Authors: Lawrence Watt-Evans
The Turtle Moves! (2 page)
Really, if you're interested in references and sources, or puzzled by some little detail where you think you're missing a joke, check the website's annotations out. They're pretty amazing. Not 100 percent complete, by any means, but very impressive all the same. That's
Lspace.org
. If you're a Discworld fan but you don't have your own computer and Internet access, it's definitely worth a trip to the library or borrowing someone else's machine for a while.
Lspace.org
. If you're a Discworld fan but you don't have your own computer and Internet access, it's definitely worth a trip to the library or borrowing someone else's machine for a while.
It occurred to me that maybe I could take all that trivia, and use it to write quizzes instead of just listing it all, but
that's
been done, too, by the esteemed and admirable David Langford, under such titles as
The Unseen University Challenge
11
and
The Wyrdest Link
.
12
that's
been done, too, by the esteemed and admirable David Langford, under such titles as
The Unseen University Challenge
11
and
The Wyrdest Link
.
12
So with dense scholarly analysis, juicy scandal, detailed annotations, quiz books, and outright lies eliminated, what does that leave me?
A popular guide! I decided to go ahead and write a sort of reader's guide to the whole thing, and see if I couldn't find
some
way to keep you readers entertained by telling you things you could probably figure out for yourself if you read all of the Discworld books cover to cover, tracked down all the obscure stories, and so on, obsessively taking notes and looking stuff up.
some
way to keep you readers entertained by telling you things you could probably figure out for yourself if you read all of the Discworld books cover to cover, tracked down all the obscure stories, and so on, obsessively taking notes and looking stuff up.
It's not likely to sell as well as an exposé, but what can you do?
13
13
And really, getting serious for a moment,
14
I won't generally spoil the jokes or give away the endings unless it's absolutely necessary for some point I'm making.
15
That wouldn't be fair to you, after you were kind enough to buy my book.
16
14
I won't generally spoil the jokes or give away the endings unless it's absolutely necessary for some point I'm making.
15
That wouldn't be fair to you, after you were kind enough to buy my book.
16
Of course, in order to fill up the pages, I'll have to present my own theories about What Mr. Pratchett Is Really Up To, and how the series develops as it goes along, and all that, and I might even get some of it right and say something entertaining along the way, but it's all just to
get the word-count up to a reasonable level, it's not as if I actually know what I'm talking about. I just felt I had to do
something
in response to Discworld's success.
17
get the word-count up to a reasonable level, it's not as if I actually know what I'm talking about. I just felt I had to do
something
in response to Discworld's success.
17
But then there's the question of why you would want to read such a thing, because I can't expect you to buy my book if you don't have any reason to read it, and if you don't buy it, I don't make any money off it, and that would rather defeat the whole purpose.
This is really two questions, though, because there are two kinds of people out there who might be reading this: Discworld readers, and everyone else. So let me address the two groups independently.
INTRODUCTION 2Why You Should Read This Book If You Haven't Already Read a Bunch of Discworld Stuff, and Maybe Even If You've Never Heard of Discworld
W
ELL, FIRST OFF, if you've never heard of Discworld at all, odds are you aren't British.
18
This is not a problem; I'm not British, either. Americans, Australians, Canadians, and even Frenchmen
l9
can appreciate Mr. Pratchett's work.
20
and even Frenchmen
19
can appreciate Mr. Pratchett's
ELL, FIRST OFF, if you've never heard of Discworld at all, odds are you aren't British.
18
This is not a problem; I'm not British, either. Americans, Australians, Canadians, and even Frenchmen
l9
can appreciate Mr. Pratchett's work.
20
and even Frenchmen
19
can appreciate Mr. Pratchett's
In Britain, though, the series is a huge successânot at the level of Harry Potter, but it's a major hit, with every new book making the bestseller lists. Besides the novels, there are Discworld calendars, diaries, maps, CDs, animated TV series, live-action TV, plays, radio adaptations, art books, reference books, cookbooks
21
âthere are even fake postage
stamps based on it, and people who collect these stamps. It's a phenomenon, it is.
