A Discworld celebration

What is Discworld?
  It's a series of comic fantasy books by Terry Pratchett, who has said that

  Writing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on

If you write the way he did, maybe so! But for the 99.9999% of us who don't write that way, reading him is almost as good!


Discworld is a world, shaped like a disc (duh) that rides on the back of four elephants, who stand on the shell of A'Tuin, the great sky turtle.

Discworld is a publishing phenomenon, with about 50 million books in print. And it's terrific. 

My favorite Discworld books:

• Guards! Guards! - All the dragons in Ankh-Morpork (see below) have been locked away. But there's a key. And someone's opening the door....
• Witches Abroad - The coven of witches (see below) travels to Genua (see below) to stop a servant girl from marrying a prince. But you can't fight a happy ending.
• Small Gods - Brutha just wants to tend his melon patch. But then a god appears to him. A small god, desperate for believers, so he doesn't disappear altogether. A god in the shape of a turtle. Marvelous. One of my favorite Discworld novels, and, I think, the first of the series that shows that Pratchett is more than a good and very funny writer, but that he has profound things to say. Spoofs religion and belief and the inquisition and mysticism.
• Men at Arms - Corporal Carrot Ironfoundperson (see below) has been promoted. Now, he's got to deal with some mysterious deaths that have something to do with a new weapon called a 'gonne', and a pack of wild dogs is on the loose (led by Big Fido, a mad poodle); at the same time, Edeward d'Eath discovers that Carrot may be the descendant of the last king. Luckily, Carrot has the Ankh Morpork's (see below) other watchmen to help him
• Hogfather - It's Hogswatchnight, the eve of the most joyous holiday of the year, and the Hogfather is missing. It's up to Susan, Death's (see below) granddaughter, to sort out the problem, while taking care of her young charges (she's a nanny). Very good.
• The Truth - The free press is coming to Ankh Morpork, and it's hungry. Spoofs the media, newspapers, photographers (in this one, the photographer is a vampire who crumbles to dust with each flash). One of the best Discworld novels.
• Night Watch - Sam Vimes (see below) gets sent back in time to the eve of a street rebellion in Ankh Morpork. Now, the older and wiser Vimes can do some things he couldn't do then, but that might change his own future, or eliminate it.
• Monstrous Regiment - War has come to Discworld, and it centers on the fundamentalist nation of Borogravia. Polly Perks' brother has enlisted, and she is determined to look for him. So she cuts off her hair and enlists. Absolutely outstanding. One of Pratchett's best. Spoofs war, fundamentalism and sex roles, while celebrating the power of love and faith.
• Going Postal - Moist von Lipwig (see below) is a confidence man who has been caught. He's 'rescued' by Lord Vetinari (see below), and made Postmaster of Ankh Morpork (see below). Outstanding. Spoofs government service, hacker culture, greed, technology
• Thud - Long ago, the trolls (see below) fought the dwarfs (see below) in Koom Valley. Now, trouble is brewing again, and it's up to Sam Vimes (see below) to fix it, and still get home in time to read "Where's my Cow?" to Sam Jr. Outstanding.

Pratchett also wrote the Tiffany Aching novels, also set on Discworld, but sort of separate.  They are "young adult" novels but mostly, I think, young means "not dead yet".  I loved them. 

1. The Wee Free Men
2. A Hat Full of Sky
3. Wintersmith
4. I Shall Wear Midnight
5. The Shepherd's Crown

All tell the story of Tiffany Aching. She goes from girlhood to womanhood with many adventures along the way.  Tiffany is a heroine for the ages and for all ages. In the first book, she wants to become a witch because an old woman who lived nearby was killed for being one.  Tiffany is sure that was wrong and wants to stop things like that from happening.

