THUD!, by Terry Pratchett

[Listener]

$9 / $10 if you're a Discworld fan
$8 / $10 if you're not

Pratchett's latest offering, THUD!, explains the oft-mentioned "Battle of Koom Valley" between the trolls and the dwarfs.  We get a lot of backstory into both cultures, which is interesting and appreciated, as well as a LOT of humor, including a great send-up of the Blackberry and the iPod.

If there is a weak point, it's that Fred Colon and Nobby Nobbs begin investigating the missing painting, and then that plotline basically disappears for 100 pages or so.

This book is filled with the trademark Pratchett touch, and you can read it without having read every single Discworld novel that came before -- although it helps.  I liken it to watching Season 4 of Family Guy without ever seeing Seasons 1 through 3 -- you'll still enjoy it, but you'll enjoy it more when you understand WHY Brian is mad at Peter for not rolling down the window of the General Lee.

You can bet that, in a Pratchett novel, a good portion of seemingly-minor plot points will undoubtedly lead to the ending, and once the countdown begins toward the end, you just know that, somehow, "Where's My Cow" will fit into the climax.  And Pratchett doesn't disappoint, but still makes it make sense.

I kind of get the feeling that Lord Vetinari has finished growing as a character, and is probably going to be replaced fairly soon.  I would personally like to see at least one portion of the next Ankh-Morpork-based book focus on Drumknott, his head clerk.

[dazie]

You know, I'm sure most of that was in English, but I didn't understand a damn thing.

[swolt]

didn't he write one of Star Wars books?

[Listener]

didn't he write one of Star Wars books?

No, that was Terry Brooks of the Shannara series.

[Number 6]

i don't think i've read a Discworld book since The 5th Elephant.....thanks this reminds me that i have some catching up to do

[Gamplayerx]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

[Listener]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

And from his young-adults series:
The Wee Free Men
A Hat Full of Sky

[Gamplayerx]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

Does it matter at all that I've not read any of the other discworld books?  Does reading them in order provide anything I'll be missing?

[SockmonkeyHolocaust]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

Does it matter at all that I've not read any of the other discworld books?  Does reading them in order provide anything I'll be missing?

Pratchett plays loose and fast with his timelines, so it normally really doesn't matter. He also tends to give you a lot of backstory. Sometimes it's better when you know what a character is referring to something, but it isn't necessary.

[Listener]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

Does it matter at all that I've not read any of the other discworld books?  Does reading them in order provide anything I'll be missing?

Reading them in order is not 100% necessary.  Besides, a few of the very early ones are semiforgettable.  However, it's very useful to have read, for example, Mort before Soul Music before Hogfather before Thief of Time.

[SockmonkeyHolocaust]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

Does it matter at all that I've not read any of the other discworld books?  Does reading them in order provide anything I'll be missing?

Reading them in order is not 100% necessary.  Besides, a few of the very early ones are semiforgettable.  However, it's very useful to have read, for example, Mort before Soul Music before Hogfather before Thief of Time.

Useful but not necessary. Pratchett spends a fairly large amount of page real estate explaining Susan's extra abilities in each book. I read them in the order of Soul Music, Thief of Time, Hogfather and then Mort and was able to keep up.

[Listener]

I'm currently reading Monstrous Regiment.  I never heard of this series (yeah, I didn't read this thread originally - or if I did, it didn't stick) and didn't realize it was a series.  Fun book so far!  Zombies and trolls and vampires, oh my!

Monstrous Regiment is very good.  I enjoyed it.

You may also enjoy:
Moving Pictures
Reaper Man
Soul Music
Maskerade
Thief of Time

Does it matter at all that I've not read any of the other discworld books?  Does reading them in order provide anything I'll be missing?

Reading them in order is not 100% necessary.  Besides, a few of the very early ones are semiforgettable.  However, it's very useful to have read, for example, Mort before Soul Music before Hogfather before Thief of Time.

Useful but not necessary. Pratchett spends a fairly large amount of page real estate explaining Susan's extra abilities in each book. I read them in the order of Soul Music, Thief of Time, Hogfather and then Mort and was able to keep up.

If I lived on the Discworld I could totally fall in love with Susan.  She seems very cool.  Sure, Angua's hotter, but I wouldn't want to take on Captain Carrot.

Yeah, I know, they're fictional characters.

[Gamplayerx]

So far, there's no Susan, Angua or Captain Carrot in the book I'm reading.

[Listener]

So far, there's no Susan, Angua or Captain Carrot in the book I'm reading.

Susan = Death's granddaughter.
Angua = member of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch
Carrot = see Angua

Angua shows up toward the end of Monstrous Regiment (I think), but it's not really a Watch book.

Generally, you can break Pratchett books down into the following categories:

1.  The Wizards (Ridcully, the Bursar, the Librarian, the Dean, et al)
2.  The Witches (Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat or Agnes-who-calls-herself-Perditax)
3.  The Watch (Vimes, Carrot, Angua, the Patrician)
4.  Rincewind (self-explanatory)
5.  Death and/or Susan
6.  Tiffany Aching (the "children's" books)
7.  Others

You are in Category 7.