Puns? The first was the best, from ‘The Colour of Magic’, Prologue. "An alternative... was that A'Tuin was crawling from the Birthplace to the Time of Mating. When they arrived they would briefly and passionately mate, for the first and only time, and from that fiery union new turtles would be born to carry a new pattern of worlds. This was known as the Big Bang hypothesis".
This is the kind of video that, even if I had no interest in ever actually reading Discworld, I would absolutely love to watch. There's something completely fantastic about listening to someone just rave about something that they love. I've always been interested in Pratchett's works, but this moved it further up my priority.
What I really love about the jokes and references that Pterry included in his novels is that they were so well-written, it didn't matter that you maybe were unaware of the source of said joke - it was funny and clever in its own right. Of course, that just means there's a little nugget waiting for you to discover on later readings. The amount of times I've picked up a Discworld novel and found something new is mad. One you may not know about, and he told me about it when he and a bunch of us fans were doing a recording for a book programme on BBC Radio 4 (featuring Mort). In the open question session, I'd asked about his habit of inserting pop culture puns (specifically mentioning 'Fabricati diem punc'), and he gleefully told us of an especially subtle one in Wee Free Men. Basically, at the point when Tiffany goes back to look for Miss Tick, all she finds is a talking toad. The toad had been left behind to lead Tiffany to people (the Nac Mac Feegles) that could help her. On the way, she asks why he's yellow, and the toad replies that he's been ill. Tiffany had to follow the yellow, sick toad. Oh my gods. When he told us this (and it may be available somewhere on the interwebs), we absolutely lost it. What a mind.
The day my annual “I should read Discworld, but where to start?” internal dialog begins, and this video is uploaded. Seems like a sign I shouldn’t ignore.
This year, starting from January, I made it my goal to finish the entirety of Discworld by the end of the year, and I can safely say that it has been one of the most wondrous journeys I have been on. I am currently reading the last book, The Shepherd's Crown, in tears. Those first few chapters impacted me in a way I could never have imagined. GNU Sir Terry Pratchett
Found The Shepherds Crown in a charity shop last Tuesday, my birthday. I honestly thought when I read the last Long Earth collaboration that I had no more new Pratchett in my future. I'd started with The Colour of Magic when it first came out. I cried a bit as well. The evolution from piss take, to satire, to social commentary was joyful. I would recommend reading them in groups, the gaps between the books shows the development of his writing in all story groups. I agree on the audio books, some are better than others but I've never read a Pratchett book that I didn't have to reread a number of paragraphs more than once to fully understand its meaning.
Here's to Geoffrey, who I'm grateful to have met. I want to say it's tragic how little time we got to spend time together, but then it occurs to me that he would likely disagree.
I appreciate this SO much. Everyone mentions Discworld but I feel like I haven't heard from anyone who's read it so I never even knew what they were about. These sound amazing, I'm gonna start reading them this year! Your channel has introduced me to so many new books! Thank you!!
Guild of Assassin's an The Fools Guild. One is a dark, depressing place, with strict rules and severe punishments. The other is light, airy, with excellent educational facilities, where you also learn to kill ( or rather Inhume).
I loved to see a review and where to start video of the Discworld from somebody who had read all the books. I personally started way back with the Witches series and fell in love. I had to warm up to Ankh Morpork afterwards, but I would imagine the same is valid in the other direction. My usual answer to where to start is: The Witches if you like magic and fairytales and folklore The Night Watch if you like action and murder mystery plotlines The Death series if you are an angsty/ edgy teenager Small Gods, Mort, Guards! Guards!, Witches Abroad and Hogfather I think are the best starting points (I'm not really a purists for the order of the first book a person will read; I started with Witches Abroad)
Yes, Pratchett always deserves more love! I'm so happy to see more enthusiasm for him. And thank you for mentioning and appreciating his genius as well as the comedy. His books are so well-crafted. I am so stoked to find another fan 😄
My first Discworld book was "Lords and Ladies" back in 1998. I bought it because I was amused by the blurb. And finished it that very evening... After that, i made it my mission to hunt for TP books from my side of the world (which was hard at that time). Now I got his complete works... I did cry when Sir Terry passed away. He will always have a special place in my heart and bookshelves...
I know it's not advised by most people but I think I'm just going to take the plunge, and try to read the entire series in publishing order. I just like the idea of experiencing the development of the setting and writing as the series goes. Also the way you describe the first two books as a tour of various locations in the Discworld sounds appealing to me as an introduction to the series. Though one thing that bothers me a bit is that I keep seeing all these great illustrated covers for the novel, but the current editions all just have boring minimal covers. Oh also your accents are spot-on.
Pratchett is such a master. His books are so unqiue in the SFF scene. First stumbled upon him in middleschool when I randomly picked up Small Gods from the local library. I remember sitting with my friend at a girl's sleepover and randomly selecting pages and then just reading it to see if we could find a hilarious line. Never failed!
As someone who started with the Colour of magic and hasn’t ready anything else, you’ve convinced me to give it another go. After storm light 4, and jade city, and fires of vengeance, and great coats 4 and...
I read them in order, because the friend who recommended the DW would not lend me the books in any other way (but there were less than 15 at the time, so it wasn't quite so overwhelming), and I found the transition between Light fantastic and Equal Rites quite jarring, though in a positive way. It still took a couple of hours to get over the difference in tone between the 2. Actually, as I understand it, and from what little I got from meeting Pterry once at a con and lurking aroung the alt.fan.pratchett group, the 2 first books were just written as a tribute to fantasy, while also poking fun at it. There's references to quite a few of the then famous fantasy books all through both volumes. To hear Pterry tell the story, he was quite surprised when his agent called him to say he had a publishing contract, with more books wanted. So yes, I would not recommend them as entry points either, if you don't know whether you'll like the DW books or not.
Yeah. Pratchett hadn't figured the world out, and it shows. And rincewind is the least interesting protagonist IMO. The rest of the series is so much better!
Speaking from experience READ THEM IN SERIES ORDER! The stories matter so much more when you are invested in the characters and reading chronologically leaves huge 5/6 book gaps between character arcs, it's hard to even remember what happened the last time you saw them. Im 31 books in and it has taken me 5 years so far. I've forgotten so much, but atleast reading them again will be like reading them for the 1st time!
When I first read the books i had no choice but to read them chronologically. I first started reading them in the Spring of1988 and at the time there were only four books published. I was advised to read Mort first and from then on after reading the books already out I reading each one that came after as soon as i saw they had been published.
The Science of DW books are awesome! They're written in alternating chapters: 1 chapter of the narrative, with the wizards discovering this impossible universe that works on laws instead of magic (the mere idea! and no narrativium! how can such a universe function at all?), and then 1 chapter written by the co-authors, which explains the science corresponding to what the wizards were observing. My favs are books 1 and 3. Book 1 is all about physics and book 3 is evolution and genetics. I might join on next month's Jingo (re-)read. 😄
Awesome! The Science books were all published during my barren reading period where I read nothing at all so I'm keen to get to them plus the last couple published!
