# Discworld: Where to start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [April 30, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724 "2025-04-30T19:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/1 "2025-04-30T19:30:08Z")
While I am a little familiar with it (I think I played a video game set in the world a few decades ago), I have never read any of the Discworld books. I think I may remedy that but was wondering where is the best place to start. Any suggestions if you have read them? ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/2 "2025-04-30T19:36:23Z")
I would suggest either _Guards! Guards!_ or _Small Gods_. GG is the introduction to the guards, IMHO the best of the recurring characters and is a very good book in its own right. SG is probably the best standalone novel, if you don’t like that one, Pratchett is probably not for you. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/3 "2025-04-30T19:54:43Z")
[here](https://www.reddit.com/r/discworld/comments/10eon2l/discworld_reading_order_guide/#lightbox) is a flow chart for each of the story lines. The Colour of Magic is the first book, but I agree that the Watch books are among the best. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/4 "2025-04-30T20:17:25Z")
You might want to start by reading a few early posts in this thread > [@Discworld Latecomers Ongoing Discussion (open spoilers)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-latecomers-ongoing-discussion-open-spoilers/776979): > > I’m probably not the only one to be a latecomer to Discworld. I tried about 3 times to get into Discworld and had very little success until I tried again this summer. I kind of want a place to discuss the books that I’ve read and maybe even get advice for which books to read next. I have other books to read, so I’ll be taking breaks from Discworld often. However, it’s nice to have a place to come back to and discuss. Anyone is welcome and Discworld isn’t, at least to me, very spoiler sensitive… ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/5 "2025-04-30T20:17:25Z")
I like to read them in order (the world evolves over time) but _The Colour of Magic_ is definitely a weak intro to the series. _Guards! Guards!_ is a great suggestion, and Sam Vimes is my favorite Discworld character. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2025, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/6 "2025-04-30T22:11:03Z")
I also like reading in publication order, but if you do that, make sure to get at least three or four books in before passing judgement. Pratchett was definitely still learning how to do it for the first few. Not that they’re bad, but others are definitely better. Alternately, you could start with Small Gods. It has relatively little link, continuity-wise, with any of the others, and is also one of the better ones. Alternately-alternately, you could start with the juveniles. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is also relatively disconnected, but it’s also probably a bit below average. The Tiffany Aching series, which starts with Wee Free Men, is very good, and does have some connection to the earlier Witches books, but not so much that you’d be totally lost without them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/7 "2025-04-30T22:11:08Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > I like to read them in order (the world evolves over time) but _The Colour of Magic_ is definitely a weak intro to the series. It’s one of the weaker Discworld books, but part of the problem is that so much of it parodies or alludes to older fantasy literature that many readers won’t be familiar with (along the lines of Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, Conan the Barbarian, the Dragonriders of Pern, etc.). @colinfred’s recommendations are good ones, but if you’d like to try a “quiz to see which book the Librarian recommends for you”, see here: > **[Reading Order - Discworld Emporium](https://www.discworldemporium.com/reading-order/)** And here’s a larger and, I think, updated version of the chart in @Scoobysnax’s link: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0_%28cropped%29.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Discworld_Reading_Order_Guide_3.0_%28cropped%29.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/8 "2025-04-30T22:13:49Z")
Another vote for _Guards! Guards!_ or _Small Gods_, though IMO, the Witches series, starting with _Equal Rites_, is another strong storyline. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/9 "2025-04-30T23:22:23Z")
I appreciate the discussion so far and invite further opinions but I noticed the book Mort is only $0.99 on Kindle. Is that a good first book to try? Definitely can’t beat the price. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/10 "2025-04-30T23:31:13Z")
Sure. It isn’t in the middle of one of the branches (as seen in the chart). Not really one of the Greats, but not a bad one. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/11 "2025-04-30T23:35:09Z")
Just don’t start with Colour of Magic. Probably the worst book he wrote and it was the first. Weak parody instead of satire like he wrote later. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/12 "2025-05-01T00:00:38Z")
I don’t think I’d call Colour of Magic the worst… I’d put it ahead of Unseen Academicals and Raising Steam (both written late in his life, as the Alzheimer’s was gaining strength), and I remember being pretty unimpressed with Pyramids, too, though I don’t remember much of that one. Still definitely not one of the greats, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/13 "2025-05-01T00:42:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Pyramids I love _Pyramids_… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/14 "2025-05-01T01:47:20Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > I love _Pyramids_ Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/15 "2025-05-01T03:13:06Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Probably the worst book he wrote and it was the first. Weak parody instead of satire like he wrote later. I agree with that but I would still start at the beginning. If I was reading all of the books I would want to see how the world evolved and his writing matured. If was only going to read a few I would I read the Guard books. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/16 "2025-05-01T03:20:14Z")
Am I reading the chart correctly that Pratchett recommends starting with _Sourcery_? (I wonder since no one else has mentioned it.) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/17 "2025-05-01T08:24:19Z")
I just wanted to add that I’m rereading my entire Pratchett collection again and relish the prospect. 😀 I think you have great advice already (personally I particularly enjoy a Sam Vimes story, so start with Guards! Guards!..) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/18 "2025-05-01T09:13:50Z")
Start with Good Omens. If you like that, continue as you will. 😉 Back in the day, English books were hard(ish) to come by here and I read the series in the order that I could beg, borrow or buy them Later I read the whole series in order, at random and back to front. It all works. My favorite is Witches Abroad, but I’m unsure if it really works as a standalone. ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/19 "2025-05-01T09:24:09Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Start with Good Omens. Ah, _Good Omens_, that well known Discworld book… I recommend you ignore this advice. Good Omens is not set on the Discworld and is more Gaiman than Pratchett in tone. It’s good, but not a measure of how much you would enjoy Discworld. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724/20 "2025-05-01T12:43:47Z")
Definitely Guards! Guards!. The two Rincewind books may as well be from another series - the writing is different, the whole feel is different. Since I’ve read a ton, maybe I’ll start again at the beginning, though… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discworld-where-to-start/1017724.md?page=2)