21
âthere are even fake postage
stamps based on it, and people who collect these stamps. It's a phenomenon, it is.
So here's a chance to see what all the fuss is about. You can read my book and have a pretty good idea what's going on much more quickly than if you took the time to read all those dozens of books Mr. Pratchett wrote! You can also get some idea of where you might want to start reading, because one of the most annoying features of the series is that the best place to start, as even Mr. Pratchett himself will tell you, really isn't at the beginningâit took a couple of books before the author really got a handle on the material.
And he still hasn't fallen into a rut. The series keeps mutating and evolving.
22
If you
did
try to read a Discworld novel and didn't care for it, well, maybe looking through my commentary will give you an idea of one that might be more to your liking.
22
If you
did
try to read a Discworld novel and didn't care for it, well, maybe looking through my commentary will give you an idea of one that might be more to your liking.
Or, hey, maybe it'll convince you to give up entirely, for all I know.
At the very least, it may clear up some misconceptions. In fact, let me tackle a couple right now:
No, it's not all parodies of fantasy novels by other authors. You don't need to have read any fantasy to appreciate Discworld. Lots of Discworld fans don't read any other fantasy; in fact, Mr. Pratchett says
he
doesn't read other people's fantasy anymore.
23
He's more likely to include references to fairy tales, movies, and real-world events than to fantasy novels.
he
doesn't read other people's fantasy anymore.
23
He's more likely to include references to fairy tales, movies, and real-world events than to fantasy novels.
No, it's not just a bunch of silly jokes and cheap farceânot after the first couple of books, anyway. There's a lot more than humor here, and what humor there is, is mostly character-based, not cheap puns and pratfalls, nor mere absurdity. Don't let the giant turtle mislead you.
No, it's not impenetrably British. Yes, Terry Pratchett is English, and that does show sometimes, but it's not the basis of most of the humor, or essential for understanding what's going on. This isn't Monty Python or Benny Hill .
24
24
So what
is
it? Well, that's why you need to read this book. . . .
INTRODUCTION 3is
it? Well, that's why you need to read this book. . . .
Why Discworld Fans Should Read This Book
D
O I REALLY NEED to explain this? Really?
O I REALLY NEED to explain this? Really?
I do?
Okay, fine.the possibility that I'll provide some in-Well, first, there's the possibility that I'll provide some insight into the stories that you hadn't thought of, explain some gag you didn't get, illuminate a detail you hadn't noticed. Even if you're a complete obsessive, I might get lucky and stumble on something you missed. It could happen. Even a blind pig finds a truffle sometimes.
25
25
Then there's the convenience of having all the stories described here in chronological order, so you can check half-remembered things without having to go through three dozen volumes that, if you're like me, are scattered around wherever you last put them down. If you want to remind yourself whether Sam Vimes first met Lady Sybil in
Guards! Guards!
or
Men at Arms
,
26
you can just look at the appropriate chapters here instead of flipping through the two novelsâit's almost a sort of condensed
Reader's Digest
version you can use as reference.
The Discworld Companion
(assuming you have a copy; there's no U.S. edition, and not everyone's willing to spring for international postage)
27
can tell you who Lady Sybil
is
,
28
but it doesn't mention which book she first appeared in.
Guards! Guards!
or
Men at Arms
,
26
you can just look at the appropriate chapters here instead of flipping through the two novelsâit's almost a sort of condensed
Reader's Digest
version you can use as reference.
The Discworld Companion
(assuming you have a copy; there's no U.S. edition, and not everyone's willing to spring for international postage)
27
can tell you who Lady Sybil
is
,
28
but it doesn't mention which book she first appeared in.
And if there's a book or story you missed, you can read my comments on it here and decide just how important finding it really is to you.
29
29
You can feel superior if I missed something you spotted, something that I'd obviously have mentioned if I thought of it. Feeling superior to a published author is always good fun, and I've probably provided dozens of opportunities. It's harmless, tooâI'll never know. And if I did, I wouldn't mind.