The Science of Discworld made me love the wizards. Before that, I could take or leave them, but I really loved them after reading the first one and am looking forward to the rest 😄
Omg thank you so much for this video! I honestly was so intimidated by the number of books but this video makes it just seem like a fun ride. I'm so excited to start!! It reminds me a little of Welcome of Night Vale.
I actually started reading discworld 7 months ago starting with the color of magic and ending with the shepherd's crown. I looked at the whole world as a series and each individual part as a season. I loved it and am continuing to re-listen to it until this day.
Yes. You should read the "Science of Discworld" books. They do what you like about the wizard books: provide an insight into the inner workings of Unseen University. They surprised me how well they describe Academia life and explain incredibly difficult scientific fields while still being funny, entertaining and correct.
Yes! The constitutional peasant scene is my favorite part of Holy Grail! I don't think that I would have made that connection, but that makes a lot of sense now that you point it out. Okay - no wonder you think that I read it in the wrong order if you don't like travel books. I liked "The Color of Magic" in part because I got an introduction to more than just Ankh-Morpork.
I was so excited to come across this video. I don't find that Terry Pratchett is talked about very often and he is one of my favorite authors. I've enjoyed his books so much. His books have such a variety of characters from witches, to trolls, wizards, vampires and so many more. Going Postal is just one of my favorites. I love DEATH, he's great. Terry Pratchett was such a talented writer. He is truly missed.
Great video, this was very helpful! I started with The Color of Magic 6 years ago and then never picked up another Discworld novel... I enjoyed it well enough but didn't feel compelled to continue. I think I'll be much more pulled in to the series with a different starting point, so I'll have to break my general rule of following publication order. The Death books sound fantastic!
The minute you referenced that Monty python and the holy grail scene, I was sold. This video was so well-done Allen!! Sooo excited to pick up Mort!! You’ve made death sound so precious 🥺 You ranting about wee free men again killed me 🤣🤣🤣
Allen, I first watched this video in 2021 after reading ASoIaF (my introduction into the genre after being a lifelong avid reader) and was searching for other fantasy books to read. It's always been in the back of my mind, and this past week, I finally decided to jump in. Thank you.
I’m right now inspired to do two things: start a book tube channel, and re/read Malazeverything. And I’ve never read a Discworld novel. Your infectious enthusiasm has convinced me to slip City Watch novels into the Malazan reading whenever I need a light hearted break. 🙂👌🏻
Omg you showed the Monty Python Parrot skit and I immediately thought CMoT Dibbler! 😂😂 we’re on the same wavelength, bud. PSA Allen is right, everyone. Just do what he tells you. Start immediately. Lol.
Always great to hear someone share their love of Pratchett's work, especially if it helps others access the joy as well. I think I've probably read about a dozen Discworld novels. Just grab one every couple of years for a fun read and am always surprised anew by the level of human insight tucked into the zany tales. There isn't a ton of genuine wisdom floating around in my head, despite my ever increasing age, but a lot of what there is certainly came from Sir Terry. I'll just leave this quote here as one short example among many (and an apropos one for 2020 I think): "There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass! Who's been pinching my beer? - Terry Pratchett (from The Truth)
I learned about Terry Pratchett from reading Good Omens, and decided to keep an eye out for his books in thrift stores and used bookstores. Eventually, I came across Moving Pictures, so thats the book I started with. I really enjoyed it, and didn’t have a strong feeling that I was missing something.
Personally if I were recommending a starting point for the Discworld books I would suggest “Dodger” which is NOT a Discworld book but would show you what you are in for within Discworld, then read in publishing order.
Love this video and your recent tier list! A friend of mine convinced me to start Discworld with Guards Guards too and I loved it! You certainly convinced me to read more of them!
Man this was a fun video to watch! Catching those pop culture references is one of my favorite things about reading these books. “Sometimes it’s good to go where everybody knows your shape.” 😂 Also I CAN’T WAIT to get to Hogfather now!!
Thank you so much for getting me into Guards! Guards! I love it so much. It's exactly the refresher that I needed right now. I love this video and your enthusiasm, as always!
Guards guards is a good place to start. As is Equal Rights or Witches Abroad. If you prefer to start with books aimed at younger readers try The Wee Free Men, or The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. Of the Tiffany books, I would say that Wintersmith is one of the best. It has to be said that The Shepherd's Crown is up there, but the ending is a little rushed, but it was his last book, completed just before he died.
Funny how massively different tastes can be. Reaper Man and the Tiffany Aching books have Pratchett's best prose. Poetic, with such a strong sense of place that the landscape becomes a character in its own right.
I have Mort, Colour of Magic and Guards!Guards! on the way. I'm glad you are comparing it to Python's Holy Grail and not the Lumberjack Song. I'm in my 50's and haven't read anything "absurding in at least 20 years when I read Aspirin, but my first fantasy reading was in that vein with Piers Anthony's Xanth books and it promises to be a nice escape from Wheel Of Time's slog that I'm going through right now.
Just bought the first four books books, but now I will read them in the order on your chart. I'm so glad you explained some of the world. My friend told me I would like them and laugh about. Thanks again.
I have about twenty of these.. Every last one is a joy to read.. Guards, Guards. Or the Mort series great starting point. But actually any one is perfect..as are all .. I love high fantasy but Pratchett's works are just delightful..
Hey Allen. I only just discovered your channel. I watched (the non-spoiler piece) of your live with Philip Chase yesterday regarding Discworld, which led me to this video. This was a phenomenal video. I’ve never tried Discworld, and this was extremely educational and really got me interested, so I will definitely try it out. Thanks so much!
Talking about pop culture references-- I'm listening to Guards Guards (Audible) and there's a few song lyrics in there from the late 80s. I don't know if id've picked'em up if i were reading instead of listening. the reader, Jon Culshaw, is very good. Bill Nighy reads the foot notes
I started Guards! Guards! in kindle after reading about it in shelf space server and I ordered Men in Arms physically and waiting for it to arrive... 😁
Yes. I think you'll enjoy The Science of Discworld books Allen, they're really rather wonderful. Hex has to use up a whole bunch of magic fast, or the Universe will explode (again), and literally created our universe. We become an item of interest to the Wizards, and in trying to work out how our magic-less universe works, the story interchanges with chapters that describe each piece of science they discover in roundworld layman's terms (I learned LOADS) before heading back to UU and the next experiment, where hilarity ensues... I'm (obviously) a lover of Discworld too, and just saw your livestream with Jimmy Nutts, where you mentioned you haven't read the last few that were published - so I need to tell you to drop whatever you're reading at the moment and read Snuff. Because Vimes.
