As part of my year of “start something, finish something , use it every day” goal, I’m revisiting the Discworld. I have loved the Discworld since I was a child, in the 90s.My first Discworld book was a coverless paperback that I bought at the town flea market. The flea market was the closest thing to a book store we had. I read it so many times that I wore that (definitely illicit) copy out. The Disc became my comfort place. I visited as often as I could. It was a place of safety when life was chaotic or unsafe. I was obsessed with picking through every battered and coverless book at every stall, hoping for more. Then. Then I discovered The Fantasy & Science Fiction Book Club, and I got my very next Discworld book. This was back when you could send them a dollar and pick out five books for that dollar. Then you’d pick a book or two every month after that.
I read “Wyrd Sisters” while visiting my biodad in Kansas, and had a place of comfort and familiarity while I was far from home. I read “Small Gods” in the back yard while living in Chicago, fireflies winking in and out of existence on a muggy summer night. In Boise, I walked four and a half miles roundtrip to the nearest Shopko when I didn’t own a car, so I could buy a newly-released copy of Soul Music. I read and reread. Every new release was a wonder, and I couldn’t tell you how many times I’d laugh myself to tears reading them.
When the Discworld’s creator passed, I was crushed. I didn’t visit his world, anymore. I didn’t read his last books. I knew if I did, it would be the very last time I would read one of his books for the first time. When I shared that with a friend last summer, he said that reading the last books might give me closure. Since he loves the Disc as much as I do, the thought stuck with me.
Things end. That doesn’t mean an end to joy, or of memories. I won’t lie, child-me hates the idea. Now-me doesn’t love it, either, but it feels right. I don’t want cancer (that ragged bitch) to get me before I finish the series. I’ll tell you what, going in for a boring routine mammogram and walking out with a shiny new set of chronic leukemia is an experience not to be envied.
Besides, it’s turtles all the way down.
If the book is highlighted and doesn’t have a date next to it, I don’t own a copy. Those links go to an Amazon registry if you’re feeling froggy, because hope springs eternal, except when it’s the thing with feathers on. Then it’s less springy and more fluttery.
Discworld, by Terry Pratchett
1. The Colour of Magic (Finished 6/25)
2. The Light Fantastic
3. Equal Rites
4. Mort
5. Sourcery
6. Wyrd Sisters
7. Pyramids
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Eric
10. Moving Pictures
11. Reaper Man
12. Witches Abroad
13. Small Gods
14. Lords and Ladies
15. Men at Arms
16. Soul Music
17. Interesting times
18. Maskerade
19. Feet of Clay
20. Hogfather
21. Jingo
22. The Last Continent
23. Carpe Jugulum
24. The Fifth Elephant
25. The Truth
26. Thief of Time
27. The Last Hero
28. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents
29. Night Watch
30. The Wee Free Men
31. Monstrous Regiment
32. A Hat Full of Sky
33. Going Postal
34. Thud!
35. Wintersmith
36. Making Money
37. Unseen Academicals
38. I Shall Wear Midnight
39. Snuff
40. Raising Steam
41. The Shepherd’s Crown
Future Extra-Credit reads by Terry Pratchett: I don’t have these, yet.
1. The Streets of Ankh Morpork (with Stephen Briggs)
2. Death’s Domain (with Paul Kidby)
3. A Tourist Guide to Lancre (with Stephen Briggs)
4. The Discworld Mapp (with Stephen Briggs)
5. The Compleat Ankh Morpork (with The Discworld Emporium)
6. The Compleat Discworld Atlas (with The Discworld Emporium)
7. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Colouring Book (with Paul Kidby)
8. Nanny Ogg’s Cook Book (with Stephen Briggs)
9. The World of Poo (with The Discworld Emporium)
10. Where’s My Cow? (with Melvyn Grant)
11. Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook (with The Discworld Emporium)
12. The Folklore of Discworld (with Jacqueline Simpson)
13. The Science of The Discworld (With Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen)
14. The Science of the Discworld II; The Globe (With Ian and Jack)
15. The Science of the Discworld III; Darwin’s Watch (With Ian and Jack)
16. The Science of the Discworld IV; Judgement Day (With Ian and Jack)
17. Turtle Recall: The Discworld Companion …So Far (with Stephen Briggs)
18. The Wit And Wisdom of Discworld (with Stephen Briggs)
19. Seriously Funny: The Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett
20. The Discworld Graphic Novels: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic
21. Guards! Guards! (Graphic Novel)
22. Small Gods (Graphic Novel)
23. The Nac Mac Feegle’s Big Wee Alphabet Books (By the Discworld Emporium)
24. The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume One
25. The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume Two
26. Terry Pratchett: Hisworld – The Official Exhibition Companion
27. A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction
28. A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Non-Fiction
29. Terry Pratchett: Hisworld – Little Blue Book
30. The Ultimate Discworld Companion (With Stephen Briggs and Paul Kidby)
31. Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes (by Rob Wilkins)