So, Terry Pratchett

mjn6172

So, apparently there's an author by the name of Terry Pratchett. He looks like this:



I have never read any of his books. However, I just recently watched a movie called The Hogfather that showed up on my Netflix recommendations.



I watched it in bits and pieces over the last week or so due to having a 10 month old in the house, but it was amazingly funny, and it has sparked my interest in this Terry Pratchett guy. Unfortunately, it seems that he has written rather a lot over the years:



So I'm turning to you kind people for advice. Where should I start? Do his books follow a specific order, or can they be read in any sequence?

Feel free to use this thread to comment on Terry Pratchett and his books in general, but please mark any major spoilers. I would like to be surprised if the God of Hangovers conquers Discworld.

Vyolynce

It hasn't moved in almost a month, but you might try this thread.

Daxon

I would start from the beginning and then read the books in the order they were published.

Not completely necessary but the world he writes about does evolve so some things might seem a bit odd when read out of its proper place in the timeline.

KalTorak

"Good Omens" is a fantastic book he wrote with Neil Gaiman.

DevoutlyApathetic

Daxon wrote:

I would start from the beginning and then read the books in the order they were published.

Not completely necessary but the world he writes about does evolve so some things might seem a bit odd when read out of its proper place in the timeline.

The only problem is that I can see The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic both being not good enough to maintain your interest in the series. There are good bits (and both are short) but they aren't super awesome. Too much of Pratchett trying to be Adams instead of being Pratchett.

Small Gods is a pretty good stand alone entry book. The linked thread will have lots of recommendations as well as charts! Everybody loves charts!

TheBigEasy

As he has various characters/character groups he focuses on in his books ... this might be helpful:

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg

Daxon

DevoutlyApathetic wrote:

Daxon wrote:

I would start from the beginning and then read the books in the order they were published.

Not completely necessary but the world he writes about does evolve so some things might seem a bit odd when read out of its proper place in the timeline.

The only problem is that I can see The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic both being not good enough to maintain your interest in the series. There are good bits (and both are short) but they aren't super awesome. Too much of Pratchett trying to be Adams instead of being Pratchett.

Small Gods is a pretty good stand alone entry book. The linked thread will have lots of recommendations as well as charts! Everybody loves charts!

If he is worthy he will read them and not give up.

They are a test.

Vyolynce

TheBigEasy wrote:

As he has various characters/character groups he focuses on in his books ... this might be helpful:

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg

Which doesn't include his most recent two (I Shall Wear Midnight and Snuff), but it's still a good guide.

nexuscrawler

That's Sir Terry Pratchett to you mister

Nerdgasmic

I would recommend reading small gods first or picking a particular "series" (night watch, witches, death) and starting from the first book in it

TheBigEasy

Vyolynce wrote:

TheBigEasy wrote:

As he has various characters/character groups he focuses on in his books ... this might be helpful:

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg

Which doesn't include his most recent two (I Shall Wear Midnight and Snuff), but it's still a good guide.

But it gives him a good starting point for each series ... This chart was the reason I bought "Guards! Guards!". Still have to read it though ...

spool32

KalTorak wrote:

"Good Omens" is a fantastic book he wrote with Neil Gaiman.

I thought the gags really started to get old in that one. But, I'm told it's very much a love it / hate it book.

tbloxham

I'd start with guards, guards and small gods.

Incidentally Guards, Guards! is the most perfect book ever to make a summer blockbuster out of which has never been used. I shall hope this is rectified in my lifetime.

DevoutlyApathetic

spool32 wrote:

KalTorak wrote:

"Good Omens" is a fantastic book he wrote with Neil Gaiman.

I thought the gags really started to get old in that one. But, I'm told it's very much a love it / hate it book.

At times it really shows how old it is. It has many Cold War-isms and the like. A number of these don't really resonate as they would have originally.

spool32

DevoutlyApathetic wrote:

spool32 wrote:

KalTorak wrote:

"Good Omens" is a fantastic book he wrote with Neil Gaiman.

I thought the gags really started to get old in that one. But, I'm told it's very much a love it / hate it book.

At times it really shows how old it is. It has many Cold War-isms and the like. A number of these don't really resonate as they would have originally.

Hmm... that's pretty true, yeah. I should've thought of that, having grown up during the cold war but only read the book a year or two ago.
Sort of like trying to play my copy of Paranoia... half the jokes just fall flat nowadays.

Nerdgasmic

I thought Good Omens was alright.

Hahnsoo1

The current DnD Discworld discussion thread is over here:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/98884/discworld-discussion

If you just need some advice on what to read, Help and Advice might have been a better place to post. Oh well.

My Terry Pratchett shelf looks alarmingly like the one posted in the OP.

Ego

I'll point out for the OP that Going Postal was also done by the same group as a live-action thing, and was likewise pretty damned great.

As for books, I read them in order of publication.

lu tze

Terry who? Never heard of him!

I agree first two are a bit meh, I also agree that Small Gods is a very good introduction.

You don't need to read the books in published sequence. Although the books are broken down into several distinct "storylines" which are focused around certain characters and locations (e.g. Witches, The Watch, Death etc), it helps to at least read each "storyline" in order as there are definite arcs you'll miss out on otherwise.

The Witches are my favourite... other than a certain sweeper of course (who we've seen far too little of!).

I'm fairly certain there's also a discworld thread kicking about here already, might be a bit spoilery for someone new though.

Rhan9

Oh god, I thought something had happened to him when I saw this thread.
You bastard

Small Gods is a good book to start with his style, and it's not overly reliant on any of the other ones, so you don't need to worry about continuity. The chart should help you follow certain plotlines he has in the series. I started originally with the nightwatch series, but many others start with the death or witches.

Captain Carrot

Rhan9 wrote:

Oh god, I thought something had happened to him when I saw this thread.
You bastard

Me too. Although he should have a few more years left in him if his Alzheimer's progresses as predicted.

Turkson

Oh thank God, I opened this thread fearing he might have passed away.

As an opinion, I think the Watch novels are the best overall, but the Death series is good as well. Not as big of a fan of the Witches.

Siska

Moving Pictures is a nice free standing story that also is a first time introduction to 3 major characters: Long reigning Archchancellor Ridcully, do it all wizard Ponder Stibbons and Gaspode the talking dog. Dibbler is also in it, but I don't recall if that is his first appearance. The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery and Equal Rites all happen before then in the time line, but they are honestly not as good as the later books and besides from Sourcery being occupationally refereed to later they are mostly ignored. All you need to know is Rincewind the incompetent and unambitious Wiz(z)ard gets into humorously large amount of trouble and saves the world a lot while trying to run away.

Daxon

Captain Carrot wrote:

Rhan9 wrote:

Oh god, I thought something had happened to him when I saw this thread.
You bastard

Me too. Although he should have a few more years left in him if his Alzheimer's progresses as predicted.

he's started the processes to prepare for his eventual euthanasia.

Might just be preparatory, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was dead this time next year.