The Discworld Thread

[Bohandas]

I haven't had a chance to read Snuff yet, any opinions? I'm expecting greatness, as the Guards books seem to be getting progressively more and more awesome. Can't imagine how he's going to top the aformentioned awesomeness of Thud, though...

The guards books started out awesome. I'm rereading Guards! Guards! now, being currently on a Discworld binge after reading Unseen Academicals and Snuff helped me to claw my way out to a weeks long spiraling fit of depression and anxiety (which, interestingly enough, neither the Holy Bible nor the Tao Te Ching were any significant help with). It reads rather better than the starts of some of the other sub-series of Discworld

Snuff is pretty good. Unlike most of the other Guards books, it focuses almost exclusively on Sam Vimes and Lady Ramkin, with characters like Carrot and Angua and Detritus making only minor appearances. Its not as good as Going Postal or Unseen Academicals, but its a solid read.

[Bohandas]

Then I think I found Thief of Time at my school's library, and proceeded to devour every Pratchett book they had,

I think Thief of Time is definitely one of the best. But my opinion's a bit biased by the fact that after reading it twice I've become convinced that Sir Terry was influenced by either the Principia Discordia and/or the Book of The SubGenius or more likely both while he was writing it (due to the frequent references to chaos, time control, yetis, the number five, pseudo zen-like sayings, etc)

I'm actually rereading The Truth right now; part of what I love about the Discworld series is that for whatever reason I can reread them as many times as I want and still take away something new every time. It's rare that I find a series I feel like reading again, actually.

Part of it might have to do with the fact that the series is so long that by the time you read all of them the first ones are no longer fresh in your mind. Plus the setting sort of metamorphoses over the course of the series, so if it starts to seem stale you can switch to a book that was written at a different time and it'll be different.

EDIT: Sorry about the double post

[shudder]

anything with Sam Vimes and Vetinari. i usually don't like morally rim-rod characters, but Vimes is an exception, mostly because he is more than an upstanding citizen or an anal retentive Good Guy with Tragic Past, like most overly good guys are. (and jesus, Vimes is just so kickass.) we need a Vimes-Vetinari combo in this world /;

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Vetinari is sooooooooooo funny

[Quirk]

Finished Feet of Clay a couple days ago. Not the best, but of course that means that it's still really, really good.

[Triangle Man]

Finished Feet of Clay a couple days ago. Not the best, but of course that means that it's still really, really good.

Not sure if this should go in spoilers, but...

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Gotta love how Dorfl is not only the only Atheist on the Discworld, but also the only one who can get away with it.

"I Don't Call That Much Of An Argument" indeed...

[Quirk]

Not sure if this should go in spoilers, but...

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Gotta love how Dorfl is not only the only Atheist on the Discworld, but also the only one who can get away with it.

"I Don't Call That Much Of An Argument" indeed...

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He's not the only one. There was a philosopher in Small Gods. But yes, that line was wonderful.

[mysteriousOutsider]

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There were several in Small Gods. The philosophers proclaim the gods don't exist and then immediately take cover to avoid retribution. There was also that other guy though. A soldier or something?

[aggressiveTurtle]

Small Gods is my favorite Pratchett book, but The City Watch is probably my favorite bunch of his characters-- back when I played WoW I joined a great Alliance RP guild called <Night Watch> based on that sort of motley-crew-of-police-getting-into-shennanigans deal, probably the best fun I had in that game.

SPEAKING OF GAMES, since this is the Discworld thread, anyone else ever play Discworld MUD? I've picked it up on numerous occasions-- I'm always amazed at the depth and complexity that can come from a text-based game, this one in particular because of how loyal the designers are to the content of the books. If you ever decide to play, find me: Samael the Wizard

[caliginousChemical]

Huuuuuge Discworld fan over here. I've read over half of them to date. Favourite book would probably have to be Night Watch, as my favourite group of characters is the City Watch, but all the books are good. Lipwig in particular is in hot competition with Vimes to be my favourite character... not that Lipwig will win, on account of Vimes being the greatest. Still waiting for Pratchett to get closer to releasing Raising Taxes, actually. I'm urgent to see what Lipwig will get up to next.

[Triangle Man]

I got Jingo and Maskerade for my birthday and am in the middle of Mort right about now.

I'm actually going to be a little sad once I finish off every single book in this series, I think. It's sort of been a huge part of my life ever since I got into High School and it's going to feel weird knowing that I've basically read the entire Discworld...

[mysteriousOutsider]

I finished them all years ago. It was weird. But I find they are very easy to reread, so it's okay.

[AbsolutlyAngelic]

I loved them, or at least the ones I've read.
I've read most, not all in order, and own a couple.
The ones I have, I believe I've gotten as a gift from Librarians...
In any case, I can't find any I haven't read, so I sort of assume I've read them all. Not entirely positive, though

[ChronoSamurai]

I loved them, or at least the ones I've read.
I've read most, not all in order, and own a couple.
The ones I have, I believe I've gotten as a gift from Librarians...
In any case, I can't find any I haven't read, so I sort of assume I've read them all. Not entirely positive, though

Theres quite a lot so its easy to let oen skip through the cracks. I usually check the list of his other work printed in the front of the most recent book

[Akazani]

And if you do accidently get one you've read before, oh well you'll just have to re-read!

[Bohandas]

I finished them all years ago. It was weird. But I find they are very easy to reread, so it's okay.

I can attest to that. I'm rereading the series right now.

[Bohandas]

I just reread The Last Continent and realized that there are actually a few Discworld races that still don't seem to have a presence in Ankh-Morpork, to wit the sheep people that appear about 5/13 of the way through the book, in the pub in Didjabringabeeralong.

