Terry Pratchett (Paperbacks)

Equal Rites, Mort, Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett.

The first Terry Pratchett I ever read was a SFBC edition that I received by accident, “The Colour of Magic”, and then ordered “The Light Fantastic” on purpose, because I liked the satire. From then on, I got the paperbacks for a while. These first three are Signet books, “Equal Rites” and “Mort” have Josh Kirby covers; then “Sourcery” started the Darrel K. Sweet run.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, Guards! Guards!, Faust Eric, Moving Pictures, Reaper Man, and Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett.

These are the ROC run of books, and they all have Darrell K. Sweet covers. Wyrd Sisters was made into a BBC animated series. I cannot write reviews for every single one of Pratchett's book: they would all read the same, anyway. Funny, wise, fantastic. 

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperbacks.

Small Gods, Lords and Ladies, Men at Arms, Soul Music, Interesting Times, Maskerade, Feet of Clay, Hogfather, Jingo, The Last Continent, Carpe Jugulum, The Fifth Elephant, The Truth, The Thief of Time, Night Watch, Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett.

These are all Harper books now, and their covers went to being more abstract. It seemed inconceivable that Pratchett could go on writing book after book with no series fade-out, but he did. And the channel he dug just kept on getting deeper and more profound and more beautiful as he took on trope after trope and subject after subject. After this, I just went straight on into getting hardbacks of his novels. Soul Music was made into a BBC animated series.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback. 

The Dark Side of the Sun, by Terry Pratchett.

Science fiction with a cover by Josh Kirby. Haven’t read it yet.

Ranking: Essential for the collection.

File Code: Science Fiction. Novel. Paperback.

The Unseen University Challenge, Compiled by David Langford.

A trivia quizbook about Terry Pratchett and Discworld, with a cover by Josh Kirby.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Quizbook. Paperback.

The Discworld Companion (Updated), and The New Discworld Companion, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs.

An older version and an expanded one, with a cover by Paul Kidby and interior illustrations by Stephen Briggs. A good guide to characters, places, and things, while avoiding being too spoilery for the stories. Has some Discworld material not available in the novels.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Fantasy. Paperback.

The Science of Discworld, The Science of Discworld II: The Globe, and The Science of Discworld III: Darwin’s Watch, by Terry Pratchett (with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen)

Basically, as far as I’m concerned, Pratchett stories interrupted with science and scientific blather. The science may be accurate, but the philosophical babble should not be slipped in as hard scientific ‘truth’. Nice covers by Paul Kidby.

Ranking: Essential for the Pratchett parts.

File Code: Fantasy. Essays on science. Paperbacks.