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Great Science-Fiction
& Fantasy Works
a critical list with discussions
Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by
Terry Pratchett
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Standard Disclaimer:
This is a brief discussion of Terry Pratchett and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by Terry Pratchett This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by Pratchett: it includes only those books that I both know and like. Just as with the author list itself, omission of a particular item may mean I didn't think highly enough of the omitted item, or it may simply mean that I have not yet sufficient familiarity with it. (In a very few cases, I have listed some books merely on the strength of my opinion of the author: all such books are clearly marked below, as throughout these lists, with a hash mark (#) before the title so you know what's what.) I don't pretend that this discussion is a deep analysis. My intent is no more than to give you a rough idea of what kinds of tales Pratchett tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and Pratchett worthy; in sum, to help you rank Pratchett (and the works by Pratchett listed here) on your personal literary "to do" list. |
A Few Words About Terry Pratchett
Regrettably, I have not yet had an opportunity to write an essay on this author, but the "Other Resources" section below will lead you to some information about the "Notable Books" listed farther down this page.
Other Terry Pratchett Resources
Terry Pratchett Resources on the Web
Pratchett is amazingly popular and successful as an author: back in 1998, his novels accounted for 6.5% of all hardcover fiction sales in Britain. Naturally, there is quite a lot on the web about Pratchett (and even more now that he has been diagnosed with "early onset Alzheimer's"). The listing below does not include the countless one-off book reviews (Google Is Your Friend), nor most of the several interviews, nor any of the news articles about the diagnosis; it tries to focus on sites and pages that may better help you understand and appreciate Pratchett's works (which include a deal more than just Discworld.).
There are several dedicated sites, the foremost being The L-Space Web; there is also Terry Pratchett Books; and there is Terry Pratchett and The Discworld, from the Guild of Fans and Disciples, a Discworld fan club.
Of individual pages (or site segments), an excellent one is Terry Pratchett: An Appreciation by Neil Gaiman. Another highly valuable resource is the portal on the L-Space site, Analysis (essays, term papers, theses, and analytical work about Pratchett).
A couple of Pratchett's publishers have useful Pratchett pages: Colin Smyth's Terry Pratchett pages and the Harper Collins Terry Pratchett pages.
There are numerous interviews, a sampling of which includes a 2008 interview at Locus magazine (excerpts only), a 2005 interview at SciFi.com, a 2002 interview at January magazine, and a 2000 interview at Writers Write.
There is also an interesting Pratchett essay on God and religion (at the Mail online).
There's lots more, of lesser or varying quality: again, Google Is Your Friend.
Terry Pratchett Resources In Print
There are at least these: Terry Pratchett: Guilty of Literature, edited by Andrew M. Butler, Edward James, and Farah Mendlesohn (with Introduction by David Langford); and An Unofficial Companion to the Novels of Terry Pratchett, by Andrew M. Butler.
Notable Science-Fiction and Fantasy Books by Terry Pratchett ****
-
Strata
(Note: Pratchett has worked the word "strata" into virtually every book he has written since this curious little novel--an "in" joke.) -
Good Omens
(co-authored with Neil Gaiman)
- The Bromeliad Trilogy:
- The Johnny Maxwell Trio:
- The Discworld Saga:
Note: some few of the later Discworld books are nominally designated "Young Adult" or some such nonsense; they are pretty much seamless additions to the canon, and are not segrated out in this tally.
- The Color of Magic aka The Colour of Magic
- The Light Fantastic
- Equal Rites
- Mort
- Sourcery
- Wyrd Sisters
- Pyramids
- Guards! Guards!
- Eric
- Moving Pictures
- Reaper Man
- Witches Abroad
- 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
- Thief of Time
-
The Last Hero
(illustrated!) - Theater of Cruelty - a Discworld short story on line
- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
- Night Watch
- The Wee Free Men
- Monstrous Regiment
- A Hat Full of Sky
- Going Postal
- Wintersmith
- Making Money
- Unseen Academicals
- # I Shall Wear Midnight [forthcoming, September 2010]
- # Raising Taxes [forthcoming, no date yet]
-
Once More With Footnotes
(Includes the Discworld short "Theater of Cruelty") - # Nation
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