Geoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Death: "MR JAMES EARL JONES?"

JEJ: "IS IT THAT TIME ALREADY?"

Death: "ARE YOU DOING MY VOICE?"

JEJ: "NO. PRATCHETT WROTE YOU WITH MY VOICE IN MIND."

Death: "WOW. THAT'S A FIRST."

JEJ: "AND THE ONLY TIME. IN ETERNITY. BEER?"

Death: "I THINK I NEED ONE."

James gently took his hand and led him into the desert.

Sep 9, 2024 at 9:26pmMastodon for Android
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024

For those wondering, Pratchett never said he specifically wrote Death with James Earl Jones' voice (AFAIK), but he did post this on alt.fan.pratchett:

"Death isn't online. If he was, there would be a sudden drop in the death rate. Although it'd be interesting to see if he'd post things like: DON'T YOU THINK I SOUND LIKE JAMES EARL JONES?"

https://libquotes.com/terry-pratchett/quote/lbd7w8m

Terry Pratchett Quote

Death isn't online. If he was, there would be a sudden drop in the death rate. Although it'd be interesting to see if he'd post things like: DON'T YOU THINK I SOUND LIKE JAMES EARL JONES?

Lib Quotes
Show threadEdelruth, PBS Passport HolderSep 9, 2024

@_thegeoff

I absolutely adore you for creating this.

It's perfect.

Show threadJonathan HarkerSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff I am sad. What an incredible voice.
Show threadStephen CollinsSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff @stufromoz Pterry would love this.
Show threadAlison MeeksSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff Really exceptional.
Show threadJan AinaliSep 10, 2024

@_thegeoff
There is no beer in the desert, but Death was too shook to realize that and just followed along gently.

In the deep desert, much like in space, no one can hear you scream.

Some time later, only James returned.

*Everyone* lived, surprised, ever after.

Show threadeconadsSep 10, 2024

@ainali @_thegeoff
As you should know, if Death goes missing, terrible things occur..

#discworld cannon..

Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024
@econads @ainali Also done (not quite as well) in Torchwood: Miracle Day. Turns out if nobody ever dies we rapidly run into logistical problems...
Show threadeconadsSep 11, 2024
@_thegeoff @ainali
Also in the Azimov Robot books: you can overcome this by having a very low population, nearly no children and a very atrophied society. Not applicable to us now anyway.
Show threadAriaflameSep 10, 2024
@ainali @_thegeoff You don't read much Pratchett do you?
Show threadJan AinaliSep 10, 2024
@ariaflame @_thegeoff Only Good Omens. Did he write anything else worth reading?
Show threadAriaflameSep 10, 2024
@ainali @_thegeoff Quite a bit. Including several books with the premise 'what if Death stops doing his job'.
Show threadJan AinaliSep 10, 2024
@ariaflame @_thegeoff Okay.
Show threadAriaflameSep 10, 2024
@ainali @_thegeoff If you want to try, considering the subject you might start with Mort, but others consider Guards! Guards! a good starting place for the Discworld books. They're not the first, but they're still good entry points.
Show threadScott McDowellSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff Perfect, no notes.
Show threadJames KiersteadSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff and now you will hang on the Tree of Woe
Show threadthermonuclear small claimsSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff Is that true, Death's voice was inspired by Jones? Wow how lovely.
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024
@fullfathomfive Somebody once asked (on Usenet I think?) who should play Death in a Discworld film. Pratchett replied with "DON'T YOU THINK I SOUND A LOT LIKE JAMES EARL JONES?"
Show threadJuho MäntysaloSep 10, 2024

@_thegeoff @fullfathomfive

Hm, must have been pretty early, as Christopher Lee had the role from 1996 onward (minus casting etc.).

(And thus I always think of Lee, ofc.)

https://youtu.be/4bu6LTiZZac?si=byPxWd3anbOIaCED&t=63

(The animation looked much better when I was 16.)

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024
@iju @fullfathomfive He never played him as far as I know, Pratchett just mentioned that Death might sound like him.
Show threadHarpSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff Love this and it’s also the bit at the end of the Shepherds Crown book and applies to Granny Weatherwax will miss JEJ voicing Darth and still miss Sir TP
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024
@HarpSong Carrie Fisher would have made a great Granny Weatherwax.
Show threadHarpSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff indeed she would have
Show threadDavid S (inactive)Sep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff I always thought getting Christopher Lee as the voice of Death in Soul Music was the most inspired bit of voice casting since David Jason did Dangermouse and now whenever I watch Lord of the Rings I think "ooh, it's Death"
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 11, 2024
@Pionir On Dangermouse, I'm obliged to note that the entire Duckula series is public domain on the Internet Archive. Trapdoor too. https://archive.org/details/CountDuckula_201706
Count Duckula : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Count Duckula is a British animated comedy-drama dark fantasy television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films as a spin-off from Danger Mouse,...

Internet Archive
Show threadawissSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff
R.I.P. JEJ
@limebar
Show threadTwoowls Elt 🦉 🦉Sep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff exceptional. Thank you for doing this.
Show threadMegatronicThronBanksSep 10, 2024

@_thegeoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGbJ67Ejzk

The Big Bang Theory: Sheldon at Carrie Fisher's Home

YouTube
Show threadGeoff 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 10, 2024
@megatronicthronbanks He was absolutely brilliant in that (as was Carrie Fisher), it looked like a lot of fun. That was in my head when I had him taking Death for a beer, no idea whether he actually drank.
Show threadThomas C. GrempeSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff huh, that is a twist.
Show threadKeithCSep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff beautifully done
Show threadMichelle (she/her)  🇵🇷Sep 10, 2024
@_thegeoff ❤️🫂 Well done!
Show threadApocalypseIsNowSep 11, 2024
@_thegeoff Brilliant!