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''Discworld'' is a
comic fantasy Fantasy comedy or comic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Typically set in imaginary worlds, fantasy comedy often involves puns on and parodies of other works of fantasy. Literature The subgenre rose ...
"Humorous Fantasy" in
David Pringle David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic. Pringle served as the editor of ''Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whic ...
, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006.
book series A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their pub ...
written by the English author
Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchett's first nov ...
, set on the
Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat pla ...
, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. The series began in 1983 with ''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'' and continued until the final novel ''
The Shepherd's Crown ''The Shepherd's Crown'' is a comic fantasy novel, the last book written by Terry Pratchett before his death in March 2015. It is the 41st novel in the ''Discworld'' series, and the fifth based on the character Tiffany Aching. It was published ...
'', which was published in 2015, following Pratchett's death. The books frequently parody or take inspiration from classic works, usually fantasy or science fiction, as well as
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
,
folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
and
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s, and often use them for
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
parallels with cultural, political and scientific issues. Forty-one ''Discworld'' novels were published. Apart from the first novel in the series, ''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'', the original British editions of the first 26 novels, up to ''
Thief of Time ''Thief of Time'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 26th book in his ''Discworld'' series. It was the last Discworld novel with a cover by Josh Kirby. Plot summary The Auditors hire young clockmaker Jeremy Clockson to bu ...
'' (2001), had cover art by
Josh Kirby Ronald William "Josh" Kirby (27 November 1928 – 23 October 2001) was a British commercial artist. Over a career spanning 60 years, he was the artist for the covers of many science fiction books including Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. ...
. After Kirby's death in 2001, the covers were designed by
Paul Kidby Paul Kidby (born 1964) is an English artist. Many people know him best for his art based on Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld''. He has been included on the sleeve covers since Pratchett's original illustrator, Josh Kirby, died in 2001.Alison Flood ( ...
. The American editions, published by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
, used their own cover art. Companion publications include eleven short stories (some only loosely related to the Discworld), four popular science books, and a number of supplementary books and reference guides. The series has been adapted for graphic novels, theatre, computer and board games, and television. ''Discworld'' books regularly topped ''
Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'' best-sellers list, making Pratchett the UK's best-selling author in the 1990s. ''Discworld'' novels have also won awards such as the
Prometheus Award The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newl ...
and the Carnegie Medal. In the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's
Big Read The Big Read was a survey on books carried out by the BBC in the United Kingdom in 2003, where over three-quarters of a million votes were received from the British public to find the nation's best-loved novel of all time. The year-long survey wa ...
, four ''Discworld'' novels were in the top 100, and a total of fourteen in the top 200. More than 80 million ''Discworld'' books have been sold in 37 languages.


Composition

Very few of the ''Discworld'' novels have chapter divisions. Instead they feature interweaving storylines. Pratchett was quoted as saying that he "just never got into the habit of chapters", later adding that "I have to shove them in the putative YA books because my editor screams until I do". However, the first ''Discworld'' novel ''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'' was divided into "books", as is ''
Pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...
''. Additionally, ''
Going Postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided in ...
'' and ''
Making Money ''Making Money'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his ''Discworld'' series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and ...
'' both have chapters, a prologue, an epilogue, and brief teasers of what is to come in each chapter, in the style of
A. A. Milne Alan Alexander Milne (; 18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English writer best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, as well as for children's poetry. Milne was primarily a playwright before the huge success of Winni ...
,
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
, and
Jerome K. Jerome Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) an ...
.


Themes and motifs

The ''Discworld'' novels contain common themes and motifs that run through the series. Fantasy clichés are parodied in many of the novels, as are various subgenres of fantasy, such as
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s (notably ''
Witches Abroad ''Witches Abroad'' is the twelfth ''Discworld'' novel by Terry Pratchett, originally published in 1991.Fantastic FictioWitches Abroad (Discworld, book 12) Terry PratchettRetrieved 2009-05-9 Plot Following the death of the witch Desiderata Hollo ...
''), witch and vampire stories (''
Carpe Jugulum ''Carpe Jugulum'' (; Latatian for "seize the throat", cf. ''Carpe diem'') is a comic fantasy novel by English writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-third in the ''Discworld'' series. It was first published in 1998. In ''Carpe Jugulum'', Terry Pra ...
'') and so on. Analogies of real-world issues, such as religion (''
Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...
''), fundamentalism and inner city tension ('' Thud''), business and politics (''
Making Money ''Making Money'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his ''Discworld'' series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and ...
''), racial prejudice and exploitation (''
Snuff Snuff may refer to: Tobacco * Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose ** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco ** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste Media and entertainment * Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder Literat ...
'') are recurring themes, as are aspects of culture and entertainment, such as opera (''
Maskerade ''Maskerade'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighteenth book in the ''Discworld'' series. The witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg visit the Ankh-Morpork Opera House to find Agnes Nitt, a girl from Lancre, and g ...
''), rock music (''
Soul Music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
''), cinema ('' Moving Pictures''), and football (''
Unseen Academicals ''Unseen Academicals'' is the 37th novel in Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. The novel satirises football, and features Mustrum Ridcully setting up an Unseen University football team, with the Librarian in goal."Tough at the Top", '' ...
''). Parodies of non-Discworld fiction also occur frequently, including
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
,
Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Potter (, 28 July 186622 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'', which was he ...
, and several movies. Major historical events, especially battles, are sometimes used as the basis for both trivial and key events in ''Discworld'' stories ('' Jingo'', ''
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
'', ''
Pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...
''), as are trends in science, technology, pop culture and modern art ('' Moving Pictures'', ''
Men at Arms A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a kni ...
'', '' Thud''). There are also
humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...
themes in many of the ''Discworld'' novels, and a focus on
critical thinking Critical thinking is the analysis of available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to form a judgement. The subject is complex; several different definitions exist, which generally include the rational, skeptical, and unbiased analysis ...
skills in the Witches and
Tiffany Aching Tiffany Aching is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's satirical ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Her name in Nac Mac Feegle is Tir-far-thóinn or "Land Under Wave". Tiffany is a trainee witches (Discworld), witch whose growth into ...
series.


Storylines

The ''Discworld'' novels and stories are, in principle, stand-alone works. However, a number of novels and stories form
novel sequence A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their pub ...
s with distinct
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
s:


Rincewind

Rincewind Rincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the ''Discworld'' novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to ...
was the first protagonist of ''Discworld''. He is a wizard with no skill, no wizardly qualifications, and no interest in heroics. He is extremely cowardly but is constantly thrust into dangerous adventures. He saves Discworld on several occasions, and has an instrumental role in the emergence of life on Roundworld (''
Science of Discworld ''The Science of Discworld'' is a 1999 book by novelist Terry Pratchett and popular science writers (and University of Warwick science researchers) Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. Three sequels, '' The Science of Discworld II: The Globe'', '' The ...
''). Other characters in the Rincewind story arc include
Cohen the Barbarian This article contains brief biographies for characters from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. This list consists of human characters. For biographies of noted members of the Discworld's "ethnic minorities" (dwarfs, trolls, undead, etc.), ...
, an aging hero of the old fantasy tradition, out of touch with the modern world and still fighting despite his advanced age; Twoflower, a naive tourist from the Agatean Empire (inspired by cultures of the Far East, particularly Japan and China); and
The Luggage Rincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the ''Discworld'' novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to ...
, a magical, semi-sentient and aggressive multi-legged travelling accessory. Rincewind appears in eight Discworld novels as well as the four ''
Science of Discworld ''The Science of Discworld'' is a 1999 book by novelist Terry Pratchett and popular science writers (and University of Warwick science researchers) Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. Three sequels, '' The Science of Discworld II: The Globe'', '' The ...
'' supplementary books.