Wellânot much, anyway. I mean, if I didn't mind at
all
, that would take some of the fun out of it for you, and I wouldn't be entirely human. Last I checked, I was human, or at least so my wife assures me. I already mentioned that once in a footnote.
all
, that would take some of the fun out of it for you, and I wouldn't be entirely human. Last I checked, I was human, or at least so my wife assures me. I already mentioned that once in a footnote.
What's more, you can wallow in nostalgia as you read through all this stuffâ“I remember
that
,” you'll say, as you're reminded of some particularly lovely bit of story from a Discworld novel you haven't looked at in years. “Wasn't that a great scene? I wish we'd see more of that character. Did he ever explain that?” It's almost as much fun, and probably more socially acceptable, than gloating at how much more you know about this stuff than I do.
that
,” you'll say, as you're reminded of some particularly lovely bit of story from a Discworld novel you haven't looked at in years. “Wasn't that a great scene? I wish we'd see more of that character. Did he ever explain that?” It's almost as much fun, and probably more socially acceptable, than gloating at how much more you know about this stuff than I do.
But that's all just minor stuff. You know the
real
reason you want this book.
real
reason you want this book.
It's because Terry Pratchett only writes one or two books a year, and that's not enough for a real addict. You need a Discworld fix. This isn't the real thing, of course, it's just a sort of low-grade methadone equivalent, but it's better than
nothing
, and there are all these empty months to fill. You've got a habit to feed, and a book like this can take the edge off until
Unseen Academicals
(or whatever's next by the time you read this) hits the stores.
nothing
, and there are all these empty months to fill. You've got a habit to feed, and a book like this can take the edge off until
Unseen Academicals
(or whatever's next by the time you read this) hits the stores.
Well, I'm happy to do what I can to ease the hunger.
I mean, really, all that nonsense in the first introduction aside, why do you think I
wrote
this book? I'm hooked, too.
wrote
this book? I'm hooked, too.
So, now that that's clear, let's get started. For new readers, this will be easing you in; for established fans, it'll be a review. We'll start at the beginning, with the basics, by telling you something about the Discworld series itselfânot the world, but the books.
PART TWO
Comments
1
The Nature of the Series
T
HE DISCWORLD SERIES IS, as of this writing, a collection of thirty-one novels aimed at a general audience, four “young adult” novels, one illustrated story, five short stories, three stories interspersed with science essays, and assorted oddities and spin-offs,
30
all written in whole or in part by Terry Pratchett over the past twenty-five plus years. Annoyingly, most of the oddities and spin-offs do not have American editions; fortunately, all the novels and four of the short stories do, though not all from the same publisher.
HE DISCWORLD SERIES IS, as of this writing, a collection of thirty-one novels aimed at a general audience, four “young adult” novels, one illustrated story, five short stories, three stories interspersed with science essays, and assorted oddities and spin-offs,
30
all written in whole or in part by Terry Pratchett over the past twenty-five plus years. Annoyingly, most of the oddities and spin-offs do not have American editions; fortunately, all the novels and four of the short stories do, though not all from the same publisher.
The series began in 1983 with the novel
The Colour of Magic
(sometimes rendered in American editions as
The Color of Magic
), and is still going. As of this writing, late in 2007, the most recent book is
Making Money
(see Chapter 46). Before that, the last actual adult novel was
Thud!
, but that was followed by a children's picture book entitled
Where's My Cow?
(see Chapter 44), and a “young adult” novel entitled
Wintersmith
(see Chapter 45). Another “young adult” book,
I Shall Wear Midnight
, has been announced as forthcoming.
The Colour of Magic
(sometimes rendered in American editions as
The Color of Magic
), and is still going. As of this writing, late in 2007, the most recent book is
Making Money
(see Chapter 46). Before that, the last actual adult novel was
Thud!
, but that was followed by a children's picture book entitled
Where's My Cow?
(see Chapter 44), and a “young adult” novel entitled
Wintersmith
(see Chapter 45). Another “young adult” book,
I Shall Wear Midnight
, has been announced as forthcoming.
Now, you may well ask, “What sort of a series could possibly justify this motley assortment of books and stories?”
Go on, ask; I'll wait.
