--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cards and boards, [Johnny] thought. And…" description: "\"“Cards and boards, [Johnny] thought. And the dead. That's not dark forces. Making a fuss about cards and heavy metal and going on about Dungeons and Dr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/terry-pratchett-19_dark_cards-and-boards-johnny-thought-and-the_1666211.jpg" --- # Cards and boards, \[Johnny\] thought. And the dead. That's… ![“Cards and boards, [Johnny] thought. And the dead. That's not dark forces. Making a fuss about cards and heavy metal and going on about Dungeons and Dragons stuff because it's got demon gods in it is like guarding to door when it is really coming up through the floorboards. Real dark forces…” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/terry-pratchett-19_dark_cards-and-boards-johnny-thought-and-the_1666211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/terry-pratchett-19_dark_cards-and-boards-johnny-thought-and-the_1666211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/terry-pratchett-19_dark_cards-and-boards-johnny-thought-and-the_1666211.jpg) > ““Cards and boards, \[Johnny\] thought. And the dead. That's not dark forces. Making a fuss about cards and heavy metal and going on about Dungeons and Dragons stuff because it's got demon gods in it is like guarding to door when it is really coming up through the floorboards. Real dark forces... aren't dark. They're sort of gray, like Mr. Grimm. They take all the color out of life; they take a town like Blackbury and turn it into frightened streets and plastic signs and Bright New Futures and towers where no one wants to live and no one really does live. The dead seem more alive than us. And everyone becomes gray and turns into numbers and then, somewhere, someone starts to do arithmetic...”” [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dark forces are not overt evil but mundane grayness that drains color and humanity, turning life into numbers and fear. **In simple terms:** Evil can be ordinary, draining life of meaning. Key Takeaway Notice and resist the grayness that numbs life. Themes evil grayness humanity fear Mood skeptical reflective Type literary critical When to use this quote - urban decay - media influence - personal alienation - creative storytelling Key Concepts existentialism social critique mythology Questions to Reflect On - What “gray” forces numb your life? - How can you restore color to daily routine? A Different Perspective Not all grayness is evil; some is necessary order. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-forces/) [Dungeons and dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dungeons-and-dragons/) [Heavy metal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heavy-metal/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [“He sighed and opened the black box and took out his rings and slipped them on. Another box held a set of knives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-sighed-and-opened-the-black-box-and-took-out-his-rings-and-slipped/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Look, I don't know why this happened to me. But it's hard. You know why dead people only go out at night, puppy? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/look-i-don-t-know-why-this-happened-to-me-but-it-s-hard-you-know-why/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [With 'Ready to Die,' that was some of the most honest rhymes of all-time. There's some real dark material on there that Biggie was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/statik-selektah/with-ready-to-die-that-was-some-of-the-most-honest-rhymes-of-all-time/) [Statik Selektah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/statik-selektah/) > [“We couldn't see the real dark for the metaphorical dark. Because of the metaphorical dark, the death-dark, we were constantly concerned to banish the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-jamie/we-couldn-t-see-the-real-dark-for-the-metaphorical-dark-because-of/) [Kathleen Jamie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-jamie/) > [“The novelist F. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-skarsgard/to-go-from-generation-kill-which-is-a-very-real-dark-gritty-series-to/) [Alexander Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-skarsgard/) > [The great thing about Showtime is that they really give us leeway and the range to explore the real dark side of stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dash-mihok/the-great-thing-about-showtime-is-that-they-really-give-us-leeway-and/) [Dash Mihok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dash-mihok/) > [Music took me from a real dark place to a real bright one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trippie-redd/music-took-me-from-a-real-dark-place-to-a-real-bright-one/) [Trippie Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trippie-redd/) > [In a real dark night of the soul, it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/in-a-real-dark-night-of-the-soul-it-is-always-three-o-clock-in-the/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Because nothing’s real. The dark changes things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/because-nothing-s-real-the-dark-changes-things/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“The Dark Forces have created countless troll farms to relentlessly spam the Internet with their agendas. Trillions of fake accounts are used to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasun-ether/the-dark-forces-have-created-countless-troll-farms-to-relentlessly/) [Jasun Ether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasun-ether/) > [I think I still have a great sense of adventure and trust, and am surprisingly idealistic given all the horrible things I've seen since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/i-think-i-still-have-a-great-sense-of-adventure-and-trust-and-am/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [“What is this, Harry Potter?” Nick sniggered. “That’s what you just sounded like. Yes, I am aware that even now dark forces are trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/what-is-this-harry-potter-nick-sniggered-that-s-what-you-just-sounded/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I struggle, fight dark forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faithless/i-struggle-fight-dark-forces/) [Faithless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faithless/) ## More by Terry Pratchett > [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More Dark quotes > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“I could see her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/i-could-see-her-will-leaving-and-death-seeping-through-her-skin-to/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/) [Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/) Natasha Trethaway > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) Nicole Gentile > [Even in the dark your shadow is like a guide to me! you are my rising sun that brings forth hope just as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/even-in-the-dark-your-shadow-is-like-a-guide-to-me-you-are-my-rising/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) [Browse all 10,198 Dark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Cards and boards, [Johnny] thought. And the dead. That's not dark forces. Making a fuss about cards and heavy metal and going on about Dungeons and Dragons stuff because it's got demon gods in it is like guarding to door when it is really coming up through the floorboards. Real dark forces... aren't dark. They're sort of gray, like Mr. Grimm. 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