Death

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
appears in every novel except ''
The Wee Free Men ''The Wee Free Men'' is a 2003 comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, which takes place in his Discworld setting. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike most of ...
'' and ''
Snuff Snuff may refer to: Tobacco * Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose ** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco ** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste Media and entertainment * Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder Literat ...
'', although sometimes with only a few lines. He is a seven-foot-tall skeleton in a black robe who sits astride a pale horse (called Binky). His dialogue is always depicted in
small caps In typography, small caps (short for "small capitals") are characters typeset with glyphs that resemble uppercase letters (capitals) but reduced in height and weight close to the surrounding lowercase letters or text figures. This is technicall ...
, and without quotation marks, as several characters state that Death's voice seems to arrive in their heads without actually passing through their ears as sound. Death has the job of guiding souls onward from this world into the next. Over millennia in the role, he has developed a fascination with humanity to a point where he feels protective of it against outside forces. This fascination with humanity led to him adopting a daughter and taking on an apprentice (detailed in ''Mort'') and eventually to their daughter Susan Sto Helit, who becomes a main character in books such as ''
Soul Music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
,
Hogfather ''Hogfather'' is the 20th ''Discworld'' novel by Terry Pratchett, and a 1997 British Fantasy Award nominee. It was first released in 1996 and published by Victor Gollancz. It came in 137th place in The Big Read, a BBC survey of the most loved B ...
'', and ''
Thief of Time ''Thief of Time'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 26th book in his ''Discworld'' series. It was the last Discworld novel with a cover by Josh Kirby. Plot summary The Auditors hire young clockmaker Jeremy Clockson to bu ...
''. Characters that often appear with Death include his butler
Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...
; his granddaughter
Susan Sto Helit Susan Sto Helit (also spelled Sto-Helit), once referred to as Susan Death, is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. She is the granddaughter of Death, the Disc's Grim Reaper, and has a number of his a ...
; the
Death of Rats Death is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series and a parody of several other Death (personification), personifications of death. Like most Grim Reapers, he is a black-robed skeleton who usually carries a scythe. His juri ...
, the part of Death in charge of gathering the souls of rodents; Quoth, a talking raven (a parody of Edgar Allan Poe's "
The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...
", although it refuses to say "Nevermore"); and the Auditors of Reality, personifications of the orderly
physical law Scientific laws or laws of science are statements, based on repeated experiments or observations, that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. The term ''law'' has diverse usage in many cases (approximate, accurate, broad, or narrow) a ...
s and the closest thing Death has to a nemesis. Death or Susan appear as the main characters in five Discworld novels. He also appears in the short stories ''
Death and What Comes Next "Death and What Comes Next" is a fantasy short story by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his '' Discworld'' series. It tells the story of a discussion between Death and a philosopher, in which the philosopher attempts to use the many-worl ...
'', ''
Theatre of Cruelty The Theatre of Cruelty (french: Théâtre de la Cruauté, also french: Théâtre cruel) is a form of theatre generally associated with Antonin Artaud. Artaud, who was briefly a member of the surrealist movement, outlined his theories in ''The Theat ...
'' and ''
Turntables of the Night ''Turntables of the Night'' is a short story by Terry Pratchett. It was written in 1989, and first published in ''Hidden Turnings'', an anthology of short stories edited by Diana Wynne Jones. It was later republished as part of ''The Flying Sorcere ...
''.


Witches

Witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...
in Pratchett's universe are largely stripped of their modern occultist associations (though Pratchett does frequently use his stories to lampoon such conceptions of witchcraft), and act as
herbalist Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...
s, nurses, adjudicators and wise women. Witches on the Disc can use
magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
, but generally prefer not to, finding simple but cunningly applied psychology (called "headology") far more effective. The principal witch in the series is
Granny Weatherwax Esmerelda "Esme" Weatherwax (also Granny Weatherwax or Mistress Weatherwax) is a fictional character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. She is the self-appointed guardian of her small cou ...
, a taciturn, bitter old crone, from the small mountain country of
Lancre The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. It consists of a large disc (complete with edge-of-the-world drop-off and consequent waterfall) resting on the backs of four huge elephants which ar ...
. She largely despises people but takes on the role of their healer and protector because no one else can do the job as well as she can. Her closest friend is
Nanny Ogg Gytha Ogg (usually called Nanny Ogg) is a character from Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. Personality The character of Nanny Ogg is based on the Mother stereotype of the Triple Goddess ...
, a jolly, personable witch with the "common touch" who enjoys a smoke and a pint of beer, often leading to her singing bawdy folk songs including the notorious "Hedgehog Song". The two take on apprentice witches, initially
Magrat Garlick A major subset of the ''Discworld'' novels of Terry Pratchett involves the witches of Lancre. The three main witches introduced in 1988's ''Wyrd Sisters'' — crone Esme Weatherwax, mother Nanny Ogg and maiden Magrat Garlick — are a spoof on t ...
, then
Agnes Nitt A major subset of the '' Discworld'' novels of Terry Pratchett involves the witches of Lancre. The three main witches introduced in 1988's '' Wyrd Sisters'' — crone Esme Weatherwax, mother Nanny Ogg and maiden Magrat Garlick — are a spoof o ...
, and then
Tiffany Aching Tiffany Aching is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's satirical ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Her name in Nac Mac Feegle is Tir-far-thóinn or "Land Under Wave". Tiffany is a trainee witches (Discworld), witch whose growth into ...
, who in turn go on to become accomplished witches in their own right. Other characters in the Witches series include: King Verence II of Lancre, a onetime
Fool Fool, The Fool, or Fools may refer to: *A jester, also called a ''fool'', a type of historical entertainer known for their witty jokes *An insult referring to someone of low intelligence or easy gullibility Arts, entertainment and media Fictio ...
;
Jason Ogg Gytha Ogg (usually called Nanny Ogg) is a character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. Personality The character of Nanny Ogg is based on the Mother stereotype of the Triple Goddess (N ...
, Nanny Ogg's eldest son and local blacksmith;
Shawn Ogg Gytha Ogg (usually called Nanny Ogg) is a character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. Personality The character of Nanny Ogg is based on the Mother stereotype of the Triple Goddess (N ...
, Nanny's youngest son who serves as his country's entire army and civil service; and Nanny's murderous cat Greebo. The witches have appeared in numerous Discworld books, and have featured as protagonists in seven. They have also appeared in the short story "
The Sea and Little Fishes "The Sea and Little Fishes" is a short story by Terry Pratchett, written in 1998. It is set in his ''Discworld'' universe, and features Lancre witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. It was originally published in a sampler alongside a story call ...
". Their stories frequently draw on ancient European folklore and fairy tales, as well as parodying famous works of literature, particularly by
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.