Okay, I can't tell whether you asked or not, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you did, so I'll try to answer. It's a very
varied
series. Calling it a series at all is perhaps misleading. It apparently wasn't originally intended to be a series as such; the second volume,
The
Light Fantastic
, ends quite satisfactorily, with everything resolved. In many ways, it isn't what people think of when you say “series.” There's no one hero having adventures, no ongoing protagonist, not even a continuing ensemble in every book. There's not a single character who appears in every story (though two do come fairly close). This is not a case where each book picks up where the previous one left off. There's no nemesis, no great foe to be defeated. There's no continuing plot, no planned end. The only obvious unifying feature is that all the stories take place on Discworld,
31
a gigantic rotating disc carried on the backs of four elephants, who are in turn standing on the back of a cosmic turtle named Great A'tuin as she (or perhaps he) swims through space.
varied
series. Calling it a series at all is perhaps misleading. It apparently wasn't originally intended to be a series as such; the second volume,
The
Light Fantastic
, ends quite satisfactorily, with everything resolved. In many ways, it isn't what people think of when you say “series.” There's no one hero having adventures, no ongoing protagonist, not even a continuing ensemble in every book. There's not a single character who appears in every story (though two do come fairly close). This is not a case where each book picks up where the previous one left off. There's no nemesis, no great foe to be defeated. There's no continuing plot, no planned end. The only obvious unifying feature is that all the stories take place on Discworld,
31
a gigantic rotating disc carried on the backs of four elephants, who are in turn standing on the back of a cosmic turtle named Great A'tuin as she (or perhaps he) swims through space.
Here's the current list of all the Discworld storiesâI'm not listing spin-offs, supplements, or references, only actual storiesâto date, in order of publication, which is usually, but not always, the internal chronology as well. Novels are in italics, short stories are in quotes, and other items are annotated.
The Colour of Magic
The Light Fantastic
Equal Rites
Mort
Sourcery
Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids
Guards! Guards!
Eric
(originally an illustrated novel with art by Josh Kirby, somewhat
shorter than the novel norm; now available in text-only form)
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Witches Abroad
Small Gods
“Troll Bridge”
Lords and Ladies
Men at Arms
“Theatre of Cruelty”
Soul Music
Interesting Times
Maskerade
Feet of Clay
Hogfather
Jingo
The Last Continent
“The Sea and Little Fishes”
Carpe Jugulum
The Light Fantastic
Equal Rites
Mort
Sourcery
Wyrd Sisters
Pyramids
Guards! Guards!
Eric
(originally an illustrated novel with art by Josh Kirby, somewhat
shorter than the novel norm; now available in text-only form)
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Witches Abroad
Small Gods
“Troll Bridge”
Lords and Ladies
Men at Arms
“Theatre of Cruelty”
Soul Music
Interesting Times
Maskerade
Feet of Clay
Hogfather
Jingo
The Last Continent
“The Sea and Little Fishes”
Carpe Jugulum
The Science of Discworld
(a long story interwoven with related essays on real-world scienceânot really what the title implies. The story is by Terry Pratchett, while the science is by Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen.)
The Fifth Elephant
(a long story interwoven with related essays on real-world scienceânot really what the title implies. The story is by Terry Pratchett, while the science is by Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen.)
The Fifth Elephant
The Truth
Thief of Time
The Last Hero
(lavishly illustrated by Paul Kidby, probably not actually a novel by word-count; the illustrations include many informative diagrams, as well as characters and scenes.)
(lavishly illustrated by Paul Kidby, probably not actually a novel by word-count; the illustrations include many informative diagrams, as well as characters and scenes.)
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
The Science of Discworld II: The Globe
(again, a long story by Pratchett interwoven with science essays by Stewart and Cohen)
(again, a long story by Pratchett interwoven with science essays by Stewart and Cohen)
Night Watch
“Death and What Comes Next”
The Wee Free Men
Monstrous Regiment
A Hat Full of Sky
Going Postal
“A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices”
The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
(once more, story interspersed with science, co-written by Pratchett, Stewart, and Cohen)
(once more, story interspersed with science, co-written by Pratchett, Stewart, and Cohen)
Thud!
