I'm pretty sure I see "Small Gods" and "Wyrd Sisters" recommended a lot and I know you can't really go wrong, but of these which would you recommend the most? Since this is what I have I'll read them all eventually

Regardless I'm excited to have gotten physical copies because my library has long wait lists for his books

Edit: Thanks for all of the discussion! This post brought me a lot of positive on an otherwise rough day. I've decided to start with "Small Gods"

I just want to say again thank you to everyone who responded to me or to someone else. It's been a joy hearing what each person has to contribute to the conversation

Even if they fall flat (which I highly doubt) all of your enthusiasm came through and that really in itself means so much. It was truly touching

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[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 49 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Personally I'd start with Reaper Man, but they're all really good.

If you don't already know, Pratchett liked to build multiple ongoing series within the broader Discworld universe. Basically if Discworld is the MCU then within it you get your Captain America movies and your Iron Man movies and so on.

In the case of Discworld, the big ones to know about are:

Rincewind - Incompetent, cowardly wizard stumbles through inadvertent adventures.
Death - The Sandman style cosmic weirdness.
The City Watch - Fantasy crime procedurals.
The Witches - Witches dealing with darkly irreverent takes on classic horror tropes.
Moist Von Lipwig - A conman gets strong armed into running civic institutions.

What you have acquired is the second book of the Death series (Reaper Man), the second book of the Witches (Wyrd Sisters), and two largely standalone books (Small Gods and Moving Pictures). The first two can both be read without reading the preceding novels in their respective series, but it might not hurt to try to track those down first. You'd be looking for Mort and Equal Rites respectively.

In general Discworld stands up fairly well to reading out of order, and you certainly should not try to read the whole thing chronologically (the first two books, especially, are pretty bad). The best approach is to pick a single sub series and read that in order. If you start with those four, based which you like best I'd continue with that series or a related one. Reaper Man or Wyrd Sisters, continue with that series. Moving Pictures, you'll probably want more stuff set in Ank Morpork like the city watch and the Moist Von Lipwig / "Industrial revolution" series. Small Gods is mostly its own thing, but you'll get more of that vibe with Rincewind.

[–] TheRealKuni@piefed.social 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Honestly? Once you acquire a taste for it, I recommend reading Discworld in publication order. You’ll catch more of the cross-references, more inside jokes, and the books consistently get better and better (until The Embuggerence, which did diminish quality a bit).

But it is quite the undertaking, and not for everyone.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 11 points 1 week ago

I started reading them when Mort was the newest one. I quickly acquired the first three, and bought each new one as soon as it came out. He was putting out two books a year for a while there, and it was always a thrill to see a new one on the shelf. I too recommend reading them in publication order.

Wyrd Sisters is one of my all time favourites, and my well worn copy is the one I chose to get signed by the man himself when he came to Brisbane many years ago.

The Discworld has been part of my life for so long that I sometimes forget there are people in the world that have never read any of them. OP is in for a treat.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I know people lump Equal Rites in with the witches series because it's got Granny Weatherwax in, but I'll still propose every time I see it listed that it really shouldn't count as such. Granny is not the same witch in Equal Rites as she's depicted in the later books, and quite a few rather important details of the later books get retconned in or out by the time of Wyrd Sisters. At the time of Rites, the series is still in its early installment weirdness phase.

In Equal Rites, Granny is somehow explicitly stated to be the only witch around Bad Ass, which is inexplicably isn't located in Lancre yet. Nanny Ogg is conspicuously absent, and the backstory hinted at for the time before Granny became a witch is wildly different than what is stated in the later books. For instance, none of the events of Witches Abroad and prior events with her sister could possibly have happened to the Equal Rites version of Granny. She isn't the protagonist of Equal Rites, Esk is. Otherwise, by the same logic half of the Tiffany Aching series should also be in the same cycle merely because Tiffany stays at Granny's place and trains under her for a while just as Esk did.

I really don't think reading Equal Rites first is necessary to begin at Wyrd Sisters.

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 1 points 5 days ago

Personal addition: Equal Rites is not as good as usual Pratchett’s books, I am tempted to say one could just skip it.

