The Terry Pratchett Thread

[Danster]

Welcome to the Mended Drum! Ooops, please mind that arm down there, not sure who that belongs to! have you met our new doorman... where's he gone...?

JUST HERE

Ah, yes there you are, of course. And would you like a drink? A Scumble perhaps? Woooah, no don't pat the dog... she uh wouldn't like that. And that's Corporal Carrot, well known round these parts him. Those chaps? They're wizards, that's the Bursar.... yes he does usually float around on the ceiling this time of night. No, no it's not a monkey.... ah... bye then, we usually use the doors to leave, but the window is fine too. Another peanut Librarian? Ook!

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) deserves his own thread really. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'd hazard a guess that practically everyone on this forum has at least glanced at a Discworld novel. I'd also wager that most of us have read more than one of his books and that quite a few have read the lot.

Just recently I listened to Guard! Guards! the radio play, then I signed up to audible and listened to Men at Arms... then Feet of Clay and then went back to The Colour of Magic and started the whole Discworld series from the start. I am currently on Soul Music (and am mixing up reading and listening which works wonderfully BTW).

Anyway, first up, the books:

Discworld:

01 The Colour of Magic (Colin Smythe, 1983)

02 The Light Fantastic (Colin Smythe, 1986)

03 Equal Rites (Gollancz, Colin Smythe, 1987)

04 Mort (Gollancz, Colin Smythe, 1987)

05 Sourcery (Gollancz, Colin Smythe, 1989)

06 Wyrd Sisters (Gollancz, 1989)

07 Pyramids (Gollancz, 1989)

08 Guards! Guards! (Gollancz, 1989)

09 Eric (Gollancz, 1990)

10 Moving Pictures (Gollancz, 1990)

11 Reaper Man (Gollancz, 1991)

12 Witches Abroad (Gollancz, 1991)

13 Small Gods (Gollancz, 1992)

14 Lords and Ladies (Gollancz, 1992)

15 Men at Arms (Gollancz, 1993)

16 Soul Music (Gollancz, 1994)

17 Interesting Times (Gollancz, 1994)

18 Maskerade (Gollancz, 1994)

19 Feet of Clay (Gollancz, 1996)

20 Hogfather (Gollancz, 1996)

21 Jingo (Gollancz, 1997)

22 The Last Continent (Doubleday, 1998)

23 Carpe Jugulum (Doubleday, 1998)

24 The Fifth Elephant (Doubleday, 1999)

25 The Truth (Doubleday, 2000)

26 Thief of Time (Doubleday, 2001)

27 The Last Hero (Gollancz, 2001)

28 The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (Doubleday, 2001)

29 Night Watch (Doubleday, 2002)

30 The Wee Free Men (Doubleday, 2003)

31 Monstrous Regiment (Doubleday, 2003)

32 A Hat Full of Sky (Doubleday, 2004)

33 Going Postal (Doubleday, 2004)

34 Thud! (Doubleday, 2005)

35 Wintersmith (Doubleday, 2006)

36 Making Money (Doubleday, 2007)

37 Unseen Academicals (Doubleday, 2009)

38 I Shall Wear Midnight (Doubleday, 2010)

39 Snuff (Doubleday, 2011)

40 Raising Steam (Doubleday, 2013)

41 The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday, 2015)

Other:

Science of Discworld

The Science of Discworld (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) (Ebury Press, 1999)

The Science of Discworld II: the Globe (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) (Ebury Press 2002)

The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) (Ebury Press, 2005)

The Science of Discworld IV: Judgment Day (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen) (Ebury Press, 2013)

Novels

The Carpet People (Colin Smythe, 1971)

The Dark Side of the Sun (Colin Smythe, 1976)

Strata (Colin Smythe, 1981)

Truckers (Doubleday, 1989)

The Unadulterated Cat (with Gray Jolliffe) (Gollancz, 1989)

Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman) (Gollancz, 1990)

Diggers (Doubleday, 1990)

Wings (Doubleday, 1990)

Only You Can Save Mankind (Doubleday, 1992)

Johnny and the Dead (Doubleday, 1993)

Johnny and the Bomb (Doubleday, 1996)

Nation (Doubleday, 2008)

Dodger (Doubleday, 2012)

The Long Earth series

Co-written with Stephen Baxter

The Long Earth (Doubleday, 2012)

The Long War (Doubleday, 2013)

The Long Mars (Doubleday, April 2014)

The Long Utopia (Doubleday and Random House, June 2015)

Anthologies

A Blink of the Screen (2012)

Dragons At Crumbling Castle (Doubleday, 11 September 2014)

A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Non-fiction Writings (Doubleday, 25 Sep 2014)

Thanks to lspace for the list.

