Really? Amazon.co.uk have the release as November and I figured it would be the same everywhere.
In fact I have just check a few other sites which have the same date, curious . . . . .
Are you in the US?
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Gartog *
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Yep. I’m surprised it wasn’t released in paperback first in the U.K., considering that is where the author lives.
Now if they would just hurry up with Thief of Time’s release into paperback.
Okay, I’m officially jealous. 
Though to salvage my ego, I will point out that I also have The Streets of Ankh-Morpork and The Pratchett Portfolio, and I’ve got The Last Hero on preorder already. Though I should scare up a copy of Legends myself.
I’ve always wondered how much “new material” is in supplimental stuff like the cookbook and the calendars; care to clue me in?
If it’s to do with Pratchett, it can’t be a bad thing. 
Sorry you were traumatized, but it’s good to hear pTerry didn’t just phone in the Wizards’ bits, at least.
I’ve got the Streets of A-M too, plus all the Diaries (which are cool, but not much bang for the buck, The Diskworld Mappe and a few others. http://www.amazon.co.uk is my friend!. And I’ve preordered my copy of The Last Hero too! …th’ heck’s the Pratchett Portfolio?
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Sure thing: It’s about 175 pages, most of which are legit (but, in some cases kinda yukky traditional British cuisine), with footnotes. Very, very funny footnotes.
And some of the recipes are just hysterical: He spends two pages having Lord Vetrinari explain how, precicely, to make “Bread and Water”. Lord V. concludes, after exhaustive instructions on how to eat it (do you eat the bread, THEN drink the water? Is the water poisoned? How do you test), he says:
Brilliant, funny stuff. A nice mix of a real cookbook and a comedy one. You might also consider getting the GURPS Discworld (and Discworld II, but not as much) suppliment. Pratchett wrote tons of stuff, you can ignore the gaming info, and there’re beautiful Paul Kirby illos.
If you’re truly obsessive, you might want to check Dejanews (or whatever the heck Google renamed it) for alt.books.pratchett. Pterry used to post there regularly, until about a year ago when (IIRC) some nitwit(s?) started posting story ideas. Pterry didn’t want to risk being sued if there was any overlap, so he stopped reading and posting. <sigh>
Fenris
Don’t get your Josh Kirby mixed up with your Paul Kidby, there, Fenris.
Okay, hands up everyone who has the soundtrack of Discworld on CD? GuanoLad raises his hand
Hey, I mentioned Good Omens in the fricking OP. So there.
If you want to read a Pratchett that’s not a stand-alone, I’ve always enjoyed Men at Arms. I think it’s at that point that the Watch series started to shine, and it’s early enough that you don’t need the backstory.
Is there much difference between the Brit and American editions? I have afew Disc books that I got from England, but I haven’t noticed anything.
So what Pratchett would you recommend for someone on a limited budget who owns and loves the whole Discword series?
If I might be allowed to disagree. Reaper FRICKIN’ Man. While not technically a stand alone, Reaper Man stands alone well enough in that it makes no direct reference to the things that came before and, in my opinion, gives a better example of The Total Prachett Experience ™. It’s actually probably my favorite individual book, although broadly speaking I enjoy the Watch series and the Rincewind series a bit more than the Death stuff.
I agree that Reaper Man is a better book (the closing bit from the point where he’s buying the chocolates and stuff onward always sends chills up my back), but it builds on Mort and is followed up with Soul Music and while it can stand alone, it’s so much better as part of the larger group. In any case, I should have said “The general consensus on alt.books.pratchett…”
rather than implying that there was a general consensus of all Pterry fans.
Of the four series, I like 'em in this order: Death, Witches, Watch, and rincewind, with the Witches and Watch stuff tied.
Andygirl: As far as I’ve noticed, the main differences in the US/UK editions are that you have your choice of bad Josh Kirby covers (he drew Twoflowers with four eyes! Geddit!? Four-eyes!? Four! Yukkity-yukkity…yuck.), or bad, US “We have no idea how to market these books” Op-art covers (the US cover to Hogfather makes my eyes bleed). I’ve noticed some spellings have been Americanized. Other than that, I haven’t noticed any major changes between the versions. If there are, http://www.co.uk.lspace.org/ would list 'em.
There apparently is a fairly major difference in the US/UK editions of Good Omens: Pratchett added one small scene at the end of the US edition (which I liked).
And I’d recommend the Truckers/Diggers/Wings stuff highly. It’s easily as good as Discworld.
Fenris
Another stand alone book would be Moving pictures, though I suggest this because I have just finished reading it and it’s fresh in my mind. It was however very funny.