City Watch

The stories featuring the
Ankh-Morpork City Watch The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
are
urban fantasy Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy which places imaginary and unreal elements in an approximation of a contemporary urban setting. The combination provides the writer with quixotic plot-drivers, unusual character traits, and a platform for cl ...
, and frequently show the clashes that result when a traditional, magically run fantasy world such as the Disc comes into contact with modern technology and civilization. They revolve around the growth of the
Ankh-Morpork Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which features prominently in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. Overview Pratchett describes Ankh-Morpork as the biggest city in Discworld and its corrupt mercantile capital. In ''The Art o ...
City Watch from a hopeless gang of three to a fully equipped and efficient police force. The stories are largely
police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eith ...
s, featuring crimes that have heavy political or societal overtones. The main character is
Sam Vimes His Grace, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. Vimes is depicted in the novels as somewhere between an Inspector Morse-type 'old-school' British policeman, and ...
, a haggard, cynical, working-class street copper who, when introduced in ''
Guards! Guards! ''Guards! Guards!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighth in the ''Discworld'' series, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The first ''Discworld'' point-and-click adventur ...
'', is the alcoholic Captain of the three-person Night Watch: lazy, cowardly, and none-too-bright Sergeant
Fred Colon The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
, and Corporal
Nobby Nobbs {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Nobby is the diminutive form of the name Norbert. It is also a nickname most commonly used in English for those with the surname Clark or Clarke. Origins as a nickname A number of possible explanations exist f ...
, a petty thief in his own right. Then
Carrot Ironfoundersson The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
, a 6-foot-6-inch-tall (1.98 m) dwarf-by-adoption, comes down from the mountains to join the Watch and do real policing. Other main characters include Angua, a werewolf; Detritus, a troll; Reg Shoe, a zombie and Dead Rights campaigner; Cuddy, a
Dwarf Dwarf or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore * Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
who appears in ''
Men at Arms A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a kni ...
''; Golem Constable Dorfl;
Cheery Littlebottom The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
, the Watch's
forensics Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and crimina ...
expert, who is one of the first dwarves to be openly female (and who tried to rename herself "Cheri", but without success); Sam's wife, Lady Sybil Vimes (née Ramkin); Constable Visit-the-infidel-with-explanatory-pamphlets; Inspector A E Pessimal, recruited by Vimes as his adjutant when sent as an auditor by
Havelock Vetinari Lord Havelock Vetinari, Lord Patrician (Primus inter pares) of the city-state of Ankh-Morpork, is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series, a series of forty-one books describing a parallel universe whose main world has ...
, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. The City Watch have starred in eight Discworld stories, and have cameoed in a number of others, including ''
Making Money ''Making Money'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his ''Discworld'' series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and ...
'', the children's book ''
Where's My Cow? ''Where's My Cow?'' is a picture book written by Terry Pratchett and illustrated by Melvyn Grant. It is based on a book that features in Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novel '' Thud!'', in which Samuel Vimes reads it to his son. ''Where's My Cow? ...
,'' and the short story "
Theatre of Cruelty The Theatre of Cruelty (french: Théâtre de la Cruauté, also french: Théâtre cruel) is a form of theatre generally associated with Antonin Artaud. Artaud, who was briefly a member of the surrealist movement, outlined his theories in ''The Theat ...
". Pratchett stated on numerous occasions that the presence of the City Watch makes Ankh-Morpork stories "problematic", as stories set in the city that do not directly involve Vimes and the Watch often require a Watch presence to maintain the story—at which point, it becomes a Watch story by default.


Wizards

The Wizards of the
Unseen University The Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The ...
(UU) have represented a strong thread through many of the ''Discworld'' novels, although the only books that they star in exclusively are The Science of the Discworld series and the novels ''
Unseen Academicals ''Unseen Academicals'' is the 37th novel in Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. The novel satirises football, and features Mustrum Ridcully setting up an Unseen University football team, with the Librarian in goal."Tough at the Top", '' ...
'' and ''
The Last Continent ''The Last Continent'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-second book in his ''Discworld'' series. First published in 1998, it mocks the aspects of time travel such as the grandfather paradox and the Ray Bradbury s ...
''. In the early books, the faculty of UU changed frequently, as rising to the top usually involved assassination. However, with the ascension of the bombastic
Mustrum Ridcully The Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The ...
to the position of
Archchancellor An archchancellor ( la, archicancellarius, german: Erzkanzler) or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the wo ...
, the hierarchy has settled and characters have been given the chance to develop. The earlier books featuring the wizards also frequently dealt with the possible invasion of the Discworld by the creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions, Lovecraftian monsters that hunger for the magic and potential of the Discworld. The wizards of UU employ the traditional "whizz-bang" type of magic seen in ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
'' games, but also investigate the rules and structure of magic in terms highly reminiscent of
particle physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...
. Prominent members include
Ponder Stibbons The Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The ...
, a geeky young wizard; Hex, the Disc's first computer/semi-sentient thinking engine; the Librarian, who was turned into an
orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
by magical accident, and who (sometimes violently) refuses to be turned back into a human; the Dean; the mentally unstable
Bursar A bursar (derived from "bursa", Latin for '' purse'') is a professional administrator in a school or university often with a predominantly financial role. In the United States, bursars usually hold office only at the level of higher education (f ...
; the Chair of Indefinite Studies; the Lecturer in Recent Runes; and the Senior Wrangler. In later novels, Rincewind also joins their group, while the Dean leaves to become the Archchancellor of Brazeneck College in the nearby city of Pseudopolis. The Wizards have featured prominently in nine ''Discworld'' books as well as starred in The Science of Discworld series and the short story " A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices".


Tiffany Aching

Tiffany Aching Tiffany Aching is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's satirical ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Her name in Nac Mac Feegle is Tir-far-thóinn or "Land Under Wave". Tiffany is a trainee witches (Discworld), witch whose growth into ...
is a young apprentice witch in a series of Discworld books aimed at young adults. Her stories often parallel mythic heroes' quests, but also deal with Tiffany's difficulties as a young girl maturing into a responsible woman. She is aided in her task by the
Nac Mac Feegle The Nac Mac Feegle (also sometimes known as Pictsies, Wee Free Men, the Little Men and "Person or Persons Unknown, Believed to be Armed") are a fictional type of fairy folk that appear in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels '' Carpe Jugulum'', ...
, a gang of blue-tattooed, 6-inch tall, hard-drinking, loud-mouthed
picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ea ...
ie creatures also called "The Wee Free Men" who serve as her guardians. She is the protagonist of five novels, ''
The Wee Free Men ''The Wee Free Men'' is a 2003 comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, which takes place in his Discworld setting. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike most of ...
'', ''
A Hat Full of Sky ''A Hat Full of Sky'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, un ...
'', ''
Wintersmith ''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike ...
'', ''
I Shall Wear Midnight ''I Shall Wear Midnight'' is a comic fantasy novel by English writer Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld. It is the fourth novel within the ''Discworld'' series to be based on the character of Tiffany Aching. It was published on 2 September ...
'', and ''
The Shepherd's Crown ''The Shepherd's Crown'' is a comic fantasy novel, the last book written by Terry Pratchett before his death in March 2015. It is the 41st novel in the ''Discworld'' series, and the fifth based on the character Tiffany Aching. It was published ...
''. Major characters in this series include Miss Tick who is a travelling witch that discovers Tiffany, Nac Mac Feegle chieftain Rob Anybody, and the other young witches Annagramma Hawkin and Petulia Gristle. Both
Granny Weatherwax Esmerelda "Esme" Weatherwax (also Granny Weatherwax or Mistress Weatherwax) is a fictional character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. She is the self-appointed guardian of her small cou ...
and
Nanny Ogg Gytha Ogg (usually called Nanny Ogg) is a character from Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. Personality The character of Nanny Ogg is based on the Mother stereotype of the Triple Goddess ...
also appear in her stories.


