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The Discworld is one of the most beloved fictional worlds in all of literature, funny, wise, quietly furious about injustice, and endlessly inventive. It’s also a body of work that gets richer the more of it you read. Characters evolve over multiple books. Themes develop across decades. The whole thing rewards commitment.
The good news is Terry Pratchett wrote 41 Discworld novels. But, this also begs the question: where on earth do I start?
We break down everything you need to know about Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, highlighting our favourites, grouping by main characters and themes, and our personal recommendations on where to start.
The Most Important Thing First: Don’t Start at the Beginning
The Colour of Magic (1983) is the first Discworld novel Pratchett wrote. But, Pratchett was still finding his voice, still figuring out what the Discworld was actually for, what it was about. And whilst this is where I personally started and loved it, i’ve also talked with a lot of people who just didn’t connect with it, and gave up on the whole series because of this.
This is why, whilst The Colour of Magic and it’s sequel The Light Fantastic both hold a special place in my heart, I am not recommending these as a starting point. Instead, start with one of these instead.
→ Guards! Guards! (1989) — This book introduces the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork and more importantly, Sam Vimes, one of Pratchett’s best characters. It’s funny, warm, immediately engaging, and gives you everything you need to fall in love with Pratchett.
→ Mort (1987) — Death takes on an apprentice. Shorter, gentler, and a somewhat faster reader than some of the others. Death is one of Pratchett’s most philosophical characters, his musings on humanity, on life and death are profound and profoundly amusing. A great place to dip your toe in before committing to a longer novel.
→ Equal Rites (1987) — If you’re looking for brilliant powerful woman refusing to be defined by anyone’s expectations and who quite frankly refuses to take anyone’s sh*t, this one is for you. This is the first Witches novel and the introduction of Granny Weatherwax, who is probably the only sensible character in the entire Discworld.
→ Small Gods (1992) — In the Discworld gods are created and powered by belief. In this novel a god is reduced to inhabiting a tortoise because nobody believes in him anymore. Pratchett’s most concentrated moral argument.
The Sub-Series
The Discworld isn’t one continuous narrative. It’s a world that Pratchett explored through several overlapping groups of characters. Here’s how they break down.
The Watch / City Watch
Sam Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. For my money, the best arc in the series. A ludicrous cop procedural set in a city of trolls, dwarves, and werewolves, with Vimes as one of the most richly developed characters in fantasy fiction.
- Guards! Guards! (1989)
- Men at Arms (1993)
- Feet of Clay (1996)
- Jingo (1997)
- The Fifth Elephant (1999)
- Night Watch (2002) — widely regarded as the best single Discworld novel. But, read the rest of the Watch books before tackling this one.
- Thud! (2005)
- Snuff (2011)
The Witches
Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and eventually Tiffany Aching. These books are about what power means, what wisdom costs, and how stories shape reality. Granny Weatherwax is one of Pratchett’s greatest characters.
- Equal Rites (1987)
- Wyrd Sisters (1988)
- Witches Abroad (1991)
- Lords and Ladies (1992)
- Maskerade (1995)
- Carpe Jugulum (1998)
Death
Death as a fully realised character — dry, curious, compassionate, and endlessly fascinated by humanity. Some of Pratchett’s warmest books live in this sub-series.
- Mort (1987)
- Reaper Man (1991)
- Soul Music (1994)
- Hogfather (1996)
- Thief of Time (2001)
Rincewind / The Wizards
The Discworld’s original protagonists. Rincewind, a cowardly wizard who is very bad at magic, and the naive tourist Twoflower. These are the lightest books in the series, closer to pure parody than the richer and more philosophical later work.
- The Colour of Magic (1983)
- The Light Fantastic (1986)
- Sourcery (1988)
- Eric (1990)
- Interesting Times (1994)
- The Last Continent (1998)
- The Last Hero (2001)
Tiffany Aching
Technically Young Adult, but don’t let that put you off. Tiffany is a young witch in training, and these books are about growing up, about responsibility, and about what it really means to be a hero. The Wee Free Men (small, blue, aggressive, Scottish) are an added bonus.
- The Wee Free Men (2003)
- A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
- Wintersmith (2006)
- I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
- The Shepherd’s Crown (2015) — Pratchett’s final novel
Buy The Wee Free Men on Amazon
Moist von Lipwig
A con man drafted into running Ankh-Morpork’s Post Office, then its Mint, then its railway. Lighter in tone than the Watch books, enormously fun, with sharp observations about capitalism and bureaucracy woven through every page.
- Going Postal (2004)
- Making Money (2007)
- Raising Steam (2013)
Standalone Novels
Several Discworld novels don’t fit neatly into any sub-series and can be read at any point:
- Small Gods (1992) — an excellent standalone Discworld novel for a first-time reader. Sharp, moving, and requires zero prior knowledge.
- Pyramids (1989)
- Moving Pictures (1990)
- The Truth (2000)
- Monstrous Regiment (2003)
- Unseen Academicals (2009)
Complete Discworld Publication Order
For those who want to read every book in the order it was written:
- The Colour of Magic (1983)
- The Light Fantastic (1986)
- Equal Rites (1987)
- Mort (1987)
- Sourcery (1988)
- Wyrd Sisters (1988)
- Pyramids (1989)
- Guards! Guards! (1989)
- Eric (1990)
- Moving Pictures (1990)
- Reaper Man (1991)
- Witches Abroad (1991)
- Small Gods (1992)
- Lords and Ladies (1992)
- Men at Arms (1993)
- Soul Music (1994)
- Interesting Times (1994)
- Maskerade (1995)
- Feet of Clay (1996)
- Hogfather (1996)
- Jingo (1997)
- The Last Continent (1998)
- Carpe Jugulum (1998)
- The Fifth Elephant (1999)
- The Truth (2000)
- Thief of Time (2001)
- The Last Hero (2001)
- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (2001)
- Night Watch (2002)
- The Wee Free Men (2003)
- Monstrous Regiment (2003)
- A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
- Going Postal (2004)
- Thud! (2005)
- Wintersmith (2006)
- Making Money (2007)
- Unseen Academicals (2009)
- I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
- Snuff (2011)
- Raising Steam (2013)
- The Shepherd’s Crown (2015)
A Note on The Shepherd’s Crown
Pratchett’s final novel, published after his death. He described it himself as a first draft — unfinished in the way that all his later work would have been further polished. Reading it knowing that context is a significant emotional experience.
My advice: save it until you’ve read the full Tiffany Aching series, and ideally much of the rest of the Discworld. You want that relationship with the characters before you reach this ending. It matters more that way.
Where to Go From Here
Forty-one novels is a lot. But the Discworld isn’t a mountain you summit — it’s more like a city you slowly learn to navigate. You’ll find your own favourite corners, your own characters who feel like old friends, your own books you press into people’s hands.
If you’ve got this far without reading any of them: start tonight. Pick Guards! Guards!, Mort, or Small Gods and just go. You’ll know within fifty pages whether Pratchett is your kind of writer. He probably is.
If you’re already mid-series and hunting for what comes next: follow the sub-series. Don’t jump around too much within a character arc, especially the Watch. The payoff for Night Watch requires the investment.
And when you’re done (or as close to done as anyone gets) the best thing you can do is find someone else who’s read them too. Half the joy of Discworld is the conversation it starts.
Already deep in the Discworld and want to find someone else who’s been through it all? Litloop connects you with friends who’ve read the same books — see who else has made it to Night Watch and start a conversation.
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