Discworld

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The Watch stuff is the best. Or rather, the Wizards and the Witches related books are the worst. Rincewind is okay, but I just don't think the other Wizards are very funny. (Nor are the Witches, but at least they aren't as irritating as the Wizards. )

Pistols at dawn, sir.

You insult the best two parts of the setting. If anything, Death is the most tiresome character in the series, a one joke character that's been used in every single one of the books now.

 

[Tonguez]

The Watch series is certainly the most accessible (although it has morphed slightly from being about the Watch to being about the Life of Samuel Vimes)

Death is Pratchetts chance to get philosophical and make observations on the human condition

The Witches require pantomine sensibilities to really gel with

Rincewind is my least favourite character

The Wizards don't even have a real series

Susan Sto Helit should have her own series

The Tiffany Aching series is also fun

 

[trancejeremy]

If anything, Death is the most tiresome character in the series, a one joke character that's been used in every single one of the books now.

Maybe so, but that's still one more joke than either the Wizards or the Witches have. They are seriously not funny. The only funny character from Unseen University is the librarian.

And besides, Death isn't meant to be funny. That's why he has a sidekick, the Death of Rats.

 

[Huw]

Pyramids and Moving Pictures are good stand-alones, not requiring any knowledge of the rest of the series. Pyramids is traditional fantasy (but still very funny), and Moving Pictures is an out-and-out satire about the film industry.

Mort is the first, and IMHO, still the best Death book. Men at Arms is the best introduction to the Watch books.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Different strokes etc.

Maybe so, but that's still one more joke than either the Wizards or the Witches have. They are seriously not funny. The only funny character from Unseen University is the librarian.

I'm not the biggest fan of the witches, but I love the wizards.

And besides, Death isn't meant to be funny. That's why he has a sidekick, the Death of Rats.

What? Death is hilarious! Funniest character on the disc. The idea of the Death of Rats was cute, but the character doesn't exactly piss slapstick.

 

[SteelDraco]

The Discworld books have quite a few different arcs, and which you'll like depends mostly on which characters appeal to you.

My personal favorites have always been the Watch books. This series starts with "Guards! Guards!", then "Men at Arms", "Feet of Clay", "Jingo", "Thud!", and "Night Watch". It focuses on life in the big city of Ankh-Morpork. They start out as detective stories, and slowly becomes more focused on the politics (Jingo and Thud are the two big ones for this). Sam Vimes, as the Commander of the Watch, is the main protagonist, along with the other members of the Watch (Carrot, Angua, Nobby, Fred Colon, and others). The Patrician, Vetinari, is also a pretty prominent character, as the Not-Quite-As-Evil-As-He-Claims ruler of the city.

The Death books are also quite good (Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather). The main character is Death, and is the perennial straight man. Mort's about his apprentice, Reaper Man is about him taking a holiday, Soul Music is about the advent of Music with Rocks In (rock and roll on the Disc), and Hogfather is about holidays and their importance. The bad guys of the Death books tend to be the Auditors, accountants of reality who try and destroy all life, because we're disorganized.

I'm not a huge fan of the witches books, or the Rincewind stuff, so I'll leave others to comment on those. Lords and Ladies is a great take on the fair folk, but for the most part, I don't care about Lancre and the stuff that happens there. Rincewind is the eternal non-hero, a bumbling wizard who's always in the right place at the right time, and he HATES it. Not really my cup of tea, though.

Some of the standalone stuff is quite good as well. Carpe Jugulum is about vampires and where they come from, as well as the importance of tradition. Thief of Time is great fun with the Monks of Time and the ultimate clock, and probably my favorite one-off novel in the series. The Truth is about the Disc's first newspaper, and the problems it causes.

 

[Jakar]

Personally, I would start with the Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic.

To me they are the ogiginal and the best.

 

[Crothian]

Well, I started with Jingo as that was the earliest novel the library had now and it was pretty fun. I also read Lost Continent after that and it was a lot different but still fun.

 

[wolff96]

That's something you'll notice if you keep reading, Crothian. The different books -- both the mini-series and the stand-alones -- have a vastly different feel. They all contain the trademark Pratchett sense of humor, but they differ wildly. (To anyone that disagrees, I present 'Monstrous Regiment', 'Going Postal', and 'Thud!'. Three more disparate books in any single series would be very hard to find... and I love 'em all.)

Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. And the only books in the series that aren't really my favorites are the Witch books... though I love 'Lords and Ladies', oddly enough.

Just my rambling way of saying that you should really keep reading the series.

 

[Crothian]

I plan on it. I'm just starting with the ones I can get from the library now and then I'll slowly track down others as I get through them. They had 7 of the books on the shelf today so I'm off to a good start. Thanks all!!