I saw Jessy Mae her video referring to this video. This really helped. I was one of the persons who started Colour of Magic and quit. But i will give it a try again. Thank you so much!
Great video. Not knowing that you shouldn't start with book 1, I started with The Colour of Magic. I actually really liked it though. It is the only one I've read so far, but I'm excited to keep going.
I started chronologically, but that was in '02, so I didn't have many resources to help me. The Sam Vimes series is my favorite of the books. Night Watch is my favorite (because time travel and Les Mis). Also big fan of Wyrd Sisters, Mort, The Last Hero, and Going Postal
I just read Small Gods and LOVED it!! (haven’t read any other Discworld) Thanks so much for this video, gonna use it to continue my Discworld journey! Loving your channel by the way, great stuff! 😁
I always use that term "Ladies of negotiable affection" love it And CMOT Dibble has cousins everywhere on the disc. I think there's one in Jingo called CMOT Dibblah - the Arab version
Parody and satire is such a good way to describe it. Every book has a little bit of social commentary to it, which makes it even more enjoyable on top of the fun fantasy world and story. I know a lot of the references he includes go over my head, but the ones I do understand are always fun nuggets to discover. The wizard books are probably my least favorite ones of the series. The Wee Free Men definitely deserves to be on the top fantasy list ;) I love the Tiffany Aching books because that's where I got started in the series when I was young. As much as I love Death as a character, I don't tend to enjoy the books in his series as much for some reason.
I'm tempted to agree on the Death books! I LOVE Death, but I really love Mort and Hogfather. I was never a huge fan of the other three books despite Death being one of my favorite characters. Agree the wizard books are the weakest, though Interesting Times is my favorite of them.
Just love your enthusiasm for Pratchett 😁 My start with Discworld was all over the place - the first two I read were Interesting Times and Small Gods and I was sold. Absolutely and completely. I hopscotched through the series depending on my library at the time. And that's one of the first amazing things about Pratchett - pretty much every book in the series _can_ be read as a stand-alone or starting point. You might not get every reference, but the story itself is never dependent on preexisting knowledge. Just like the references to pop culture , classics, science, politics, mythology, linguistics, anthropology .. all of it is there, but it doesn't rely on everything . I don't share your bias towards the Watch books, but again loved to see your enthusiasm for them. And definitely agree they make an excellent starting point. But I love all of them equally - the heart and wisdom in the Witches series, including Tiffany Aching - the academic and scientific fun with the Wizards - the philosophy of life with Death. All of it blows my mind, and one man came up with it all..
I have read every Discworld book several times over. Ask me to name my top five today and the answer I give will probably be completely different to the answer I gave yesterday. Always in my top ten are Guards Guards, Men at Arms, Night Watch, Going Postal, Monstrous Regiment, The Shepherds Crown, Mort, Reaper Man, The Truth, and Wyrd Sisters.
Great video! You said you have never met someone whos favourite Pratchett books are the Tiffany ones. Now you have, I love those :-) "Color of Magic" didn't work well for me as a starting point. It is not a bad book by any means but I think the prose isn't on the level Pratchetts later work is and the humor is less subtle it feels more forced than in the later books. It took me several years to pick up another Pratchett book after that. I'm glad i did.
I want to add that I think whichever of the themes Allen mentioned you decide to start with there really is no need to keep a chronological order. I would even suggest not to start with the first entry in any of the themes because in my opinion they are rather weaker entries compared with the other books of the same story thread.
Thank you Allen. I found your video very useful indeed in wanting to know where do I need to begin reading this series. I liked that it was exhaustive and critical. 👍🏽👍🏽🙂
I totally agree on not starting with COM and LF. However, had great success getting friend who has degrees in physics and applied mathematics by starting him with those. He is a huge fan now and has got his department reading it.
I started with Color of Magic and liked it but found myself struggling to finish some chapters sometimes. I read Guards! Guards! and got completely hooked!
Thank your all of your time and effort that went into this! This is the most comprehensive explanation of disc world that I have seen. You also make a 40 book series seem approachable! Bravo! I am off to order Guards! Guards! now.
I love this series and I agree that it's not absurdism though it can be absurd. And I love audiobooks, but that's a good point about not reading discworld on audio. I might have bungled into that and not known what I missed
The only Diskworld book that I have read is The Amazing Maurice and that is because my Dad read it to me as a bedtime story when I was like 10. I have always meant to read more. As a purist I will probably start with the Colour of Magic 😁
I‘ve actually already got a rough idea of what order I‘d like to read Discworld in, but some further ideas can only be beneficial! Not like I‘m gonna start anytime soon anyway, since it‘s behind Wheel of Time on my TBR… xD To be more specific, I‘ve based my order around some criteria. First, having read the cosmere, I know how much more fun a book can be if you get the internal references to interconnected books. So I want to read it in an order that allows me to get as many of these as possible. Second, however, I do not want to read it in publishing order. Not only is that boring (lol), but I‘ve also been warned by numerous voices to not start with Colours of Magic. Third, I want to have a satisfying ending. From what I’ve seen, that means ending on Shepherd’s Crown, but also reading the end to Rincewind and Lipwig after City Watch. And, fourth and as much as possible while yielding to the first three, I want to read each subseries in one piece, without interruptions. That then lead to the following order: Pyramids, then Small Gods. Yes, you do not like Pyramids, but from what you shared it seems like the kinda book I would like and, well, even if it’s a poor start, the Discworld books are rather short, so I‘ll be at the fan favourite Small Gods soon enough anyway. Afterwards: Death. I‘m excited for this one. Next up: City Watch, up until Fifth Elephant. It seems to lead into The Truth from here which, in turn, leads back into Night Watch, so pause here and continue with: Rincewind until Sourcery, and Eric. Eric seems to slot in between Sourcery and Interesting Times, and feeds into: Moving Pictures, which also then feeds into: The Truth, finally. But before heading back to the Watch, I‘ll read: Monstrous Regiment, which feeds into Thud, so once I‘ve read this I can continue from: Night Watch, finishing City Watch without further interruptions. The rest is simple, I‘ll continue with: Interesting times, reading the rest of Ryncewind and slotting in: The Last Hero before Unseen Academicals, finishing Rincewind and leaving me to continue with: Moist von Lipwig, the entire story. This concludes the urban half of Discworld stories, so now the only thing left is: Witches, all if it, followed by: Maurice, which seems to feed into: Tiffany Aching, where I finally get my satisfying ending.
The first one I read was 'Monstrous Regiment' - then I read 'Hogfather' then 'Eric' and I really don't care what order I read them in now, they're all wonderful!!
The moment you said Monty Python the first thing that came to my mind was that King Arthur sketch on the monarchy, politics and governance in the Holy Grail.
