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Small Gods. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods It's the 13th book of Terry Pratchett's su

by neotek 10y ago

Small Gods. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods It's the 13th book of Terry Pratchett's superb Discworld series, but it's the perfect entry point for anyone who hasn't read any of them because it doesn't require any exterior context, and it's pure Pratchett in his prime. I honestly can't recommend it, and the rest of the series, highly enough. If you haven't experienced Pratchett's work then I implore you, beg you, to get a copy of this book today.

arvinsim 10y ago
Have you read the graphic novel?
- neotek 10y ago
  Oh absolutely! I own at least one copy, and usually multiple copies, of everything Pratchett ever published, ranging from a first edition of The Carpet People through to all of the Discworld Collector's Library hardbacks that have been produced so far, and even all of his collaborative works like The Long Earth series and Good Omens et al. Collecting Pratchett's books is probably the nearest thing I have to a drug addiction.
Cyph0n 10y ago
Say I read this entry in the series. If I end up liking it, would you recommend that I then go back and start from the beginning?
- maxerickson 10y ago
  There are suggested reading order guides. I think it doesn't matter a great deal, the plot of each individual book is usually pretty freestanding, so it's a question of whether you want to watch the characters develop chronologically or not.
- whiskers08xmt 10y ago
  Some of the Discworld series, like Small Gods, can be read stand alone with out problems, but I think it's a good idea to read the first book of a main character first. Rincewind, the incompetent wizard, starts with the first book in the series, "The Colour of Magic". My favourite, Sam Vimes, is introduced in the book "Guards! Guards!"
- neotek 10y ago
  Ah, well, this is a bit of a contentious question in the Discworld community, with no clear correct answer. Discworld has a number of major story arcs which are generally able to be read separately although they often overlap, and so some people prefer to follow one of the many Reading Guides out there to determine which books to read and when. But a lot of us disagree and say that you should go to the very first book, The Colour of Magic, start there, and read the whole series in order, because it lets you experience Pratchett as he evolves from a pretty good writer into one of the best fantasy authors of all time. Plus you get to experience the Discworld itself evolving, as the Disc is broadly an allegory of Earth in the 1700s / 1800s with many of the same technological progressions. It's important to note, though, that the first few books in the series can be tough to get through if you don't already have an appreciation for what's coming, and some readers are put off by them, but please, please don't give up, you have no idea what you're missing right now. God, I envy you so much. If I had three wishes, I would genuinely spend the third one on forgetting the Discworld series just so I could once again experience the joy of reading it for the first time.
  - Cyph0n 10y ago
    We have a winner, folks! I'll order the first book this week and take it from there. I've read quite a bit of sci-fi and I can appreciate good world building, so I won't be giving up that easily. Thanks for the advice.
    - neotek 10y ago
      Fantastic, I'm so excited for you! I would also highly recommend reading The Annotated Pratchett[1], which provides insight into the many fascinating real-world events, objects, people, myths, legends, and more that Pratchett subtly (or not so subtly in some cases) referenced in his work. Don't get ahead of yourself of course, wait until you've finished reading the entire book before you read its corresponding APF entry so as to avoid spoilers :) [1] https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/ https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/

by neotek 10y ago

arvinsim 10y ago

Have you read the graphic novel?

neotek 10y ago
Oh absolutely! I own at least one copy, and usually multiple copies, of everything Pratchett ever published, ranging from a first edition of The Carpet People through to all of the Discworld Collector's Library hardbacks that have been produced so far, and even all of his collaborative works like The Long Earth series and Good Omens et al. Collecting Pratchett's books is probably the nearest thing I have to a drug addiction.

Cyph0n 10y ago

Say I read this entry in the series. If I end up liking it, would you recommend that I then go back and start from the beginning?

maxerickson 10y ago
There are suggested reading order guides. I think it doesn't matter a great deal, the plot of each individual book is usually pretty freestanding, so it's a question of whether you want to watch the characters develop chronologically or not.
whiskers08xmt 10y ago
Some of the Discworld series, like Small Gods, can be read stand alone with out problems, but I think it's a good idea to read the first book of a main character first. Rincewind, the incompetent wizard, starts with the first book in the series, "The Colour of Magic". My favourite, Sam Vimes, is introduced in the book "Guards! Guards!"
neotek 10y ago
Ah, well, this is a bit of a contentious question in the Discworld community, with no clear correct answer. Discworld has a number of major story arcs which are generally able to be read separately although they often overlap, and so some people prefer to follow one of the many Reading Guides out there to determine which books to read and when. But a lot of us disagree and say that you should go to the very first book, The Colour of Magic, start there, and read the whole series in order, because it lets you experience Pratchett as he evolves from a pretty good writer into one of the best fantasy authors of all time. Plus you get to experience the Discworld itself evolving, as the Disc is broadly an allegory of Earth in the 1700s / 1800s with many of the same technological progressions. It's important to note, though, that the first few books in the series can be tough to get through if you don't already have an appreciation for what's coming, and some readers are put off by them, but please, please don't give up, you have no idea what you're missing right now. God, I envy you so much. If I had three wishes, I would genuinely spend the third one on forgetting the Discworld series just so I could once again experience the joy of reading it for the first time.
- Cyph0n 10y ago
  We have a winner, folks! I'll order the first book this week and take it from there. I've read quite a bit of sci-fi and I can appreciate good world building, so I won't be giving up that easily. Thanks for the advice.
  - neotek 10y ago
    Fantastic, I'm so excited for you! I would also highly recommend reading The Annotated Pratchett[1], which provides insight into the many fascinating real-world events, objects, people, myths, legends, and more that Pratchett subtly (or not so subtly in some cases) referenced in his work. Don't get ahead of yourself of course, wait until you've finished reading the entire book before you read its corresponding APF entry so as to avoid spoilers :) [1] https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/ https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/