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''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"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 whi ...
, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006.
book series 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 no ...
, set on the Discworld, 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'' and continued until the final novel '' The Shepherd's Crown'', 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 narra ...
,
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, rangin ...
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, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
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 ...
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 original British editions of the first 26 novels, up to '' Thief of Time'' (2001), had cover art by Josh Kirby. After Kirby's death in 2001, the covers were designed by Paul Kidby. 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 C ...
, 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, w ...
'' 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's Big Read, 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'' 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'' and '' Making Money'' 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,
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 extra ...
, and Jerome K. Jerome.


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, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
s (notably '' Witches Abroad''), witch and vampire stories ('' Carpe Jugulum'') and so on. Analogies of real-world issues, such as religion ('' Small Gods''), fundamentalism and inner city tension ('' Thud''), business and politics ('' Making Money''), racial prejudice and exploitation ('' Snuff'') are recurring themes, as are aspects of culture and entertainment, such as opera ('' Maskerade''), 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 ...
''), cinema ('' Moving Pictures''), and football ('' Unseen Academicals''). 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 ...
, 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'', ''
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'', '' 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 "human ...
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 ana ...
skills in the Witches and Tiffany Aching series.


Storylines

The ''Discworld'' novels and stories are, in principle, stand-alone works. However, a number of novels and stories form novel sequences 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, vid ...
s:


Rincewind

Rincewind 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''). 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, a magical, semi-sentient and aggressive multi-legged travelling accessory. Rincewind appears in eight Discworld novels as well as the four '' Science of Discworld'' 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 ...
'' and '' Snuff'', 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 technic ...
, 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 ...
, Hogfather'', and '' Thief of Time''. Characters that often appear with Death include his butler Albert; his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit; the
Death of Rats Death is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' series and a parody of several other personifications of death. Like most Grim Reapers, he is a black-robed skeleton who usually carries a scythe. His jurisdiction is specifically ...
, 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 myst ...
", 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 narro ...
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-worlds ...
'', '' Theatre of Cruelty'' and '' Turntables of the Night''.


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 us ...
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 herbalists, nurses, adjudicators and wise women. Witches on the Disc can use magic, 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 coun ...
, a taciturn, bitter old crone, from the small mountain country of Lancre. 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, 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 o ...
, then Agnes Nitt, and then Tiffany Aching, 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;
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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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 ca ...
". 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 serie ...
are urban fantasy, 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 of ...
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 eit ...
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, a ...
, 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 adventu ...
'', is the alcoholic Captain of the three-person Night Watch: lazy, cowardly, and none-too-bright Sergeant Fred Colon, 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 fo ...
, 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''; Golem Constable Dorfl; Cheery Littlebottom, 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 crimin ...
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, 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'', 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". 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 literature, fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and ine ...
(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'' and '' The Last Continent''. 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 to the position of Archchancellor, 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 Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...
'' 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 genu ...
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 ...
; 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 "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices" is a '' Discworld'' short story by Terry Pratchett. The story describes the reaction of the wizards of the Unseen University to a proposal from the Patrician to introduce regulation of university educ ...
".


Tiffany Aching

Tiffany Aching 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, 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 ...
'', ''
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, ...
'', ''
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, unl ...
'', ''
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''. 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 coun ...
and Nanny Ogg 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 '' ...
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 Ar ...
in '' Going Postal'', with good results, Vetinari orders him to clear up the city's corrupt financial sector in '' Making Money''. 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 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.) ...
, Lipwig's acerbic, chain-smoking love interest; Gladys, a golem who develops a strange crush on Lipwig;
Stanley Howler 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 obsessive young man who was raised by peas and becomes the Discworld's first
stamp collector Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...
; 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'' (Omnia), and ''Monstrous Regiment'' (Zlobenia and Borogravia).