I've got some Discworld books. Tried a few times and I find it's not straightforward and like riddles at times. But I want to try again as I feel once you've got into it and can into the swing of how he tells a story I could do it. 🤓
Man, if I start reading fantasy for real, my world is going to be overwhelmed. You totally sold me on this. I seriously hesitate, because I know if I start I will overwhelm myself. This is a great video.
I say this on all similar videos I watch, only to save someone the error. People say you can start anywhere. I think I started with literally the worst one to serve as an introduction. Read Thief of Time 10th or something, not first. I do love Thief of Time, though. It's my head canon explanation for why the series "before it finds it's beard" contradicts later accounts of The Disc.
This is one of my very favorite videos you've made! I've never read any Discworld books before, but this gets me really fired up to try some out. Your passion is truly infectious! This video inspired me to put a nice edition of Mort on my Christmas wish list. :)
This is extremely helpful! I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch up with the Jingo read but will definitely start something in Dec or early next year. I'm saving this video. Thanks again!
This was both fun and helpful - thanks, Allen! I’ve only read the wizard books (Rincewind and company), so I need to branch out. I was thinking of the witches next, but perhaps Guards! Guards! is calling.
Rincewind, Witches, Sam Vimes, moist von lipvig, William de worde, Tiffany, and of course, the amazing Maurice. And death, and his dad vetinary. And then God which is carrot
I just started my own journey through the Discworld... with the Colour of Magic. I've the 1st 4 books and a bunch of others so I decided to start at the beginning and if i wasn't feeling it jump to Equal Rites and Mort then come back later but really enjoyed myself and will be continuing on with the series.
If there's a Python analogy for the Discworld novels, it's more to be found in the Life of Brian; yes it has stand alone sketches within it's framework, but it more importantly has a through line and a Serious Point to make about the conflict of personal faith and organized Religion, how things can get garbled over time by misunderstanding (sometimes deliberately for political or financial gain) and the point becomes lost. As Pratchett himself said; "People think that the opposite of Funny is Serious; it isn't. The opposite of Funny is Unfunny. Sometimes it's possible to be Funny and very Serious at the same time..." The point of Discworld is that every book has one or more serious points to make and themes to be explored and examined. The earlier books are Picaresque and loosely connected sketches based on 'the Consensus Fantasy Universe', then as the series progresses and evolves, more thoughtful and important elements come into play. I wouldn't recommend any newcomer to Discworld to start with The Colour of Magic, but with Guards Guards, the beginning of the 'World Building' cycle, as it were. Although I'd also recommend a new reader to try Reaper Man when they've got the taste, a fairly stand alone novel that had within it a taste of things to come... Great Overview, always good to hear the opinions of an enthusiastic fellow reader!👍👍👍
I *had* to start reading the Discworld books with "Colour Of Magic" and "Light Fantastic" because there *weren't* any others yet. Terry hadn't written them yet, in other words. Yes, he hit his stride with books 3, 4, and 5, finding the writing voice he wanted with "Guards, Guards" and building the rest from the basis of the worldbuilding in the first five books. Thankfully, although Discworld has the thematic sub-series runs of books as you pointed out and the first book of any of those would be an acceptbale place to begin the series as a whole, Terry made it possible for almost any of the 41 books to be acceptably standalone. If I had to pick one single book to persuade someone that Discworld was worth their time, it would be "Hogfather." Not my favorite book in the overall series, but one that I believe has the best balance between all the elements that makes a Discworld story enjoyable. "Soul Music" would be a close second choice, with "Moving Pictures" as a third. Not because I think they are the best three, but because I think those cover the *most* of all the common ground that interconnects the entire 41 books.
Thanks for this. I've been wanting to get into Discworld since playing the point and click games as a teenager but after a couple of attempts of reading Colour of Magic I just couldn't get into it. I've started again with Mort, thanks for reassuring me I made the right decision!
Just to add my own things; Pratchett himself was down on the first 3 books and recommended new readers begin with Sourcery. I would say you don't need to read Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic until right before Interesting Times. I would recommend skipping Equal Rights all together if only because the Granny Weatherwax in that book is almost unrecognizable compared to how awsome she is in the rest of the witches books.
Puns? The first was the best, from ‘The Colour of Magic’, Prologue.
"An alternative... was that A'Tuin was crawling from the Birthplace to the Time of Mating. When they arrived they would briefly and passionately mate, for the first and only time, and from that fiery union new turtles would be born to carry a new pattern of worlds.
This was known as the Big Bang hypothesis".
This is the kind of video that, even if I had no interest in ever actually reading Discworld, I would absolutely love to watch. There's something completely fantastic about listening to someone just rave about something that they love. I've always been interested in Pratchett's works, but this moved it further up my priority.
Yessss! Thank you and I hope you read them!!
@@TheLibraryofAllenxandria Started Mort as soon as I finished watching! :D
Also see his passion for things he hates. It's beautiful.
What I really love about the jokes and references that Pterry included in his novels is that they were so well-written, it didn't matter that you maybe were unaware of the source of said joke - it was funny and clever in its own right. Of course, that just means there's a little nugget waiting for you to discover on later readings. The amount of times I've picked up a Discworld novel and found something new is mad.
One you may not know about, and he told me about it when he and a bunch of us fans were doing a recording for a book programme on BBC Radio 4 (featuring Mort). In the open question session, I'd asked about his habit of inserting pop culture puns (specifically mentioning 'Fabricati diem punc'), and he gleefully told us of an especially subtle one in Wee Free Men. Basically, at the point when Tiffany goes back to look for Miss Tick, all she finds is a talking toad. The toad had been left behind to lead Tiffany to people (the Nac Mac Feegles) that could help her. On the way, she asks why he's yellow, and the toad replies that he's been ill.
Tiffany had to follow the yellow, sick toad.
Oh my gods.
When he told us this (and it may be available somewhere on the interwebs), we absolutely lost it. What a mind.
The day my annual “I should read Discworld, but where to start?” internal dialog begins, and this video is uploaded. Seems like a sign I shouldn’t ignore.
Awesome! It's fate!
This is the first time I've actually been convinced I might like Discworld. Very helpful!
Yessss doooo eeeeet!
Did you ever read any?
This year, starting from January, I made it my goal to finish the entirety of Discworld by the end of the year, and I can safely say that it has been one of the most wondrous journeys I have been on. I am currently reading the last book, The Shepherd's Crown, in tears. Those first few chapters impacted me in a way I could never have imagined.
GNU Sir Terry Pratchett
This is so amazing! I'm hoping to read them all again this coming year!
Holy shit! It took me 5 years to read upto Thud! Well done!
hows it going?
Found The Shepherds Crown in a charity shop last Tuesday, my birthday. I honestly thought when I read the last Long Earth collaboration that I had no more new Pratchett in my future. I'd started with The Colour of Magic when it first came out. I cried a bit as well. The evolution from piss take, to satire, to social commentary was joyful. I would recommend reading them in groups, the gaps between the books shows the development of his writing in all story groups. I agree on the audio books, some are better than others but I've never read a Pratchett book that I didn't have to reread a number of paragraphs more than once to fully understand its meaning.