Moist von Lipwig

Moist von Lipwig Moist von Lipwig is a fictional character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. A "reformed con-man" who is one of the major characters of the series, von Lipwig is the protagonist of the novels ''Going Postal'', ''Making Money,'' and ''R ...
is a professional criminal and con man to whom Havelock Vetinari gives a "second chance" after staging his execution, recognising the advantages his jack-of-all-trades abilities will give to the development of the city. After putting him in charge of the
Ankh-Morpork Post Office Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which features prominently in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. Overview Pratchett describes Ankh-Morpork as the biggest city in Discworld and its corrupt mercantile capital. In ''The Art o ...
in ''
Going Postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided in ...
'', with good results, Vetinari orders him to clear up the city's corrupt financial sector in ''
Making Money ''Making Money'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his ''Discworld'' series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and ...
''. In a third book, ''
Raising Steam ''Raising Steam'' is the 40th ''Discworld'' novel, written by Terry Pratchett. It was the penultimate one, published before his death in 2015. Originally due to be published on 24 October 2013, it was pushed back to 7 November 2013 (and March 18, ...
'', Vetinari directs Lipwig to oversee the development of a railway network for Dick Simnel's newly invented steam locomotive. Other characters in this series include Adora Belle Dearheart, Lipwig's acerbic, chain-smoking love interest; Gladys, a golem who develops a strange crush on Lipwig; Stanley Howler, an obsessive young man who was raised by peas and becomes the Discworld's first stamp collector; and the very old Junior Postman Groat, who never got promoted to Senior Postman because there was never a Postmaster alive long enough to promote him.


''Discworld'' cultures

Several other books can be grouped together as "Other cultures of Discworld" books. They may contain characters or locations from other arcs, typically not as protagonist or antagonist but as a supporting character or even a throwaway reference. These include ''Pyramids'' (Djelibeybi), ''
Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...
'' (Omnia), and ''Monstrous Regiment'' (Zlobenia and Borogravia).


Characters

Short descriptions of many of the notable characters: *
Ankh-Morpork City Watch members The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
*
Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviida ...
* Death-associated characters * Dwarfs *
Gnomes A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its character ...
*
History Monks This article contains brief biographies for characters from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. This list consists of human characters. For biographies of noted members of the Discworld's "ethnic minorities" (dwarfs, trolls, undead, etc.), ...
* Rincewind-associated characters *
Witches Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have use ...
* Wizards * Other Discworld characters


Bibliography


Novels


Short stories

There are also a number of short stories by Pratchett based in the Discworld, including published miscellanea such as the fictional game origins of '' Thud''. All are available in the anthology '' A Blink of the Screen'' (2012) as well as in the following locations: * "
Troll Bridge "Troll Bridge" is a Discworld short story, written by Terry Pratchett in 1991 for a collection entitled '' After The King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien''. Set following the events of ''The Light Fantastic'', the story stars Cohen the Barb ...
" – in ''After The King: Stories in honour of J. R. R. Tolkien'' (1992); reprinted in ''The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy'' edited by Mike Ashley (1998); available online * "
Theatre of Cruelty The Theatre of Cruelty (french: Théâtre de la Cruauté, also french: Théâtre cruel) is a form of theatre generally associated with Antonin Artaud. Artaud, who was briefly a member of the surrealist movement, outlined his theories in ''The Theat ...
" (1993); available online * "
The Sea and Little Fishes "The Sea and Little Fishes" is a short story by Terry Pratchett, written in 1998. It is set in his ''Discworld'' universe, and features Lancre witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. It was originally published in a sampler alongside a story call ...
" – in ''
Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...
'' (1998), anthology of novellas taking place within popular fantasy cycles edited by
Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
* "
Death and What Comes Next "Death and What Comes Next" is a fantasy short story by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his '' Discworld'' series. It tells the story of a discussion between Death and a philosopher, in which the philosopher attempts to use the many-worl ...
" (2002); available online * " A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices" (2005) – first published in the 13 May 2005 issue of ''
The Times Higher Education Supplement ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
'' included in certain editions of ''Snuff''; available online Seven of the short stories or short writings were also collected in a compilation of the majority of Pratchett's known short work named '' Once More* With Footnotes'' (2004). Additionally, another short story "
Turntables of the Night ''Turntables of the Night'' is a short story by Terry Pratchett. It was written in 1989, and first published in ''Hidden Turnings'', an anthology of short stories edited by Diana Wynne Jones. It was later republished as part of ''The Flying Sorcere ...
" (1989) is set in England but features
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
as a character; it is available online and in both anthologies.


"Mapps"

Although Terry Pratchett said, "There are no maps. You can't map a sense of humour," there are four "Mapps": ''
The Streets of Ankh-Morpork ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'' is a map and brief guide of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in Discworld, a fantasy series by English author Terry Pratchett. Clute, John and John Grant. ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy''. New York: St Martin's ...
'' (1993), '' The Discworld Mapp'' (1995), '' A Tourist Guide to Lancre'' (1998), and ''
Death's Domain ''Death's Domain'' is a book by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs, and illustrated by Paul Kidby. It is the fourth in the ''Discworld Mapp'' series, other publications of which include ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork, The Discworld Mapp'' and& ...
'' (1999). The first two were drawn by Stephen Player, based on plans by Pratchett and
Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy ''Discworld''. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and ...
, the third is a collaboration between Briggs and
Paul Kidby Paul Kidby (born 1964) is an English artist. Many people know him best for his art based on Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld''. He has been included on the sleeve covers since Pratchett's original illustrator, Josh Kirby, died in 2001.Alison Flood ( ...
, and the last is by Kidby. All also contain booklets written by Pratchett and Briggs. Terry later collaborated with the Discworld Emporium to produce two much larger works, each with the associated map with the book in a folder, ''The Compleat Ankh-Morpork City Guide'' (2012) and ''The Compleat Discworld Atlas'' (2015).


Science books

Pratchett also collaborated with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen on four books, using the Discworld to illuminate
popular science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...
topics. Each book alternates chapters of a ''Discworld'' story and notes on real science related to it. The books are: * ''
The Science of Discworld ''The Science of Discworld'' is a 1999 book by novelist Terry Pratchett and popular science writers (and University of Warwick science researchers) Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. Three sequels, '' The Science of Discworld II: The Globe'', '' The S ...
'' (1999). . * '' The Science of Discworld II: The Globe'' (2002). . * '' The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch'' (2005). . * '' The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day'' (2013). .


Quiz books

David Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...
has compiled two ''Discworld''
quiz A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which players attempt to answer questions correctly on one or several specific topics. Quizzes can be used as a brief Educational assessment, assessment in education and similar fields to measure growth ...
books: * ''
The Unseen University Challenge ''The Unseen University Challenge'' is a book of trivia questions related to Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels. It was written by David Langford (with Terry Pratchett's permission) and was published in 1996. Its name is a reference to the t ...
'' (1996), parodying the TV quiz show ''
University Challenge ''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...
.'' . * ''The Wyrdest Link'' (2002), parodying the TV quiz show ''
The Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which The Weakest Link (British game show), first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host ...
.''


Diaries

Most years see the release of a Discworld Diary and Discworld Calendar, both usually following a particular theme. The diaries feature background information about their themes. Some topics are later used in the series; the character of Miss Alice Band first appeared in the ''Assassins' Guild Yearbook'', for example. '' The Discworld Almanak – The Year of The Prawn'' has a similar format and general contents to the diaries.


