What a bummer. I'm all out of Pratchett.

Cafe Society
1

This is somewhat depressing. I finally got around to investigating Terry Pratchett’s Discworld book late in 2008, starting by randomly selecting Going Postal off the shelf at Hastings.

Then I went back to the beginning, The Color of Magic, and spent the next year+ working my way through the series in chronological order. Then, yesterday, I finished Making Money. Noticing that my stack of “books to read” had dwindled to zero, I headed to Hastings today for more … and was aghast to find no Discworld novels that I hadn’t already read. I’m not even entirely sure how many more there are; I’m aware of the recently-released Unseen Alchemicals. I’ve heard of the Tiffany Aching books, though I understand those are “young adult” novels, and at nearly 44 I’m probably not in the target audience for them (though maybe I’d still enjoy them?).

Somewhat fortuitously, I spotted used copies of The Art of Discworld (thumbing through the book, I’m utterly flabbergasted at how closely most of the portraits match up with the pictures I had in my head. The only real exceptions are Commander Vimes, who I pictured being a bit more stout, and Susan, whose hair is nothing like I imagined) and The Last Hero. So I bought those. I also picked up a couple Tad Williams novels I haven’t read yet, The Dragonbone Chair and Stone of Farewell, along with The Cleric Quintet, and single-volume collection of five non-Drizzt R.A. Salvatore Forgotten Realms novels.

I guess I need something new to read, so how about some recommendations? Here’s the page on my Web site where I’ve recorded everything I’ve read in the last few years to give some idea of what I enjoy. You can see there are an overwhelming number of Dungeons & Dragons novels; I really like books set in a persistent world, for much the same reason I love playing World of Warcraft - I like being able to explore every nook and cranny of a world. And series … when I read a story I enjoy I like it to keep going and going, so you’ll notice there are very few “standalone” books on my list.

What I like: Mostly fantasy and science fiction. I like stuff that has a sense of humor. I like stories that focus on a single main character, or a group of heroes (hence the appeal of D&D books). Complex, twisty plots. I’m somewhat hesitant to admit it here, but I actually enjoy Piers Anthony. Asimov-style science fiction (never really got into Bradbury & Heinlein for some reason).

What I don’t like: Deadly serious stories, gratuitous violence. Stories that go into detail describing massive wars (some of the books on my “recent reading” list are like this, some because the books were gifts from my best friend, others because once I start a trilogy I hate to stop without reading the whole damned thing). Robert Jordan.

2

Well, you are apparently not quite done with Pratchett. The Tiffany Aching books are suitable for 44-year-olds, as is The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents (which is one of my favorite Discworld books). You have also apparently not read Good Omens, which is a contender for Best Pratchett. The non-Discworld YA novels, *Only You Can Save Mankind *et sequelae, the *Bromeliad *aka the Nome books, and *Nation *are all good. When you finish them there is still The Science of Discworld I through III, which have (brief) story elements by Sir Terry and (extensive and interesting) meditations on Science by somebody or other.

3

The Sten Chronicles by Chris Bunch and Alan Cole.

In fact, anything by Chris Bunch.

4

Read His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman.

It comprises three books:

The Golden Compass(Northern Lights in England)

The Subtle Knife

The Amber Spyglass

5

Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud:

The Amulet of Samarkand
The Golem’s Eye
Ptolemy’s Gate

6

If you like Terry Pratchett, you’ll probably like Douglas Adams.

7

Those are my favourite books of all time. Not forgetting, of course, To Green Angel Tower (split into two books, though I have the first edition Trade Paperback in a single volume).

You will definitely love the Tiffany Aching books. They look at the Witches and the Discworld concept of Witchcraft from a whole different angle, and include a lot more of the humour I love that has been slowly reducing in the regular Discworld stories.

8

This. The thread title is a lie. If you enjoy Discworld, there is no excuse for not reading the so-called “YA” books.