Here's to Geoffrey, who I'm grateful to have met. I want to say it's tragic how little time we got to spend time together, but then it occurs to me that he would likely disagree.
I started Guards!Guards! I am loving it. And I need a dictionary along it as well:))happy to have an excuse and say that English is a 2nd language
I just started Discworld and the Big Bang theory joke in the introduction of the Color of Magic automatically had me hooked to the series
I appreciate this SO much. Everyone mentions Discworld but I feel like I haven't heard from anyone who's read it so I never even knew what they were about. These sound amazing, I'm gonna start reading them this year! Your channel has introduced me to so many new books! Thank you!!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you found it helpful!!
Guild of Assassin's an The Fools Guild. One is a dark, depressing place, with strict rules and severe punishments. The other is light, airy, with excellent educational facilities, where you also learn to kill ( or rather Inhume).
I loved to see a review and where to start video of the Discworld from somebody who had read all the books. I personally started way back with the Witches series and fell in love. I had to warm up to Ankh Morpork afterwards, but I would imagine the same is valid in the other direction. My usual answer to where to start is:
The Witches if you like magic and fairytales and folklore
The Night Watch if you like action and murder mystery plotlines
The Death series if you are an angsty/ edgy teenager
Small Gods, Mort, Guards! Guards!, Witches Abroad and Hogfather I think are the best starting points (I'm not really a purists for the order of the first book a person will read; I started with Witches Abroad)
Yes, Pratchett always deserves more love! I'm so happy to see more enthusiasm for him. And thank you for mentioning and appreciating his genius as well as the comedy. His books are so well-crafted. I am so stoked to find another fan 😄
P.S. Vimes is the best
@@KFoxtheGreat there is no statement I agree with more
My first Discworld book was "Lords and Ladies" back in 1998.
I bought it because I was amused by the blurb.
And finished it that very evening...
After that, i made it my mission to hunt for TP books from my side of the world (which was hard at that time).
Now I got his complete works...
I did cry when Sir Terry passed away. He will always have a special place in my heart and bookshelves...
Pratchett's Discworld books are a gift. 😊
Very true :)
I LOVED Guards! Guards! Can’t wait to read Men at Arms 😍 Thank you so much for getting me to start Discworld.
Same here!
I know it's not advised by most people but I think I'm just going to take the plunge, and try to read the entire series in publishing order. I just like the idea of experiencing the development of the setting and writing as the series goes. Also the way you describe the first two books as a tour of various locations in the Discworld sounds appealing to me as an introduction to the series. Though one thing that bothers me a bit is that I keep seeing all these great illustrated covers for the novel, but the current editions all just have boring minimal covers. Oh also your accents are spot-on.
Thanks Allen! Your enthusiasm for Discworld LEAPS off the screen
I just REALLY think I would like Pratchett's writing style/authorial voice... !!!! Thanks for this freakin awesome video!!
Thanks, jashana! It's funny as heck!
@@TheLibraryofAllenxandria Omggggg just got to the part about Death -- I think I love him already. hahaha!
Pratchett is such a master. His books are so unqiue in the SFF scene. First stumbled upon him in middleschool when I randomly picked up Small Gods from the local library. I remember sitting with my friend at a girl's sleepover and randomly selecting pages and then just reading it to see if we could find a hilarious line. Never failed!
As someone who started with the Colour of magic and hasn’t ready anything else, you’ve convinced me to give it another go. After storm light 4, and jade city, and fires of vengeance, and great coats 4 and...
Hahahahha so many great books, so little time!
I read them in order, because the friend who recommended the DW would not lend me the books in any other way (but there were less than 15 at the time, so it wasn't quite so overwhelming), and I found the transition between Light fantastic and Equal Rites quite jarring, though in a positive way. It still took a couple of hours to get over the difference in tone between the 2.
Actually, as I understand it, and from what little I got from meeting Pterry once at a con and lurking aroung the alt.fan.pratchett group, the 2 first books were just written as a tribute to fantasy, while also poking fun at it. There's references to quite a few of the then famous fantasy books all through both volumes. To hear Pterry tell the story, he was quite surprised when his agent called him to say he had a publishing contract, with more books wanted. So yes, I would not recommend them as entry points either, if you don't know whether you'll like the DW books or not.
Yeah. Pratchett hadn't figured the world out, and it shows. And rincewind is the least interesting protagonist IMO.
The rest of the series is so much better!
Hard agree
@@SM-BSW just finished light fantastic and loved rincewind, so where should I go next?
Did you just say Monty Python?! Yep, I’m gonna like Discworld
Speaking from experience READ THEM IN SERIES ORDER!
The stories matter so much more when you are invested in the characters and reading chronologically leaves huge 5/6 book gaps between character arcs, it's hard to even remember what happened the last time you saw them.
Im 31 books in and it has taken me 5 years so far. I've forgotten so much, but atleast reading them again will be like reading them for the 1st time!
When I first read the books i had no choice but to read them chronologically. I first started reading them in the Spring of1988 and at the time there were only four books published. I was advised to read Mort first and from then on after reading the books already out I reading each one that came after as soon as i saw they had been published.
The Science of DW books are awesome! They're written in alternating chapters: 1 chapter of the narrative, with the wizards discovering this impossible universe that works on laws instead of magic (the mere idea! and no narrativium! how can such a universe function at all?), and then 1 chapter written by the co-authors, which explains the science corresponding to what the wizards were observing. My favs are books 1 and 3. Book 1 is all about physics and book 3 is evolution and genetics.
I might join on next month's Jingo (re-)read. 😄
Awesome! The Science books were all published during my barren reading period where I read nothing at all so I'm keen to get to them plus the last couple published!
The Science of Discworld made me love the wizards. Before that, I could take or leave them, but I really loved them after reading the first one and am looking forward to the rest 😄
@@KFoxtheGreat Yes, those are the books in which they truly shine 😄
Great introduction to Discworld, I love the enthusiasm!
Omg thank you so much for this video! I honestly was so intimidated by the number of books but this video makes it just seem like a fun ride. I'm so excited to start!! It reminds me a little of Welcome of Night Vale.
Yay! I'm glad this helped!
I actually started reading discworld 7 months ago starting with the color of magic and ending with the shepherd's crown. I looked at the whole world as a series and each individual part as a season. I loved it and am continuing to re-listen to it until this day.
Yes. You should read the "Science of Discworld" books. They do what you like about the wizard books: provide an insight into the inner workings of Unseen University. They surprised me how well they describe Academia life and explain incredibly difficult scientific fields while still being funny, entertaining and correct.
That sounds awesome!
I always have a Discworld book on reread. I've done the whole series in order several times, now I just grab whichever one strikes my fancy.
