It’s quite a daunting thing to start reading a 41-book series, especially when the only rule is that you don’t start with the first book.
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series was born in 1983 with the publication of its flagship book, The Colour of Magic. Set on a flat disc resting on the back of four elephants, who are, in turn, standing on a turtle travelling through the endless depths of space, it has become one of the most popular fantasy series of all time. While initially a parody of classic fantasy tropes and books such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Discworld eventually took on a life of its own, sprawling across different character arcs and locations.
I picked up my first Discworld book when I was 16 and never looked back. It’s my favourite book series of all time, and if you have ever had a conversation with me longer than five minutes, you’ll probably be made aware of this fact very quickly. I have two Discworld posters that take up an entire wall of my bedroom. I am currently collecting the clothbound ‘Collector’s Library’ Discworld editions, much to the chagrin of my bank account. I refer to Ankh-Morpork, the Disc’s most populous city state, as my home away from home. And more than anything, I could easily give a spontaneous TED Talk on why Pratchett’s books, with their classic British humour and clever commentary, have meant so much to me.
But something people often ask me and other Discworld fans is: ‘Where do I start?’ The series is so big and expansive, following a confusing publication order with different subseries and characters. There are actually no rules when it comes to reading Discworld – you can pick up any book and it’ll make sense on its own, even if there are some references to other books. None of them end on a cliff-hanger, except for the first one. Generally, us Discworld fans don’t recommend beginning with The Colour of Magic. Even Pratchett himself advised at the very least starting with Mort, the fourth book, as his writing style came into its own and the plots began to feel more developed.
It’s all very confusing, I understand. Essentially, what you need to know is that the Discworld series is split into various subseries: The Wizards, Witches, City Watch, Death, and Industrial Revolution, along with a few other books that don’t really fit in anywhere. There are many charts online that will help you with reading orders and which books go where (I should know, I have one saved to my phone and on my laptop just in case I ever need to explain Discworld to someone on the spot. No, really). But they don’t tell you what each series is about. So let me, Discworld Enthusiast Extraordinaire, give you a little rundown.