Where's My Cow?
(A spin-off from
Thud!
, this is a children's book illustrated by Melvyn Grant, based on [but not identical to] the one that Sam Vimes reads to his son. It's not much of a story, but it has a certain charm.)
(A spin-off from
Thud!
, this is a children's book illustrated by Melvyn Grant, based on [but not identical to] the one that Sam Vimes reads to his son. It's not much of a story, but it has a certain charm.)
Wintersmith
Making Money
Those are all the stories to date. I am not going to attempt to catalog all the spin-offs, but a good browse at
Amazon.co.uk
will help you find most of them. If you want to find the short stories all in one place, the first four were collected in a volume called
Once More
32
with Footnotes
, along
with assorted other interesting writings by Mr. Pratchett, most of them not directly related to the Discworld. That book was available from NESFA Press; I'm told it's now sold out, but you may be able to find a used copy, if you're lucky. Two of the stories, “Theatre of Cruelty” and “Death and What Comes Next,” are also available for free on
Lspace.org
.
Amazon.co.uk
will help you find most of them. If you want to find the short stories all in one place, the first four were collected in a volume called
Once More
32
with Footnotes
, along
with assorted other interesting writings by Mr. Pratchett, most of them not directly related to the Discworld. That book was available from NESFA Press; I'm told it's now sold out, but you may be able to find a used copy, if you're lucky. Two of the stories, “Theatre of Cruelty” and “Death and What Comes Next,” are also available for free on
Lspace.org
.
There are some less-obvious unifying features as well, but I'll get to those later.
This is why the series is called “Discworld,” rather than being referred to by the name of a character or some magical gadget or prophecy or whatever. Really kind of self-explanatory, when you think about it. Disc, world. . . .
So what is the series
about
?
about
?
Well, it's not about the elephants or the turtle. This has been the cause of some confusion among would-be readers. In all the stories to date, the elephants and turtle have never yet had a line of dialogue, or intervened in human affairs. In several stories, they're never mentioned at all, even in passing.
Nor is it about the actual physics of a disc-shaped planet. Oh, much of the absurd mechanics has been worked out, and every so often some amusing geophysical detail will pop up,
33
but it's not what the series is
about
.
33
but it's not what the series is
about
.
It's about people, and it's about stories. I don't just mean it's
composed
of stories, like every other series; I mean it's
about
stories. And it's about people in general, not just the specific individuals having adventures.
composed
of stories, like every other series; I mean it's
about
stories. And it's about people in general, not just the specific individuals having adventures.
You'll notice I'm being vague and unhelpful. I'm sorry about that. It's because this is not an easy series to describe. I mean, you can point to
The Lord of the Rings
and say, “It's about some hobbits, men, and elves who are trying to defeat a Dark Lord.” Which doesn't convey the feel of the series, but it's reasonably accurate. You can point to Anne McCaffrey's
Dragonriders of Pern
and say that it's about people who ride telepathic flying dragons on a planet called Pern. You can point to Batman and say it's about a guy who dresses up like a giant bat to fight crime.
The Lord of the Rings
and say, “It's about some hobbits, men, and elves who are trying to defeat a Dark Lord.” Which doesn't convey the feel of the series, but it's reasonably accurate. You can point to Anne McCaffrey's
Dragonriders of Pern
and say that it's about people who ride telepathic flying dragons on a planet called Pern. You can point to Batman and say it's about a guy who dresses up like a giant bat to fight crime.
But Discworld is about people. And stories.
Some people will say that it's a series of humorous fantasies. That's basically true, but it's misleading, because often, especially in the later
volumes, the humor is secondary, and in a few cases the fantasy elements are so understated they almost don't need to be there at all.
volumes, the humor is secondary, and in a few cases the fantasy elements are so understated they almost don't need to be there at all.
Some people will tell you it's all a parody of more traditional fantasy stories. That's just wrong. It
started out
as a parody of fantasy stories, but it's been a long time since that was an accurate description.
started out
as a parody of fantasy stories, but it's been a long time since that was an accurate description.