Your passionate way of explaining things really make me want to re-read Pratchett's (or read the books I haven't read yet). LOVE!
Yes! The constitutional peasant scene is my favorite part of Holy Grail! I don't think that I would have made that connection, but that makes a lot of sense now that you point it out.
Okay - no wonder you think that I read it in the wrong order if you don't like travel books. I liked "The Color of Magic" in part because I got an introduction to more than just Ankh-Morpork.
Great beginner's guide to Discworld. I just finished reading Small Gods as my first Discworld book. I wish I had found your video earlier!
I was so excited to come across this video. I don't find that Terry Pratchett is talked about very often and he is one of my favorite authors. I've enjoyed his books so much. His books have such a variety of characters from witches, to trolls, wizards, vampires and so many more. Going Postal is just one of my favorites. I love DEATH, he's great. Terry Pratchett was such a talented writer. He is truly missed.
Agree. He was a genius.
Great video, this was very helpful! I started with The Color of Magic 6 years ago and then never picked up another Discworld novel... I enjoyed it well enough but didn't feel compelled to continue. I think I'll be much more pulled in to the series with a different starting point, so I'll have to break my general rule of following publication order. The Death books sound fantastic!
Death and his brood will definitely leave a better impression than CoM!
The minute you referenced that Monty python and the holy grail scene, I was sold. This video was so well-done Allen!! Sooo excited to pick up Mort!! You’ve made death sound so precious 🥺
You ranting about wee free men again killed me 🤣🤣🤣
He IS that precious, especially as they go on.
Allen, I first watched this video in 2021 after reading ASoIaF (my introduction into the genre after being a lifelong avid reader) and was searching for other fantasy books to read. It's always been in the back of my mind, and this past week, I finally decided to jump in. Thank you.
I think this video gave me the final push I needed to start this series! (and luffy being in the background 🤩🤩)
Yessss! Luffy definitely approves also.
Always love your enthusiasm ! Haven’t read disc world and I don’t think I’ll start it anytime soon but I will re-watch this when I am ready.
Honestly just start it :)
I’m right now inspired to do two things: start a book tube channel, and re/read Malazeverything. And I’ve never read a Discworld novel. Your infectious enthusiasm has convinced me to slip City Watch novels into the Malazan reading whenever I need a light hearted break. 🙂👌🏻
Now I really want to read the Death books 🥺 This was really helpful and well done, thank you!
Omg you showed the Monty Python Parrot skit and I immediately thought CMoT Dibbler! 😂😂 we’re on the same wavelength, bud.
PSA Allen is right, everyone. Just do what he tells you. Start immediately. Lol.
Hahahahaha thanks! And YES, I always think of CMOT when I hear that sketch. It's exactly what he would do in that situation.
My favorite scene from Holy Grail and my favorite Flying Circus sketch! So, yeah, I'm sold. Thanks!
Great video! Best Discworld video yet! Thanks a million!❤
Always great to hear someone share their love of Pratchett's work, especially if it helps others access the joy as well. I think I've probably read about a dozen Discworld novels. Just grab one every couple of years for a fun read and am always surprised anew by the level of human insight tucked into the zany tales. There isn't a ton of genuine wisdom floating around in my head, despite my ever increasing age, but a lot of what there is certainly came from Sir Terry.
I'll just leave this quote here as one short example among many (and an apropos one for 2020 I think):
"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty.
The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass! Who's been pinching my beer?
- Terry Pratchett (from The Truth)
Love that quote! I actually remember that from the last time I read it!
I learned about Terry Pratchett from reading Good Omens, and decided to keep an eye out for his books in thrift stores and used bookstores. Eventually, I came across Moving Pictures, so thats the book I started with. I really enjoyed it, and didn’t have a strong feeling that I was missing something.
Personally if I were recommending a starting point for the Discworld books I would suggest “Dodger” which is NOT a Discworld book but would show you what you are in for within Discworld, then read in publishing order.
Love this video and your recent tier list! A friend of mine convinced me to start Discworld with Guards Guards too and I loved it! You certainly convinced me to read more of them!
Man this was a fun video to watch! Catching those pop culture references is one of my favorite things about reading these books. “Sometimes it’s good to go where everybody knows your shape.” 😂 Also I CAN’T WAIT to get to Hogfather now!!
YES! They're so fun to spot! Hogfather remains one of my favs because it was my first one!
The tv special is very good too, we watch it every year.
Thank you so much for getting me into Guards! Guards! I love it so much. It's exactly the refresher that I needed right now. I love this video and your enthusiasm, as always!
YESSSSS Samuel Vimes is my spirit animal.
Guards guards is a good place to start. As is Equal Rights or Witches Abroad. If you prefer to start with books aimed at younger readers try The Wee Free Men, or The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. Of the Tiffany books, I would say that Wintersmith is one of the best. It has to be said that The Shepherd's Crown is up there, but the ending is a little rushed, but it was his last book, completed just before he died.
This was exactly what I needed! So much good info!
Funny how massively different tastes can be. Reaper Man and the Tiffany Aching books have Pratchett's best prose. Poetic, with such a strong sense of place that the landscape becomes a character in its own right.
Wao! what an amazingly informative video! Thanks a lot.
I have never read any Discworld books, but I have "Guards! Guards!" planned for January.
I have Mort, Colour of Magic and Guards!Guards! on the way. I'm glad you are comparing it to Python's Holy Grail and not the Lumberjack Song. I'm in my 50's and haven't read anything "absurding in at least 20 years when I read Aspirin, but my first fantasy reading was in that vein with Piers Anthony's Xanth books and it promises to be a nice escape from Wheel Of Time's slog that I'm going through right now.
Just bought the first four books books, but now I will read them in the order on your chart. I'm so glad you explained some of the world. My friend told me I would like them and laugh about. Thanks again.
I have read them all many times and will again
I have about twenty of these..
Every last one is a joy to read..
Guards, Guards. Or the Mort series great starting point. But actually any one is perfect..as are all .. I love high fantasy but Pratchett's works are just delightful..
Hey Allen. I only just discovered your channel. I watched (the non-spoiler piece) of your live with Philip Chase yesterday regarding Discworld, which led me to this video. This was a phenomenal video. I’ve never tried Discworld, and this was extremely educational and really got me interested, so I will definitely try it out. Thanks so much!
Talking about pop culture references-- I'm listening to Guards Guards (Audible) and there's a few song lyrics in there from the late 80s. I don't know if id've picked'em up if i were reading instead of listening. the reader, Jon Culshaw, is very good. Bill Nighy reads the foot notes
I started Guards! Guards! in kindle after reading about it in shelf space server and I ordered Men in Arms physically and waiting for it to arrive... 😁
YESSSSSSS
I'm reading that now such a funny book so far I'm about 100 pages in.
Yes.