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Also, does Rincewind remind anybody else of Marvin the clinically depressive paranoid android from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novels? I recently realized that the two characters share a similar worldview as well as a tendency to get shunted every-which-way through time and space.

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On a completely different note, has anybody else noticed a slight hole in the setting's continuity regarding gargoyles? Specifically, if gargoyles are supposedly closely related to the trolls, and, like tolls, are silicon based, then how are they managing toderive nutrition from organic lifeforms like pigeons?

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EDIT: Sorry about the double post

[Dmatix]

I just reread The Last Continent and realized that there are actually a few Discworld races that still don't seem to have a presence in Ankh-Morpork, to wit the sheep people that appear about 5/13 of the way through the book, in the pub in Didjabringabeeralong.

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Also, does Rincewind remind anybody else of Marvin the clinically depressive paranoid android from Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novels? I recently realized that the two characters share a similar worldview as well as a tendency to get shunted every-which-way through time and space.

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On a completely different note, has anybody else noticed a slight hole in the setting's continuity regarding gargoyles? Specifically, if gargoyles are supposedly closely related to the trolls, and, like tolls, are silicon based, then how are they managing toderive nutrition from organic lifeforms like pigeons?

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EDIT: Sorry about the double post

Main differnce between Marvin and Rincewind is that the latter is obsessed with self preservation while the former couldn't care less about it. Rincewind likes to live, just not to live wherever he currently is (somewhere dangerous).

[Mustavus]

Well, damn. Can't think of much to say that hasn't already been said, but I can't just not post in a Discworld thread. Sucks to hear about Pratchett's condition, though not terribly surprising. If I've ever genuinely enjoyed reading a novel, there's a very good chance it was by Pratchett.

To echo what people have said before, I think Small Gods is a pretty great introduction to the series-- I think the easiest character series to get into would probably be the witches'. I started with Reaper Man, and wound up feeling like I was missing all kinds of references, while not really getting much of a feel for the setting. Rereading it after familiarizing myself with Discworld definitely made it more enjoyable.

Now that I think about it, I really like Death and Rincewind, but the books that revolve all that much around either of them never made that much of an impression on me. Never even finished Color of Magic/Light Fantastic until I got the graphic novel as a gift.

[Bohandas]

I think the easiest character series to get into would probably be the witches'. I started with Reaper Man, and wound up feeling like I was missing all kinds of references, while not really getting much of a feel for the setting. Rereading it after familiarizing myself with Discworld definitely made it more enjoyable.

The fact that the witches series starts with the third book in the series probably helps in that regard

Now that I think about it, I really like Death and Rincewind, but the books that revolve all that much around either of them never made that much of an impression on me. Never even finished Color of Magic/Light Fantastic until I got the graphic novel as a gift.

I think the best Rincewind books are Eric and The Last Continent

[Bohandas]

IIjust remembered something that's bohe me about ne f the Discworld books:

In Monstrous Regiment...

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How does the requirement that all soldiers must be male present any barrier at all to a member of the Discworld's clan of Igors!? Installing the necessary parts should be NOTHING to one of them! And not in a phony way like the cheap approximations that occur in the real world, mind you; The Igors could accomplish this using real legitimate parts! They are a modular people. And its not like one couldn't switch back after one's tour of duty.

[ChronoSamurai]

IIjust remembered something that's bohe me about ne f the Discworld books:

In Monstrous Regiment...

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How does the requirement that all soldiers must be male present any barrier at all to a member of the Discworld's clan of Igors!? Installing the necessary parts should be NOTHING to one of them! And not in a phony way like the cheap approximations that occur in the real world, mind you; The Igors could accomplish this using real legitimate parts! They are a modular people. And its not like one couldn't switch back after one's tour of duty.

If I remember the books correctly there is still some kind of gender divide that is more of a social thing rather than a biological thing. But I've not read it in a while so I might read it again :3

[Solarn]

If I remember the books correctly there is still some kind of gender divide that is more of a social thing rather than a biological thing. But I've not read it in a while so I might read it again :3

Indeed.

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Igorinas are expected to look female, conventionally attractive and only work on small stitching. As awesome as the Igors generally are, at least the Borogravian clan is very patriarchal.

[Bohandas]

I noticed something funny when I was rereading Faust Eric A couple of weeks ago. There is a line during the description of the kind of terrible hotel that Hell resembles criticizing books with the author's name written bigger than the title, and the copy of the book that I own actually itself has Pratchett's name written bigger than the title.

Also

I just remembered something that's bohered me about ne f the Discworld books:

In Monstrous Regiment...

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How does the requirement that all soldiers must be male present any barrier at all to a member of the Discworld's clan of Igors!? Installing the necessary parts should be NOTHING to one of them! And not in a phony way like the cheap approximations that occur in the real world, mind you; The Igors could accomplish this using real legitimate parts! They are a modular people. And its not like one couldn't switch back after one's tour of duty.

If I remember the books correctly there is still some kind of gender divide that is more of a social thing rather than a biological thing. But I've not read it in a while so I might read it again :3

Indeed.

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Igorinas are expected to look female, conventionally attractive and only work on small stitching. As awesome as the Igors generally are, at least the Borogravian clan is very patriarchal.

What I meant here is that with their surgical skill it would be rather simple to turn an Igorina into an Igor.

[Plaid]

I need some help!

My boyfriend's birthday is coming up, and he has never read any Terry Pratchett books (except Good Omens, but that's not really the whole experience) and I think he really needs to start. I want to get him 2 or 3, but which ones do you think would be good to start him off with? It's been a while since I read any myself so I don't really remember.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated :>

[PetPeeve]

Assuming you don't want to start him off from the beginning, I'd go with some city watch books, because "Guards! Guards!" is where Pratchett really got his feet under him with the series.