I read my first book by British author Terry Pratchett when I was 11. I was in my “I want to be a serious journalist!” phase. Pratchett is my mom’s favorite author, and he’d just released a new novel about the power of the press, so she passed it on to me. Thus began my obsession. Ten years later, I’ve read all 39 of Pratchett’s Discworld books multiple times. When the weather is cold and icky, and all I want to do is laze around in bed, they’re the books that brighten up my day. Did I mention that over 75 million copies of Pratchett’s books have been sold (according to his [website](http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/?cat=20))?
Clearly, I’m not the only one with this particular obsession. To say Pratchett is funny is an understatement. His writing is smart, satirical, sarcastic and a million other alliterative words of praise. His novels are a brilliant mix of fantasy and snarky social commentary. They take place on the Discworld, a flat planet floating through space perched on the backs of four elephants standing on the shell of a giant turtle.
On the Discworld, magic is real, dragons are kept as pets, and problems reminiscent of our own world are everywhere. Crass commercialism is criticized in “Reaper Man.” Obsession with celebrity is mocked in “Moving Pictures” and “Soul Music.” Contemporary politics is spoofed in almost every single book. Pratchett’s main characters have become old friends to me. When Sam Vimes works his way up from lowly captain of the Night Watch to commander of the entire police force of Ankh-Morpork (the main city), I’m proud of him. When Granny Weatherwax and her coven take down another bad guy, I cheer for them. When the horribly inept wizard Rincewind inevitably gets into trouble and runs away yet again, I shake my head with sympathy for the poor guy. The Discworld books don’t always follow the exact same characters. In one book, the focus is on Vimes and the other members of the Watch; in another, the focus is on the wizards of Unseen University (class motto: “nunc id vides, nunc ne vides” – “now you see it, now you don’t”). One of my favorite things about Pratchett’s series is that you get to see how characters interact with each other, and you get to see it from each character’s point of view.
My favorite book, “The Truth,” focuses on William de Worde’s adventures as he starts Ankh-Morpork’s first newspaper. My favorite character, Vimes, makes a few brief appearances in the book – his main role is to get upset when de Worde appears at crime scenes to do some reporting. Pratchett has a tremendous gift for switching back and forth between characters, making you feel as if you really are peeking inside their heads and seeing how they all fit into life on the Discworld. Each one of Pratchett’s novels provides brilliant social commentary. In “Small Gods,” a god labors to get his wayward followers back on the right path and stop them from killing everyone who doesn’t agree with their faith – something that, at one time or another, could apply to most of the world’s major religions. In “Monstrous Regiment,” a girl works to save her chip-on-its-shoulder country from itself and stop its nonstop wars – something that, at one time or another, could apply to most of the world’s major countries. Another aspect of Pratchett’s social commentary is his lampooning of almost every racial stereotype out there. The people of Klatch represent the Middle East – the Ankh-Morporkians mock them for their funny-tasting curry and think of them as backwards, but the narrator points out their long list of scientific and philosophical accomplishments. The inhabitants of Uberwald represent the old Eastern Europe – they’re nicknamed the “Evil Empire,” and vampires and werewolves are everywhere. Pratchett even includes a spoof of one of Anton Chekov’s great Russian plays in a story set in Uberwald. Whether you’re a fan of fantasy or not, it’s easy to become immersed in Pratchett’s Discworld. The characters are real, and so are their situations. They lack political correctness, celebrate nonsensical holidays, fight pointless wars, lie, cheat and steal. Discworld acts a mirror of our own, and what it reflects is always hilarious, always enlightening, and always thought-provoking.