I think you'll enjoy The Science of Discworld books Allen, they're really rather wonderful. Hex has to use up a whole bunch of magic fast, or the Universe will explode (again), and literally created our universe. We become an item of interest to the Wizards, and in trying to work out how our magic-less universe works, the story interchanges with chapters that describe each piece of science they discover in roundworld layman's terms (I learned LOADS) before heading back to UU and the next experiment, where hilarity ensues...
I'm (obviously) a lover of Discworld too, and just saw your livestream with Jimmy Nutts, where you mentioned you haven't read the last few that were published - so I need to tell you to drop whatever you're reading at the moment and read Snuff. Because Vimes.
Nice! I just recently acquired the Science books and Snuff was the only Watch book I hadn't read yet!
Going to start this today in publication order - I can’t wait. I’ve already read Hogfather and the first five books and I love them :-)
I saw Jessy Mae her video referring to this video. This really helped. I was one of the persons who started Colour of Magic and quit. But i will give it a try again. Thank you so much!
Completely understandable. I would have quit after CoM if I didn't already like Discworld by that point!
Discworld sounds like a crazy amazing D&D setting. I'll have to read them soon.
SO GOOD
Great video. Not knowing that you shouldn't start with book 1, I started with The Colour of Magic. I actually really liked it though. It is the only one I've read so far, but I'm excited to keep going.
That's awesome. There's no one I know who liked CoM who DIDN'T like the rest of the series, so if you liked it, you are golden.
I started chronologically, but that was in '02, so I didn't have many resources to help me. The Sam Vimes series is my favorite of the books. Night Watch is my favorite (because time travel and Les Mis). Also big fan of Wyrd Sisters, Mort, The Last Hero, and Going Postal
I just read Small Gods and LOVED it!! (haven’t read any other Discworld) Thanks so much for this video, gonna use it to continue my Discworld journey! Loving your channel by the way, great stuff! 😁
It was super helpful! Thanks so much. I'm impressed at your love and knowledge for the Disc World books.
I always use that term "Ladies of negotiable affection" love it
And CMOT Dibble has cousins everywhere on the disc. I think there's one in Jingo called CMOT Dibblah - the Arab version
I'm a CMOT stan
Parody and satire is such a good way to describe it. Every book has a little bit of social commentary to it, which makes it even more enjoyable on top of the fun fantasy world and story. I know a lot of the references he includes go over my head, but the ones I do understand are always fun nuggets to discover. The wizard books are probably my least favorite ones of the series. The Wee Free Men definitely deserves to be on the top fantasy list ;) I love the Tiffany Aching books because that's where I got started in the series when I was young. As much as I love Death as a character, I don't tend to enjoy the books in his series as much for some reason.
I'm tempted to agree on the Death books! I LOVE Death, but I really love Mort and Hogfather. I was never a huge fan of the other three books despite Death being one of my favorite characters.
Agree the wizard books are the weakest, though Interesting Times is my favorite of them.
@@TheLibraryofAllenxandria Interesting Times is the next Discworld book I'll be reading!
Just love your enthusiasm for Pratchett 😁
My start with Discworld was all over the place - the first two I read were Interesting Times and Small Gods and I was sold. Absolutely and completely. I hopscotched through the series depending on my library at the time. And that's one of the first amazing things about Pratchett - pretty much every book in the series _can_ be read as a stand-alone or starting point. You might not get every reference, but the story itself is never dependent on preexisting knowledge.
Just like the references to pop culture , classics, science, politics, mythology, linguistics, anthropology .. all of it is there, but it doesn't rely on everything .
I don't share your bias towards the Watch books, but again loved to see your enthusiasm for them. And definitely agree they make an excellent starting point.
But I love all of them equally - the heart and wisdom in the Witches series, including Tiffany Aching - the academic and scientific fun with the Wizards - the philosophy of life with Death. All of it blows my mind, and one man came up with it all..
100 percent agree! Such fantastic books and such a great comment!
I have read every Discworld book several times over. Ask me to name my top five today and the answer I give will probably be completely different to the answer I gave yesterday. Always in my top ten are Guards Guards, Men at Arms, Night Watch, Going Postal, Monstrous Regiment, The Shepherds Crown, Mort, Reaper Man, The Truth, and Wyrd Sisters.
Great video! You said you have never met someone whos favourite Pratchett books are the Tiffany ones. Now you have, I love those :-) "Color of Magic" didn't work well for me as a starting point. It is not a bad book by any means but I think the prose isn't on the level Pratchetts later work is and the humor is less subtle it feels more forced than in the later books. It took me several years to pick up another Pratchett book after that. I'm glad i did.
I want to add that I think whichever of the themes Allen mentioned you decide to start with there really is no need to keep a chronological order. I would even suggest not to start with the first entry in any of the themes because in my opinion they are rather weaker entries compared with the other books of the same story thread.
I'm one of those... I have to read from very first book
Thank you Allen. I found your video very useful indeed in wanting to know where do I need to begin reading this series. I liked that it was exhaustive and critical. 👍🏽👍🏽🙂
Thank you! (Guards! Guards! is the way to go 😛)
I totally agree on not starting with COM and LF. However, had great success getting friend who has degrees in physics and applied mathematics by starting him with those. He is a huge fan now and has got his department reading it.
Men At Arms is a good place to start. My first was Going Postal and I will always love Moist Von Lipwig's crooked ways
I was planning on reading Men At Arms this month but looks like I'd have to read Feet of Clay as well to join the buddy read for Jingo.
Just started Discworld and have been loving the humor (I find that it's hard to pull off in fiction)
Duuude. You are selling me pretty hard on this.... I gotta give it a shot. I hate puns, but this sounds like art.
I honestly think you'd enjoy it! He's brilliant. Most of the humor isn't puns but the ones that are are purposeful. I hate lazy punning.
Start with small god's then men at arms
I started with Color of Magic and liked it but found myself struggling to finish some chapters sometimes. I read Guards! Guards! and got completely hooked!
Thank your all of your time and effort that went into this! This is the most comprehensive explanation of disc world that I have seen. You also make a 40 book series seem approachable! Bravo! I am off to order Guards! Guards! now.
Wooooo! And thank you so much!
