Which Terry Pratchett Discworld Book Should I Read First?

Honestly, if you ask most people who know even a little about 'Discworld', Death is the one name that pops up first. He's become almost an ambassador for Terry Pratchett's world: a skeletal figure in a black robe who speaks in CAPITAL LETTERS in the books and somehow manages to be both hilarious and deeply humane. I think Death's popularity comes from how Pratchett used him — not just as a grim reaper, but as a character with curiosity, compassion, and a dry sense of irony. Books like 'Mort' and 'Reaper Man' let you see him in surprisingly domestic and morally probing situations, which is a huge contrast to his visual stereotype. I also notice that different readers champion different characters: some adore Rincewind for his cowardly antics, others swear by Granny Weatherwax for her fierce wisdom, and Sam Vimes has an army of fans who love his moral backbone. But culturally — merch, adaptations, quotes — Death edges them out. When I recommend a place to start, I usually point friends to 'Mort' if they want Death, or 'The Colour of Magic' for Rincewind. For me, Death sitting on a step, pondering existence with a cigarette and a watch, is one of those images that never leaves you.

My weekend ritual is to hunt down whichever Discworld adaptation I feel like watching and then make tea like it’s a sacred rite. If you want to watch the TV films and series based on Terry Pratchett’s world — think 'Hogfather', 'The Colour of Magic', or 'Going Postal' — the reality is that availability flips around a lot by country. Your best bet is to check streaming aggregators like JustWatch or Reelgood (they let you select your region and will show if something is on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, or BBC iPlayer). If streaming fails you, I usually buy or rent digital copies from stores like iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon Video. There are also decent DVD/Blu-ray releases if you like extras and subtitles, and those pop up on secondhand sites too. Don’t forget audiobooks on Audible and physical copies from libraries — sometimes the best way to revisit the stories is a cozy library loan on a rainy night. One more tip: adaptations and rights move around, so if you can’t find something right now, add it to a watchlist or set a reminder to check again in a few weeks. I do that a lot, and I always end up rediscovering one of Pratchett’s weird little delights when I least expect it.

There’s no single person narrating the entire 'Discworld' collection these days — which is honestly part of the charm. Over the years a handful of regular narrators have become beloved for their takes: Nigel Planer, Stephen Briggs, Tony Robinson and Martin Jarvis pop up a lot, plus there are full-cast dramatizations for some titles. Different publishers and reissues use different voices, so the narrator you get depends on the edition. If you want to know who’s reading a particular book right now, the quickest route is to check the audiobook page on Audible, your local library app, or the publisher’s listing — they always show the narrator. I tend to seek out Nigel Planer when I want that warm, comic tone, and Tony Robinson when I want a slightly theatrical performance. It makes re-listening feel fresh, honestly, like picking a different companion for a familiar road trip across the Disc.

My bookshelf has a soft spot for Discworld and I still grin when I think about the first time I met Death and the city watch. If you want the classic entry route, start with 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic' as a pair — they introduce the world, Rincewind, and Pratchett's early brand of absurdity. They're a bit rougher than later books, but they show how the series began. If you prefer something tighter, try 'Mort' next; it's short, sweet, and introduces the whole Death-as-character thread that pops up again and again. For a sharper, laugh-out-loud and emotionally clever stand-alone, 'Small Gods' is brilliant: it tackles religion and belief without getting preachy. If you like police procedurals with satire, pick up 'Guards! Guards!' and then 'Men at Arms' — they ease you into the Sam Vimes arc. For a feel-good later-career Pratchett, 'Going Postal' is a great modern-start: cheeky, full of invention, and very readable. Also, if you enjoy beautiful cover art, seek editions with Josh Kirby or Paul Kidby paintings — they set the mood perfectly.

