We’ve talked about Discworld and Terry Pratchett a few times. Now several of his novels are on sale, including some that are recommended as starting points to enter into the Discworld universe. This illustrated map, created by Krzysztof Kietzman, is very helpful, but reader recommendations are always good, too. Which of these do you most recommend to new readers?
Guards! Guards!
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett is $1.99 at Google:Play and Amazon, and $3.99 elsewhere. This is a frequently recommended starter book for the Discworld series – I know Elyse’s husband recommends it vigorously. This book has a 4.28-star average on Goodreads, and is part of one of my favorite categories: Fantasy > DRAGONS.
Long believed extinct, a superb specimen of draco nobilis (“noble dragon” for those who don’t understand italics) has appeared in Discworld’s greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, in rather short order it is crowned King (it is a noble dragon, after all…). How did it get there? How is the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night involved? Can the Ankh-Morpork City Watch restore order – and the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork to power?
Magic, mayhem, and a marauding dragon…who could ask for anything more?
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Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett is $1.99 at Google:Play and Amazon, and $3.99 elsewhere (darn it). This is book 11 in the Discworld series, and the second book featuring Death, WHO TALKS IN ALL CAPS. This book has a 4.25-star average.
They say there are only two things you can count on …
But that was before DEATH started pondering the existential. Of course, the last thing anyone needs is a squeamish Grim Reaper and soon his Discworld bosses have sent him off with best wishes and a well-earned gold watch. Now DEATH is having the time of his life, finding greener pastures where he can put his scythe to a whole new use.
But like every cutback in an important public service, DEATH’s demise soon leads to chaos and unrest — literally, for those whose time was supposed to be up, like Windle Poons. The oldest geezer in the entire faculty of Unseen University — home of magic, wizardry, and big dinners — Windle was looking forward to a wonderful afterlife, not this boring been-there-done-that routine. To get the fresh start he deserves, Windle and the rest of Ankh-Morpork’s undead and underemployed set off to find DEATH and save the world for the living (and everybody else, of course).
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Sourcery by Terry Pratchett is $1.99 at Google:Play and Amazon, and $3.99 elsewhere (sheesh!). This is book 5 in the Discworld series, and features wizards and magic, and has a 3.8-star average. Some readers on GR seem to find this one not as much fun as the others, while others say it’s terrific.
Sourcery, a hilarious mix of magic, mayhem, and Luggage, is the fifth book in Terry Pratchett’s classic fantasy Discworld series.
Rincewind, the legendarily inept wizard, has returned after falling off the edge of the world. And this time, he’s brought the Luggage. But that’s not all… Once upon a time, there was an eighth son of an eighth son who was, of course, a wizard. As if that wasn’t complicated enough, said wizard then had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son — a wizard squared (that’s all the math, really). Who of course, was a source of magic — a sourcerer.
Will the sourcerer lead the wizards to dominate all of Discworld? Or can Rincewind’s tiny band stave off the Apocalypse?
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Going Postal by Terry Pratchett is $1.99 at Google:Play and Amazon, and $3.99 elsewhere (those price-matching fairies must be exhausted). This is book 33 in the Discworld series (dude) and book 1 in the Moist Van Lipwig series. This book has a 4.3-star average (DUDE) and features a new set of characters in Discworld, which readers really seem to have enjoyed, especially because the main protagonist is a con man who becomes a postmaster.
This review from Melki made me smile: “This one is EVERYTHING a Discworld book can be – funny, touching, clever and thrilling. If you’re looking to start the series, this is a perfect place to jump in. Moist’s efforts to revive the floundering postal service should make you grin and require absolutely no knowledge of previous tales. “
Suddenly, condemned arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig found himself with a noose around his neck and dropping through a trapdoor into … a government job?
By all rights, Moist should be meeting his maker rather than being offered a position as Postmaster by Lord Vetinari, supreme ruler of Ankh-Morpork. Getting the moribund Postal Service up and running again, however, may prove an impossible task, what with literally mountains of decades-old undelivered mail clogging every nook and cranny of the broken-down post office. Worse still, Moist could swear the mail is talking to him. Worst of all, it means taking on the gargantuan, greedy Grand Trunk clacks communication monopoly and its bloodthirsty piratical headman. But if the bold and undoable are what’s called for, Moist’s the man for the job — to move the mail, continue breathing, get the girl, and specially deliver that invaluable commodity that every being, human or otherwise, requires: hope.
