# Discworld novels, best & worst--you pick **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960 "2009-03-10T14:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/eada6e/32.png) [@\_Undecided\_Adrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Undecided_Adrian)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/21 "2009-03-10T20:02:00Z")
Best: **Going Postal** , but only because **Night Watch** was picked so often already. **Thief of Time** , **Lords and Ladies** and **Monstrous Regiment** are also high on my list. Worst: **The Colour Of Magic** ---
**Author:** ![maniondl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@maniondl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maniondl)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/22 "2009-03-10T20:08:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve only read through half the list so far, so I won’t place official votes. But I’m a bit puzzled by the number of people who picked _Soul Music_ as best. It certainly wasn’t the worst thus far, but it seemed to me like a rehash of _Moving Pictures_ (art form from 20th-century Earth ends up on Discworld and wreaks havok) combined with _Mort_ (DEATH takes a vacation and a mortal has to cover for him). Yes, he does lampshade that a bit (the wizards talking about “remember last time with the moving pictures”), and the outcome is different, but the bulk of the book was still those old ideas. For me at least, it’s the juxtaposition of the pretentious Steinman/Meatloaf lyrics with the silliness of whole thing. Plus, any Blues Brothers reference will pretty much make me go to eleven. I see your point about the plot being a bit of a rehash, but that’s a risk with any of those books (Masquerade, Moving Pictures, The Truth, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/23 "2009-03-10T20:18:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve only read through half the list so far, so I won’t place official votes. But I’m a bit puzzled by the number of people who picked _Soul Music_ as best. It certainly wasn’t the worst thus far, but it seemed to me like a rehash of _Moving Pictures_ Terry rehashes themes. I suspect because he thinks he can do better. The Tiffany books are Equal Rites done _much_ better, Soul Music has cleaner story telling and more interesting characters than Moving Pictures. I think Thud! is one of the better books in the series, and certainly more interesting than Jingo. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/24 "2009-03-10T20:51:32Z")
> [@'\[Undecided](#): > > Adrian;10923620’]Best: **Going Postal** , but only because **Night Watch** was picked so often already. > … Now, now. Don’t let other voters influence you! State your firm opinion and then make your comments. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/25 "2009-03-10T21:29:43Z")
Good to see that others share my love of **Night Watch** and wincing displeasure of **Eric**. I’m also fond of **Thud!** and because I love golems, **Feet Of Clay**. But I’ll go with a “best” for **Night Watch** and a “worst” for **Eric**. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/26 "2009-03-11T02:40:50Z")
I hate Night Watch. My favourite is **Maskerade** , followed by **The Truth** and **Last Continent**. Worst are **Lords and Ladies** , **Night Watch** , and **Fifth Elephant**. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/27 "2009-03-11T02:40:51Z")
Best: Wyrd Sisters - he took Macbeth - and _improved_ on it Favorite: Night Watch - Sam Vimes under the Lilacs. Worst: Hogfather (I don’t really count the first three - he was obviously still figuring it all out. Otherwise, Equal Rites.) Least Fav: Going Postal - too much perspiration, not enough inspiration. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/28 "2009-03-11T03:00:10Z")
Hmm, I’m going to distinguish between “best” and “personal favorites”. Best: Probably Night Watch, followed closely by Small Gods and A Hatful of Sky. Favorites: Reaper Man and Hogfather, though I really like all the Tiffany Aching books Worst: Hmm, there a few that totally blur together in my mind: Eric, Jingo (which I have on audio and have never managed to listen to all the way through), and The Fifth Elephant. I read Pratchett for comfort, and I’ve never been tempted to go back to those books, unlike many other Pterry books, including the Johnny and… books. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/29 "2009-03-11T03:28:26Z")
Best: Going Postal, Night Watch, Thud. In that order. Worst: Eric, Moving Pictures, Equal Rites. I’ll admit that I haven’t managed to get a hold of any of the witch books yet, besides equal rights. I think I’ve read all of the others, though. Except the science ones. Guess I’ve got some reading to do. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/30 "2009-03-11T03:29:24Z")