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Whole heartedly agree, I don't really consider the first 3 Discworld novels to really be part of the main series so much as proto-Discworld books. Almost nothing that takes place in them is even mentioned again barring "What I Did On My Holidays"

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Well, Esk does eventually come back for an appearance in one of the Tiffany Aching books. The incident that turned the librarian into an orangutan is seen in The Light Fantastic, as a side effect of the Octavo breaking its containment. The Last Hero is basically a direct continuation of Rincewind's earlier adventures with Cohen, and he winds up on the expedition partially because he's known to be the only person (other than Twoflower, who is absent) to go over the edge and return to tell the tale. Other than the lone remaining sailor from the Maria Pesto, anyway, and he only lived long enough to gibber his one line before keeling over dead. Prior to launching Leonard's great kite, the circumfence around the edge of the Disc near Krull briefly becomes a factor in that the wizards have to blow it up before the craft gets snagged during its launch, and nobody except Rincewind seems to know anything about it in advance.

There are probably other little cameos and callbacks I've forgotten. But yes, the first couple of books were very weird. Pratchett seemingly hadn't formed his final vision for what kind of world the Discworld would be, and it's still riffing heavily on well known fantasy adventure tropes and works like Conan and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

[–] tpyo@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Thanks for the very thorough reply! Yeah I realized I ended up with a mishmash but that's what was at the shop

I put a hold on the first two books of the sub series you mentioned so I'll wait on those two. I'm certainly looking forward to finding which one hits me the best. I've always loved weird, silly, absurd books and with every recommendation I've seen given for Pratchett makes me think these would be just right

[–] BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 week ago

You ended up with an exceptionally good mishmash.

If you just read the ones you have randomly, you'd still be very well off. Pratchett was very dedicated to having almost all of his stories function as standalone entities. I'd agree with maybe picking up Mort and reading it before Reaper Man, but, you're going to have a good time regardless and it's more of a thing where you'll just have more of the background setup for you coming into the next book.

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Like I said, mishmash is OK, you can definitely read most Discworld stuff out of order and not struggle. Pratchett was great at treating every book like it was the reader's first.

And yeah, weird is definitely his thing. He's a genuinely phenomenal writer, and if anything I think he's still kind of under-appreciated.

[–] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 42 points 1 week ago (1 children)

1000007645

[–] tpyo@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

Oh thank you for the higher resolution image than the other posted. I can read this one much better!

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago (9 children)

Oh, man, you have NO idea. Almost envious actually, Pratchett is always excellent.

While each of those books can be enjoyed on their own, they are part of two larger cycles.

The first being the "Discworld" series, 41 books from 1983 to 2015.

Then, within the larger Discworld Cycle, there are sub-stories.

"Reaper Man" is the second of the "Death" books, which started with "Mort", then continues with Soul Music, The Hogfather, and Thief of Time.

"Wyrd Sisters" is the second of the "Witches" books, starting with "Equal Rites" and continuing with Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum, The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, and the Shepherd's Crown.

"Moving Pictures" is the first of the "Industrial Revolution" series in Discworld. Followed by The Truth, Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal, Unseen Acedemicals, Snuff, and Raising Steam.

"Small Gods" is a stand alone novel, unconnected to the other stories.

No, I am not crazy enough to remember all this... there are wikis. :)

[–] scops@reddthat.com 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

IIRC, Granny is introduced in Equal Rites, but Wyrd Sisters feels more like the start of the witch series. That's where we meet Magrat and Nanny Ogg. I think OP would be safe to start with that one.

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[–] justabaldguy@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

EVENTUALLY, YOU WILL GET THIS REFERENCE.

[–] Apeman42@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Sǫᴜᴇᴀᴋ

[–] maniclucky@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Small Gods is my standard "so you've never read discworld" recommendation. It's stand alone, his style is well in the groove, ymmv depending on how well you take some criticism of religion. All if them are great.

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[–] martin_yxe@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Every book in the discworld series is great. Here's a reading order guide. Again, they're all great on their own, but I did find that world building adds to the experience if you manage to follow the order somewhat.

Pyramids and Mort are two of my favourite books.

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Jesus, has it been ten years since his death? Time flies.

I've only read the Colour of Magic. I'm playing through the first Discworld point and click, and I've got Guards Guards on my list.

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[–] rosco385@lemmy.wtf 14 points 1 week ago (5 children)

'Small Gods' is one of my favourite Pratchett books. I can't beleive it hasn't been made into a movie yet.