Characters

Short descriptions of many of the notable characters: * Ankh-Morpork City Watch members *
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 ''Reduviid ...
* Death-associated characters * Dwarfs * Gnomes * History Monks * 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 us ...
* 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 ''A Blink of the Screen'' is a 2012 short fiction anthology by Terry Pratchett. Spanning the author's entire career, the collection contains almost all of his short fiction, whether or not set in the Discworld.A blink of the screen : collected ...
'' (2012) as well as in the following locations: * " Troll Bridge" – 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" (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 ca ...
" – in '' Legends'' (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 Gran ...
* "
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-worlds ...
" (2002); available online * "
A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices" is a '' Discworld'' short story by Terry Pratchett. The story describes the reaction of the wizards of the Unseen University to a proposal from the Patrician to introduce regulation of university educ ...
" (2005) – first published in the 13 May 2005 issue of '' The Times Higher Education Supplement'' 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 ''Once More* With Footnotes'' is a book by Terry Pratchett, published by NESFA Press in 2004 when he was the Guest of Honor for Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention. It contains a mixture of short stories, articles, introduc ...
'' (2004). Additionally, another short story " Turntables of the Night" (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'' (1993), ''
The Discworld Mapp ''The Discworld Mapp'' is an atlas that contains a large, fold out map of the ''Discworld'' fictional world, drawn by Stephen Player to the directions of Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. It also contains a short booklet relating the adventure ...
'' (1995), ''
A Tourist Guide to Lancre ''A Tourist Guide To Lancre'' is the third book in the '' Discworld Mapp'' series, and the first to be illustrated by Paul Kidby. As with the other maps, the basic design and booklet were compiled by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. The Map ...
'' (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, the third is a collaboration between Briggs and Paul Kidby, 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'' (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 books: * '' The Unseen University Challenge'' (1996), parodying the TV quiz show '' University Challenge.'' . * ''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 first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...
.''


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'' (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 ''The Pratchett Portfolio'' is a small collection of the artistic works of Paul Kidby, illustrating the characters of Terry Pratchett's '' Discworld''. It includes a small blurb on each character, and a picture of said person. In addition to t ...
'' (1996) A collection of Paul Kidby's artwork, with notes by Pratchett. . * '' Nanny Ogg's Cookbook'' (1999) A collection of ''Discworld'' recipes, combined with etiquette, language of flowers etc., written by Pratchett with Stephen Briggs 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 ''Discworld ...
. . * '' The Art of Discworld'' (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 ''Nanny Ogg's Cookbook'' is a recipe book written from the in-world perspective of ...
'' (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 othe ...
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 w ...
'' 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, unl ...
'', written by Pratchett with illustrations by Melvyn Grant. . * '' The Unseen University Cut Out Book'' (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 ''The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld'' is an accessory book to the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. It is a compilation of quotes from all the Discworld novels, amassed and prefaced by Stephen Briggs. The book consists of the very best quotes ...
'' (2007) A collection of quotations from the series. * ''
The Folklore of Discworld 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 ...
'' (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, ...
'' (2012) Another in-universe children's book (similar to ''Where's My Cow''), referenced in '' Snuff''. * ''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 coun ...
in '' Lords and Ladies'', Rincewind and Carrot in '' The Last Hero'') 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'', 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 ei ...
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'', '' Making Money'', and '' Unseen Academicals'' (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 adventu ...
'' and '' Men at Arms''). 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 literature, fantasy novels. Located in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, the UU is staffed by a faculty composed of mostly indolent and ine ...
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, a ...
, 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 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 remembering recent events. As ...
, he said that he would be happy for his daughter Rhianna 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 Otte ...
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 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 ...
. 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. *Abridged versions are read by Tony Robinson. *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 Go ...
,
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) an ...
and Bill Nighy.


Comics

'' The Colour of Magic'', '' The Light Fantastic'', '' Mort'', ''
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 adventu ...
'', and '' Small Gods'' 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'' in the early 1990s but was told to "lose the Death angle" by US backers.