Pyramids is another stand-alone book, and, in my opinion, the best. I like the way the supposedly humble priest Dios leads the entire kingdom by its nose through millenia…
I’m trying to remember if I have Mappe or not; the recent move left everything in shambles.
Exchange rates and international shipping costs be damned! 
It’s a fairly thin (40 pages or so) “graphic novel-sized” paperback, with illustrations by Josh Kirby Paul Kidby? Whoever did the GURPS Discworld art, which I also have ), and assorted comments from Terry on the characters and how he developed them. Mostly black-and-white, but with some nice full-color pieces as well. If you’ve read GURPS Discworld then you’ve seen them, but it is nicer having them in color.
Didn’t know there was a Discworld II. Hafta go check.
I seldom have time for Usenet these days, but I do lurk around the L-space web site from time to time, just to see how things are. Unfortunately, they’re not very good at updating the quotes these days, which was largely my motivation for creating my own massive Terry Pratchett quote archive…
I actually like the UK covers – they’re very detailed and manic, and more interesting than the bland American ones. I’m still mildly upset at ordering The Truth from Amazon.com the other day just because I won’t be getting a UK cover in the process.
As for a standalone Discworld book, Small Gods is great, but I also think you can throw Guards! Guards! at a newbie and it’ll stick well.
Hey, who’s gonna let shipping and exchange rates got in the way of a new Pratchett?
I certainly prefer the UK covers to the “I dunno how to market this stuff” US covers (I ordered The Truth from the UK, because of the ugliness of the US cover), but I don’t like 'em. They’re just better than the alternative.
The good news though, is that the new GURPS artist is doing the cover of The Last Hero and damn! does it look good! Finally, a Discworld cover I like!
Fenris
PS: You do have a copy of The Discworld Companion, right? If not, get it! It’s great!
Well, I realize that this may make me a freak by your standards, but I actually prefer the U.S. edition covers over the U.K. editions. I got my hands on a U.K. version of Sourcery and I couldn’t stand the cover. Too busy, and frankly I think they look cheap.
I kind of like the more understated approach taken by the U.S. editions. Except for the paperback version of Hogfather. You could use the cover art on that one to stun a bull.
I have both versions.
I think Wyrd Sisters is also a good stand-alone “What, you’ve never read Pratchett? Try this!” book. It’s the first one I read, and it got me hooked for life. 'Course, it helps that I’m a Pagan Shakespeare fan (I had pTerry sign my stage copy of Macbeth; the autograph reads “Beft wifhes W. Shakespear”).
Am I the only one who kinda liked Strata?
If Strata has got men who fly boats in it then I enjoyed it. But I think the DiscWorld stuff is better.
If it is the one I’m thinking of then a story set in that world was given to every child last year on National book day(UK) I think it was written just for that purpose.
But then I could be wrong.
Not I, but sicne I just bought a house and have to watch every penny, luxuries like UK Pratchett covers have to be sacrificed. (Note that I’m not sacrificing Pratchett books all together – hey, I have limits!).
He’s also illustrating the book – which is why he’s listed in the credits, and why it was worth buying in hardcover. Bad enough that the illustrated version of Eric is so hard to find…
Of course. But I don’t know what’s in the other edition GuanoLad is referring to…?
No, you’re not – I kinda liked it too, though I admit it’s not his best work. It’s certainly not as bad as some folks would claim.
There’re two editions: an original one and a much expanded and updated later edition. Sort of a version 1.0 and 2.0.
Fenris
He’s posting again in both groups.
I’ll second Reaper Man as a first book, but be sure you get the right edition. In some editions it has been f-ed up so that Azreal’s answer is on the facing page, so you see it before you read the question. Pratchett complained that he wrote 500 extra words to get the answer onto the next page.
I did not quote Death’s speech there in the list of quotes the influence you, but I think maybe I should have, so here it is.
LORD, WE KNOW THERE IS NO GOOD ORDER EXCEPT THAT WHICH WE CREATE…
THERE IS NO HOPE BUT US. THERE IS NO MERCY BUT US. THERE IS NO JUSTICE.
THERE IS JUST US.
ALL THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OURS. BUT WE MUST CARE. FOR IF WE DO NOT CARE, WE DO NOT EXIST. IF WE DO NOT EXIST, THEN THERE IS NOTHING BUT BLIND OBLIVION.
AND EVEN OBLIVION MUST END SOME DAY. LORD, WILL YOU GRANT ME JUST A LITTLE TIME? FOR THE PROPER BALANCE OF THINGS. TO RETURN WHAT WAS GIVEN. FOR THE SAKE OF PRISONERS AND THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS.
LORD, WHAT CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR, IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN?
–John