How To Read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Books In Order (Chronologically & By Publication Date)

It can be a challenge breaking into Terry Pratchett’s sprawling Discworld universe, but there are ways through it that make more sense than others. There are 41 novels in Terry Pratchett’s comic fantasy book series, along with various standalones and guides, and it is a world well worth exploring. Among some of the best fantasy books in the English language, Discworld was Pratchett’s life’s work, published between 1983 and 2015 over 32 years. Pratchett’s commitment to world-building was laudable, setting many novels in the same universe despite not all following the same story.

Pratchett was a hero in more ways than one, chronicling his struggle with Alzheimer’s in documentaries for the BBC and donating significant sums to Alzheimer’s Research UK before passing away in 2015 at 66. Pratchett left his literary realm as his legacy, with Steven Ross graphic novels, Discworld computer and board games, and Terry Pratchett TV adaptations all included. Before diving into Discworld, it pays to examine what order the books were written in and how they are sorted thematically, to determine where best to begin.

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Books In Publication Order

There Are 41 Discworld Novels

The humorous fantasy series began with 1983’s The Colour of Magic and ended with 2015’s The Shepherd’s Crown, which was published posthumously. The series often parodied or satirized other workwithin the fantasy or sci-fi genres, and was set in a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants, which were standing on a giant turtle. There was Discworld romantasy, police procedural novels, and witch and vampire books, among others, demonstrating the wide range of topics covered in the series.

Discworld was episodic, with each novel working perfectly well in and of itself. Despite this, the novels are generally grouped thematically, although there is a lot of overlap. While the novels can be read thematically, a stickler for Terry Pratchett may want to read the Discworld books in publication order. Readers will be rewarded with a huge scope of characters and locations. Wizards, gnomes, werewolves, and trolls were just some of the superhuman races that populated Pratchett’s Discworld.

• The Colour of Magic (1983)
• The Light Fantastic (1986)
• Equal Rites (1987)
• Mort (1987)
• Sourcery (1988)
• Wyrd Sisters (1988)
• Pyramids (1989)
• Guards! Guards! (1989)
• Eric (1990)
• Moving Pictures (1990)
• Reaper Man (1991)
• Witches Abroad (1991)
• Small Gods (1992)
• Lords and Ladies (1992)
• Men at Arms (1993)
• Soul Music (1994)
• Interesting Times (1994)
• Maskerade (1995)
• Feet of Clay (1996)
• Hogfather (1996)
• Jingo (1997)
• The Last Continent (1998)
• Carpe Jugulum (1998)
• The Fifth Elephant (1999)
• The Truth (2000)
• Thief of Time (2001)
• The Last Hero (2001)
• The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (2001)
• Night Watch (2002)
• The Wee Free Men (2003)
• Monstrous Regiment (2003)
• A Hat Full of Sky (2004)
• Going Postal (2004)
• Thud! (2005)
• Wintersmith (2006)
• Making Money (2007)
• Unseen Academicals (2009)
• I Shall Wear Midnight (2010)
• Snuff (2011)
• Raising Steam (2013)
• The Shepherd’s Crown (2015)

How To Read Discworld In Chronological Order

The Books Were Published Chronologically

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels were written and published in chronological order. There is a rough continuity to the series, with some books making more reference to previous books than others. As such, there is enrichment to be gleaned from reading the books in chronological order. The books stand on their own just as well as parts of the whole, so each book could be viewed as a sequel to the one before it, but doesn’t have to be. There are no prequels. To read the books in chronological order, just read them in order of their publication date.

Some novels within Discworld share similar storylines, settings, characters, and genres, which are said to fall into their own subseries. There are multiple subseries in Discworld which all vary significantly. Discworld was the literary sandpit that Terry Pratchett played in for most of his career, so this diversity of material makes a lot of sense. Novels in the same subseries weren’t published in chronological order, one after the other. Grouping and reading the books this way helps tackle Discworld in more bite-size chunks and helps in the event of preferring specific topics within Pratchett’s fantasy comedy world.

Every Subseries In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Universe (& The Standalones)

There Are Six Discworld Subseries

Rincewind

Rincewind is the wizard protagonist of this subseries, which initiated Discworld in 1983 with The Colour of Magic. This bumbling wizard acted as a tourist guide for Twofold in Ankh-Morpork, the biggest city in Discworld, but he couldn’t stop them both from getting into all kinds of trouble. The wizarding wonder of this subseries spanned heroes and magic, laying a solid foundation for the varied novels to come.

Witches

One of the important subsets of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, this mini-series covered the witches of Lancre. The Wyrd sisters riffed off the witches in Macbeth, although taking magic far less seriously. These clever, funny witches used “headology” as a part of their practice, an intriguing type of psychology. Granny Weatherwax was an iconic character in this subseries and voiced many of Pratchett’s thoughts on what it means to be an aging character in fantasy.

Death

The grim reaper did fatherhood in this hilarious and insightful group of books exploring the human condition. Featuring rock bands, Christmas, and the grim reaper farming, it is a solid entry to the Discworld series or a jem to arrive at a few books in. This series exemplified the difficulty of adapting Discworld when a producer was told to “lose the death angle” by US backers.

City Watch

Perhaps the most popular Discworld subseries overall, the City Watch subset contains a novel that many Pratchett fans cite as their favorite Discworld novel, Guards! Guards!. Set in Ankh-Morpork, this series was a police procedural, displaying the various misadventures of one Sam Vimes. These redemptive novels were moving and sardonic, exploring the inner workings of the Watch—the controversial The Watch TV adaptation was loosely based on these novels.

Industrial Revolution

These novels are grouped together as they all followed a different piece of technology as it was introduced to Discworld. However, the novels within the subseries have different characters who have cameos throughout the entirety of Discworld. A challenging sequence of novels to categorize, the Industrial Revolution miniseries featured a lot of overlap with other subseries. Conman Moist Van Lipwig is a memorable asset of these books, restoring the Ankh-Morpork Post Office in Going Postal.

Tiffany Aching

The only subseries targeted toward young adults in Discworld, the Tiffany Aching books followed trainee witch Tiffany Aching. These books are heavily linked to the Witches novels and would be better read after them. Terry Pratchett’s daughter, Rihanna Pratchett, co-authored the tie-in book Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch, which is a great accompaniment for this magical story.

Standalones

Pyramids and Small Gods are two books largely considered standalones in the Discworld universe, although some consider them to be their own subseries of sorts. They are both based on ancient civilizations but also have completely different plots and characters. Many swear by Small Gods as the best Discworld novel and the best gateway novel to the world. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents is another standalone and a YA book that is hugely relevant to people of all ages.

The Best Order To Read The Discworld Books In

There Is No Right Order

Ultimately, there is no one right order in which to read Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Since each book stands alone, it is actually delightfully easy to dive into Discworld, and the order of reading has little consequence on the experience. But with a little guidance, a personal optimum can be achieved. For instance, most people will find the Tiffany Aching series a far more rewarding read after consuming the Witches books first. And if the thought of reading a series of 41 books is off-putting, less committed readers can approach Discworld via subseries.

Crime thriller fans can approach City Watch for an introduction to this lengthy fantasy series that brooks no rival, whereas high fantasy nerds may do well to get started with the Rincewind subseries. The Witches series has a distinctly feminist tone, so it is well worth reaching for this if that sounds like an enlightening endeavor. Those looking for a short, short burst of Discworld to measure their taste for Pratchett’s distinctive tone should probably start with Small Gods, or the third or fourth book in the series as a whole – the ones where Pratchett really got into the swing of Discworld, according to him.