There are also a plethora of other things, plays, graphic novels, maps, TV programmes and cartoons, as well as the two games (which I have never played! Despite owning both).

The audio books are very good, the abridged versions read by Tony Robinson are great, but if you're anything like me then abridged just doesn't cut it. The unabridged versions weigh in at around the 9-10 hours mark. They are read by Nigel Planer, Celia Imrie and Stephen Briggs; all three of whom are very good once you get used to their style. I think listenning to books is wonderful, and so many of Terry's jokes were punnes and playful use of words that really works well read aloud. I've found jokes I never knew existed from listening to them.

The usual question that gets asked when discussing Discworld is, where do I start? Well, at the beginning of course! Oh, okay, you tried reading The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic and they didn't really cut it and you didn't really get into it. Fine, that's because (IMO) they are two of the worst books he wrote. If you gave up at the end of The Light Fantastic then you have missed out on the majority of the novels that made Pratchett the success he was.

You can skip to Mort (or Equal Rites - although this is similar to the first two). You can even skip to Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids or (a perennial favourite starting point) Guards! Guards!

If you do want to read all the Discworld though, start at the beginning and just read the first few like a bit of introductory filler, by an author who had no idea at the time that he'd end up writing 41 books based in the world he was just beginning to realise. You do HAVE to read them though, because otherwise you won't know who Rincewind or Twoflower is, why Rincewind is so bad at magic and you won't understand The Luggage

The books are then basically broken down into four categories: The Wizards (and Rincewind), the Witches, The Guards and all the rest. The Wizards don't settle down into decent characters until after Sourcery, when Ridcully is made Archchancellor. And while Granny Weatherwax is in Equal Rites, she doesn't become the witch we all know and love properly until Wyrd Sisters and Witches Abroad. Rincewind though, is one of the best and most enduring characters. He is in the first two books, Sourcery, Eric and numerous others. His piece de resistance (and one of TP's finest books) is Interesting Times where Rincewind goes to the... well I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. just suffice it for me to say,it's a very good novel. The Guards deserve a thread of their own, it's no surprise that Pratchett wanted to write detective stories when he was younger, the Guards and Vetinari and the whole city of Ankh-Morpork (and later the Disc) is brought to life through one iron willed, non-nonsense character; you've got to love Vimes.

What are the best ones? Oh, they are all so good... but the ones that really stick out in my mind are Small Gods, Men at Arms, Night Watch, Intersting Times, Lords and ladies, The Truth, Mort, Reaper Man, Moving Pictures... I could just keep listing them! There are so many good ones, but that's not to say there aren't a few duds. Like I said the first two (maybe three) aren't great (they are still good), then he doesn't miss a beat until,maybe, Maskerade (which if you are into the Theatre you'd probably love anyway). Then Monstrous Regiment ain't brilliant and some people dislike the later series with Moist Von Lupwig - I don't, I think they are great too.

What about the ones for children? Yes, yes, starting with The Amazing Maurice and continuing with Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight and the Shepherd's Crown (being released post-humorously...) these are more young adult than children's books. And to be honest just as well written and just as fun as any of the "adult" novels. The main difference being that he writes in chapters and cuts out some of the convoluted backstory that often accompanies the full-fat books. In my opinion they are well worth a read.

Discworld. Did you have to be there? No, no I don't think so anyway. Admittedly I was there for well over half of them. I started reading them when I was about sixteen and from Men at Arms onward I have them all in HB First Editions. So I grew up with the man, and read and re-read his novels so much I can't help but think that he helped shape my mind. I think they are pretty much timeless, removed as they are from this world, although a distorted mirror image of it.

What about his other books? Well, the Truckers, Diggers and whatnot are pretty good. Fun, good to read to the kids. Nation and Dodger are more adult and are excellent standalone fiction.

