Sir Terry Pratchett

[joealessi]

Help.. I have a friend who's a big, sci-fi/fantasy fan, who has bizarrely, for a fan of that genre, not read any Terry Pratchett. His birthday is approaching so i thought i'd start him off on the Discworld series, i had a quick look online only to discover there are bloody loads of them! Can anyobody tell me where to start?! Maybe some of his other novels are better..? Any advice? Many thanks.

[Sue]

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents :)

[civilservant]

Sad to say, I've read my way through the Pratchett Discworld oeuvre since stumbling on The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic a long long time ago.

IMO the ones that feature Sam Vimes' vain attempts to keep order in Ankh Morpork are the best (not so keen on the witchy ones).

So any of Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch or Thud!.

And since I'm in confessional mode here, I'll add that I reread Feet of Clay as soon as I'd finished it.

PS I've seen Pratchett described, by a broadsheet reviewer no less, as 'silliness with A-levels'. Though that's probably not such huge praise anymore.

[Moos]

I think The Colour Of Magic was the first Discworld book.

[civilservant]

Yes, but it's far from the best - the Luggage is a beguiling invention but the wizard Rincewind is not and Pratchett only gives him very minor walk-on parts in some later books.

If you want to hook someone on Pratchett, better start them on a later book

[Moos]

That is very true, and the books don't really need to be read in chronological order. I did like the Colour of Magic though, when I read it back in the day-think he's written 6 or so at that time.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Granny Og is one of my favourite characters, so "Weird Systers", also Death and his horse, Binky so "Mort".

What kind of sci-fi/fantasy does your friend like?

[joealessi]

Thank-you, everyone. In the end i got him, Mort, Feet of Clay and Guards! Guards! That should keep him busy for a bit!

[civilservant]

fab selection! I envy him!

[Sue]

Terry Pratchett is brilliant :)-D