Other books

Other ''Discworld'' publications include: * ''The Josh Kirby Discworld Portfolio'' (1993) A collection of Josh Kirby's artwork, published by Paper Tiger. . * ''
The Discworld Companion ''The Discworld Companion'' is an encyclopaedia of the Discworld fictional universe, created by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. Four editions have been published, under varying titles. The ''Companion'' contains precise definitions of word ...
'' (1994) An encyclopedia of ''Discworld'' information, compiled by Pratchett and Briggs. . **An updated version was released in 2003, titled ''The New Discworld Companion''. . **A further updated version was released in 2012, titled ''Turtle Recall: The Discworld Companion . . . So Far''. . **A new updated version was released in 2021, titled ''The Ultimate Discworld Companion''. . * '' The Pratchett Portfolio'' (1996) A collection of Paul Kidby's artwork, with notes by Pratchett. . * ''
Nanny Ogg's Cookbook ''Nanny Ogg's Cookbook'' is a recipe book written from the in-world perspective of ''Discworld'' character Nanny Ogg. ''Nanny Ogg's Cookbook'' was written by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs and Tina Hannan, and illustrated by Paul Kidby Paul ...
'' (1999) A collection of ''Discworld'' recipes, combined with etiquette, language of flowers etc., written by Pratchett with
Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy ''Discworld''. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and ...
and
Tina Hannan Tina Hannan is a London-based writer and photographer, noted for the book ''Nanny Ogg's Cookbook'', co-written with fantasy author Terry Pratchett in association with Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby as a companion to the Discworld series. Hannan, th ...
. . * ''
The Art of Discworld ''The Art of Discworld'' is a descriptive book of the world of the Discworld as portrayed in Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. It showcases the art of Paul Kidby with descriptions of characters and locations by Pratchett and some details ...
'' (2004) Another collection of Paul Kidby's art. . * ''
The Discworld Almanak ''The Discworld Almanak'' is a spin-off book from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, in a similar format to the Diaries and ''Nanny Ogg's Cookbook''. It was written by Pratchett and Bernard Pearson Bernard Stanley Pearson (born 13 ...
'' (2004) An
almanac An almanac (also spelled ''almanack'' and ''almanach'') is an annual publication listing a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and other ...
for the ''Discworld'' year, in the style of the Diaries and the Cookbook, written by Pratchett with
Bernard Pearson Bernard Stanley Pearson (born 13 September, 1946)"Pearson, Bernard, 1946–"
Library of Congress Authorities (lcc ...
. . * ''
Where's My Cow? ''Where's My Cow?'' is a picture book written by Terry Pratchett and illustrated by Melvyn Grant. It is based on a book that features in Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novel '' Thud!'', in which Samuel Vimes reads it to his son. ''Where's My Cow? ...
'' (2005) A ''Discworld'' picture book referenced in ''
Thud! ''Thud!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 34th book in the ''Discworld'' series, first released in the United States on 13 September 2005, then the United Kingdom on 1 October 2005. It was released in the U.S. three wee ...
'' and ''
Wintersmith ''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike ...
'', written by Pratchett with illustrations by
Melvyn Grant Melvyn "Mel" Grant (born 1944) is an English artist and illustrator. Trained traditionally, he originally worked with oil paints, but in the late 1990s Grant switched to creating most of his work digitally with a digitizing tablet and the software ...
. . * ''
The Unseen University Cut Out Book ''The Unseen University Cut-Out Book'' is a cut-out book that allows a reader to construct a replica of Unseen University from Terry Pratchett's Discworld Series. It was published on 1 October 2006, and includes a foreword by Terry Pratchett. T ...
'' (2006) Build your own Unseen University, written by Pratchett with Alan Batley and
Bernard Pearson Bernard Stanley Pearson (born 13 September, 1946)"Pearson, Bernard, 1946–"
Library of Congress Authorities (lcc ...
, published 1 October 2006. * '' The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld'' (2007) A collection of quotations from the series. * '' The Folklore of Discworld'' (2008) A collaboration with British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson, discussing the myths and folklore used in ''Discworld''. * ''
The World of Poo ''The World of Poo'' is an illustrated children's book written by Terry Pratchett and illustrated by Peter Dennis. It is based on the book featured in Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novel ''Snuff'', in which Sam Vimes reads it to his now older son, r ...
'' (2012) Another in-universe children's book (similar to ''Where's My Cow''), referenced in ''
Snuff Snuff may refer to: Tobacco * Snuff (tobacco), fine-ground tobacco, sniffed into the nose ** Moist snuff or dipping tobacco ** Creamy snuff, an Indian tobacco paste Media and entertainment * Snuff film, a type of film that shows a murder Literat ...
''. * ''The Compleat Ankh-Morpork: City Guide'' (2012) The complete guide to the city of Ankh-Morpork. * ''Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook'' (2014) .


Reading order

This section discusses chronology and connections between the books. For literal reading order, see bibliography. The books take place roughly in real time and the characters' ages change to reflect the passing of years. The meetings of various characters from different narrative threads (e.g., Ridcully and
Granny Weatherwax Esmerelda "Esme" Weatherwax (also Granny Weatherwax or Mistress Weatherwax) is a fictional character from Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. She is a witch and member of the Lancre coven. She is the self-appointed guardian of her small cou ...
in '' Lords and Ladies'', Rincewind and Carrot in ''
The Last Hero ''The Last Hero'' is a short fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-seventh book in his ''Discworld'' series. It was published in 2001 in a larger format than the other ''Discworld'' novels and illustrated on every page by ...
'') indicate that all the main storylines take place around the same period (end of the Century of the Fruitbat, beginning of the Century of the Anchovy). The main exception is the stand-alone book ''
Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...
'', which appears to take place at some point earlier than most of the other stories, though even this contains cameo appearances by Death and the Librarian. Some main characters may make
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
s in other books where they are not the primary focus; for example, City Watch members
Carrot Ironfoundersson The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
and Angua appear briefly in ''
Going Postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided in ...
'', ''
Making Money ''Making Money'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his ''Discworld'' series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and ...
'', and ''
Unseen Academicals ''Unseen Academicals'' is the 37th novel in Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld'' series. The novel satirises football, and features Mustrum Ridcully setting up an Unseen University football team, with the Librarian in goal."Tough at the Top", '' ...
'' (placing those books after ''
Guards! Guards! ''Guards! Guards!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighth in the ''Discworld'' series, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The first ''Discworld'' point-and-click adventur ...
'' and ''
Men at Arms A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a kni ...
''). A number of characters, such as members of staff of
Unseen University The Unseen University (UU) is a school of wizardry in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series of fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and inept old wizards. The ...
and Lord Vetinari, appear prominently in many different storylines without having specific storylines of their own. The two most frequently recurring central protagonists, Rincewind and
Sam Vimes His Grace, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel "Sam" Vimes is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series. Vimes is depicted in the novels as somewhere between an Inspector Morse-type 'old-school' British policeman, and ...
, are very briefly in a room together in ''The Last Hero'', but they do not interact.


Continuation

After Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
, he said that he would be happy for his daughter
Rhianna Rhianna is a feminine name and a variation of the Welsh name Rhiannon. Notable people with the name include: * Rhianna (singer) (born 1983), British singer * Rhianna Atwood, contestant on ''America's Next Top Model'' in 2010 * Rhianna Patrick (bor ...
to continue the series. Pratchett co-founded Narrativia in 2012 along with Rob Wilkins to serve as a production company for adaptations of his works, with Rhianna as a member of its writing team. Rhianna Pratchett said that she would be involved in spin-offs, adaptations and tie-ins, but there would be no more novels.


Adaptations


Audiobooks

Most of Pratchett's novels have been released as
audio cassette The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otten ...
and CD
audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
s. *
Unabridged An abridgement (or abridgment) is a condensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source. The abridgement can be true to the original work in terms of mood and tone (literature), t ...
recordings of books 1–23 in the above list, except for books 3, 6 and 9, are read by
Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, comedian, musician, novelist and playwright. He played Neil in the BBC comedy '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in ''Filthy Rich & Catflap''. He has appeared in many West End mu ...
. Books 3 and 6 are read by
Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...
. Book 9 and most of the books from 24 onward are read by
Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy ''Discworld''. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and ...
. *Abridged versions are read by
Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television series ''Blackadder'' and has presented several historical documentaries ...
. *Fantastic Audio also recorded two ''Discworld'' novels: ''Thief of Time'' and ''Night Watch''. *Penguin are releasing a new line of Discworld audiobooks between 2022 and 2023. Voice talent includes
Andy Serkis Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Goll ...
,
Peter Serafinowicz Peter Szymon Serafinowicz ( ; born 10 July 1972) is an English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter, best known for his roles as the title character in the 2016 live-action series of ''The Tick'', Pete in ''Shaun of the Dead'' (2004) and ...
and
Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Nighy started his career with the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool and made his London debut with the Royal National Theatre starting with ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy, The Illuminatu ...
.


