That, plus the silliness, was my problem with his work, in a nutshell. Frankly, it read like a slightly smarter version of Piers Anthony.
.jpg/1024px-Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0_(cropped).jpg)
Guards is fine, But whatever you do, do not start with Moving Pictures in the Industrial Revolution chain.
While it’s certainly not his best, I just want to say the book is still pretty good.
Eh, it was the first Diskworld book I read, and I very nearly made it the last. It was fine, but I certainly didn’t get why the series was so beloved.
So its not bad, but it’s not that good either IMO. But Going Postal? Friggin fantastic.
I didn’t get Pratchett and stopped at Color of Magic. Too puerile and whismical for me. But if he worked that out and his later stuff is recommended maybe I’ll give him another go.
Edit: Although, looking at that chart above I think I’ve also read Mort.
Guards Guards was the first book I read of Pratchett’s. I then continued on with that grouping of books before starting others.
Honestly, the first books kinda suck and the later ones are much, much better. The best are, IMO :
- Going Postal
- Night Watch
- Thief of Time
- Unseen Academicals
I’ve been reading them in published order (though Moving Pictures killed my momentum), but this guide and my wife has convinced me to dive back in with the Witches novels, then the Watch, then Death. Thank you!
If someone reads with the often-recommended Guards Guards, Small Gods (1992) is thematically related to Feet of Clay (1996). I would not neglect reading it. It is one of the better ones.
I gather that the first 2 episodes went out yesterday, has anyone had a chance to give it a view?
Ye gods. If Moving Pictures had been my first Pratchett novel, I never would have read another.
Yeah. It has some ideas I like, and the concept of the novel could work. It was just the execution, especially the ending, that didn’t work.
There is a good story there, and Pratchett absolutely had the ability to get it, but for whatever reason he didn’t execute on this one.
I don’t understand you people at all. I loved Moving Pictures. Gaspode and Laddie, the giant woman climbing a tower holding a struggling ape, Dibbler the studio mogul…
For my money it’s the worst offender at being parody instead of satire, and I just really don’t dig that. Color of Magic is also pretty bad about that. The later Rincewind/Academics books are delightful, though.
I’ve only read The Colour of Magic, so I don’t really know much about Discworld, but what’s the purpose of this reading order? Does each series of novels have a separate timeline? Or is it just “If you liked this character, here are the other novels he was in”?
tl;dr: Is there a problem with just reading in chronological order of release date?
No, that would be the best order.
There is a grouping of different themes/ settings. They all take place in the same world, in basically the same time period, but they have different focii.
The Guards books follow, mostly, Sam Vimes and his reform and taking control of the Ankh Morpork police, social integration, and changing demographics. The industrial revolution all follow some introduction of 19th centruy tech into the fantasy world. Telegraph, movies, the printing press, paper money, etc. They have different leads usually, my favorite being Moist Von Lipwig in Going Postal and Making Money. The witches are about, well, witches. Death follows the literal personification of death as he does his job. Death does have cameos all through the series though AND SPEAKS ALL IN CAPS WITH A DRY HUMOR AFFECT.
You get the idea I think. So if the Sam Vimes stories really spark your interest, that lists them in writing order. If you find the introduction of steam trains or a modern mail service into a fantasy universe compelling, then the industrial revolution books are where to go.
He didn’t write them in a specific series, he jumped around frequently, so fans made that timeline to show the throughlines.
Oh and if you have a daughter, then you owe it to her to read her the Tiffany Aching series.
Yeah? I have never dipped my toe into it.