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[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

This is a really good starting assortment!

Wyrd Sisters is a take on MacBeth and an introduction to the Discworld Witches, whose approach to magic is distinct from that of the Wizards.

Small Gods stands on its own, set in the past compared to the others, but is also foundational in laying out the way belief feeds deities, and the difference between the power of religious institutions and true faith. Both Om and the teachings of Brutha resurface in later books, as do other Small Gods.

Reaper Man delves into the character of Death, everyone's favorite anthropomorphic personification. I won't quote the line that always brings tears to my eyes, but you'll know. Good thing it's in all caps so it's readable through the blur.

And Moving Pictures which is full of early-Hollywood cameos and literal movie magic, introduces Gaspode, and includes the Night Watch, that motley crew of not-completely-bad and mostly nonmagical cops struggling to preserve some measure of safety and sanity in Ankh-Morpork. This time there are eldritch forces at work (again) along with of course the venality and ignorance of people. The Patrician insists on restoring the usual balance of organized crime.

Read them all, because they're very different from each other.

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[–] ekZepp@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The whole "watch series" (ofk the book one) is my favorite.

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[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Point one: you can’t go wrong with Pratchett.

I only read Small Gods, you’ll have to give me feedback on the others after you are done!

Small tangential comment: never skip Pratchett’s footnotes!

[–] lennee@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)

and also dont skip the footnote's footnotes

[–] tpyo@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Nested footnotes, I love it! Those are so fun when authors add extra flavor to an already rich story

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 6 points 1 week ago

The deeper the stack of footnotes the more jewels there are hidden in there

[–] tpyo@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I just gave a thumb through of one and there certainly are footnotes. I didn't generally skip them but I'll give these more heed!

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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago

I recommend reading them

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

Read all 41 books three times over. Neat thing is that reading order doesn't matter so much. My first was #20.

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Reaper Man is an excellent standalone story featuring Death (tall, bony, robe and scythe...) as the protagonist. Wyrd Sisters is the first of the Witches of Lancre series (discounting Equal Rites, wherein Granny Weatherwax appears but is not depicted quite as her fully formed character yet), and Moving Pictures is the first of the series dealing with various phenomena which attempt to modernize the world.

Small Gods is also broadly a standalone story which mercilessly skewers the rise of Christianity from its humble desert beginnings up to the largess and insanity of the Inquisition, except with the key difference of the god in question being very much real, even if none of his ostensible followers except one actually believe in him anymore — despite the rest of them going around behaving very badly in his name.

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[–] glitchdx@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

everything in the dyskworld series is great, you're in for a good time

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Small Gods first. It's one of the better standalone books in the discworld universe

[–] Saucepain@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Yes, and I think it serves as a microcosm of a lot of recurring ideas and themes that crop up again and again in the rest of the series.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I absolutely love the discworld series!! I haven't read all of them so I couldn't say which of those is the best, but moving pictures wasn't bad. I'm really more partial to the city watch "series" that starts with Guards Guards! I will say that I didn't really get sucked into the "death" series that Reaper Man is a part of.

Here's a site that shows the various orders you could read them in:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/

They have overarching storylines that connect books, but I don't think you need to see them as Book I, Book II, Book III.

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[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 7 points 1 week ago

There isn't really a bad Discworld novel, you've definitely got some great jumping off points. They're all basically stand alone apart from one specific entry in the Witches cycle (Lords and Ladies) that is recommended to read after the preceeding one (Witches Abroad) so you won't have any issues picking one and going for it. Moving Pictures is a personal favourite but all 4 are great.

Next step is to probably get a Rincewind novel and a City Watch one.

[–] Shaper@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

I'd say start with small gods cause it's hilarious and standalone but I'd also say wyrd sisters cause Granny Weatherwax is the best character in all of discworld and I love her and her stories are the best.

[–] theAeon@infosec.exchange 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

@tpyo

Terry Pratchetts Discworld books are a good read.

Sometimes absurd but I always enjoyed reading them

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

Find a cozy place, stack up on your favourite drink and snacks, and submerge yourself in the world of Terry Pratchett. I remember him fondly, sitting in front of a poster which claims him to be the funniest man on earth, something I cannot disagree with.

You are in for a ride.

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