Disc World

[SteelDraco]

This Discworld Reading Order List might be helpful - it breaks down the various books by characters, as there are distinct sub-series, focusing on different characters.

In general, I prefer the City Watch books, focusing around Sam Vimes and the rest of the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork. Guards! Guards! is really the place to start there. The Death/Susan books are usually good, and the newer Witch books (focusing on Tiffany Aching) have been good, even if they are intended as children's books. The Rincewind books are my least favorite, particularly the first few. If you wanted to read those, I'd start with Faust Eric - that's when they start picking up. Rincewind sort of has a 'Fate's chosen hero' vibe to him, whether he wants to actually be a hero or not.

There are also some standalone books that might get you into the style of the writing. Pyramids, Small Gods, and Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents are the best of these. I'd avoid Monstrous Regiment - it had one character I cared about (Jackrum), and really just one joke.

What kind of story does your brother prefer? The different series have different feels, and that might influence how he likes them.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Or start him off with a stand alone, or one that only has a few books - Going Postal is good for this, The Truth is another good choice, as is Small Gods.

The Auld Grump

 

[Plane Sailing]

Interesting to see so much love for Small Gods - it is one of the few that I didn't like at all.

I'd start someone off with Guards Guards; it is a brilliant set up for the most compelling set of storylines (Vimes, Carrot etc) IMO.

As an alternative, Mort makes another good starting point.

For witches related books I'd start with Witches Abroad rather than Wyrd Sisters (IMO Pratchett hadn't found his feet with the witches properly in Wyrd Sisters, and I found it far less entertaining, with far less re-read value than the others).

Cheers

 

[YourSwordIsMine]

I started with the Light Fantastic and The Color of Magic. If I wasnt a pureblood geek I probably would not have enjoyed them as I did. Rincewind is a good character but I feel Pratchett didnt reach his stride until later books. I was pondering this same thing a few years back when I was trying to get a friend to read the series as well. He was a big Douglas Adams fan but had never heard of Pratchett. These are the books I lent him and I too started him with the City Watch books.

The City Watch Series

Guards! Guards!
Men at Arms
Feet of Clay
Jingo
The Fifth Elephant
Night Watch
Thud!

Death/Susan Series

Mort
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Hogfather
Thief of Time



Suffice it to say he has all the books now and has read them all several times.

Oh, and my personal favorites of Pratchett are Feet of Clay, Reaper Man and Thief of Time

 

[Jubilee]

Someone gave me the color of magic several years ago as a gift. I read it, but did not find it enjoyable enough to go get the rest of his books and read them. However, a month or so ago I bought the first of the Tiffany Aching books (Wee Free Men) because it was on sale at audible. I enjoyed it alot and have since gotten the 2nd and third books. I think I will probably get Mort next.

So, from experience, I would say that the color of magic is not the best book to draw someone into the series.

/ali

 

[Tonguez]

Personally I think that for a newbie anything Rincewind should be avoided entirely, really the only Rincewwind story worth rereading is The Last Continent, (yeah and Interesting Times too)

I'd support the suggestions of Guards, Guards or Men at Arms as the introduction to Disc World. The Watch books give a good handle on how Disc World works without too much effort

Death and the Witches are too philosophically for a gateway read and so I personally wouldn't suggest them although I'd encourage anyway who liked their first Disc World book to quickly upgrade to Hogfather, the Death cycle and then the Witches

BTW I think my first Disc World read was Soul Music

Another tact could be to use Tiffany AChing as the gateway reads

Oh and Susan still needs her own series

 

[Nellisir]

I just finished "Going Postal" and enjoyed it. Slightly different, more "serious" tone to it. No "Cut-Me-Own-Throat" Dibbler, for one.

 

[Graybeard]

Going Postal was very good. Thud! wasn't bad for a Watch book. I also really enjoyed the book with the Vampires and the witches although I can't recall the title at the moment.

When I read Moving Pictures (my first Discworld book) I was working at a movie theater. That book was recommended to me by a classmate of my niece.

 

[Glyfair]

Personally I think that for a newbie anything Rincewind should be avoided entirely, really the only Rincewwind story worth rereading is The Last Continent, (yeah and Interesting Times too)

I disagree. I liked Colour of Magic which I read first. Light Fantastic, however, is that got me into Pratchett.

While I enjoy his books still, they don't really entertain me as much as the earlier ones did (and still do). It seems that he is too focused on putting in certain elements his fans expect and, to me, that seems to get in the way. They are still some exceptional books (Small Gods comes to mind) that stand out, the more recent stuff to me read the same. They are entertaining, but not quite exciting, if you know what I'm getting at.

 

[Blackrat]

Oh and Susan still needs her own series

Yeah she does. My favourite character of them all .