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Night Watch by Terry Pratchett is $1.99 at Google:Play and Amazon, and $3.99 elsewhere. Seriously, what are those price-matching fairies doing? Anyway. This is book 29 in the Discworld series, and is part of the set of Watch novels.
Reader Morganlise recommends that this not be your first Pratchett novel: “This book isn’t going to have the right impact unless you’ve read, at the very least, three of the previous Ankh-Morpork Night Watch books. Please, if you have heard about Pratchett and are looking for some place to start, go with Guards Guards or Mort, and read a few more before you embark on this one. You’ll thank me later.”
But for a reader looking to add to their digital Pratchett collection, the price is lovely indeed.
One moment, Sir Sam Vimes is in his old patrolman form, chasing a sweet-talking psychopath across the rooftops of Ankh-Morpork. The next, he’s lying naked in the street, having been sent back thirty years courtesy of a group of time-manipulating monks who won’t leave well enough alone. This Discworld is a darker place that Vimes remembers too well, three decades before his title, fortune, beloved wife, and impending first child. Worse still, the murderer he’s pursuing has been transported back also. Worst of all, it’s the eve of a fabled street rebellion that needlessly destroyed more than a few good (and not so good) men. Sam Vimes knows his duty, and by changing history he might just save some worthwhile necks though it could cost him his own personal future. Plus there’s a chance to steer a novice watchman straight and teach him a valuable thing or three about policing, an impressionable young copper named Sam Vimes.
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I recommend that map to anyone who wants to get into Discworld and I almost always tell them to start with “Guards! Guards!” as a starting point since I feel the City Watch books show the most development over time and also lead into more of the Discworld than any of the others. Plus, I adore Sam Vimes.
There’s a more recent version of the reading guide from April 2014 (Version 2.21). It includes “Raising Steam,” the last released Discworld novel. http://www.geeksofdoom.com/GoD/img/2014/04/Discworld-2.21.jpg
I had the pleasure of meeting Terry Pratchett in 2012 on the “Dodger” book tour (after an unsuccessful attempt in London 15 years earlier). He was everything I hoped and more. His death hit me hard. I’m hoping the rumors of an unreleased Tiffany Aching novel are true so I can do one last Discworld happy dance the day it’s released.
Reaper Man is my favorite Pratchett of all times. When he died, I went home and read Reaper Man, crying almost the the whole way through.
Hogfather is/was my gateway to Discworld. It works as a stand-alone, but also as a good introduction to the world. I went on to read the Rincewind novels, and then everything else. I would not start with the earliest books like Light Fantastic or Colour of Magic until you’ve already developed a love of Discworld.
I started with Small Gods, which is a funny one to start with because it doesn’t connect (directly) to any other books. After that was Night Watch (and I cried, even though I didn’t know Vimes), because that’s what the library had that day. And THEN I went back to Guards! Guards! and haven’t stopped since.
I think the Tiffany Aching books, starting with The Wee Free Men, are another good entry point. They may be YA but they’re a gentle introduction to Discworld without swamping you in details, which some people find a turn-off. From there a reader could go to the Witches books, and I dare you to quit after that.
GUARDS, GUARDS is a great place to start. REAPERMAN is amazing, but I personally think it’s more fun to encounter Death as a minor character before reading the books centered on him. I haven’t been able to reread that one since Sir Terry’s death, although I’ve been rereading others. THE WEE FREE MEN is a good starter book, too — it’s YA, meant for readers who aren’t necessarily familiar with the world. I also highly recommend EQUAL RITES as a started book for women; Granny Weatherwax and the other witches are great.
I totally agree that Night Watch is NOT a good starter book. It’s my absolute favorite Pratchett but it would totally lose the emotional impact if read out of order. I won’t even read it without first rereading the other Watch books.
I love that flow chart so much. I prefer to follow the story lines rather than skipping from place to place.
The Watch series, which is a satire of police procedures and politics, is my favorite series. It’s also a good place to start because Guards Guards is one of the stronger starter books.
The Tiffany Aching books are my close second favorite. They have a no-nonsense young female protagonist who is gruff and screwd and I love her so much. In the first book, she’s 9 years old and has to battle the fairy queen for the return of her little brother while armed with a cast-iron frying pan, her considerable wits, and an incredibly unruly band of drunk scottish pixies.
I’ve never been able to get into the Wizard books much because those satire academia (ong other things) and I just can’t get excited about academia satire. But many people do!