Comics

''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'', ''
The Light Fantastic ''The Light Fantastic'' is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the ''Discworld'' series. It was published on 2 June 1986, the first printing being of 1,034 copies. The title, taken from a poem by John Milton, in which it re ...
'', ''
Mort ''Mort'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the fourth ''Discworld'' novel and the first to focus on the character Death, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels. The title is the ...
'', ''
Guards! Guards! ''Guards! Guards!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighth in the ''Discworld'' series, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The first ''Discworld'' point-and-click adventur ...
'', and ''
Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...
'' have been adapted into
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
s.


Film and television

Due in part to the complexity of the novels, ''Discworld'' has been difficult to adapt to film – Pratchett was fond of an anecdote of a producer attempting to pitch an adaptation of ''
Mort ''Mort'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the fourth ''Discworld'' novel and the first to focus on the character Death, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels. The title is the ...
'' in the early 1990s but was told to "lose the Death angle" by US backers.


Cosgrove Hall series (1996-1997)

Cosgrove Hall Cosgrove Hall Films (also known as Cosgrove Hall Productions) was an English animation studio founded by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall; its headquarters was in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. Cosgrove Hall was once a major producer of children ...
produced several animated adaptations for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
from 1996 to 1997. All three star
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
as Death. These were made available on DVD and VHS in the US from Acorn Media. * '' Welcome to the Discworld'' (1996) – an 8-minute animated television adaptation of a fragment of ''Reaper Man''. * ''
Soul Music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...
'' (1997) – also featuring
Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', ...
and
Graham Crowden Clement Graham Crowden (30 November 1922 – 19 October 2010) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric "offbeat" scientist, teacher and doctor characters. Ea ...
. The soundtrack to ''Soul Music'' was also released on CD. * ''
Wyrd Sisters ''Wyrd Sisters'' is Terry Pratchett's sixth ''Discworld'' novel, published in 1988. It re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of ''Equal Rites''. Plot ''Wyrd Sisters'' features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tribe ...
'' (1997) – starring
Annette Crosbie Annette Crosbie (born 12 February 1934) is a Scottish actor.Annette Crosbie fil ...
,
June Whitfield Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television, and film actress. Her big break was a lead in the radio comedy ''Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme in 1953. ...
,
Jane Horrocks Barbara Jane Horrocks (born 18 January 1964) is a British actress. She portrayed the roles of Bubble and Katy Grin in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous''. She was nominated for the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for the title role in th ...
and
Les Dennis Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented ''Family Fortunes'' from 1987 until 2002. Early life Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the Liverpoo ...
.


Sky TV movie trilogy (2006-2010)

Three television movies were commissioned by
Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
in the late 2000s, each of which were broadcast in two parts. Terry Pratchett cameos as a minor character in all three. * ''
Terry Pratchett's Hogfather ''Terry Pratchett's Hogfather'' is a 2006 two-part British Christmas-themed fantasy comedy television miniseries adaptation of ''Hogfather'' by Terry Pratchett, produced by The Mob, and first broadcast on Sky1, and in High Definition on Sky1 H ...
'' (2006), an adaptation of ''
Hogfather ''Hogfather'' is the 20th ''Discworld'' novel by Terry Pratchett, and a 1997 British Fantasy Award nominee. It was first released in 1996 and published by Victor Gollancz. It came in 137th place in The Big Read, a BBC survey of the most loved B ...
'' with
Ian Richardson Ian William Richardson (7 April 19349 February 2007) was a Scottish actor. He portrayed the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's '' House of Cards'' (1990–1995) television trilogy. Richardson was also a leading S ...
as Death,
David Jason Sir David John White (born 2 February 1940), known professionally by his stage name David Jason, is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter in the BBC sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', Detective Inspector J ...
as Albert and
Michelle Dockery Michelle Suzanne Dockery (born 15 December 1981) is an English television and film actress. She is best known for her leading performance as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2015), for which ...
as Susan Sto Helit. It was first broadcast in December 2006. * ''
Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic ''Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic'' is a fantasy-comedy two-part television adaptation of the bestselling novels ''The Colour of Magic'' (1983) and ''The Light Fantastic'' (1986) by Terry Pratchett. The fantasy film was produced for Sky1 ...
'' (2008), based on both ''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'' and ''
The Light Fantastic ''The Light Fantastic'' is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the ''Discworld'' series. It was published on 2 June 1986, the first printing being of 1,034 copies. The title, taken from a poem by John Milton, in which it re ...
'', starring David Jason as Rincewind. Christopher Lee replaces the late Ian Richardson in the role of Death. * ''
Terry Pratchett's Going Postal ''Terry Pratchett's Going Postal'' is a two-part television film adaptation of ''Going Postal'' by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle and produced by The Mob, which was first broadcast on Sky1, and in high definition on S ...
'' (2010), an adaptation of ''
Going Postal ''Going Postal'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the 33rd book in his '' Discworld'' series, released in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2004. Unlike most of Pratchett's Discworld novels, ''Going Postal'' is divided in ...
'' starring
Richard Coyle Richard Coyle is an English actor. He portrayed lead role of Father Faustus Blackwood in Netflix series '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'', and Jeff Murdock in the sitcom ''Coupling''. Early and personal life Coyle was born in Sheffield, En ...
,
David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...
,
Charles Dance Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in ''The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in ''A ...
,
Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the young Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of the Netflix series ''The Crown'' (2016–2017) for which she won a Primetime Emmy Aw ...
,
Steve Pemberton Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He is best known as a member of ''The League of Gentlemen'' with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co- ...
,
Andrew Sachs Andreas Siegfried Sachs (7 April 1930 – 23 November 2016), known professionally as Andrew Sachs, was a German-born British actor and writer. He made his name on British television and found his greatest fame for his portrayal of the comical Sp ...
and
Tamsin Greig Tamsin Margaret Mary Greig (; born 12 July 1966) is an English actress, narrator and comedian. She played Fran Katzenjammer in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Black Books'', Dr Caroline Todd in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Green Wing'', Beverly Lincoln in Br ...
.


Other adaptations

* ''Run Rincewind Run!'' (2007): A Snowgum Films original story created for Nullus Anxietas. Stars Troy Larkin as
Rincewind Rincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the ''Discworld'' novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to ...
, and features Terry Pratchett as himself. * ''
Troll Bridge "Troll Bridge" is a Discworld short story, written by Terry Pratchett in 1991 for a collection entitled '' After The King: Stories in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien''. Set following the events of ''The Light Fantastic'', the story stars Cohen the Barb ...
'' (2019): A live-action / hand-animated short film by the Australian group Snowgum Films. It premiered at the
Flickerfest Flickerfest is an international short film festival held annually in January at Bondi Beach, Sydney. It is an Academy and BAFTA recognised short film festival for both international and Australian film makers. History The festival originated ...
International Film Festival in January 2019. * '' The Watch'', a TV series inspired by the
Ankh-Morpork City Watch The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...
, ''The Watch'' has been in development by Terry and then Rhianna Pratchett since 2011. It was greenlit as an eight-episode series by
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ser ...
in October 2018, with Simon Allen as writer and Hilary Salmon, Ben Donald, Rob Wilkins and Phil Collinson as executive producers. *''
The Amazing Maurice ''The Amazing Maurice'' is a 2022 computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Toby Genkel and co-directed by Florian Westermann, from a screenplay by Terry Rossio, based on the 2001 novel '' The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents'' b ...
'', an animated film adaptation of ''
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents ''The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents'' is a children's fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, published by Doubleday in 2001. It is the 28th novel in the ''Discworld'' series and the first written for children. The story is a ...
'' was in production as of late 2020.


