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Reaper Man
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Reaper Man is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1991,
[1] it is the 11th Discworld novel and the second to focus on Death. The title is a
reference to Alex Cox's movie Repo Man.[2]
Reaper Man
Reaper-man-cover.jpg
First edition
Author
Terry Pratchett
Cover artist
Josh Kirby
Language
English
Series
Discworld
11th novel – 2nd Death story
Subject
Alien invasion, science fiction, "Man with No Name" Westerns, modernization,
shopping malls, minority rights movements
Characters:
Death, Unseen University staff
Locations:
Ankh-Morpork, Octarine Grass Country
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Victor Gollancz
Publication date
1991
ISBN
0-575-04979-0
Preceded by
Moving Pictures
Followed by
Witches Abroad
PlotEdit
Learn more
This section may fail to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction.
(October 2009)
The Auditors of Reality are beings who watch the Discworld to ensure everything
obeys The Rules. As Death starts developing a personality the Auditors feel that he
does not perform his Duty in the right way. They send him to live like everyone
else. Travelling to the Octarine Grass Country, he assumes the name "Bill Door" and
he works as a farm hand for the elderly Miss Flitworth. She is a spinster whose
fiancé, Rufus, died on a last smuggling expedition many years ago. There are
rumours that he had had second thoughts about their marriage but she does not
believe them.
While every other species creates a new Death for themselves, humans need more time
for their Death to be completed. As a result, the life force of dead humans starts
to build up; this results in poltergeist activity, ghosts, and other paranormal
phenomena. Most notable is the return of the recently deceased wizard Windle Poons,
who was really looking forward to reincarnation. After several misadventures,
including being accosted by his oldest friends, he finds himself attending the
Fresh Start club, an undead-rights group led by Reg Shoe. The Fresh Start club and
the wizards of Unseen University discover that the city of Ankh-Morpork is being
invaded by a parasitic lifeform that feeds on cities and hatches from eggs that
resemble snow globes. Tracking its middle form, shopping trolleys, the Fresh Start
club and the wizards invade and destroy the third form, a shopping mall.
When humankind finally thinks of a New Death, one with a crown and without any
humanity or human face, it goes to take Bill Door. Death/Door, having planned for
this moment for some time, outwits and destroys it. Having defeated the New Death,
Death absorbs the other Deaths back into him, with the exception of the Death of
Rats (and ultimately, the Death of Fleas). Death confronts Azrael, the Death of the
Universe, and states that the Deaths have to care or they do not exist and there is
nothing but Oblivion, which must also end some time.
Death asks for and receives some time. He meets up with Miss Flitworth again and
offers her unlimited dreams. She asks to go to the local Harvest Dance. They
prepare and join the townspeople for a full night of dancing.
As the sun is coming up, Miss Flitworth realizes she had died hours before the
dance even started. Death escorts her through back history to her old fiancé: as
she had believed, he had died in an accident and not been unfaithful. The young
couple enter the afterlife together.
Returning to the city of Ankh-Morpork, Death meets up with Windle Poons, finally
taking him to his afterlife. At the end there is also a discussion between Death
and the Death of Rats over what the Death of Rats should "ride", Death suggests a
dog while the Death of Rats suggests a cat.
CharactersEdit
Death / Bill Door
Renata Flitworth
Auditors of Reality
Azrael
New Death
Death of Rats
Windle Poons
Mustrum Ridcully
The Librarian
The Senior Wrangler
The Dean
The Bursar
The Lecturer in Recent Runes
Lupine
Ludmilla Cake
Mrs. Cake
Reg Shoe
Schleppel
Mr. Ixolite
Arthur Winkings (Count Notfaroutoe)
Doreen Winkings (Countess Notfaroutoe)
Adaptations
References
External links
Last edited 3 months ago by 2A00:23C4:A41E:D301:885E:C10F:A5C5:892E
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