Sigh, Tiffany Aching is gruff and shrewd. Not screwd. Darn iphone typos.
I recommend Mort to people as a starting point- and Death is always a great character to become your gateway to Pratchett.
I ended up starting with Feet of Clay, and it was so bizarre that I couldn’t do it, then came back a couple years later, and really enjoyed it.
Ugh; looks like Amazon upped the prices to $3.99. That is NOT the price-matching I was looking for! 🙁
(I shall take it as the universe telling me not to acquire more books at this time…)
Thanks for this, Sarah. We just had the umpteenth discussion about how my teenager’s reading habit might be better served by a hand-me down kindle (the only screen he resists). He loves Terry Pratchett, and spring break is a week and a half away. The in between parts of the college tour just got much better, fewer things to keep track of and less expensive. Huzzah!
A Monstrous Regiment is fabulous, because, well.. Igor’s. ‘Nuff said !
And Going Postal… you’ve got to love a hero called Moist Von Lipwig ..
But for long journeys with recalcitrant offspring, I highly recommend the audio books as read by Sir Tony Robinson. His voice, and STP’s words are a match made in heaven . With the added bonus of a relatively quiet journey, interrupted only by hoots of laughter.
BUGGER – I’m sorry about the price changes. $3.99 isn’t bad, but it was better before. Apologies!
One day, many moons ago, I was at Vroman’s in Pasadena (best bookstore in LA, IMNSVHO) and I was in the mood for something new. I was browsing around, and not really finding anything when I overhear one clerk telling another:
OMG You HAVE to read this book. You’ll love it. It taught me that death by stabbing someone in the back is considered death by natural causes…but only if you’re a king.
I cracked up, walked over, and asked what book they were talking about. It was Terry Pratchett’s “Witches Abroad.” At the time, it was book 3 in a 5-part story arc, and book 12 in the 24-book Discworld books. I started at EXACTLY the middle book of everything, and I had no problems following along.
I generally don’t read fantasy, and I take TP in smaller doses (only a couple of books at a time, but they’re ALL wonderful. They’re smart and funny, and often retellings of classic stories. If I remember right, Witches Abroad was King Lear (maybe Macbeth? It’s been a while). One of the DEATH books was Death Takes A Holiday, but he does it all in a way that it’s fresh and fun and sometimes you don’t even realize it’s a retelling. LOLOL.
And he writes THE BEST footnotes ever.
So start whichever one appeals. It doesn’t matter. You’ll love them all. (But I’m partial to the City Watch books)
As others have said, “Guards! Guards!” and “Small Gods” are both good initial reads. I’d add in “Hogfather” as maybe the second book you should read; otherwise you’ll be asking a lot of questions that’ll take you out of the narrative, like “Wait, how does Death have a granddaughter?”
Dang! I was only able to get Guards! Guards! for $1.99 + $4.95 for whisper sync. I really want them all in audio versions.
Guards, Guards and Equal Rites are about tied as “good Discworld starters” for me. Though I got into the series in the straight publishing order which seems to be kind of a rarity? Let me tell you, I was hooked right from The Colour of Magic.
I have SUCH an unabashed love for the Moist von Lipwig books. I read my copy of Going Postal so many times I broke the spine, and my signed copy of Making Money is one of my “first item to grab upon occasion of a house fire” givens. I special ordered Raising Steam from Amazon UK because the US release was on a 8 month delay and I could not-nay, WOULD NOT-wait for a new Moist book.
Which is funny because Moist is so atypical of what I usually do like. But I guess you could call my love for his series a one-in-a-million chance. 😉
Love Terry Pratchett; Sam Vimes is my favorite character with Death a close second. The Fifth Elephant is my favorite book by Terry Pratchett. (running naked in the woods takes on a whole new meaning) While reading Terry Pratchett’s books I have been known to hurt myself by laughing so hard. Terry’s YA books are great; I love the Johnny Maxwell books. The one where Johnny is riding in a shopping cart pell-mell down a hill had me laughing so hard my husband came into the room and asked what was going on; was I high?
Terry Pratchett books are just the best. I love to clean the house and play my audio books while Sam Vimes is saving his world. It helps the dreaded chore of cleaning just a little bit better.