Fan works

* ''Mort'' (2001): A fan movie adaptation of the eponymous novel by Orange Cow Production, 26 minutes. * ''Lords and Ladies'' (2005): A fan movie adaptation of Lords and Ladies by Almost No Budget Films was completed in Germany.


Radio

There have been several
BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
adaptations of Discworld stories, including: * ''
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
'' (1990), a 4-part dramatised adaptation began airing on
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
on 6 March 2013. * ''
Guards! Guards! ''Guards! Guards!'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighth in the ''Discworld'' series, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. The first ''Discworld'' point-and-click adventur ...
'', six 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 1992, narrated by Martin Jarvis * ''
Mort ''Mort'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. Published in 1987, it is the fourth ''Discworld'' novel and the first to focus on the character Death, who only appeared as a side character in the previous novels. The title is the ...
'', four 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2004, starring
Anton Lesser Anton Lesser (born 14 February 1952) is an English actor. He is well known for his roles as Qyburn in the HBO series '' Game of Thrones'', as Thomas More in ''Wolf Hall'', as Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in ''The Crown'', as Prime Ministe ...
and
Geoffrey Whitehead Geoffrey Whitehead (born 1 October 1939) is an English actor. He has appeared in a range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at Shakespeare's Globe, St Martin's Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic. Early life Whitehe ...
* '' Night Watch'' five 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2008, starring
Ben Onwukwe Benjamin Neil Paddock Onwukwe (born 21 August 1957 in Brixton, London, England) is a British film, radio, television, theatre and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for appearing as Firefighter Stuart 'Recall' MacKenzie from 1991 to 2002 in ...
and Philip Jackson * ''
Small Gods ''Small Gods'' is the thirteenth of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' novels, published in 1992. It tells the origin of the god Om, and his relations with his prophet, the reformer Brutha. In the process, it satirises religious institutions, peop ...
'', four 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2006, starring Anton Lesser * ''
Wyrd Sisters ''Wyrd Sisters'' is Terry Pratchett's sixth ''Discworld'' novel, published in 1988. It re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of ''Equal Rites''. Plot ''Wyrd Sisters'' features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tribe ...
'', four 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 1995, starring
Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and musica ...
,
Lynda Baron Lilian Ridgway (24 March 1939 – 5 March 2022), known professionally as Lynda Baron, was an English actress and singer. She is best known for having played Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the BBC sitcom ''Open All Hours'' (1976–1985) and its sequel ...
and Deborah Berlin


Stage

*
Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy ''Discworld''. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and ...
published stage adaptations of 18 ''Discworld'' novels. Most of them were first produced by the Studio Theatre Club in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. They include adaptations of ''The Truth'', ''Maskerade'', ''Mort'', ''Wyrd Sisters'' and ''Guards! Guards!'' *Irana Brown directed her adaptation of ''Lords and Ladies'', first performed in 1995 at the Winton Studio Theatre. Her adaptation was published in 2001 by
Samuel French Samuel French (1821–1898) was an American entrepreneur who, together with British actor, playwright and theatrical manager Thomas Hailes Lacy, pioneered in the field of theatrical publishing and the licensing of plays. Biography French foun ...
, and is still being performed as of 2016. *
Allen Stroud Allen Stroud is a researcher and university lecturer at Coventry University. He is currently leading the Creative Futures project, a funded research partnership between Coventry University and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) ...
directed his adaptation of ''Reaper Man'' in 1996, first performed at the Winton Studio Theatre. He retains the script version. This was the first occasion that the character of Death appeared on stage. *A stage version of ''Eric'', adapted by Scott Harrison and Lee Harris, was produced and performed by The Dreaming Theatre Company in July 2003 inside
Clifford's Tower York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruined ...
, the 700-year-old castle keep in
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
. It was revived in 2004 in a tour of England, along with
Robert Rankin Robert Fleming Rankin (born 27 July 1949) is a prolific British author of comedic fantasy novels. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers lists with ''Snuff Fiction'' in 1999, by ...
's ''
The Antipope ''The Antipope'' is a comic fantasy novel by the British author Robert Rankin. It is Rankin's first novel, and the first book in the Brentford Trilogy which, , consists of 10 novels. The book was first published in 1981 by Pan Books, and from ...
''. *''Small Gods'' was adapted for the stage by Ben Saunders and was performed in February 2011 at the Assembly Rooms Theatre,
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
by Ooook! Productions and members of
Durham Student Theatre The Assembly Rooms Theatre, formally named the Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre after Sir Thomas Allen, is a historic 175-seat proscenium arch theatre located in the centre of Durham. It is home to two local theatre companies and 28 Durham ...
. Ooook! Productions also adapted and staged Terry Pratchett's ''Night Watch'' (February 2012), ''Thief of Time'' (February 2013; adapted by Tim Foster), ''Lords and Ladies'' (February 2014, adapted by Irana Brown), ''Monstrous Regiment'' (2015), and ''Soul Music'' (February 2016; adapted by Imogen Eddleston). *A stage version of ''Monstrous Regiment'' was produced by
Lifeline Theatre Lifeline Theatre was founded in Chicago, Illinois, United States in 1983 by five Northwestern University graduates: Meryl Friedman, Suzanne Plunkett, Kathee Sills, Sandy Snyder Pietz, and Steve Totland. The company moved into its permanent locati ...
in Chicago, Illinois in June, July, and August 2014 with an adaptation written by one of Lifeline's ensemble members, Chris Hainsworth. *A stage musical version of ''Witches Abroad'', adapted by Amy Atha-Nicholls, was performed at the 2016
International Discworld Convention The International Discworld Convention, also known as DWCon, is a biennial science fiction convention held in the United Kingdom on even-numbered years. DWCon was first held in 1996 by members of the Usenet newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett. The DWCon ...
.


Merchandise

Various other types of related merchandise have been produced by
cottage industries The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
with an interest in the books, including
Stephen Briggs Stephen Briggs (born 1951) is a British writer of subsidiary works and merchandise surrounding Terry Pratchett's comic fantasy ''Discworld''. ''The Streets of Ankh-Morpork'', the first Discworld map, was co-designed by Briggs and Pratchett and ...
,
Bernard Pearson Bernard Stanley Pearson (born 13 September, 1946)"Pearson, Bernard, 1946–"
Library of Congress Authorities (lcc ...
,
Bonsai Trading Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...
,
Paul Kidby Paul Kidby (born 1964) is an English artist. Many people know him best for his art based on Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld''. He has been included on the sleeve covers since Pratchett's original illustrator, Josh Kirby, died in 2001.Alison Flood ( ...
and
Clarecraft Clarecraft was a company which produced fantasy figurines. Its most popular series was an officially licensed series of figurines based on the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. The company was founded in 1980 by Bernard and Isobel Pearson, a ...
.