I love this series and I agree that it's not absurdism though it can be absurd. And I love audiobooks, but that's a good point about not reading discworld on audio. I might have bungled into that and not known what I missed
The only Diskworld book that I have read is The Amazing Maurice and that is because my Dad read it to me as a bedtime story when I was like 10. I have always meant to read more. As a purist I will probably start with the Colour of Magic 😁
I‘ve actually already got a rough idea of what order I‘d like to read Discworld in, but some further ideas can only be beneficial! Not like I‘m gonna start anytime soon anyway, since it‘s behind Wheel of Time on my TBR… xD
To be more specific, I‘ve based my order around some criteria. First, having read the cosmere, I know how much more fun a book can be if you get the internal references to interconnected books. So I want to read it in an order that allows me to get as many of these as possible. Second, however, I do not want to read it in publishing order. Not only is that boring (lol), but I‘ve also been warned by numerous voices to not start with Colours of Magic. Third, I want to have a satisfying ending. From what I’ve seen, that means ending on Shepherd’s Crown, but also reading the end to Rincewind and Lipwig after City Watch. And, fourth and as much as possible while yielding to the first three, I want to read each subseries in one piece, without interruptions. That then lead to the following order:
Pyramids, then Small Gods. Yes, you do not like Pyramids, but from what you shared it seems like the kinda book I would like and, well, even if it’s a poor start, the Discworld books are rather short, so I‘ll be at the fan favourite Small Gods soon enough anyway. Afterwards:
Death. I‘m excited for this one. Next up:
City Watch, up until Fifth Elephant. It seems to lead into The Truth from here which, in turn, leads back into Night Watch, so pause here and continue with:
Rincewind until Sourcery, and Eric. Eric seems to slot in between Sourcery and Interesting Times, and feeds into:
Moving Pictures, which also then feeds into:
The Truth, finally. But before heading back to the Watch, I‘ll read:
Monstrous Regiment, which feeds into Thud, so once I‘ve read this I can continue from:
Night Watch, finishing City Watch without further interruptions. The rest is simple, I‘ll continue with:
Interesting times, reading the rest of Ryncewind and slotting in:
The Last Hero before Unseen Academicals, finishing Rincewind and leaving me to continue with:
Moist von Lipwig, the entire story. This concludes the urban half of Discworld stories, so now the only thing left is:
Witches, all if it, followed by:
Maurice, which seems to feed into:
Tiffany Aching, where I finally get my satisfying ending.
The first one I read was 'Monstrous Regiment' - then I read 'Hogfather' then 'Eric' and I really don't care what order I read them in now, they're all wonderful!!
Yes! Great attitude!
The moment you said Monty Python the first thing that came to my mind was that King Arthur sketch on the monarchy, politics and governance in the Holy Grail.
Same here!
"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government…" could be straight out of an Ankh Morpork mob!
I've got some Discworld books. Tried a few times and I find it's not straightforward and like riddles at times. But I want to try again as I feel once you've got into it and can into the swing of how he tells a story I could do it. 🤓
Man, if I start reading fantasy for real, my world is going to be overwhelmed. You totally sold me on this. I seriously hesitate, because I know if I start I will overwhelm myself. This is a great video.
I say this on all similar videos I watch, only to save someone the error. People say you can start anywhere. I think I started with literally the worst one to serve as an introduction. Read Thief of Time 10th or something, not first.
I do love Thief of Time, though. It's my head canon explanation for why the series "before it finds it's beard" contradicts later accounts of The Disc.
8:00 was the best thing I've seen in a while LOL.
I've started with 'Guards! Guards!' and the City watch series first.
this is the way
This is one of my very favorite videos you've made! I've never read any Discworld books before, but this gets me really fired up to try some out. Your passion is truly infectious! This video inspired me to put a nice edition of Mort on my Christmas wish list. :)
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you found it helpful! I'm a Pratchett fan for life, for sure!
This is extremely helpful! I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch up with the Jingo read but will definitely start something in Dec or early next year. I'm saving this video. Thanks again!
This was both fun and helpful - thanks, Allen! I’ve only read the wizard books (Rincewind and company), so I need to branch out. I was thinking of the witches next, but perhaps Guards! Guards! is calling.
Yesssss doooo eeet! A lot of noir influences here too just like Dresden, and they're also the most theme-heavy books after the first one.
Rincewind, Witches, Sam Vimes, moist von lipvig, William de worde, Tiffany, and of course, the amazing Maurice. And death, and his dad vetinary. And then God which is carrot
I just started my own journey through the Discworld... with the Colour of Magic. I've the 1st 4 books and a bunch of others so I decided to start at the beginning and if i wasn't feeling it jump to Equal Rites and Mort then come back later but really enjoyed myself and will be continuing on with the series.
That's a great strat! I like CoM, but I might not have liked it as much if I hadn't read Hogfather first!
If there's a Python analogy for the Discworld novels, it's more to be found in the Life of Brian; yes it has stand alone sketches within it's framework, but it more importantly has a through line and a Serious Point to make about the conflict of personal faith and organized Religion, how things can get garbled over time by misunderstanding (sometimes deliberately for political or financial gain) and the point becomes lost.
As Pratchett himself said;
"People think that the opposite of Funny is Serious; it isn't. The opposite of Funny is Unfunny.
Sometimes it's possible to be Funny and very Serious at the same time..."
The point of Discworld is that every book has one or more serious points to make and themes to be explored and examined. The earlier books are Picaresque and loosely connected sketches based on 'the Consensus Fantasy Universe', then as the series progresses and evolves, more thoughtful and important elements come into play. I wouldn't recommend any newcomer to Discworld to start with The Colour of Magic, but with Guards Guards, the beginning of the 'World Building' cycle, as it were.
Although I'd also recommend a new reader to try Reaper Man when they've got the taste, a fairly stand alone novel that had within it a taste of things to come...
Great Overview, always good to hear the opinions of an enthusiastic fellow reader!👍👍👍
I *had* to start reading the Discworld books with "Colour Of Magic" and "Light Fantastic" because there *weren't* any others yet. Terry hadn't written them yet, in other words. Yes, he hit his stride with books 3, 4, and 5, finding the writing voice he wanted with "Guards, Guards" and building the rest from the basis of the worldbuilding in the first five books. Thankfully, although Discworld has the thematic sub-series runs of books as you pointed out and the first book of any of those would be an acceptbale place to begin the series as a whole, Terry made it possible for almost any of the 41 books to be acceptably standalone. If I had to pick one single book to persuade someone that Discworld was worth their time, it would be "Hogfather." Not my favorite book in the overall series, but one that I believe has the best balance between all the elements that makes a Discworld story enjoyable. "Soul Music" would be a close second choice, with "Moving Pictures" as a third. Not because I think they are the best three, but because I think those cover the *most* of all the common ground that interconnects the entire 41 books.
Hogfather was literally my first DW book and hooked me!
Men at arms - my first Discworld book.
YESSSS great choice!
Thanks for this. I've been wanting to get into Discworld since playing the point and click games as a teenager but after a couple of attempts of reading Colour of Magic I just couldn't get into it. I've started again with Mort, thanks for reassuring me I made the right decision!
Excellent! I loved those point and click games lol
Just to add my own things; Pratchett himself was down on the first 3 books and recommended new readers begin with Sourcery. I would say you don't need to read Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic until right before Interesting Times. I would recommend skipping Equal Rights all together if only because the Granny Weatherwax in that book is almost unrecognizable compared to how awsome she is in the rest of the witches books.
Excellent points! I agree about Granny in ER!
😳Never skip ANY Discworld book!