I get the little thrill of hunting for a physical map — there’s something about unfolding a Discworld map on the kitchen table and tracing Ankh-Morpork like you’re planning a misguided holiday. Yes, maps of the Discworld have been published and are available to buy, though availability can be patchy because a lot of the best ones are collectible or were print runs from years ago. You’ll find official, licensed items (fold-out maps and poster prints) as well as companion books that include maps — look out for things like 'The Discworld Mapp' and 'The Streets of Ankh-Morpork' if you want canonical, nicely illustrated pieces. Some of these turn up in bookstores, online retailers, and secondhand marketplaces; others are reproduced prints by artists like Paul Kidby and occasionally sold as posters or limited-edition runs. If you love physical things, keep an eye on used book sites and auction sites for better deals, and don’t be surprised if you pay a premium for mint-condition originals.

There are a few routes I love, but if you want a warm, guided tour that balances humor, worldbuilding, and character growth, try this character/series-based path. Start with the Rincewind books: 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic' to meet Discworld’s slapstick portal magic and tonal foundations. Then slide into the first Death novel, 'Mort', which is gentler and shows Pratchett’s heart. After that I’d pull in a standalone like 'Small Gods' to see how he handles big ideas without long-running continuity. From there, follow the City Watch arc: begin with 'Guards! Guards!', then read 'Men at Arms', 'Feet of Clay', 'Jingo', 'The Fifth Elephant', 'Night Watch', 'Thud!', and 'Snuff'. The Watch grows into one of the richest threadlines and rewards patience. Interleave Witches ('Equal Rites', 'Wyrd Sisters', 'Witches Abroad', 'Lords and Ladies', 'Maskerade', 'Carpe Jugulum') if you want a change of pace; their tone is different — sharper on folklore and women’s perspectives. Finish major long arcs with Tiffany Aching ('The Wee Free Men', 'A Hat Full of Sky', 'Wintersmith', 'I Shall Wear Midnight', 'The Shepherd's Crown') and the Moist von Lipwig books ('Going Postal', 'Making Money', 'Raising Steam') if you want a modernizing, industrial flavor. Publication order also works and shows Pratchett’s voice evolving, but this series order keeps characters coherent and emotionally satisfying for first-time readers.

I get a little giddy whenever Death shows up in Discworld, so here’s a neat way to think about it: there are a handful of novels where Death is a central figure and a bunch of earlier and later books where he pops in for cameos. The must-reads where Death truly takes centre stage are 'Mort', 'Reaper Man', 'Soul Music', 'Hogfather', and 'Thief of Time'. These explore him as a character — his odd sense of duty, dry humour, and weirdly human curiosity. If you want to see how he begins and how Pratchett first plants him in the world, check out 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic' — those two introduce him (and give you the Discworld map for context). Beyond that, he drops by in other novels now and then; sometimes he’s a one-page presence, other times he’s crucial to the plot. My personal reading route? Start with 'Mort' to meet him properly, then read 'Reaper Man' and 'Soul Music' to watch his strange development, slot in 'Hogfather' for a brilliant festive satire, and finish with 'Thief of Time' for a surprisingly philosophical time-travel capstone. It’s a lovely arc — both funny and oddly touching.

I've always loved how sprawling and cozy the Discworld catalogue feels, like a bookish neighborhood you can wander through forever. At the heart of it: there are 41 novels set on Discworld, written by Terry Pratchett between 1983 and 2015. The first was 'The Colour of Magic' and the last published during his lifetime (and concluding the Tiffany Aching arc) was 'The Shepherd's Crown'. If you dip into the series thinking it's one long linear saga, it sort of is and sort of isn't—Pratchett grouped many books into character arcs: Rincewind, Death, the City Watch, the Witches, Moist von Lipwig, and Tiffany Aching, among others. There are also companion books and co-written volumes like the 'Science of Discworld' series, but those aren't part of the 41-novel main sequence. For someone starting out, I usually nudge people toward a character arc that matches their taste—if you like satirical, slapstick fantasy, try 'The Colour of Magic'; if you want wry police procedural vibes, 'Guards! Guards!' is a treat. I still get a little pang flipping through any of them; they feel like catching up with an old, brilliantly sarcastic friend.