You should read Terry Pratchett

With the ever-growing number of books published each year, it’s easy to forget authors as they come and go at breakneck speed. Our busy lives often prevent us from taking the time to fully appreciate the nuances and craftsmanship that writers infuse into their work. But today, I want to draw your attention to one exceptional fantasy author who mastered the peculiar balance between depth and entertainment: Terry Pratchett. In this post, we’ll explore how Pratchett achieved this rare feat and why you should care and appreciate his work. Let‘s begin.

The man

I should first point out that Terry Pratchett is far from an underground author. Pratchett was the UK‘s best-selling author of the 1990s. He sold more than 100 million books worldwide. His work has been translated into 43 languages. He was knighted in 2008 and received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010. Quite a resume. No: as much as he is celebrated by those familiar with him, I still find him undervalued as a role model.

In some regards, Terry Pratchett had a childhood in the same vein as Tolkien. And it shows. Both lived through most of their childhood in English small hamlets. Both tasted the city in their youth but preferred woodlands to paved roads. And, of course, both read, heard and wrote plenty of tall tales. Where Pratchett diverges from Tolkien is how he built upon this heritage. Tolkien would focus more on the tales themselves: building a rich and sophisticated mythology to fill the void he believed existed in his day. Pratchett would rather study the wonders of the present and those we could have in the future. Pratchett could be called a “tech geek“. His interests included astronomy, science fiction, but also computers. He would build his own in the 1980s. He was among the first authors to communicate with his fans over the internet with alt.fan.pratchet - in 1992 no less! He was also a known enthusiast of video games, even late in his life. He openly admitted loving games such as Hal-Life 2, Thief, Oblivion and Lemmings. He had photovoltaic cells (for solar energy) installed in his home in 2007, years before the general interest in them.

His voice, values and, most importantly, his life all burst out from his writing. Pratchett truly tells tales to us in much the same way as I expect he was in his youth. Opening any Discworld book feels like a friendly conversation with a dear friend or an insightful uncle if you prefer. To Pratchett, fantasy is not only an escape to another world but a pivotal way to reflect on our own - something he would do much more literally in his Discworld than most. Speaking of which, let‘s introduce the Discworld: his world.

The Discworld

Terry Pratchett once said that the Discworld is all about seeing the world from new directions. A very accurate depiction. Yes, the universe in his books, called the Discworld, is ingrained in classic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery. Wizards, witches, dwarves, trolls, dragons, werewolves, and vampires are all common sights in his books. Most of the time, they are willing allusions, cultural references and, most of all, satires of known tropes. Cohen the barbarian is a clear pastiche of Robert E. Howard‘s Conan. I am sure you can guess who the inventor Leonard of Quirm is supposed to be.

But the Discworld novels would not be the same without the Discworld itself. Pratchett‘s novels rarely follow one clear narrative. Rather, they tend to jump around two or three main groups of colourful characters, each in increasingly improbable situations that sometimes intertwine. However, one of my favourite aspects of the series is how novels themselves interlace. Pratchett‘s casts are often large but filled to the brim with recurrent characters. Some feature in a dozen books, sometimes years apart. Reading the series, we quickly get attached to these characters, making each cameo an opportunity to see how a quirky old friend is doing. My favourites include The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax and, of course, DEATH. As pastiche as they are, you would be surprised at how much they grow and evolve between novels. Some get promoted. Some find new meaning in life. Others go back to square one. Even draped in comedy and satire, the Discworld feels not only real but lived in.

Terry Pratchett uses a melting pot of a cast. About the same can be said of his setting. Don‘t get me wrong: the Discworld is clearly a fantastic place. But, this doesn‘t deter Pratchett from mixing familiar and tangible issues within it. Characters' problems feel fantastical, but end up treated as generally grounded and mundane things. Dragons are mainly nuisances as overused pets. Thievery is behind a guild more involved in law and politics than you could expect otherwise. To witches, helping the fate of kingdoms takes the same importance as the next meal. Surprisingly, some novels revolve around elements of our own technology. A gun is the main McGuffin of “Men at Arms“. “Moving Pictures“ introduces Cinema. For “Going Postal“, it's post stamps. “Raising Steam“ even introduced the steam engine.

In the end, Terry Pratchett‘s world is fascinating, rich and still to this day wholly original. Any fantasy enthusiast should consider at least tasting it a must.

The puns

Most first-time readers of Pratchett are hit by the particular tone of his novels. In a word: it‘s silly. As mentioned, plots and characters are silly, surprising and, most of all, fun. Each is a mouthpiece, an instrument to the lessons Terry Pratchett holds dear. A Discworld novel abounds with sharp insights into human nature, often tackling serious issues like politics, religion, and technology. Most impressively, the tone stays both entertaining and thought-provoking throughout. Pratchett, books are our only source of education and he did his best to champion it through his words. I have to say that he succeeded. His books helped me better appreciate the little things and the silliness of life itself.

Now, enough about the work. Let me help you begin your own journey on your own.

The initiation

The Discworld has 41 books. Don‘t let this intimidate you, as each is somewhat independent. Of course, some are better starters than others. Here are my recommendations to introduce the main themes and storylines. All the while giving a good taste of the Discworld experience.

To follow Death‘s antics, I recommend “Reaper Man“. Frankly, this is still my favourite book in the series. I just love it.
The city watch is also of importance. For that, you should really try “Guards! Guards!“ that introduces it. Also one of the first novels in the series. Great starting point if you want to follow books in broad publishing order.
The witches are a mainstay of the Discworld. My recommendation would be the very entertaining “Wyrd Sisters“.
If you would prefer something more standalone, “Small Gods“ is an excellent recommendation that has very few references to other novels.
As a bonus, “Hogfather“ is another great read, right in the season‘s spirit.

The end

In the end, I hope this will incite you enough to give reading the Discworld a chance. Pratchett‘s work is a great way to learn how to not take yourself too seriously and have a good time while doing it. In any case, remember that the world is a flat plane balanced on the backs of four elephants, themselves standing on the back of a giant turtle going through space. Don‘t think too much about it and enjoy your read.