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Quick answer: If you love Discworld, read Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards!, Mort and Wyrd Sisters, then Good Omens, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dirk Gently and The Eyre Affair. All are funny fantasy and science fiction with sharp satire.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld is a series of comic fantasy novels set on a flat world carried by four elephants on a giant turtle, beginning with The Colour of Magic. There are about forty books, with groups of characters such as the City Watch, the witches and Death. The books below offer similar humour and fantasy.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Colour of Magic | Terry Pratchett | Adult | Discworld start |
| Guards! Guards! | Terry Pratchett | Adult | Watch start |
| Mort | Terry Pratchett | Adult | Death's apprentice |
| Wyrd Sisters | Terry Pratchett | Adult | witches meet Macbeth |
| The Wee Free Men | Terry Pratchett | Ages 10+ | Discworld for kids |
| Going Postal | Terry Pratchett | Adult | con man reformed |
| Night Watch | Terry Pratchett | Adult | Vimes in the past |
| Men at Arms | Terry Pratchett | Adult | the next Watch book |
| Equal Rites | Terry Pratchett | Adult | wizard girl |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Adult | comic fantasy |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Adult | cosmic comedy |
| Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency | Douglas Adams | Adult | comic mystery |
| The Eyre Affair | Jasper Fforde | Adult | literary comedy |
| The Princess Bride | William Goldman | Adult | readers who want laughs |
| Stardust | Neil Gaiman | Adult | fairy-tale romance |
1. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
An incompetent wizard and a tourist explore the flat world. Funny and inventive.
Best for: Discworld start.
2. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
A secret society summons a dragon. Funny and warm.
Best for: Watch start.
3. Mort by Terry Pratchett
Death takes on an apprentice. Funny and warm.
Best for: Death's apprentice.
4. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Three witches protect a kingdom and stage a play. Funny and sharp.
Best for: witches meet Macbeth.
5. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
A young witch faces the Queen of the Fairies with help from tiny blue men. Funny and wise.
Best for: Discworld for kids.
6. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
A con artist is forced to restore the post office. Fast and funny.
Best for: con man reformed.
7. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Vimes is thrown back to his youth during a revolution. Often called Pratchett's best.
Best for: Vimes in the past.
8. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
A murder in the Watch pushes Vimes to the edge. Funny and moving.
Best for: the next Watch book.
9. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
A girl is given a wizard's staff. Funny and kind.
Best for: wizard girl.
10. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
An angel and a demon try to prevent the apocalypse. Witty and warm.
Best for: comic fantasy.
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent is whisked off Earth moments before it is destroyed. The classic of absurd science fiction humour.
Best for: cosmic comedy.
12. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
A detective solves cases by following the interconnectedness of all things. Odd, clever and funny.
Best for: comic mystery.
13. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
A literary detective chases a villain who kidnaps characters from books. Clever and bookish.
Best for: literary comedy.
14. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Westley and Buttercup face pirates, giants and Prince Humperdinck. Funny and romantic.
Best for: readers who want laughs.
15. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A young man crosses a wall to find a fallen star. Witty and charming.
Best for: fairy-tale romance.
How to Choose
To start Discworld try Guards! Guards!, Mort or Wyrd Sisters, as the series has no required order. For similar humour read Good Omens or Douglas Adams. For witty fantasy try The Princess Bride or Stardust. Discworld is huge, so these picks work as stepping stones to the rest. The Discworld books fall into several sub-series, such as the Watch, the Witches, Death and Moist von Lipwig. Many readers start with the sub-series that matches their taste.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many Discworld books are there?
About forty novels.
Where should I start?
With Guards! Guards!, Mort or Wyrd Sisters.
Do I need to read in order?
No, though the sub-series build on themselves.
Is it for adults or children?
Mostly adults and teens, with some children's titles.
Who narrates the audiobooks?
Several narrators, including Stephen Briggs and Nigel Planer.
Are there TV adaptations?
Yes, including The Watch.
Is it satire?
Yes, it is satire as well as comedy.
What should I read next?
Try Good Omens or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Which book here is best for witches meet Macbeth?
Try Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett, which suits readers looking for witches meet Macbeth.
Which book here is best for Vimes in the past?
Try Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, which suits readers looking for Vimes in the past.
Which book here is best for comic fantasy?
Try Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which suits readers looking for comic fantasy.
Which book here is best for literary comedy?
Try The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, which suits readers looking for literary comedy.
Which book here is best for Watch start?
Try Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett, which suits readers looking for Watch start.
Which book here is best for Discworld for kids?
Try The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, which suits readers looking for Discworld for kids.