The Long Earth series is quite different. Be warned though, not a lot happens. It is very much Sci-Fi of the exploratory kind. Where a universe previously unknown to humans opens up and then they explore it. It's a fascinating world (and one I think Pratchett had thought about all his life, drawing on the parallel universes of the Discworld) and all very quantum

His short stories and non-fiction are very good and well worth a read if you are inclined to.

And that's about it. If you don't want to read anymore of me going on (cos I'm about to get weepy) then I suggest you stop reading here. Enjoy his books, it is what he would have wanted.

We all know how Terry Pratchett died, and what a tragedy it was. Dementia is fucking awful believe me, I know. My mum was diagnosed with dementia a year after Terry Pratchett and the doctors told her (and she relayed to me) that it was the same strain that Terry Pratchett had. My mum seemed to think this might make it easier on me, to know that the awful realisation that Pratchett's mind would no longer be with us was coupled with the fact that my mum would be heading the same way. To be honest, it was no surprise, living further away from the rest of the family, my wife and I both had noticed her deterioration much sooner than my dad did. But it was still a kick in the teeth nonetheless.

It's a shit, shit disease, I hate it, loathe it with a passion. Watching my mum go from being an intelligent, witty woman, who ran the household (so much so that my dad has had to learn how to cook and clean aged sixty-two! He just never did it) and was always there with an ear to listen to problems or worries. My dad's logic balanced out by my mum's empathy. To... someone who can't remember who I am, thinks she is twelve years old, wants to be taken home when she is already there, calls my dad "that man", can't dress herself, can't go to the toilet by herself. It's so sad.

And so two of the people who transposed their values into me, gave me smiles and love, a functioning brain and a love of reading have been cruelly pulled away from me. Not suddenly, like death, but gradually like the real them had the hangman's noose around their neck and they've been gradually dragged to the foggy gallows over the last five years; leaving behind just a shade. My mum isn't dead yet, we've got no clue as to how long she'll live for; she might outlive my dad, or she may end suddenly when her brain "forgets" how to manage her organs, or digest food, or use its immune system or a variety of other ways that she could go. But the family have already faced this, she's just not there anymore; when she goes it will be a relief.

Sorry for the ramble and slight ot nature of this part, it's just personally I feel so close to the man even though I never met him and feel like I can understand what he and his family would have been going through the last couple of years.

RIP

[deKay]

There are also a plethora of other things, plays, graphic novels, maps, TV programmes and cartoons, as well as the two games (which I have never played! Despite owning both).

Four games. Just sayin'.

Five if you include the MUD. Six if you include the 2006 Java mobile game.

[Danster]

I knew I'd probably miss plenty of stuff in the opening post.

Are they worth playing?

[JohnnyNolan]

Good post. I've only just read the Colour of Magic and while I can't say I disliked it, it also didn't make me want to jump in and read others in the series. I think I'll give Mort a try next and see if that one clicks with me more.

[deKay]

I knew I'd probably miss plenty of stuff in the opening post.

Are they worth playing?

The first one (The Colour of Magic) is, yes. The Discworld and Discworld II games are good but the puzzles are often somewhat obtuse. Never played the MUD, Noir or the Java game. I think Noir is generally considered a bit crap though.

[smac]

Good post. I've only just read the Colour of Magic and while I can't say I disliked it, it also didn't make me want to jump in and read others in the series. I think I'll give Mort a try next and see if that one clicks with me more.

Like the man said, the first two are atypical, but useful if you want to understand the Rincewind/Wizards books. Otherwise, Guards, Guards is a good starting point.

[Delargey]

I was living in Austraila when I heard he died and for some reason that meant it didn't really sink it with me. It was only a few weeks ago then I noticed a VCL up date was called "Terry Pratchett" that my brain kinda clicked "No more Terry Pratchety means no more books" and I got sad.

[rumblecat]

I think I've misfired both times I've read his work. First one I read was Good Omens when it came out which I didn't enjoy, felt like bad Douglas Adams and was enough to put me off until I picked up The Long Earth this year, but again didn't really enjoy it- more because it's got a fantastic premise but a wafer-thin plot and I found myself less and less interested in it as it went on.