Places in Discworld

• Ankh Morpork - Ah, Ankh Morpork! City of 1000 surprises! To quote Terry: "There's a saying that all roads lead to Ankh Morpork. That's wrong. All roads lead *away* from Ankh Morpork". The city lies along the river Ankh - a river so polluted that you can't drown, but you could suffocate
• Borogravia - A small, poor country, they are ruled (in theory) by the Duchess (she may be dead) and they worship Nuggan, whose holy book is constantly being emended by adding more abominations.
• Fourecks - A small continent, where there is very little water, no rain, but plenty of beer. It's surrounded by a constant storm, and it's two main cities are Bugarup and Didjabringabeeralong. No worries.
• Klatch - not based on the Middle East at all. Its capital is Al Khali
• Lancre - is a small country in the Ramtop mountains
• Uberwald - Vampires! (And it's just coincidence that Uberwald is a translation of Transylvania)

People (and similar)of Discworld (alphabetical order, by last name if applicable):

• Angua - A beautiful and intelligent woman most of the time .... but every once a month, she's a wolf. A member of the city watch of Ankh Morpork
• Cohen the barbarian - He's a very old hero. He's lived a LONG time, and he has a very dangerous job.
• Death - He's thin. Skeletal, in fact. He always carries a scythe, and he SPEAKS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. Still, since everyone eventually gets to know him, it's good that he's been told to be more of a people person.
• Cut me own throat Dibbler - Usually some sort of food (very broadly defined) when he's between business ventures (also very broadly defined). He's not actually a <b>thief</b>..... but, watch your fingers if you shake hands with him
• Magrat Garlick - A sort of new age witch. Also, queen of Lancre.
• Carrot Ironfounderson - a 6'6" tall dwarf (he was adopted). He's very strong, supremely likable, and very simple ... but not stupid.  And he has enormous charisma.
• Leonard of Quirm - A genius and the Discworld's greatest inventor. Writes backwards. Draws ingenious things, but can't come up with good names for them
• The Librarian - That's the librarian at Unseen University, college of wizardry. He got changes into an orangutan, and liked it. Don't call him a monkey, ever.
• The Luggage - Made of sapient pearwood, it is intelligent, mobile, ferociously loyal to its owner, and just plain ferocious to everyone else
• Moist von Lipwig - a con man and petty criminal until Lord Vetinari turns him into the post master (in Going Postal), and master of the mint (in Making Money).
• Agnes Nitt - There's a saying that inside every fat person there's a thin person. For Agnes Nitt, that's literally true - the person is Perdita. Agnes is a witch who can sing anything - she can even sing duets with herself
• Nanny Ogg - A witch with a very large family. Famously bibulous.
• Rincewind - Discworld's most incompetent wizard. Very good at running away.
• Sam Vimes - a copper, through and through. Knows every inch of Ankh Morpork.
• Lord Havelock Vetinari - the patrician of Ankh Morpork. Brilliant and ruthless, he knows what you're thinking, sometimes before you do. He's a firm believer in 'one man, one vote'. He is the man, so he has the vote.
• Granny Weatherwax - Another witch. Maybe Discworld's most powerful witch, not that she'll tell you that (but she might not deny it).  If she takes off her hat to you, it is a big honor.

Species: On Discworld, there's no racism, there's specism!

• Trolls - are basically animate piles of rock. They can think ... but slowly (unless they are cold). They hate dwarfs.
• Dwarfs - are the best miners on discworld. They love gold and hate trolls.
• Vampires - They live mostly in Uberwald, but have lately been taking the pledge (not one drop!) and moving to Ankh Morpork.
• Werewolves - Person most of the time, wolf of the time. The most prominent werewolf in the novels is Angua.
• Golems - are made of clay, but animated by a piece of paper in their heads. Incredibly patient and persistent.

Reading strategies for Discworld

You could start at the beginning and go from there. This lets you see Pratchett grow as a writer ... but the first novels are not the best, in particular, you might skip the first two.

You could follow a series but not all the books fit into series or you could browse around

Sources

The HarperCollins Terry Pratchett site

The discworld/Terry Pratchett wiki

Wikipedia article