I started with Color of Magic, but didn’t really get into it much. It was fine writing, but nothing very special. Then I read some later works and realised that he got much better. As there’s no reason to read them in order (as you say), this means that you probably shouldn’t!
(My favourite is Night Watch, but I’ve still only read a few, so you should probably ignore that.)
There are more connections between the books than are laid out in that chart though. The Last Hero, for instance, features members of the Night Watch cast about as strongly as the Wizards cast, and other books have minor connections to each other that are simply inconvenient to draw out because they’re far away from each other on the chart.
Rincewind’s stories are pretty much all in the vein of fantasy novel satire, while later books tended more towards social commentary in a humorous fantasy setting, so they do end up being a bit disconnected from the books that come later in the series.
I started with Color of Magic, but didn’t really get into it much. It was fine writing, but nothing very special. Then I read some later works and realised that he got much better.
I went to a talk by Pratchett and he pretty much admitted the same thing. He suggested starting with book 6 or so. :)
Read the Tiffany Aching ones. They’re not just for children, but especially read them if you have or ever expect to have children. These are the stories on which baby rationalists ought to be raised.
I have read the first three since I left that comment (so all but I Shall Wear Midnight,) and I thought they were, at least pretty good, as all the Discworld books were, but as far as younger-readers’ Discworld books go, I rate The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents more highly.
I started with Color of Magic, but didn’t really get into it much. It was fine writing, but nothing very special. Then I read some later works and realised that he got much better. As there’s no reason to read them in order (as you say), this means that you probably shouldn’t!
(My favourite is Night Watch, but I’ve still only read a few, so you should probably ignore that.)
This question comes up a lot! A fan has come up with a very sensible and helpful chart, in many languages no less! http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/
There are more connections between the books than are laid out in that chart though. The Last Hero, for instance, features members of the Night Watch cast about as strongly as the Wizards cast, and other books have minor connections to each other that are simply inconvenient to draw out because they’re far away from each other on the chart.
Rincewind’s stories are pretty much all in the vein of fantasy novel satire, while later books tended more towards social commentary in a humorous fantasy setting, so they do end up being a bit disconnected from the books that come later in the series.
Thanks! (distributed also to the other replies)
I think I’ll start with Mort and then go from there.
This confirms my vague feeling that Rincewind’s stuff is not particuarly well connected to the rest of Discworld.
I went to a talk by Pratchett and he pretty much admitted the same thing. He suggested starting with book 6 or so. :)
I’ve read all of them except the Tiffany Aching ones, and Night Watch is still my favorite.
I think it’s better if you’re already well familiar with the Night Watch books and the setting of Ankh Morpork before you read it though.
Read the Tiffany Aching ones. They’re not just for children, but especially read them if you have or ever expect to have children. These are the stories on which baby rationalists ought to be raised.
I have read the first three since I left that comment (so all but I Shall Wear Midnight,) and I thought they were, at least pretty good, as all the Discworld books were, but as far as younger-readers’ Discworld books go, I rate The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents more highly.
Same here. I never finished CoM, but became hooked after picking up Equal Rites.