But I also realise both of these are collaborations, so what would someone recommend as the Terry Pratchett book to read, the classic, because I feel I must be missing out on something due to the enthusiasm that everyone else has with him.

The joke about tapes in cars turning into Queen tapes was good though. Can't argue with that.

[OogyBoogy]

I didn't really get on with Good Omens myself either. And Strata was just a mess from what I remember of it.

[Lothar Hex]

I would say Guards Guards is one of the best Pratchett works and introduction to the Discworld series myself.

[Delargey]

Guards Guards is a solid choice for a starting point. I wouldn't say it's the strongest of the Watch Books. Men at Arms and Feet of Clay have more of a whodunnit feel but it's good introduction to the characters.

[Danster]

Mort, Small Gods, Wyrd Sisters or Guards! Guards! Are all good starting points.

What do you think you'd like to read about? The Grim Reaper looking for an apprentice? Pratchett does Religion/Politics? Witches dealing with a Hamlet situation? Or Downtrodden City Guards try to deal with a Dragon?

[smac]

Or Downtrodden City Guards try to deal with a Dragon?

And with Corporal 'Nobby' Nobbs.

[Wiper]

Yeah, the go-to starting points are Wyrd Sisters, Mort and Guards! Guards!; I'm a big fan of Small Gods too, but I've found that one to be a little more divisive (purely as it's a tad 'heavier' than the other books).

Of course, I started the Discworld when I was a lot younger and had no idea it was a series, to began with Interesting Times (and Pratchett in general with Only You Can Save Mankind), so what do I know!

[Chindie]

I've always been an enormous Pratchett, fan to the extent I've read pretty much all of the Discworld series multiple times over the years and my original copy of Good Omens is falling apart (and is accompanied now by 2 signed copies...). I started reading his stuff with the Bromeliad trilogy, went through the Johnny books and ended up reading Jingo when I was far too young for it really. Soon I was buying a new book every couple of weeks and they're all still sat here next to me on the bookshelf.

I decided to start a run through of the series a just after he died (just days after my father died, it's not an exaggeration that I felt the loss of Pratchett even as I only just comprehending my fathers death), and on Pyramids at the moment. I know the traditional thinking is jump into the series with Guards Guards, Small Gods, Wyrd Sisters or Mort... but going back to Pyramids it really is a good place to start. The opening of the novel, with the graduation test, is just brilliant. I know he was proud of that whole section of the book, and it really shows. It's the moment where Ankh Morpork feels most fleshed out for the first time, and it's just a great piece of writing. The wider novel also introduces a lot of his style and ideas, as well as makes it plainly obvious where the series would head for a while as an overt parody of various things.

[Nick R]

The Witches books are some of my favourites. I was disappointed that following Carpe Jugulum, we never had any further entries in the main Discworld series about Granny, Nanny, Magrat and PerditaX Agnes. But in retrospect, it was a good move for him to switch over to the Tiffany Aching books, and make Granny a mentor rather than the primary character. That whole last section of A Hat Full of Sky, when the threat has been defeated and it's mostly just Granny and Tiffany talking, is one of my favourite sections of any Discworld novel.

Just a shame that so much of the Tiffany books is focused on the Feegles (and their dialect). They can be amusing in short doses, but as individual characters, they're not the most fascinating!

I Shall Wear Midnight made a very satisfying conclusion to her story. I haven't read Raising Steam or Dodger yet and have heard mixed opinions about them, but I really hope The Shepherd's Crown isn't as disappointing as Snuff.

[Anne Summers]

The first one (The Colour of Magic) is, yes. The Discworld and Discworld II games are good but the puzzles are often somewhat obtuse. Never played the MUD, Noir or the Java game. I think Noir is generally considered a bit crap though.

The MUD is an amazing achievement. Last time I went there (years ago) they had almost the whole Discworld explorable in mud-o-vision, and a really great community. I don't know if it has gone off the boil in recent years, or maybe it's got even bigger since Terry's death brought it a whole new audience.

Of the books, I find it impossible to pick a favourite. Maybe Lords and Ladies, maybe Pyramids, maybe Small Gods, maybe Soul Music - something from that era of Discworld probably, when he was really getting into his stride and had properly worked out what Discworld was meant to be.

