Starting book: Moving Pictures, The Truth or Going Postal
What’s to love: all standalones with different stories; commentary on a myriad of topics, such as freedom of speech, war and embracing change
Industrial Revolution is a difficult series to recommend since all of these books can be considered jumping off points (with the exception of the last two, Making Money and Raising Steam). Additionally, each book follows a different cast of characters who often end up making cameos in other stories. And yet, I think that the standalone nature of almost all the books in this series means they’re another great starting point for beginners. All the Industrial Revolution books follow a different form of technology as it is introduced to the Disc, and we get to see how these impact upon the inhabitants’ lives. For example, The Truth is about Ankh-Morpork’s first ever printing press, and Raising Steam looks at what happens when steam trains are brought to the Disc.
One of the most popular entry points is Going Postal, which follows convicted conman Moist Von Lipwig (yes, his name is really that excellent), who, as part of his sentence, is tasked with restoring the Ankh-Morpork Post Office. Another tale of redemption with a tightly plotted storyline, it’s a rare Discworld novel in that it actually has numbered chapters.
