Delayed Computation Time

[tealin]

The other day, when I was looking at track titles on my Going Postal CDs, I noticed that one of the chapters was numbered 7A.* This is odd, I thought, did he set up all these chapters and then decide to stick an extra chapter division between seven and eight? And then my dim memories of Disc books long past dredged up the simple but important fact that on the Discworld, eight is 'a number of some considerable occult significance' and is never to be spoken aloud.

Continuity is a virtue. Kudos, Mr. Pratchett.

*I might have noticed this sooner, only the numbers of the chapters in the book are written out, and CHAPTER SEVEN A doesn't catch the eye when there is an amusing chapter title and list of episodes to distract from it.

Comments

[inkblot-fiend.livejournal.com]

Now that is attention to detail. Good on him!

[(Anonymous)]

So is the eigth book in the series book 7A? Now what would be really neat is when he numbers his next book's page numbers, page 8 should be 7A. Hmmm... I wonder if that's how it is in Where's My Cow.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

No, pages are numbered as usual, probably because it's an automatic thing on the part of the publisher and it would drive them absolutely batty to have to change it.

Tentacly Things From the Dungeon Dimensions Ate My Cow: A Counting Book

[thorn-of-blood.livejournal.com]

I am going to buy that cow book and force my little sister to listen to it.

[lync180.livejournal.com]

It's mentioned in "the colour of magic" as well. "Eight was also the Number of Bel-Shamharoth, which was why a sensible wizard would never mention the number if he could avoid it. ... Rincewind's room number in his hall of residence had been 7a. He hadn't been surprised."