Reaper Man

51

In the hardcover edition of Reaper Man, this super-large word appears on a left page, so that it takes the reader by surprise as she turns the page. In the paperback edition this is not the case, thus spoiling the effect entirely.

When questioned about this, Terry said: “Do you really think I’m some kind of dumbo to miss that kind of opportunity? I wrote 400 extra words to get it on a left-hand page in the hardcover — then Corgi shuffled people in the production department when it was going through and my careful instructions disappeared into a black hole. Go on… tell me more about comic timing…”

The American paperback edition, by the way, also gets it right.