Imagine a flat earth balanced on the backs of four elephants which ride atop the shell of an enormous sea turtle swimming peacefully through space. This is the Discworld, the creation of the late great British author and satirist Sir Terry Pratchett. Lately, I’ve been on a mission to recommend his novels to as many people as possible, believing as I do, that they are still relevant to the world today, even thirty-odd years after they were published.
After two years, I have managed to read all 41 of the books set in this fantastical place which holds up a mirror to our world and laughs at it. I feel like I can’t get enough of them. Granted, they’re not perfect. There are still lines and characters that I cringe to read, and are very “of their time”, but I can forgive that for the sake of the overall story.Â
I get why people would hesitate to enter into such a large and seemingly complicated series (does it help if I say it can be read in any order?), which is why I’ve compiled a list of the five books that stood out to me in particular. They’re the books that I would use to sell the series; my elevator pitch, if you will. I believe there is a Terry Pratchett novel for everyone, full of witty and relevant satire and dry British humor, and if I can convince just one other person of that, I’ll be happy.
1. “Night Watch“(2002)
At the whim and command of a paranoid tyrannical ruler, a gang of secret police roam the city streets arresting whomever they choose and locking them away, where it is implied they are tortured for no crime greater than maybe not liking the man in charge. The power of these police (called the Unmentionables) is unchecked, and ordinary law enforcement stands by and lets it happen. Does any of that sound familiar? For a book published more than twenty years ago, Night Watch has managed to predict some of the worst parts of 2025 and 2026 with shocking accuracy. The book follows Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch as he is thrown thirty years into the past while pursuing a psychopathic killer and must find a way home without upsetting so much of history that his pregnant wife, in his own timeline, ceases to exist entirely. This is one of Pratchett’s most grim stories, and though it does not end in tragedy, all is not sunshine and roses by the final page.Â
2. “Monstrous Regiment” (2003)
An often overlooked entry in the Discworld saga, this book gets better each time I read it. It is unlike any other war novel you’ll encounter, partially because it’s told from the perspective of the losing side, but also because it asks just why a country will fight a losing battle in the first place. The heroine, Polly Perks, begins the novel by cutting off her hair, donning a pair of her brother’s trousers, and joining the Borogravian army as “Oliver”, along with several other young men. Through this brave, clever, and keen as mustard young woman, Terry Pratchett offers a satirical critique of institutionalized misogyny, the absurdity of war, and the trap of outdated religious and social traditions. Queer characters and LGBTQ+ undertones give this book a depth that I appreciate more and more with each reread.
3. “The Truth” (2000)
As a writing major, this book hit close to home. The Truth is simultaneously an ode to physical media and a warning about just how much influence said media can have on what we think and how we act. As soon as the concept of a newspaper is introduced to the Discworld by William De Worde, a young man in constant pursuit of what he calls “the truth”, realizes that he has tapped into an unprecedented power. With a conspiracy against the city’s ruler causing chaos and conflicting narratives printed on every side, exactly what the truth is becomes a bit… blurry. The book is fun, it’s clever, it introduces some great recurring characters, and it’s also a genuine reflection on what the truth is, how we perceive it, and who it comes from.Â
4. “Going Postal” (2004)
Okay, so Terry Pratchett had a bit of a laugh when he named his protagonist “Moist Von Lipwig”, but move past the upsetting name and this book is a brilliant read. Hanged within an inch of his life for his many and varied crimes, Moist is offered a choice: death or public service. He wisely chooses the latter and is made head of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, a decrepit and unreliable institution that has been all but forgotten in the wake of the Clacks (essentially telegraphs). A con-man by nature, Moist nevertheless must tap into some sincere part of himself in order to take on the new owners of the Clacks. The story does a brilliant job of calling out the evils of both corporate monopolies, the dehumanization of essential employees, and at the same time, being interspersed with hilarious characters and tongue-in-cheek witticisms.Â
5. “Hogfather” (1996)
The Discworld does not have a Santa Claus; instead, it has the Hogfather, who rides in a sleigh pulled by two enormous pigs, sports enormous boar tusks, and grants the wishes of children on Hogswatchnight. And one day, he vanishes. Knowing that to let belief in the Hogfather disappear entirely would be catastrophic, Death (both an inevitability and a recurring character in the Discworld) steps in to take the place of the bearded bringer of gifts. Meanwhile, Death’s human granddaughter, Susan, and Bilious, the “Oh God” of Hangovers, track down the man who might be responsible for this whole mess. It sounds absurd (and it is), but it also gets at a deeper truth. People need to believe in small and silly things like Santa Claus, so that they might then learn to believe in intangible concepts like truth, justice, and mercy.
Honorable Mention: “Maskerade” (1995)Â
This one is for my Phantom of the Opera fans. Ever wondered what would happen if a brilliant British satirist took on the story of the masked virtuoso and his obsession with his protege? Well, have I got good news for you. Not only is this book a clever and hilarious retelling of the iconic story, it features some of Terry Pratchett’s best characters in the form of witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, who take the view that social conventions and rules are meant for people who don’t have pointy hats. I laughed my way through it, and my deep love for the musical on which it is based only made it better.