Best: Night Watch, natch. Worst: Monstrous Regiment. Sourcery I liked despite it being uneven. But geez, Monstrous Regiment was _awful_. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/31 "2009-03-11T03:32:24Z")
I think it’ll be interesting to see which books will score high on both **best** and **worst**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/32 "2009-03-11T03:38:22Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > I’ll admit that I haven’t managed to get a hold of any of the witch books yet, besides equal rights. I think I’ve read all of the others, though. Except the science ones. Guess I’ve got some reading to do. Read **Lords And Ladies** first, then the Tiffany books, or possibly **Carpe Jugulum**. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/33 "2009-03-11T04:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ll admit that I haven’t managed to get a hold of any of the witch books yet, besides equal rights. I’m not certain that I’d even classify Equal Rites as a witch book… It has Granny Weatherwax in it, but not any of the other recurring witches, and it seems to have been retconned out of the Discworld canon entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/34 "2009-03-11T04:20:39Z")
Best: Night Watch or Small Gods, tossup Worst: The Color of Magic or Eric, tossup ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/35 "2009-03-11T06:32:26Z")
Best: Small Gods Worst: Color of Magic ---
**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:** [March 11, 2009, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/36 "2009-03-11T10:10:18Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > To me, they’re completely unrememberable (I really wouldn’t even remember their names if I saw them out of this thread), and the story is sort of messy. Plus the “big bad” is not interesting. I completely agree with this. There’s lots in there I still like (the Alchemists, for instance), but the leads were just bleargh. ---
**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/37 "2009-03-11T10:21:50Z")
**Best:** _Jingo_, going by the fact that my paperback copy of that is in far worse shape than any other, indicating how often I have re-read it at least partially. Also up there is the not-well loved _The Fifth Elephant_. I think it’s the minor jokes and philosophies that stand out for me. In _Jingo_, the trousers of time and Vimes joke about arresting people for “loitering with intent, and loitering within tent,” and in _Fifth Elephant_, the dwarf king’s story about how even if every replaceable item is replaced in an heirloom, it’s still that heirloom. **Worst:** a couple of them went past just like that, and I don’t remember a thing about them. _The Colour of Magic_ is definitely up there, but then so is _Moving Pictures_ and _Soul Music_. But for very worst I would have to pick _Monstrous Regiment_. A whole new cast of characters, one more forgettable than the next, and then it turns out They’re all women! If Terry really expected anyone to swallow that sorry excuse for a plot, sorry – but his next ones were fabulous again, so I don’t complain too much. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/38 "2009-03-11T12:24:13Z")
What I think are best and worst don’t match up to my favourites, \*Night Watch \*is a great read but a bit flipping grim, same goes for a lot of _Small Gods_ and _Thud!_. My choices Best: _Guards! Guards!_ and _Lords and Ladies_. Worst: Of the “proper” Discworld books I found _Moving Pictures_ clunky. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/39 "2009-03-11T12:55:15Z")
Best: Night watch and about 20 others Worst: Eric (and Monstrous regiment and Going postal), ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960/40 "2009-03-11T13:01:22Z")
What day of the week is it? Best: **Night Watch** or **Thud!** Worst: **The Colour of Magic** , probably Most _enjoyable_ experience was the audiobook version of **Wee Free Men**. The narrator did a great job of creating distinct voices for each of the characters (instead of one generic Scots accent), and the Pictsies are even funnier when you hear them than when you read them. The vocal repetition of “Not-as-big-as-Medium-sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock Jock,” just made me smile every time I heard it, and the narrator skips through those names so lightly that I wonder how many takes were required. It’s even a bit funnier now that I find that “Jock” is, or was, English slang for a Scot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-novels-best-worst-you-pick/488960.md?page=3)