Terry Pratchett

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It seems there are quite a number of people here that enjoy Pratchett's novels. And you have all inspired me to start reading them as well. So I made this topic to discuss his books.

So I recently finished reading The Last Continent (totally hilarious) and I just picked up Jingo. I want to know if I should be reading the Discworld series in some sort of order? What else do you recommend? It seems like I plunged into the middle of things. (That plus I took whatever the library had to offer.)

 

Given that there are a lot of recurring characters it really helps to read them in the order they were published. You should be able to find a list on-line somewhere but the first dozen were

The Colour of Magic
The Light Fantastic
Equal Rites
Mort
Sourcery
Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids
Guards! Guards!
Eric
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Witches Abroad

The science fiction book club here in Canada has a good selection of Pratchett's novels for fairly cheap prices (for hardcover that is). They have even collected some of the books together in omnibus editions which makes them even cheaper.

Otherwise, chapters-indigo on-line is probably your best bet for some of the earlier ones. I imagine that most of the them wouldn't be available in the public library anymore.

If you go to a large used book store with a large science fiction-fantasy section you can probably find at least a few of them but it is always hit and miss if you go that route.

 

Could everyone just look away while I strangel Blog for starting the exact same thread I was going to?

Anyway, I've read the first two - The Colour Of Magic and The Light Fantastic and I'm waiting on the library to transport Equal Rites from another branch for me.

From what I can gather, it's not exactly essential to read them all in order because they don't all feature the same characters but it does seem that it's advisable to some degree. Particularly with Rincewind.
Mind you, he's really the only character I've encountered so far who seems to be a major part of the series.

Also, from what I can gather, each book has a list in the front of all the books in the series and they're all in chronological order of publication.

Oh yeah, just started on The Last Hero.

Then again, like Blog I'm only new to the series and if anyone can correct me on my thoughts of not HAVING to read them in order, I'd not be surprised.

 

It is true that you don't have to read them all in order. There are certain sub-series that probably should be read in order (The four main ones being the books about Rincewind, Death, the Guards, and the Witches) and some are basically stand alones (Pyramids, Small Gods, Moving Pictures etc.)

Characters from other books/sub-serieses do tend to keep popping in from time to time for cameos but pretty well any book in the series can be read alone and you wont really be lost.

 

I liked Night Watch and Men At Arms. The next one I will read is The Wee Free Men.

 

The only one I ever read was Lords and Ladies, so it was obviously out of order, yet I never felt I missed a thing. He's pretty funny to read, IMO.

A friend of mine is coming from the US in December, so I'm thinking of starting a Pratchett collection

 

I own most of his books and have read nearly all of them and IMO they don't really need to be read in order. However, some characters are in several books:
Rincewind = The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, The Last Continent, etc

The Lancre Witches = Equal Rites, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum et cetera as well as being linked into both Pratchett's children's books (Wee Free Men, A Hat full of Sky)

Ankh Morpork City Watch inc Vimes, Gaspode, Carrot, Angua etc etc = Jingo, Night Watch, Men At Arms, and quite a lot of the others I cant quite remember.

There are also other "smaller" characters like the Sweeper from the Monks of History who is in Pyramids and Small Gods.

I havent yet read the new one, Monstrous Regiment.... but I will soon (when its released in paperback)


EDIT: Whoops, sorry Tal, I loaded the page before your post appeared.

 

I just finished Hogfather...quite good. Pondering on what to read next.

Here's a reading order thingo.

http://www.au.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-colour-1-25.gif

 

Deathmage - are you trying to get Tal to stab you?

 

Looks like I started 3/4 down the list. At least the two I've read are in reverse order.

Hmmm, I didn't know this was on the site...

 

Heyy, I got Monstrous Regiment yesterday! Yay! It's really cool... not my favorite, but excellent as with all his work.

BTW, yes i got it yesterday and have already read it. To quote from Wee Free Men (yes, pratchett) "It is possible that this tells you more about (me) than (I) would wish you to know."

 

I finished The Wee Free Men, and they are the most entertaining race of people ever.

 

I feel that the order isn't important except for where it deals with the characters down the line. I read Thief of Time before I read Mort, which threw out the continuity (as Mort happens a generation or so before Thief of Time), but still thoroughly enjoyed it on its own merits.

I was always a fan of the Death books (Mort, Reaper Man and Soul Music), mainly because of his habit of talking in small capitals and riding a horse called Binky, but my favourite Pratchett characters are the Librarian (ook!) and the Luggage.

You just don't mess with the Luggage...

 

I've always loved the City Watch books. Duke Samuel ('the Butcher') Vimes is possibly the character I respect the most

I think Pratchett's take on Death is possibly the best I have ever read about "He's not evil, he's just terribly terribly good at his job."

 

I have a thing for Vetinari. He and Vimes are definily my favorites ofPratchett's many characters... although Ponder Stibbons has made an impression, too

 

Vetinari is almost as cool as Entereri from Salvatores books I find, especially in Night Watch, when he hides in the wide open.

 

I like it how everyone hates Vetinari but they would hate his replacement more. I wonder when Carrot will finally take up the mantle? When Vetinari kicks it?

 

Hehe, just read Going Postal. Very, very good. How can it not be with a main character called Moist

I didn't really like the Monstrous Regiment very much, but, that one aside, in the last few books he seems to be really hitting a new high