Some people will tell you it's satirical, using a fantasy setting to exaggerate and mock the foibles of our own world. That's usually true, and closer to the point, but still not really a satisfactory summary.
Part of the difficulty in describing it is because it's changed; it's evolved as it's grown, and the latest entries really don't bear a very strong resemblance to the earliest. Another part is that it isn't really one series, it's several; they overlap and interlock. They're all set on the Disc, but they're distinct series, all the same.
Yes, it's time to admit that when people (including me) talk about “the Discworld series,” as if there were only one, that's misleading.
Besides the multiple series contained within the overall framework, it wasn't originally meant to be a series at all, and still isn't a normal one.
For one thing, it got better as it went along. In many other fantasy series, the stories start off well, but then decline in quality as the author runs out of ideas and starts rehashing the same old material, or resorts to retrofitting things that shouldn't be there. That hasn't happened with Discworld.
34
34
Generally speaking, with most series, it is best, in the words of Lewis Carroll, to begin at the beginning, and go till you come to the end, then stop. The Discworld series, however, is an exception to this rule. Many readers agree that the first two volumes are unrepresentative of the series as a whole, and are
not
the best place to start.
35
Some readers only follow certain series within the greater whole. It's entirely possible to love some of the Discworld series, and hate others.
not
the best place to start.
35
Some readers only follow certain series within the greater whole. It's entirely possible to love some of the Discworld series, and hate others.
So when I say that it's really multiple series, I mean just that. It's several separate series that happen to be set against a common background and written by the same author, and where characters from one may turn up in another, but they
really aren't the same
, any more than all the CSI TV shows are the same series.
really aren't the same
, any more than all the CSI TV shows are the same series.
There is room for debate as to just how many series there are within the whole of the Discworld corpus. I make it eight. That the number
eight has great mystic significance in the Discworld has
nothing at all
to do with this. Nothing. Really. I wouldn't jigger things around just to make it come out to eight, would I?
eight has great mystic significance in the Discworld has
nothing at all
to do with this. Nothing. Really. I wouldn't jigger things around just to make it come out to eight, would I?
Well, actually, I might have, but I didn't have to, because it came out to eight anyway when I first made up my list. It's even possible that Mr. Pratchett did this on purpose, but I very much doubt it.
I could be off. I've seen other people come up with as few as three series, but I think that's silly. Six or seven, one could make a case. Some people argue that several novels are singletons, not part of any sub-series, and one might make a case for that, too. Certainly I had difficulty deciding where to slot in a couple of the books.
And then there's the fact that every so often Mr. Pratchett will add a
new
series. Moist von Lipwig
36
appears to have only very recently become a series, or at least to have taken over an existing one.
new
series. Moist von Lipwig
36
appears to have only very recently become a series, or at least to have taken over an existing one.
I'll have something to say about each series, but some stories may be discussed in more than one place. It gets complicated because the series-within-series don't always stay in their neat little boxes; characters and settings and plot devices from one will turn up in another, sometimes far in the background, sometimes right up front. There are stories that seem to be in two series simultaneously, or mostly in one with pieces from another. It's messy. It's rather like the real world in that regard, where stories may be partly about Hollywood and partly about Washington and partly about Wall Street.
At any rate, here are the eight series I see:
1. Rincewind and the Wizards of Unseen University
2. The Witches of Lancre
3. The Watch
4. Death in the Family
5. Ankh-Morpork and Moist von Lipwig: Beyond the Century of the Fruitbat
6. Gods and Philosophers
7. The Education of Tiffany Aching
8. The Amazing Maurice
Each one
37
will have its own chapter toward the back of this book, starting with Chapter 52. As I said, many people would argue with how I've divided these up, but they can darn well write their own books.
37
will have its own chapter toward the back of this book, starting with Chapter 52. As I said, many people would argue with how I've divided these up, but they can darn well write their own books.