While I love all of Discworld, my affection for the City Watch is mostly based on watching Sam Vimes grow over the series from a mediocre cop with a lousy team to being Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the City Watch, with a booming, diverse police force that reflects the city it protects. Over time, the Watch deals with how Ankh-Morpork copes with a sudden influx of dwarves and trolls, and the problems of assimilation and minority rights and ethnic conflict. All the while, Vimes remains a bit of a bastard, but the right kind of bastard, who doesn’t particularly care for vampires (to put it mildly), but damned if he’s going to let that get in the way of you being a fine officer of the Watch. Because, ultimately, what’s personal isn’t the same as what’s important.
There are those who prefer Granny Weatherwax and her judicious application of headology, Death is charm itself, and I would trust no one as much as a wizard not to do magic, but, for me, Vimes is where it’s at. (Plus: Vetinari is the most amazing tyrant you will ever root for ever.)
Here is your handy illustrated guide right here
Small Gods belongs on the bookshelf right next to Your Holy Book Of Choice. In fact, right in front of. It should be required reading for M.Div. degrees if it’s not already. In fact, it should be required reading for everybody who’s ever been in or even only casually met religion. Hogfather comes next, and at Christmastime, which has been known in our house for quite some time as Hogswatch.
Wyrd Sisters is a great place to start, too. It’s MacBeth retold. The City Watch books are not to be missed, either. Some of the best, most biting commentary on race relations, class warfare, civic government and police procedure ever.
Don’t discount the wizard books if you’re not into academic send-ups, because you’d miss out on The Luggage, and that would be BAD. Also, you’d miss out on Cohen the Barbarian and the Silver Horde (featured in the illustrated “The Last Hero” where the geriatric barbarians set out to Return Fire to the Gods (this is why I love Terry Pratchett so much it hurts, and I’m tearing up right now).
The audiobooks read by Nigel Planar (?) are excellent, and worth going on road trips with kids.
Tiffany Aching is my daughter’s entry into the world that she was only kind of “meh” about with the City Watch (except for Angua). Every Discworld book I read becomes more meaningful with a re-read.
I miss him.
My god, I knew they were bad but how the hell do Americans ever start reading Pratchett with those covers? My eyes hurt.
Anyway, I’d recommend Hogfather as a starting point.
I’m ready to dip my toes into Pratchett. I’ve resisted for some reason. I am first and foremost a romance reader. DH got me into the Wheel of Time series but I was just a tourist there…I liked the characterization but the elaborate world-building that leaves me so in awe of Robert Jordan’s skill also distracted me as a reader.
It wasn’t until, first, Soulless by Gail Carriger http://www.amazon.com/Soulless-Parasol-Protectorate-Book-1-ebook/dp/B002NPCJ3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427483604&sr=8-1&keywords=soulless brought me delightfully into steampunk that I was willing to wade in to fantasy romance. My gateway drug has been The Star Prophecy by Ainsley Brooks http://www.amazon.com/Star-Prophecy-Daughters-Book-ebook/dp/B00H9YWA8U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1427483662&sr=8-2&keywords=star+prophecy and it’s…at the risk of sounding totally gynocentric (Which makes me think of a speculum more than literature…ugh I hate that word)…a revelation. The world building is more in tune with my style as a reader and it makes sense without being needlessly intricate so I can focus on the kickass powers Aerdrin wields and the Throne Prince who makes me want to swoon or…do other things. So with nods to Carriger and Brooks, I may be sufficiently initiated to try Pratchett.
Now if I could just decide WHICH Pratchett…any tips?
@Lora, start with the Tiffany Aching books. They are young adult in nature (meaning, “having a young lady as the primary heroine” – the themes and subtexts in the books are subtle and mature enough that everyone seems to be surprised when kids get them – but they’re so universal that it’s not at all a surprise that kids get them first). For the female-centric books, go with the books about the Witches of Lancre (see my above post for the illustrated guide link). Wyrd Sisters is a send-up of Macbeth. Witches Abroad is what Pratchett does with faerie tales. You will be familiar with the subject matter and be able to enjoy the Pratchett. The City Watch books are social and civic commentary. The wizard books are send-ups of academia and high fantasy of the “Conan the Barbarian” style (Discworld’s barbarian is Cohen, and he runs with the Silver Horde, and has a daughter who’s a bad hairdresser but a great thief).
That should start you off.
Thank you, @Athena! I think I’m better with female-centric to start with! Witches Abroad is intriguing me now, too. LOL about the bad hairdresser daughter. I think I’ll like the absurdity here.