Thief of Time

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For the Tony Hillerman novel see A Thief of Time

Terry Pratchett The Discworld series 26^th novel – 5^th Death story
Outline
Characters:	Jeremy Clockson, Lobsang Ludd, Lu-Tze
Locations:	Ankh-Morpork, Ramtops
Motifs:	Wuxia and Martial arts films, Apocalypse, Momo, Matrix
Publication details
Year of release:	2001
Original publisher:	Doubleday
Hardback ISBN:	ISBN 0-385-60102-6
Paperback ISBN:	ISBN 0-552-14840-7
Other details
Awards:
Notes:	Came 152nd in the Big Read.

Thief of Time is the 26th Discworld novel written by Terry Pratchett.

1 Plot summary
2 Notable aspects
3 Translations
4 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Auditors convince a young clock maker, Jeremy Clockson (Possibly a pun on Jeremy Clarkson), in Ankh-Morpork to build a perfect glass clock. They do not reveal that this will imprison Time (the anthropomorphic personification) and thereby freeze time (the physical quantity) on the Discworld. By freezing time, the Auditors intend to eliminate the unpredictability that humans were causing through their everyday actions. Death discovers their plans, but is unable to act directly because of previous agreements with the Auditors. Death sends his granddaughter Susan to stop them.

Meanwhile, in a distant valley, a young apprentice of the History Monks, Lobsang Ludd, and his old teacher, Lu-Tze, called 'The Sweeper', hear that a glass clock is being built. Lu-Tze knows of such a clock's side-effects, since he was sent to prevent a previous clock from being built. He and Lobsang head for Ankh-Morpork to stop Jeremy from building it.

The Auditors, were using one of their own as an agent when contacting Jeremy. Myria LeJean took a human form and became quite disturbed by "her" experiences as "she" became more human and individual as opposed to the collective Auditors. As she begins to understand more about humans, she opposes the activation of the clock and she eventually joins with Lobsang and Susan to defeat the other Auditors who have also made themselves human.

[edit] Notable aspects

Thief of Time features the neologism Substition (first used by Pratchett in Jingo), a term denoting the opposite of superstition.

"'No, they're a substition,' said Susan. 'I mean they're real, but hardly anyone really believes in them. Mostly everyone believes in things that aren't real.'"

A number of the oddities noted by Susan as evidence that the timeline was fractured had previously been commented on by fans. These include the variable dating of Koom Valley; the fact that an Elizabethan theatre was "a new type of building" in Wyrd Sisters, but there was a venerable Victorian Opera House by Maskerade and the uncertainty as to the setting of Small Gods.

[edit] Translations

Крадец на време (Bulgarian)
Zloděj času (Czech)
De dief van tijd (Dutch)
Procrastination (French) see Procrastination, the meaning is the same in French and English
Der Zeitdieb (German)
Lleidr Amser (Welsh)

[edit] External links

Reading Order Guide

Preceded by The Truth	26^th Discword Novel	Succeeded by The Last Hero
Preceded by Hogfather	5^th Death Story Published in 2001	Succeeded by Death and What Comes Next

Terry Pratchett's Discworld

v • d • e

Novels:	The Colour of Magic – The Light Fantastic – Equal Rites – Mort – Sourcery – Wyrd Sisters – Pyramids – Guards! Guards! – Eric – Moving Pictures – Reaper Man – Witches Abroad – Small Gods – Lords and Ladies – Men at Arms – Soul Music – Interesting Times – Maskerade – Feet of Clay – Hogfather – Jingo – The Last Continent – Carpe Jugulum – The Fifth Elephant – The Truth – Thief of Time – The Last Hero – The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – Night Watch – The Wee Free Men – Monstrous Regiment – A Hat Full of Sky – Going Postal – Thud! – Wintersmith – Making Money - I Shall Wear Midnight
Short Stories:	Troll Bridge – Theatre of Cruelty – The Sea and Little Fishes – Death and What Comes Next
Other books:	The Discworld Companion – The Science of Discworld – The Science of Discworld II: The Globe – The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch – The Pratchett Portfolio – The Art of Discworld – The Unseen University Challenge – The Wyrdest Link – The Streets of Ankh-Morpork – The Discworld Mapp – A Tourist Guide to Lancre – Death's Domain – Nanny Ogg's Cookbook – The Discworld Almanak – Where's My Cow? – The Unseen University Cut Out Book – The Discworld Diaries – Once More With Footnotes*
Games:	The Colour of Magic – Discworld – Discworld 2 – Discworld MUD – Discworld Noir – GURPS Discworld – Thud