# Discworld Latecomers Ongoing Discussion (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [January 12, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979 "2017-01-12T18:35:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/181 "2018-10-11T21:22:48Z")
**Night Watch** My 20th Discworld book. It was great, clearly more of a Sam Vimes novel than a “city watch” novel, but it was great and one of my favorites. Clearly top shelf Discworld. In the end, did Lord Vetinari reveal he has always known that it had been Vimes or did he say he just realized it was Vimes a moment ago? I think Vimes actually changed the past, so didn’t Lord Vetinari tell him he just realized Vimes had been in the past? I still think Small Gods is the vastly superior novel, but Night Watch is in my top level of Terry Pratchett. Might be the second best one, but certainly third or fourth if not number two. Great book. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/182 "2018-11-30T22:55:59Z")
Lords and Ladies Wow. I mean…wow. I have a confession to make. I have not been a huge fan of the Witches novels up to this point. I was hoping for a series as enjoyable as City Watch, but it just hasn’t been even close. My thoughts up to this point were: Equal Rites(Boring) Wyrd Sisters(Only OK) Witches Abroad(OK) I thought Witches Abroad is where things were supposed to improve, but it didn’t for me. Lords and Ladies? A GREAT novel, in my top 3-4 Discworld books so far. I loved it. I felt like all three witches clicked into greatness in this book. Each had their awesome moments and I fell in love with them at various points of the book. Definitely the best Witches book so far and one of my favorite Discworld books overall. I was hugely and happily surprised. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/183 "2018-12-01T00:02:40Z")
21 books in, here is my ranking from best to worst: Small gods Lords and Ladies Night Watch Reaper Man Feet of Clay Men at Arms Soul Music Fifth Elephant Jingo Guards! Guards! Mort Wee Free Men Unseen Academicals A Hat Full of Sky Witches Abroad Wyrd Sisters Sourcery Colour of Magic The Light Fantastic Equal Rites Faust Eric ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/184 "2018-12-01T00:58:01Z")
I just finished my second full readthrough, though including the Tiffany Aching books for the first time. I think _I Shall Wear Midnight_ was a great book to go out on. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/185 "2018-12-01T00:59:05Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I just finished my second full readthrough, though including the Tiffany Aching books for the first time. I think _I Shall Wear Midnight_ was a great book to go out on. Absolutely! That one is probably my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/186 "2018-12-01T01:05:55Z")
Read **The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents**. It’s considered a YA book, but I love it, second only to **Small Gods**. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/187 "2018-12-01T01:06:36Z")
You know that there was one more Aching book, right? _The Shepherd’s Crown_ was probably the least of the Aching books, but that still puts it pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/188 "2018-12-01T01:16:12Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You know that there was one more Aching book, right? _The Shepherd’s Crown_ was probably the least of the Aching books, but that still puts it pretty good. :smack: That’s the one I meant. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/189 "2019-01-05T00:54:57Z")
**Interesting Times** Well, the first _good_ Rincewind book. In fact, with him teaming up with Cohen and his “colleagues”, it was kind of like a City Watch book. I am a teacher and I could not help but relate to his plight. I, too, dream of the great free period in the sky. 🙂 Yeah, so this was definitely the best Rincewind book so far and I found myself laughing throughout. I’ve always enjoyed the Wizards, but I think Rincewind’s stories have been muddled up to now. In fact, I kind of hated Colour of Magic. My favorite exchange: > [@](#): > > 'I decided to give it up and make a living by the sword.’ > > ‘After being a teacher all your life?’ > > ‘It did mean a change of perspective, yes.’ > > ‘But…well…surely…the privation, the terrible hazards, the daily risk of death…’ > > Mr Saveloy brightened up. ‘Oh, you’ve been a teacher, have you?’ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/190 "2019-01-05T01:20:28Z")
Yeah, _Interesting Times_ has a special resonance to us teacher-type folk. 😃 My favorite lines are “Just because it’s not nice doesn’t mean it’s not miraculous” and Rincewind’s battle cry. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/191 "2019-01-05T02:13:16Z")