Games

* '' Thud'', 2002, by Trevor Truran, publisher The Cunning Artificer. It resembles ancient Norse games such as
Hnefatafl Tafl games (pronounced avl also known as hnefatafl games) are a family of ancient Nordic and Celtic strategy board games played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers. Most probably they are based upon the Rom ...
, and involves two unequal sides,
Troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
s and Dwarves with different moves and 'capture' abilities. * ''Guards Guards'', 2011, by Backspindle Games (Designers: Leonard Boyd & David Brashaw), Published in conjunction with Z-Man Games. This is a 'quest' game where players have to manoeuvre their piece around the board collecting stolen spells to return to the Unseen University, while dealing with various Discworld characters. * ''
Ankh-Morpork Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which features prominently in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. Overview Pratchett describes Ankh-Morpork as the biggest city in Discworld and its corrupt mercantile capital. In ''The Art o ...
'', 2011, by Martin Wallace, published by Treefrog Games. This is a game where each player has a secret victory condition, usually relating to owning buildings in, or controlling, various areas of the city of Ankh-Morpork. During the game, players play cards from their hand to place control elements in the city, remove other players' pieces, or otherwise manipulate the ownership of areas. * ''The Witches'', 2013, by Martin Wallace, published by Treefrog Games. This is a game aimed at younger players. They must move around the town of Lancre and its surrounds, dealing with 'problems' ranging from a sick pig to an invasion by vampires. It is a semi-cooperative game, in that all players can lose if the game wins, but if they resolve all the problems, then one of them will win. * ''Clacks'', 2014, by Backspindle Games (Designers: Leonard Boyd & David Brashaw), Published in conjunction with Z-Man Games. In this game players compete to send their 'message' on a clacks board while disrupting their opponents' messages. It resembles the game Amoeba. with its constantly changing board. *The card game '' Cripple Mr Onion'' is adapted from the novels.


Musical releases

*
Dave Greenslade David John Greenslade (born 18 January 1943) is an English composer and keyboard player. He has played with Colosseum from the beginning in 1968 until the farewell concert in 2015 and also from 1973 in his own band, Greenslade, and others inclu ...
: ''Terry Pratchett's From the Discworld'' (1994; Virgin CDV 2738.7243 8 39512 2 2). *
Keith Hopwood Keith Hopwood (born 26 October 1946) is an English pop and rock musician, singer-songwriter, composer, businessman and record producer, who served as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocals for the 1960s pop band, Herman's Hermits. Hopwood als ...
: ''Soul Music—Terry Pratchett's Discworld'', (1998; Proper Music Distribution / Pluto Music TH 030746), soundtrack to the animated adaptation of ''Soul Music''. *
Steeleye Span Steeleye Span are a British folk rock band formed in 1969 in England by Fairport Convention bass player Ashley Hutchings and established London folk club duo Tim Hart and Maddy Prior. The band were part of the 1970s British folk revival, and we ...
: ''
Wintersmith ''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlike ...
'', (2013; Park Records), a collection of folk-rock songs based on the book Wintersmith and on other Tiffany Aching stories. There is a spoken contribution by Terry Pratchett.


Role-playing games

Pratchett co-authored with
Phil Masters Phil Masters is a British role-playing game designer and author. Career Phil Masters' writing credits in role-playing games go back to ''White Dwarf'' Magazine #20 and the ''Fiend Folio'' of ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''. Masters wrote about ...
two
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
supplements for Discworld, utilising the
GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems w ...
system: * ''
GURPS Discworld ''GURPS Discworld'' and the related supplements are role-playing game sourcebooks set in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy universe using the GURPS role-playing game system. GURPS Discworld was designed by Phil Masters (in collaboration wi ...
'' (republished as ''The Discworld Roleplaying Game'') * ''
GURPS Discworld Also ''GURPS Discworld'' and the related supplements are role-playing game sourcebooks set in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fictional universe, fantasy universe using the GURPS role-playing game system. GURPS Discworld was designed by Phil Masters (i ...
''


Video games

* ''
The Colour of Magic ''The Colour of Magic'' is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is the first book of the ''Discworld'' series. The first printing of the British edition consisted of only 506 copies. Pratchett has described it as "an attempt to ...
'' (
Sinclair ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colour ...
,
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
) * ''
Discworld MUD ''Discworld MUD'' is a popular MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, set in the Discworld as depicted in the ''Discworld'' series of books by Terry Pratchett. History The MUD was founded in 1991 and opened to the public in 1992 (receiving ...
'' (online multiuser dungeon, 1991), based on the novels * ''
Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat pla ...
'' ( PC/
DOS DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems. DOS may also refer to: Computing * Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel * Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...
,
Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...
,
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
,
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
) * '' Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!?'' (''Discworld II: Mortality Bytes!'' in North America) (PC/
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
, PC/DOS, PlayStation, Saturn) * ''
Discworld Noir ''Discworld Noir'' is a 1999 adventure game developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. The game is set in Terry Pratchett's satirical ''Discworld'' universe, and follows its first and only private investigator as he is ...
'' (PC/Windows, PlayStation) * ''Discworld: The Colour of Magic'' (Mobile phone, 2006)


Twin cities

*
Wincanton Wincanton ( or ) is a small town and electoral ward in South Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. The town and electoral ward has a populati ...
, in
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
, UK is twinned with
Ankh-Morpork Ankh-Morpork is a fictional city-state which features prominently in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. Overview Pratchett describes Ankh-Morpork as the biggest city in Discworld and its corrupt mercantile capital. In ''The Art o ...
, and the town is the first to name streets after their fictional equivalents.Town names streets after Terry Pratchett's Discworld books
– ''The Guardian'', 5 April 2009


Critical reception

On 5 November 2019, the
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
listed ''The Discworld Series'' on its list of the 100 most influential novels.


See also

*
Craig Shaw Gardner Craig Shaw Gardner (born July 2, 1949) is an American author, best known for producing fantasy parodies similar to those of Terry Pratchett. He was also a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of Her ...
*
Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 BBC radio comedy, ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' developed into a " ...
* ''Discworld'' characters *
International Discworld Convention The International Discworld Convention, also known as DWCon, is a biennial science fiction convention held in the United Kingdom on even-numbered years. DWCon was first held in 1996 by members of the Usenet newsgroup alt.fan.pratchett. The DWCon ...
*
Josh Kirby Ronald William "Josh" Kirby (27 November 1928 – 23 October 2001) was a British commercial artist. Over a career spanning 60 years, he was the artist for the covers of many science fiction books including Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. ...
*
The North American Discworld Convention The North American Discworld Convention (a.k.a. NADWCon) is a fan-run science fiction convention to celebrate the works of Sir Terry Pratchett, focusing primarily on his long-running series of Discworld novels. It is held biennially on odd-numbe ...
*
Robert Asprin Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''. Background Robert Asprin was born in St. J ...
* Turtles all the way down


References


Literature


Books

* * *


Reviews

* * * (см. такж
пересказ
* *


Mentions

* *


Details

* * ; Bibliographies * *


External links

*
''Discworld'' and Pratchett Wiki (L-Space)

International ''Discworld'' Convention
United Kingdom
NADWCon
North American ''Discworld'' Convention
Nullus Anxietas
Australian ''Discworld'' Convention
Discworld Monthly
email newsletter and website
Discworld reading order
- guide to the different story arcs
A Discworld and Terry Pratchett bibliography
- all Terry Pratchett's publications in all languages, a chronology, short stories, book reviews, etc. {{Authority control Book series introduced in 1983 British novels adapted into films British novels adapted into plays British novels adapted into television shows Fantasy novel series High fantasy novels Metafictional novels Norse mythology in art and literature Novels about parallel universes Novels adapted into comics Novels adapted into radio programs Novels adapted into video games Witchcraft in written fiction Wizards in fiction