_cover.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Paul Kidby |
| Language | English |
| Series |
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| Subject |
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| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | 2009 |
| ISBN | 0385609345 |
| Preceded by | Making Money |
| Followed by | I Shall Wear Midnight |
Unseen Academicals is the 37th novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. The novel satirises football,[1][2] and features Mustrum Ridcully setting up an Unseen University football team, with the Librarian in goal.[3] It includes new details about "below stairs" life at the university.[3] The book introduces several new characters, including Trevor Likely, a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can; Glenda Sugarbean, a maker of "jolly good" pies; Juliet Stollop, a dim but beautiful young woman who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been; and the mysterious Mr Nutt, a cultured, enigmatic, idealistic savant. According to the publisher, Transworld, the "on sale" date for the hardback was 1 October 2009 although the official publication date is 8 October 2009.[4] Bookshop chain Borders included a small set of exclusive Discworld football cards with each book.[5]
The title is a play on the names of rugby and football teams in the UK who have or have had a connection to educational institutions, examples being Hamilton Academical and Edinburgh Academicals.
The time in between the publication of Unseen Academicals and the previous Discworld entry, Making Money, was over 2 years, making it longest time between Discworld novels since 1983's The Colour of Magic and 1986's The Light Fantastic. However, it made up for this in part by being the longest Discworld novel, 25 000 words longer than any other book in the series. Between 1986 and 2007, at least one Discworld novel was published every year. This delay was in part due to Pratchett's Alzheimer's diagnosis, which led to a great deal of his time being taken up with interviews and public advocacy.
- ^ Flood, Alison (14 July 2008). "On Embuggerance And Humour". The Bookseller. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
- ^ "John Connolly: Bestselling Author". www.johnconnollybooks.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ a b "Tough at the Top", SFX Collection Special Edition #34, Future Publishing, June 2008
- ^ "Transworld : Book Details for Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett". Booksattransworld.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2009.
- ^ The Discworld Monthly issue 144