Discworld

[Trivun]

There are two ways to read or listen to the books. One is reading each book in every story arc in order, somehow fitting the individual books (like Pyramids) in around them in chronological order. The other is to read every book in actual chronological order, forsaking seperate story arcs. Since there are so many crossovers of minor characters (most notably Vetinari, the Wizards, and more recently certain Watch members) in each book, I prefer this approach. Judging by the order of all the books (including the 'kids' ones) listed in the release of Unseen Academicals, it appears that Pratchett himself favours this approach too, though the other way is perfectly fine.

Anyway, Pratchett is definitely one of my favourite authors. I'm shocked that so few people on DA have heard of Discworld, since even most of my peers who don't read Discworld have heard of it. My parents barely ever read anything and when they do they favour autobiographies and crime novels, and even they've heard of Terry Pratchett and Discworld. Although I suspect that's down to the fact that I've bugged them so much in the past to get me copies of certain Discworld books when Christmas and my birthday have been approaching...

EDIT: For the record, my favourite story arc was the Watch arc, but now is shifting slowly towards Moist von Lipwig. He's definitely one of my favourite characters, along with Sally, Carrot, Angua and Vimes. Death is so damn awesome too. And I wish Terry Pratchett would write another Susan Sto Helit book, that arc was another favourite of mine too

 

[Queen Michael]

Want my advice? Skip Vimes and go right into Rincewind. Rincewind is one of the most awesome characters I've ever read, at least as good as death and in some ways better. In combination (as they often are during Color of Magic) they create a comic/comic foil pair of such high caliber I've yet to see it matched in any other work of literature.

Rincewind is basically my hero.

Rincewind is awesome. I wasn't satisfied with his casting in the film. David Jason was too old and didn't capture the character well.

Vimes is just as good. In fact he's better, because he's a deep character and he's got just as many funny lines.
And the average quality of his books is higher, too.

By the way, I've read all of the Discworld novels, including The Science of Discworld.

 

[Trivun]

That's the one in which the world is carried on a turtles back, correct?
I used to think that was incredibly creative, until I found out he lifted that right out of Hindu mythology... oh writers, how you do like to pilfer.

Yup, 'tis true. Although every author does that. I'm writing a vampire novel where the vampires are more or less vicious versions of Twilight vampires, except they actually fight each other, they do drink human blood (though they don't attack humans, they steal it from hospitals), and they definitely don't sparkle. Everything else is pretty much the same.

Anyway, I recall a quote from Phillip Pullman in the Achnolegements section of The Amber Spyglass:

"Read like a butterfly, write like a bee, and if there is any honey in this book then it is solely down to the quality of the nectar I have found from better writers".

As for the turtle, Pratchett made a reference in one edition of the Discworld Companion to a woman he met who believed the Flat Earth theory. Basically the woman was barking mad and came up to him at a signing and said that he'd got it all completely right and that the Earth really is carried on the back of a giant turtle. Pratchett tried to explain it was fiction but she just ignored any evidence he cited for a round Earth. He then said "so what's the turtle standing on then?" to try and put her off, and she replied "Hah! It's turtles all the way down!". So apparently there are turtles standing on top of each other for infinity...

 

[Disco110]

Thanks for the correction Cogito, i remember the joke now, he?s so good at port-mantoing words like that.
I almost forgot Nobby and Colon, if that?s possible, and angua too who has one of my favourite lines.

The Fifth Elephant; Carrot and Angua talking about Gavin the Wolf.
Carrot: so, why is he called Gavin?
Angua: he once ate someone called Gavin.

Probably done it no justice but i like it

 

[ZombieGenesis]

/snip

Actually yes I heard that same story from the show QI, I found it rather amusing actually. Good to see that writers are, in part, admiting to the inspirations of their works. I'm pretty sure everyone is quite aware that J.R.R and J.K borrowed heavily from general mythologies, in particular the celtic and germanic.
I actually do this quite a lot in my own works, though since I'm overtly-English I like to put that across in the references. Such as the age old fable of the Black Moor Dog, who follows your steps when you come close to death. So I can understand why it's done, I was just somewhat dissapointed to find such a unique world point was not an original design. Then again, what is these days?

