rest on the shell of a huge cosmic turtle. Such a bulky structure, apparently, would not be able to stay in space if it did not have, according to the author, “a high magical potential and an extremely low index of reality.” Thanks to the above-mentioned laws, not only people, gnomes, trolls and - from time to time - elves live in the Disc World, as real creatures of flesh and blood (or silicon), but also heroes of folk fantasy. Such as the tooth fairy, the sand man, Santa Hryakus (analogous to Santa Claus) and Death are an anthropomorphic entity, the embodiment of people's imagination about this phenomenon.

Death in the Discworld is generally a very interesting and charismatic character. First of all, it's him. Well, at least as far as one can determine the gender of an anthropomorphic entity. He is a tall skeleton, with a sword or scythe, riding a white horse named Binky, loving cats and living outside of reality, in a cozy cottage overlooking a goldfish pond and wheat fields. He watches the hourglass in which the life of each person is measured, and when the time comes, with a wave of his scythe he cuts the thread that holds the soul to the body. One day, when Death was forced to retire from business, something like this began: people did not stop dying, but the city was filled with the living dead... (novel “The Grim Reaper”)

There is no single chronology of Discworld books, no matter how hard fans of the series try to create it. But books can be divided into cycles .

The series about the chronic loser half-educated wizard Rincewind, from whom, in fact, it all began, and the series of books about the city guard are directly related tothe greatest city of the Discworld, Ankh-Morpork.A dual metropolis of contrasts - respectable Ankh and gangster Morpork. “The city has seen floods, fires, invasions of nomadic hordes, many revolutions and dragons - and Ankh-Morpork has survived all this.”

It "...is full of life, like moldy cheese on a hot day; it is loud, like a curse in a temple; bright and shiny, like oil spilled and playing in the sun; multi-colored, like a bruise, and seething with vanity, business activity and all kinds of stormy activities..."

Over Ankh-Morpork The Tower of Arts rises, around which the Invisible University, a higher school of magic, was eventually formed.

And here comes Rincewind - the most cowardly and unlucky wizard on the Disk. Rincewind is tall and skinny, with a plucked beard adorning his chin. He wears a dark red robe with magical symbols embroidered in faded sequins that has seen better days, and perhaps better decades. On his head, Rincewind wears a pointed hat with a rumpled and drooping brim, on which someone has embroidered in large silver letters: “The Wizard” (in general, the spelling and grammar of the Discworld clearly anticipated the notorious “Albanian” language of the Internet). The top of the hat is crowned with a star, which has lost most of its sparkles.

He is cowardly and cautious, but troubles constantly overtake him. As soon as he relaxes for a minute and tries to rest, fate throws challenges at him. His motto: “I run, therefore I exist.” Death unsuccessfully tries to come to him to take his soul, but he either escapes at the last moment or ends up in the wrong place where death would await him. Over time, the hourglass of his life begins to bend, and the sand in it begins to flow backwards. Rincewind is a well-known expert in linguistics and practical geography - he can shout “Help!” in fourteen languages ​​and beg for mercy in another twelve.

We meet Rincewind in the very first book, “The Color of Magic,” and its sequel, “The Mad Star.” It all begins with the first tourist Twoflower arriving in Ankh-Morpork from the Agate Empire. And even though he does not have a heroic appearance - a small, bald and skinny man, dressed in short pants reaching to the knees and a shirt of unnaturally bright colors - his desire to become a tourist in this world is truly heroic. By nature, Twoflower is trusting and innocent, like a child, but wherever he goes with his trusting and innocence, he brings destruction and horror with him. He is trusting and friendly with absolutely everyone, even with those who openly encroach on his life and property. Twoflower is simply confident that the world is a wonderful place to live and that nothing bad can ever happen to a tourist.

So our Twoflower, a completely ordinary employee of an insurance company, having saved up a little (by the standards of the Agate Empire) money, goes on vacation to distant Ankh-Morpork to get acquainted with the sights of the city and see in person the famous barbarian heroes of the Netherland. In a tavern, he meets the would-be wizard Rincewind and hires him as a guide.

First of all, they become indirectly responsible for the next arson of Ankh-Morpork, then they end up in the temple of the terrible Bel-Shamgaroth, from where they escape with great difficulty. Then fate takes them to Mount Chervberg, where people who fly on dragons live. After various twists and turns, the heroes almost fall into the abyss from the Edge of the Disc, but they are saved by a sea troll and end up in the mysterious island state of Krull. However, even on the island, dangers do not leave the heroes alone. The rulers of Krull were just about to launch a spaceship beyond the Edge of the Disk in order to experimentally establish the gender of Great A'Tuin. But Rincewind and Twoflower hijack the ship and find themselves outside the Land.

There are still many interesting novels and wonderful characters in this series.

Another character in this series that will certainly be interesting to us is the librarian of the Invisible University.

Yes, don't be surprised, it's an orangutan. He was once an ordinary wizard, but an uncontrolled release of magic from magic books turned him into a monkey (just don’t try to call him that). However, at the same time he retained both common sense and a sharp mind. Fellow wizards offered to turn him back, but he refused - it was much more convenient to get books from the top shelves. It’s just that his vocabulary is somewhat peculiar: o-uk, e-ek, o-ok... This does not prevent his comrades from understanding him, but he could hardly conduct a review of magical literature for his colleagues.

“The librarian was kind to reading in general, but the readers got on his nerves. There was something blasphemous in the way they took books from the shelves and wore out words with their reading ».

By the way, Terry Pratchett is the founder of the British Society for the Protection of Orangutans.

Many people know that the geographic map of the world we are accustomed to does not accurately reflect the real ratio of the areas of countries, and even more so of seas and oceans. The use of the Mercator projection leads to many distortions when, for example, Greenland looks larger than Australia... A fundamentally new projection proposed by Japanese designers made it possible to construct the most accurate map of the world that humanity has ever seen.

How did they do it?

A traditional map of the world is constructed in an ancient way, in which the image from the surface of the globe is transferred to a flat map using the Mercator projection. As a result, we get Greenland on the map several times larger than Australia, while in reality Greenland is three times smaller...

But a map built according to the principles of the AuthaGraph projection can be called truly innovative! Here the proportions of land and water remain unchanged and correspond to what we see on the globe. For this development, AuthaGraph received a prestigious award - the Japanese Good Design Award.

Then comes the original process of transferring the image onto a plane by combining various methods of projection through intermediate objects. This "multi-layer display" reduces the number of errors and monstrous distortions that arise when traditionally unfolding the surface of a globe into a flat map.

Of course, it is impossible to achieve complete perfection, but the map from AuthaGraph comes as close as possible to it.

How do the authors of the new world map explain the need for its appearance?
“Antarctica was discovered in 1820, and the first man reached the North Pole in 1909. In the 20th century, relations between East and West and North-South problems came to the forefront of world politics. The main territorial interest was the land, which was the human habitat. But since the end of the twentieth century, dwindling resources and environmental problems have forced attention to the polar regions and the territory of the oceans...
The AuthaGraphic World Map aims to support this new perspective and show what our globe actually looks like and how the interests of different countries and groups are distributed across it."

According to its creators, the new world map will allow you to look at the planet and its individual corners from a new angle and free yourself from ingrained stereotypes like “Western World”, “Far East”, “go north”.

For comparison: a world map drawn in 1844

World map of the 1490s, with the help of which Columbus convinced Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile to support his expedition.