What are you reading in 2023?

[Zaukrie]

The obelisk gate

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

About to sit down and finish the last few pages of Terry Pratchett's "Jingo," as a re-read. It's Pratchett at the height of his powers, talking about war, prejudice and a bunch of other stuff as well, along with a very fun riff on rising/sinking lost continents.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

About to sit down and finish the last few pages of Terry Pratchett's "Jingo," as a re-read. It's Pratchett at the height of his powers, talking about war, prejudice and a bunch of other stuff as well, along with a very fun riff on rising/sinking lost continents.

It's funny, in my 30's; I had been reading a lot of Pratchett (from Colour of magic onward). When he started to shift to being more explicitly satirical of our Earth culture, I got turned off. My head is definitely in a different place now 20-25 years later. I've been thinking of starting a re-read; but maybe not from the beginning (too big a book set!) - but maybe just follow Mort or the Ankh-Morpork guards or something. Benefit now is it's a closed canon, which makes it feel a bit more doable.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It's funny, in my 30's; I had been reading a lot of Pratchett (from Colour of magic onward). When he started to shift to being more explicitly satirical of our Earth culture, I got turned off. My head is definitely in a different place now 20-25 years later. I've been thinking of starting a re-read; but maybe not from the beginning (too big a book set!) - but maybe just follow Mort or the Ankh-Morpork guards or something. Benefit now is it's a closed canon, which makes it feel a bit more doable.

I am actually re-reading the whole set (and grabbing stuff I missed the first time around, like The Last Hero), because it's interesting to watch his writing skills improve, his parodies shift from "ho ho, Rincewind can hear the gods rolling dice" to deeper, more probing stuff (that's also deeply humane) to, eventually, his work declining as his Alzheimer's advances.

His satires tend to be pretty gentle. Pratchett liked and sympathized with people, even the one he disagreed with. Even the villainous Lord Rust in Jingo is a fool believing the fictions of "glorious" war rather than a truly evil person.

 

[overgeeked]

I am actually re-reading the whole set (and grabbing stuff I missed the first time around, like The Last Hero), because it's interesting to watch his writing skills improve, his parodies shift from "ho ho, Rincewind can hear the gods rolling dice" to deeper, more probing stuff (that's also deeply humane) to, eventually, his work declining as his Alzheimer's advances.

His satires tend to be pretty gentle. Pratchett liked and sympathized with people, even the one he disagreed with. Even the villainous Lord Rust in Jingo is a fool believing the fictions of "glorious" war rather than a truly evil person.

I've tried Pratchett a few times but bounced off hard when reading Colour of Magic. Something about it just didn't work for me. I have shelves filled with comic fiction, and I loved Good Omens, but mainline Discworld just...nope. Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I've tried Pratchett a few times but bounced off hard when reading Colour of Magic. Something about it just didn't work for me. I have shelves filled with comic fiction, and I loved Good Omens, but mainline Discworld just...nope. Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

There are a bunch of pages with various suggestions on how to read his oeuvre

Here's one from his page with a suggestion generator based on 3 criteria that are important to you (It's at the bottom)

Discworld - Sir Terry Pratchett

All 41 Discworld novels in reading order. If you’re not sure where to start, try our book generator and find the perfect Terry Pratchett book for you.

www.terrypratchettbooks.com

I also like this one, it's pretty straightforward

Discworld Reading Order [3 Ways to Read Terry Pratchett's Books]

With 41 novels set within this series, what is the best Discworld reading order? Find out more in this guide to Terry Pratchett's books.

www.tlbranson.com

Any recommendations for where to begin when he's moved on from the "fumbled initiative" and "hear the gods rolling dice" stuff?

It's not clear to me what about this is unappealing to you? This might be Pratchett's style, in which case he never stops being himself. Because Good Omens had a healthy (or more) dash of Neil Gaiman in it - it may be the Gaiman-ness of Good Omens is what got you past the Pratchett-ness of it.

 

[overgeeked]

There are a bunch of pages with various suggestions on how to read his oeuvre

Here's one from his page with a suggestion generator based on 3 criteria that are important to you (It's at the bottom)

Discworld - Sir Terry Pratchett

All 41 Discworld novels in reading order. If you’re not sure where to start, try our book generator and find the perfect Terry Pratchett book for you.

www.terrypratchettbooks.com

I also like this one, it's pretty straightforward

Discworld Reading Order [3 Ways to Read Terry Pratchett's Books]

With 41 novels set within this series, what is the best Discworld reading order? Find out more in this guide to Terry Pratchett's books.

www.tlbranson.com

Cool. Thanks. I'll check that out.

It's not clear to me what about this is unappealing to you? This might be Pratchett's style, in which case he never stops being himself. Because Good Omens had a healthy (or more) dash of Neil Gaiman in it - it may be the Gaiman-ness of Good Omens is what got you past the Pratchett-ness of it.

Every time I've tried, the closest to an explanation I can come is to say Colour of Magic is off putting because it strikes me as a very "nudge nudge wink wink look how clever I am" style of writing. I like comic writing. I like clever writing. For whatever reason, I just bounce off Colour of Magic. I dig Tom Holt, Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Kingsley Amis, James Thurber, Mark Twain, Richard Russo, Spike Milligan, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Tom Sharpe, Piers Anthony, and dozens more. All comic writers. Just something about Colour of Magic...just nah.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Cool. Thanks. I'll check that out.

Every time I've tried, the closest to an explanation I can come is to say Colour of Magic is off putting because it strikes me as a very "nudge nudge wink wink look how clever I am" style of writing. I like comic writing. I like clever writing. For whatever reason, I just bounce off Color of Magic. I dig Tom Holt, Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Kingsley Amis, James Thurber, Mark Twain, Richard Russo, Spike Milligan, Erma Bombeck, Dave Barry, Tom Sharpe, Piers Anthony, and dozens more. All comic writers. Just something about Colour of Magic...just nah.

Yeah, not sure if he ever gets away from that

But many people say Colour of Magic is one of his least good books - so you may like a later book like Guards! Guards!

 

[Nellisir]

Yeah, not sure if he ever gets away from that

But many people say Colour of Magic is one of his least good books - so you may like a later book like Guards! Guards!

I certainly didn't think much of Colour of Magic. It's very much, in my recollection, "of an age". He wasn't "Terry Pratchett"; he was a guy writing a comic fantasy with satirical bits.

 

[Nellisir]

Finished Paolini's "To Sleep In A Sea of Stars" and now starting "Hail Mary" by Andy Weir.

I was SURE I had read that, and my gf had a copy lying around, and I was bored so I finally flipped a few pages, and...pretty certain I hadn't read it. So I just did this weekend.