On that point I would normally make some comment on how there are -way- too many vampire stories coming out since the Twilight plague, but anything that doesn't sparkle is a step in the right direction in my books.

 

[kiwisushi]

Yep. Currently reading some of the older ones. At the mo Thief of Time. I mean seriously, two deaths, one called death and the other called death of rats ... no real reason for there being that one!

 

[Lemon Of Life]

Please tell me someone has read the EdgeWorld series? PLEASE! When i was a kid i fucking loved those books, some author i think. So imaginative

No, those weren't by Pratchett, but I loved them too when I was 11-13. They aren't funny, but the universe is so awesome, I bought all of them.

And yes, Pratchett is probably my favourite author. Thanks for the thread, I'm gna read them all again.

 

[JoshGod]

ive read every one even the ones for younger readers XD
i think thats about 37ish
although the proper ones have reached about 30ish
its a shame as they're proply wont be any more or mayby very few.
illd recommend you read morte it is very good i think its about N.9 ish

 

[hittite]

Referencing the copy of The Color of Magic that I currently have checked out from my local library, Pratchett says that the idea of a flat world on the back of four elephants that are on the back of a giant turtle "has been lying in the lumber rooms of legend for centuries. All I had to do was grab it and run away before the alarms went off."

 

[GrinningManiac]

Love all his work, he's a genius. My favourite so far is a toss-up between Thud, anything the Witches are in or anything that involved Munstrum Ridcully to any extent.

Munstrum and Death are my favourites

Please tell me someone has read the EdgeWorld series? PLEASE! When i was a kid i fucking loved those books, some author i think. So imaginative

they were BRILLIANT. Clash of the Sky Galleons was one of my favourites (though my first was Last of the Sky Pirates, which obviously threw off the chronology)

 

[ioxles]

I love Pratchett, anyone who wants to discuss him or wants to know about any similar authors pm me.

 

[bombchu]

I'm just starting Guards, Guards!, trying to go in the order he wrote them. Even though the first one I read was Going Postal. It's still my favorite so far, too!

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Mort and Small Gods are probably my two favourite. Reaper Man would have been the best one in my opinion, if it wasn't for that weird side story with the zombie and the supermarket (I still don't quite get it). I'm currently reading Unseen Academicals, and it's pretty decent so far, plus the twist about half way though is an interesting one.

I can't believe you didn't find many people that had heard of them, they're pretty well known, especially with the movies now.

 

[Gebi10000]

Thud!,going postal,making money,equal rites,wyrd sisters. all great books

 

[Geamo]

I'd be correct in saying there are a fair number of Discworld fans around. I myself own all of them - brilliant novels in my opionion. For preference, Good Omens (a glorius combination of Pratchett and Neil Gaiman), Going Postal , the entire Watch Series (Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo!, The Fifth Elephant, Thud!) .

 

[TheMatt]

I've read all the books and I find his work get weaker the further along the chain you are.

So in order, my fave is book 1, second favourite is book 2... and so on...

 

[Viking Incognito]

Good Omens is one of my favorite books.

 

[Doug]

I've got pretty much all of the books, Terry Pratchet is a good comedy fiction writer... "Interesting Times" is the funniest book of all time.

Same here - about the only ones I don't have are the plays and such.

ALthough he's rubbish at creating well liked "female" characters, Angua's the only good girl he's managed to create, and she's a werewolf. Its like he's the Anti Joss Whedan.

Well... true, I suppose. I think its because he has a penis. Tends to make it harder to get into the female mindset with one of those hanging around.

The problem with his female characters tends to be pretty hard boiled. Though Nanna Ogg is amusing, stood next to the stern Granny Weatherwax.

 

[Doug]

Good Omens is one of my favorite books.

Indeed, Good Omens was great; Strata and "The Dark side of the Sun" both had their good points, but like the first 2 or 3 Discworld books, took themselves abit too seriously.

EDIT: Nearly forgot - the carpet people was Terry's first novel and was pretty darn good; sort of a Roman Empire world within the threads of a carpet.

 

[El Poncho]

I've read, Mort, Pyramids, Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad and i'm currently reading Lords and Ladies, oh and the Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents, which was the first one I read