I rather liked Saveloy’s berserker rage, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/192 "2019-01-05T03:32:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No and no. **Lords and Ladies** makes absolutely zero sense out of context. If you don’t know the coven, the whole impact of the book is lost. So **Witches Abroad** needs to be read first. Same same for **Hogfather**. If you don’t know DEATH, the book loses most of its charm. It really needs **Soul Music** as a lead in. > > Publication order really is the best bet here. Lords and Ladies was the very first Pratchett that I ever read, and hooked me at once. So I respectfully disagree. I do agree that a re-read after the other witches books brings a new depth. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/193 "2019-01-05T05:02:31Z")
It’s been a while, but I had a set of Discworld books I’d give to friends to start them out. 1 and 2 : **Color of Magic** and **Light Fantastic**. I feel they’re all the same book some publisher decided to split in half. They belong together. 3 : **Witches Abroad** because of the potato salad comment and the river boat scenes. 4 : **Reaper Man** because I couldn’t find **Mort** at my bookstore and RM was great. 5 : \*\*Guards! Guards!" \*\*. A great intro to the Watch. If I was going to add a 6th book, maybe **The Truth** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/194 "2019-01-05T16:07:36Z")
_Reaper Man_ was better than _Mort_, anyway. I’d call it the best of the DEATH books, though _Hogfather_ is a close contender. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/195 "2019-01-05T17:04:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > _Reaper Man_ was better than _Mort_, anyway. I’d call it the best of the DEATH books, though _Hogfather_ is a close contender. I agree that RM is better than Mort. Have you guys read the Science of the Discworld books? I see that after Last Continent, Rincewind branches off into those. How are the Science books? How much of them is “novel” and how much is science book? Edit: I just realized Unseen Academicals is sometimes called a Rincewind book. I read it and he was barely in it, so I don’t count it that way. More like a stand alone “wizards” book. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/196 "2019-01-06T02:37:40Z")
Was it in **Jingo** where Carrot was the referee for a soccer match? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/197 "2019-01-06T03:16:11Z")
Yep. “And Captain Carrot is organizing a football match.” “He’s _what_?” said Vimes, lowering the bow. Suddenly the world had to be real again. If Carrot was doing something as dumb as that, things were normal. “Quite a large number of fouls so far, I’m afraid. But I wouldn’t call it a battlefield.” “Who’s winning?” “Ankh-Morpork, I believe. By two hacked shins and a broken nose.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/198 "2019-01-06T10:50:01Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Have you guys read the Science of the Discworld books? I see that after Last Continent, Rincewind branches off into those. They’re Wizard books much more than Rincewind books. _Last Continent_ is really the last book that has Rincewind as more than a supporting character. > [@](#): > > How are the Science books? How much of them is “novel” and how much is science book? About 50/50 - they alternate chapters of wizard-based story with real-world science discussion. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/199 "2019-01-07T22:19:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I thought Witches Abroad is where things were supposed to improve, but it didn’t for me. > > Lords and Ladies? A GREAT novel, in my top 3-4 Discworld books so far. I loved it. I felt like all three witches clicked into greatness in this book. Each had their awesome moments and I fell in love with them at various points of the book. Late response, but, yep, I agree. I liked the first witches books, but they’re basically parodies with a trio of goofy witch cliches. L&L is where they become real characters and get real interesting. L&L and Maskerade are both delightful, with Carpe Jugulum being solid but messier and maybe a little bit too much of a parody again. The witches are my favorite subseries, but only because I LOVE the Tiffany Aching books which dovetail out of the witch books and feature the coven at their absolute best-written. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979/200 "2019-01-08T08:10:30Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Late response, but, yep, I agree. I liked the first witches books, but they’re basically parodies with a trio of goofy witch cliches. L&L is where they become real characters and get real interesting. This started in _Witches Abroad_, for me - Granny’s visceral \*anger \*at her sister for “getting to have all the fun” and forcing her to “be the Good one” was very good character writing, and the whole idea of “feeding people to stories” was prime early Pratchett-being-literary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979.md?page=11)