Back in my fantasy-series-reading prime, I remember enjoying Robert Asprin’s “Myth” series for light, comic fantasy, and Joel Rosenberg’s “Guardians of the Flame” series for more serious fantasy (though not without a sense of humor). In either case, I strongly recommend starting at the beginning of the series, reading in chronological order until the quality seems to drop off, and quitting (which is good advice with Piers Anthony too.)

If you never really got into Heinlein, it may be because you tried the wrong thing. If you want to give him another shot, try one of the earlier, shorter adult novels (like The Door Into Summer, Double Star, or The Puppet Masters) or one of his “juveniles,” and stay away from the lengthy later works. I can understand why Bradbury might not be your cup of tea; he’s mainly a short story writer.

Both worthy suggestions, though I’m among those who believe that “His Dark Materials” goes all to crap in the third volume. These, also, are books that are marketed as “YA” but are worth reading at any age.

9

You should also try the works of Tom Holt. Good intros to his work are Expecting Someone Taller, Who’s Afraid of Beowolf?, and Flying Dutch.

10

Oh yes, I read all of the HHGTTG books years and years ago, and then read them all again just a handful of years ago when I found them at the bookstore all bound into one volume. And of course, I’ve read The Meaning of Liff.

And I saw that the third book in the Shadowmarch trilogy is out, though in hardcover. I look forward to it coming out in paperback.

I’m going to have to assume that Hastings has these filed elsewhere in the store, cuz I’ve never seen them near the “regular” Discworld books. Gonna have to do some hunting!

I’ve read a few of those and enjoyed them thoroughly; the thing that’s stopped me from reading more of them is the fact that they’re thin books with thick-book prices on them. At least they were last time I looked. I mean, seriously, $6.99 for a ~200-page book? I may have to hit up the used book store for those.
Lots of good suggestions here - keep 'em coming!

11

I’m not much of a fantasy fan but I recently read The Stepsister Scheme by Jim Hines and I enjoyed it. There’s a sequel, The Mermaid’s Madness, which I haven’t read yet and he’s written another series: Goblin Quest, Goblin Hero, and Goblin War.

12

The biggest difference between the Pratchett YA books and the regular ones is that they have chapters. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is one of my favorite Pratchett books, and I’d also recommend Good Omens, Nation and The Science of Discworld.

13

I’d recommend Who’s Afraid of Beowolf, Snow White and the Seven Samurai, Nothing But Blue Skies, and Faust Among Equals.

I found Flying Dutch to be mostly blah, but it has a great monologue about insurance (of all things) that’s nearly worth the price of the whole book.

14

Another vote for the YA Pratchett books. Far from being “dumbed down” or otherwise simplified for the kiddies, they are often among the most emotionally intense of Pratchett’s work. “Wee Free Men” and “The Amazing Maurice” in particular have some very dark sequences.

If you want to get an idea of how Pratchett writes for younger audiences, think back to how he writes young characters in his adult Discworld novels. Pratchett believes that if you “write down” to kids, you’ll lose their interest, but if you write to them as equals, you’ll draw their interest up.

15

Looking at your list, the 3rd Destroyermen book, Maelstrom, is just out. And if you liked the Jack McDevitt book you read, which was a stand alone, most of his other books fit into 2 separate series, beginning with either A Talent for War or The Engines of God.
For fantasy you might like Brian Ruckley’s Godless World trilogy, which begins with Winterbirth.

16

Another Pratchett that might amuse you is Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook.

17

Does that contain actual recipes? Cuz I happen to be a professional cook :slight_smile:

18

I actually prefer his later works, particularly the Portable Door series and Barking. He’s really great.

19

So do I, but I’ve found that his later stuff is easier when you have read some of the earlier work. Just to get a handle on where he’s coming from, stuff like that. It also gets you acquainted with the Evil that is the Milk Marketing Board. :smiley:

20

And I had no idea that he had so many, many,more that I hadn’t read! He’s a hard guy to find in store.