The alert and informed reader will notice that there's only one story about the Amazing Mauriceâ
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
, a “young adult” novel which doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. It gets to be the eighth series all by itself. If you really insist on disagreeing with some of my other classifications, then you can call this series “one-offs,” or “singletons,” or something along those lines, and move other titles into it. If you
insist
on being difficult.
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
, a “young adult” novel which doesn't seem to fit anywhere else. It gets to be the eighth series all by itself. If you really insist on disagreeing with some of my other classifications, then you can call this series “one-offs,” or “singletons,” or something along those lines, and move other titles into it. If you
insist
on being difficult.
Since there's only one story in the Amazing Maurice series, which gets discussed in Chapter 34, there's no chapter about that series as a whole.
How important it is to read each series in order varies. It's a good idea to read The Watch, The Witches, and Tiffany Aching in order, but most of the others work fine regardless of which you read when.
It's very difficult to read the Amazing Maurice series out of order; I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's managed it.
What's in all these stories I've neatly divided up for you? I'm glad you asked! Because I was going to tell you anyway, and this way you can't complain about it. We'll start out with an overview of Discworld itself, and then proceed to a chronological, story-by-story account of the whole thing.
And along the way I'll propound my Theory.
When I started writing this book, I didn't actually have a theory; I was planning to just sort of chat about the series and hope I could fill up enough pages. As I researched and re-read, though, I contracted a thesis, and it hasn't cleared up yet, so I intend to explain it here and see whether it's catching.
I said above that the only
obvious
unifying factor of the series as a whole was that all the stories are set on the Disc. There are other unifying factors as wellâthe use of puns and references to our own reality as sources of humor, the consistent humanity and morality of the series, the Englishness of it, and so on.
obvious
unifying factor of the series as a whole was that all the stories are set on the Disc. There are other unifying factors as wellâthe use of puns and references to our own reality as sources of humor, the consistent humanity and morality of the series, the Englishness of it, and so on.
After reading through a couple of dozen Discworld novels in quick succession, I came to the conclusion that another unifying factor is that the entire series is about stories. I don't mean it
is
stories; obviously, every fiction series is made up of stories. No, the Discworld stories are all
about
stories, as well as
being
stories themselves. Sometimes it's obvious, as in
Witches Abroad
, and sometimes it's subtle, but it's always there.
is
stories; obviously, every fiction series is made up of stories. No, the Discworld stories are all
about
stories, as well as
being
stories themselves. Sometimes it's obvious, as in
Witches Abroad
, and sometimes it's subtle, but it's always there.
In fact,
The Science of Discworld
trilogy even explains
why
the whole series is about storiesâbecause stories are what people
do
, the way we understand the world. Stories make us human.
The Science of Discworld
trilogy even explains
why
the whole series is about storiesâbecause stories are what people
do
, the way we understand the world. Stories make us human.
Another recurring elementâand I use the term “element” deliberately, because Mr. Pratchett presents these as actual elements essential to the existence of Discworldâis belief. According to
The Science of Discworld
, two of the elements
38
Discworld has that our world explicitly lacks are narrativium, the stuff of stories, and deitium, the stuff of the gods, and the gods draw their sustenance from belief. Long before Mr. Pratchett gave narrativium a name, he had explained repeatedly that reality is very thin in Discworld, and that it's story, belief, and magic that make up that lack and allow the whole thing to exist. Discworld runs on stories and belief, and that's really what the whole series is about.
The Science of Discworld
, two of the elements
38
Discworld has that our world explicitly lacks are narrativium, the stuff of stories, and deitium, the stuff of the gods, and the gods draw their sustenance from belief. Long before Mr. Pratchett gave narrativium a name, he had explained repeatedly that reality is very thin in Discworld, and that it's story, belief, and magic that make up that lack and allow the whole thing to exist. Discworld runs on stories and belief, and that's really what the whole series is about.
That, and evolution.
Mr. Pratchett is a great believer in evolution. Not only is that the major subject matter of the three
Science
volumes, but it's been a recurring feature of the series all along. I think that, too, will become plain as I discuss the stories.
Science
volumes, but it's been a recurring feature of the series all along. I think that, too, will become plain as I discuss the stories.
On, then, to the good stuff.
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