Cosgrove Hall series (1996-1997)

Cosgrove Hall produced several animated adaptations for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
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, ultim ...
as Death. These were made available on DVD and VHS in the US from Acorn Media. * ''
Welcome to the Discworld A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. In some contexts ...
'' (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 ...
'' (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. The soundtrack to ''Soul Music'' was also released on CD. * '' Wyrd Sisters'' (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.


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 ...
'' (2006), an adaptation of '' Hogfather'' with Ian Richardson 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 ...
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'' (2008), based on both '' The Colour of Magic'' and '' The Light Fantastic'', starring David Jason as Rincewind. Christopher Lee replaces the late Ian Richardson in the role of Death. * '' Terry Pratchett's Going Postal'' (2010), an adaptation of '' Going Postal'' starring Richard Coyle,
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 '' Oppen ...
, Charles Dance, Claire Foy,
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 c ...
, Andrew Sachs and Tamsin Greig.


Other adaptations

* ''Run Rincewind Run!'' (2007): A Snowgum Films original story created for Nullus Anxietas. Stars Troy Larkin as Rincewind, and features Terry Pratchett as himself. * '' Troll Bridge'' (2019): A live-action / hand-animated short film by the Australian group Snowgum Films. It premiered at the Flickerfest 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 serie ...
, ''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 in October 2018, with Simon Allen as writer and Hilary Salmon, Ben Donald, Rob Wilkins and Phil Collinson as executive producers. *'' The Amazing Maurice'', an animated film adaptation of '' The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents'' 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 ...
adaptations of Discworld stories, including: * '' Eric'' (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's ...
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 adventu ...
'', six 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 1992, narrated by Martin Jarvis * '' Mort'', four 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2004, starring Anton Lesser and Geoffrey Whitehead * ''
Night Watch Night Watch or Nightwatch may refer to: Books * ''The Night Watch'', a 1977 memoir by Central Intelligence Agency officer David Atlee Phillips Novels * ''Night Watch'', a 1972 novel by American screenwriter Lucille Fletcher * ''Night Watch'', a 1 ...
'' five 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2008, starring Ben Onwukwe and Philip Jackson * '' Small Gods'', four 30-minutes episodes, first broadcast in 2006, starring Anton Lesser * '' Wyrd Sisters'', 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 music ...
,
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 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, 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's '' The Antipope''. *''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. 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 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.


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,
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 and Clarecraft.


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 ...
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 of ...
'', 2011, by Martin Wallace, published by
Treefrog Games A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...
. 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 The fictional universe of the '' Discworld'' novels by Terry Pratchett features a number of invented games, some of which have gone on to spawn real-world variants. Stealth chess Stealth chess is a chess variant, played in the Ankh-Morpork As ...
'' is adapted from the novels.


Musical releases

* Dave Greenslade: ''Terry Pratchett's From the Discworld'' (1994; Virgin CDV 2738.7243 8 39512 2 2). * Keith Hopwood: ''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, unl ...
'', (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 h ...
two
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ac ...
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 ...
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 ...
'' (republished as ''The Discworld Roleplaying Game'') * '' GURPS Discworld Also''


Video games

* '' The Colour of Magic'' ( Sinclair ZX Spectrum,
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 W ...
) * '' Discworld MUD'' (online
multiuser dungeon Mud is a liquid or semi-liquid mixture of water and soil. Mud or MUD may also refer to: Construction material *Drilling fluid, commonly called drilling mud *Joint compound, powdered gypsum mixed with water Film and television * ''Mud'' (TV se ...
, 1991), based on the novels * '' Discworld'' ( 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 di ...
,
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 se ...
, 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, 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 , lor ...
, 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 of ...
, 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 broadc ...
listed ''The Discworld Series'' on its list of the 100 most influential novels.


See also

* Craig Shaw Gardner *
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 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...
* ''Discworld'' characters * International Discworld Convention * Josh Kirby * The North American Discworld Convention * Robert Asprin * 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