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Terry Pratchett and Diskworld

My favorite author is Terry Pratchett. His Diskworld novels are incredible. Not only are they humorous satire, but they are also written intelligently and that alone is pretty unique for fantasy fiction.

The complete Diskworld collection is huge, but Diskworld is a setting for several different groups of characters. It’s not necessary to read them all, or read them in order, some of my friends read only the ones based on their favored characters. However if you read them in order, you get a much clearer view of the evolution of the characters and the setting.

Rincewind books

The first two Diskworld books Color of Magic and Light Fantastic are one story, and are the first books in the series. While some of the characters are great fun, these books are the exact opposite of the ones you are reading now. Basically Rincewind, a Wizzard, (you know he’s a Wizzard, it says so on his hat) starts off as a travel guide for a foreigner and ends up running away from danger at the highest possible speed. Yup, he’s a total coward. These are a fun but very light read. They are my least favorite of the Diskworld books, but still good fun.

The Watch

The “watch” or “guards” books follow the city watch and are mysteries/police procedurals set in the megalopolis (NYC/London) of Diskworld – Ank-Morpork. Usually centering around political intrigue they also deal with issues of tolerance, the changing world and some kind of major crime. I recommend “Guards! Guards!” as a great first book to read. It’s the first book in which the guards make an appearance, and basically shows the redemption of the city watch and Captain Vimes the captain of the night watch.

The Witches

The Witches books follow three country witches focusing on headology, magical problems, and the region of the Ramtop Mountains; though it’s not unheard of for them to venture out of the mountains to Ank-Morpork and other cities. These are lots of fun, I enjoy them as much as the guards books. To sum up? Imagine the Macbeth Witches released in Middle-earth.

• Equal Rites
  The first witches’ book in the series, Equal Rites shows the difference between male and female magic in the Diskworld and what happens when someone has the power to use both.

Death/Mythomorphology

Yah, you know something is up with a series when death and his family are the main characters for some of the books. These books are devoted to some very strange stuff: the nature of mythology, the nature of time, what happened to the Fifth Horseman, and of course death. These rock.

• Mort
  Death takes an apprentice, and a holiday. An excellent first outing with at DEATH as a primary character.

Stand alone books

There are some main characters that just get one book. Often isolated from the rest of the series by either time or space, these books are usually a riot. At some points I am struck by the idea that perhaps he wrote these just so he could tell one of the bad (or good) jokes the reader encounter’s along the way. Pyramids, Moving Pictures, Small Gods, and Truth are some of those. In some cases (Pyramids, Small Gods) these should fall under the DEATH/Mythology grouping, because they are about supernatural stuff, but they really stand alone.

Young Adult

Pratchett also has several young adult books set in the Diskworld. More on them later.