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Last update: 05/04/02

Discworld

So what's this 'Discworld' then?

One answer is that it is a series of books (25 and counting, not including all the spin-off books, maps etc) witten by a bloke from Wiltshire who's the only author to have a species named after him (an extinct species of leatherbackturtle, 'Psephophurus Terrypratchetti').

Another answer is that it's a world that's as flat as a pizza, held up by four elephants all of which ride, in turn, on the back of a giant turtle.

Again the answer could be that it's a publishing phenomenon that has spawned computer games, two animated TV series, T-shirts, models, music CDs, candels, badges, scarves, conventions, card games, plays ..... we you get the picture!

The author, Terry Pratchett, himself says "The Discworld is a place where stories happen." ('The Discworld Companion'). A lot of people sneer at 'swords and sorcery' or 'fantasy' books and, despite comparisons with such eminent writers as PG Woodhouse, PTerry (as he is known) has had his fair share of criticism. C.S. Lewis amously said of Tolkein's work "Not another f*****g elf!" I'm not sure whether this sort of thing has ever been said to PTerry but people do tend to think that his work is for teenage dweebs. Having been to a number of 'Discworld' events, I can only say that there are some bloody funny looking dweebs about (in fact PTerry looks very like some of his own fans!).

Ignoring all the spin-off books, maps, comics, diaries or the books which are 'notionally' for children (but are read by many adults), th list looks as follows:

The Colour OF Magic	The Light Fantastic	Equal Rites
Mort	Sourcery	Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids	Gaurds! Gaurds!	Eric
Moving Pictures	Reaper Man	Witches Abroad
Small Gods	Lords and Ladies	Men At Arms
Soul Music	Interesting Times	Maskerade
Feet Of Clay	Hogfather	Jingo
The Last Continent	Carpe Jugulum	The Fifth Elephant
The Truth	The Theif Of Time	The Last Hero

I can't remember when I read my first book but it must have been more than ten years ago. The first one was "The Light Fantastic" and I have read every book since. Part of the fun is trying to work out the plot from the covers, all of which (in the UK anyway) were done by the late and greatly lamented Josh Kirby (a man who once claimed, during a discussion of his work, that he was followed around by big breasted women ... lucky boy!).