[Nick R]

Can we rename this to "The Pterry Pratchett Pthread", please?

[Wiper]

I've always been an enormous Pratchett, fan to the extent...

...that you've adopted Carrot's approach to punctuation?

[Plums]

I read a few of his books in my teenage years including Mort, Small Gods, Guards Guards and a few of the wizardy ones I think. Small Gods was always the one that stuck with me.

[MrPogo]

The forth (and presumably last?) Long Earth book - The Long Utopia- is out now, having been released to absolutely no fanfare for some reason (I only know because I spotted it in Tesco). Things like his official Facebook page made no mention, despite being actively managed by someone and plugging forthcoming the last Discworld book etc.

[Delargey]

I thought the Long Earth books were pretty dull. Great concept but the plot needed a bit more bite.

[Danster]

Yeah, I've got it sat on my kindle, preordered it ages ago. I've had an odd relationship with the books, they are interesting and the concept is great, but so little happens that I couldn't recommend them. Having said that I am looking forward to reading it, who knows maybe this one will make rest worthwhile...

[MrPogo]

Apparently it was always supposed to be a five book series, so I suppose there will be one more which is at least based on an overall arc he had a hand in (don't know how directly he'll have been involved in the writing of course, or even was in the forth). Personally I quite like the just going around exploring of it all; it's more when some actual plot happens that I dislike!

[smac]

Of the books, I find it impossible to pick a favourite. Maybe Lords and Ladies, maybe Pyramids, maybe Small Gods, maybe Soul Music

Small Gods. There's an edge to it that makes the conclusion that much more satisfying.

[Plums]

Yes, the ending is wonderful.

[Delargey]

Om is also really funny.

[MikeBeaver]

I think I've misfired both times I've read his work. First one I read was Good Omens when it came out which I didn't enjoy, felt like bad Douglas Adams and was enough to put me off until I picked up The Long Earth this year, but again didn't really enjoy it- more because it's got a fantastic premise but a wafer-thin plot and I found myself less and less interested in it as it went on.

But I also realise both of these are collaborations, so what would someone recommend as the Terry Pratchett book to read, the classic, because I feel I must be missing out on something due to the enthusiasm that everyone else has with him.

The joke about tapes in cars turning into Queen tapes was good though. Can't argue with that.

Try and find the BBC Radio adaptation of it, it's only a couple of hours and is pretty well done, Peter Serefrefeeeeeronwicnitzz ( how ever you spell his name ) and Brian from Spaced do the voices for the two main characters.

I am up to "Wintersmith" on maybe my 4th or 5th listen to the entire series, I only got into them around 2007, used to have a book on the go whilst working each day .

Think one of my favourites has to be Thief of Time with the History Monks, although they are all brilliant.

I tend to dredd the early witches ones though, as although the story is great, the woman reading it doesn't do it justice, and so far I have been unable to find any read by someone else.

[Vespa Alex]

A bit of an unexpected bonus today - saw the latest Pratchett/Baxter book in Asda that I didn't know was due out. The Long Utopia.

Looking forward to sitting down with it later.

[Flub]

I enjoyed the Long Earth books but I don't think they really worked that well. Very unfocused with an unsatisfying ending (To all four books in fact). I hope there does turn out to be a book 5 incoming. There's so much more that can be done with the setting.

Pratchett-wise I own all the Discworld books in a mixture of mostly paper with the most recent ones in ebook form and I'm currently buying all the kindle versions a couple a month.

Standout arcs for me (And I suspect almost everyone else) are the Witches and the Nightwatch. Guards Guards isn't the best example but still an excellent place to start. Wyrd Sisters however stands the test of time for me. Even if my fave is Witches Abroad. I do like Rincewind (And indeed The Last Continent and Interesting Times are amazing) but Rincewind isn't normally my first choice for a reread and the first two Discworld books in my opinion are probably best served last.

I like the death series but to be honest I don't think I could read Mort again. I love Soul Music and Reaper Man though. Standalone standouts for me are stuff like Monstrous Regiment (I utterly love this book), Pyramids, Small Gods and Thief of Time.

I also love the wizards of the Unseen University. I didn't much like the Unseen Academicals though. I didn't get the impression Terry was fully on board for that one. A weird quality blip.